Driver Carry?

kid2

kid2

Money List Winner
Joined
Feb 1, 2009
Messages
5,173
Location
Ireland
Visit site
Been really struggling with the driver lately and I think I may have figured out why.
Problem is how do you bring yourself to stop it.

I've always had a love hate relationship with it.
No I know Bob will be on pretty quick to say I told you so. And go good reason.

We all have a distance that we hit our clubs bar our driver. We always want to manage to squeeze as much distance as we can from it.
I'm no different but after a winter spent trying to get more control in my game I've neglected getting the same outcome from my driver.

For my swingspeed trackman says that I should be carrying the ball about 215-225mtrs with my driver.

Now this is roughly right as I always guage my carry distance with my 3 wood on our longest par 3 which has a carry of 206 mtrs to where my 3 wood pitchmarks would be in a good hit.

Now I know most of our par 4's and par 5's have certain trees or spinneys around my driver carry distance at the sides of holes which should be making easy targets for me to achieve based on swinging within myself but I always seem to try and knock the name off the ball at the expense of control.

Maybe trying to hit the driver just to these distance may give me that control I need and make my tempo better..
Just something I'm pondering on.
I'm playing tomorrow evening again. It's something I'm going to conciously do.
Everyone puts a max distance on their irons but not the driver for some reason. Me included.

It may just piece together what's the weakest part of my game. 😀
 
Your h/c is 5 so clearly you are doing something right. Driving used to be the weakest part of my game. Eratic to say the least. I hit on a method last year of carrying it around 180-190yds but pretty straight. I am generally repeating that this year. 170yds in winter, 180-190 in decent weather and up to 200yds in the warm. Ideally it then bobs along another 10-20yds or so. A month or so ago I tried to tweak things to gain more distance but I went back to the bad old days. Since then I've decided to accept the distance and more importantly enjoy being on the fairway, enjoy being 1 off the tee, not 3. I've accepted these distances are good for me, more is a bonus. Once you get your head around that, distances vary for each person of course, then you can enjoy it more.
 
Last edited:
I try to put the same swing on all of my driver shots... admittedly I will sometimes try to fade the ball etc but always same tempo. I've accepted my limitations and will play the course based on my ability, not where I wish the ball would land.

I believe its this mindset that has made driving the strongest part of my game.

BTW I'm not long.... 245-270 is usual.
 
270 yds carry is getting in to Tour player distance. We can all hit a good one, but do we really average 270 ? ;)
 
Is the reason we don't put a max on the driver because there is no other club to go to above it? hitting an 8 iron 150 instead of trying to get a 9 iron there makes sense, but if you need to get to 250 you have to hit driver.
 
Still obscene. The only saving grace for us short hitters is that when you pull or push a shot of that distance you are a long way off line by the time the ball comes down to earth. (grasping at straws?)
 
Last edited:
KenL said:
Last post did not say 270 was average, I took it he meant that was a max?
Click to expand...

To clarify - yes, 245-270 is my max including roll out.

I had one hole at my previous course that needed a 255 carry to clear a river (albeit slightly downhill) and I carried that almost every time with my driver.
 
adam6177 said:
To clarify - yes, 245-270 is my max including roll out.

I had one hole at my previous course that needed a 255 carry to clear a river (albeit slightly downhill) and I carried that almost every time with my driver.
Click to expand...

That is long as far as I'm concerned. Not many would try to carry 220, if there was a river there.
 
I don't try to hit my driver as far as I can, I try to hit it as well as I can. If I hit it better, I hit it further, if I try to hit it further, it definitely isn't better.
 
There is a handful of people who can get it out there further than me at our club, mostly the single figures guys and im not sure many of them can carry it 250. I Can get it out there to 230 carry on the flat most of the time and i wouldnt say i was a short hitter by any stretch.
 
I carry my driver about 5 miles every time I play a round of golf. Every now and then I even try and use it...:)
 
I can relate to this. I have tried all sorts of tweaks over the years to hit a driver well and failed miserably. My swing speed is 98-99mph but often see a ball miss the fairway to the right after flying 80% of the way straight to target line. I normally hit it around 225 yds carry but recently tried a new Cobra Max Offset driver. Now that really only masks your swing flaws I hear you say but if it works ? The upshot was it was going straight or even a draw but I was only landing it 200yds. Therefore a previous post of accuracy over length appeals to me too. Anyone explain why an offset driver goes shorter than the same loft with a non offset head ?
 
HawkeyeMS said:
I don't try to hit my driver as far as I can, I try to hit it as well as I can. If I hit it better, I hit it further, if I try to hit it further, it definitely isn't better.
Click to expand...

Great mindset, when i try to 'hit' mine it is pants

Thing is of late my hybrid is longer than my driver.......
 
adam6177 said:
To clarify - yes, 245-270 is my max including roll out.

I had one hole at my previous course that needed a 255 carry to clear a river (albeit slightly downhill) and I carried that almost every time with my driver.
Click to expand...
What was the course and hole? I'd be interested to know more... thanks
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Shorter driver shaft?
2
Replies
24
Views
681
Dunesman
D
N
Driver alternative
Replies
15
Views
3K
Patster1969
P
rudebhoy
5 wood easier to hit than 3 wood?
2
Replies
22
Views
3K
Orikoru
Orikoru
Tashyboy
Ping G430 v Titliest TSR2
2 3
Replies
43
Views
941
PJ87
PJ87
Orikoru
Changing Weights in Driver
2 3 4
Replies
70
Views
2K
Orikoru
Orikoru
Top