driving distance for newbie

[hovis]

hi all' in my 4th month of golf and decided to get a driver as i'm getting confident with my iron game. i purchased a callaway FT-IQ 10 degree driver.

i'm currently hitting the ball over the 200yrd sign and rolling upto and sometimes past the 250 sign. is this a respectable distance? or should i get lessons and start knocking the skin off em!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Why is everyone obsessed with distance. It really doesn't matter too much, certainly not if you have just started. I'd rather take 230 (which is all I hit as an average) and be on the fairway than 250 and playing three off the tee or chipping out. It's all subjective anyway unless you measure every drive.

If you are keeping it play then I'd stick with 200 yards and straight. You could get a lesson and make sure you are hitting it properly as driving does require a few modifications (set up) but I'd never be looking to hit the skin off any shot.

 

[Imurg]

Being able to drive 200 yards down the middle enables you to get on any green in 3 providing you don't balls up the other shots - Drive=200, fairway wood=175 - =375 yards. Unless your par 5's are 550+ you can get there. Even a long par 4 is only going to be 250 yards away after that drive.
At your standard you're going to get a shot a hole or more so use them. Play par 4's as 5's and par 5's as 6's. You'll par the odd one and that may get you cut.
Get some lessons but focus on technique not distance. That will come once you've mastered the basics.

 

[Nikki]

Chill dude...

Just hit the fairway.

I hit the ball further, but you could kill me on the course by hitting it straight down the middle.

 

[madandra]

I echo previous posts. Concentrate on direction and them distance.

 

[DazYeo]

I've been playing for 8 months now and have finally managed to start finding the fairways at 200-220 yds of a 75% swing. that I am happy with as it tends to be only a long iron to the green (ore often than not to the front edge!). On the range I hit it dead straight and up to 250 yds. Go figure.

Take your time, hit it straight off a 60-75% swing consistently then start to beef them up.

 

[RGDave]

i'm currently hitting the ball over the 200yrd sign and rolling upto and sometimes past the 250 sign. is this a respectable distance? or should i get lessons and start knocking the skin off em!

Yes, that's respectable. Even more so on a range with rubbish balls.

"Distance isn't an issue, until it's an issue" - what I mean by this is that if a player can't reach 3 or 4 long holes on their course, might as well ignore hitting it further until those are the only holes you are bogeying.

I'd like to hit it further (there are 3 holes I can't reach) but until I'm off way less (which might not happen) I'll just ignore the temptation to make this an issue.

 

[CrapHacker]

I'd never be looking to hit the skin off any shot.

Last time I played a round whilst driving well, and consistantly ( yes it happened once ), I was averaging about 230-235ish.

Then the last two holes were straight up and down, so I thought I'd try to knock the skin off them , to see how much I could gain.

On the 18th I hit it nearly 270 yards, so I'm thinking that absolutely lathering the ball is all good. But then it was pointed out that the wind had got up, and this shot was straight downwind. On the previous hole ( straight into the wind ) I had hit it just under 230, apparently.

So my average was fractionally under 250 yards.

It didn't seem that much of a reward for all the extra effort.

 

[USER1999]

You will probably find that the club head speed between whacking it, and swinging at it smoothly is little different. However, with whacking it, all the timing goes, and you are more wayward.
Until you are good enough to whack it, with a solid technique, I would stick with swinging smoothly and in balance.

 

[Smiffy]

I would stick with swinging smoothly and in balance.

Like what I do

 

[CrapHacker]

Until you are good enough to whack it, with a solid technique, I would stick with swinging smoothly and in balance.

Oh, booger.

That's me back out with just the 4w again.

 

[Owen_Thomas_14]

If your playing for fun or trying to impress people then why not give your drives the beans. If you want to become a better player keep that ball in play

 

[full_throttle]

i wish i could get 200+yards from the tee..

played monday and my best drive was measured at 180yards, the grass was very wet and the air thick, but still way short of average.

End of the day I'll settle for 180 if it's on the fairway, hopefully end up with bogey or better and start dropping my handicap

If only it was this simple...lol

 

[Region3]

i wish i could get 200+yards from the tee..

played monday and my best drive was measured at 180yards, the grass was very wet and the air thick, but still way short of average.

End of the day I'll settle for 180 if it's on the fairway, hopefully end up with bogey or better and start dropping my handicap

If only it was this simple...lol

I'm no expert, but if you get that weight transfer sorted you'll hit the ball further without trying.
At the moment, the harder you try to hit the ball, the more you lean back and the more the slice and miss-hits are liable to appear.

At times your left heel was off the floor at impact. That should be how your right one is.

Only my opinion though

Maybe someone has some good weight transfer drills?

 

[full_throttle]

cheers R3,

 

[Swinger]

I echo previous posts. Concentrate on direction and them distance.

I disagree, Hit the ball and hit it hard. Thats the best way to learn.

Someone can straighen you up later on.

Its easier to slow a fast swing down than speed a slow swing up.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I echo previous posts. Concentrate on direction and them distance.

I disagree, Hit the ball and hit it hard. Thats the best way to learn.

Someone can straighen you up later on.

Its easier to slow a fast swing down than speed a slow swing up.

Sorry but I totally disagree. When I had lessons with a top coach earlier in the year he was actually getting me to hit everything in slow motion and focus on making it as slow as you can. He wanted me to see and feel the club as it went back and through with proper turn, weight change, plane etc. It was an eye opener.

Also I would bet huge amounts of cash and say I probably have (had) the quickest swing on here. One of the thing I've really worked hard on is slowing it down. It can be down and just requires a little willpowere and dedication

 

[Smiffy]

Also I would bet huge amounts of cash and say I probably have (had) the quickest swing on here.

I'll take that bet.
PN Wokingham (Paul) is his name and I have never (ever) seen a swing as fast as his. Nice, controlled takeaway, but then all hell breaks loose! He makes Billy Whizz look pedestrian.
I'd love to see him on a trackman.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

He's a local boy so we might have to have a swing off somewhere. I've actually been working on slowing it down from the blur it was a year ago to something that can be seen with the naked eye