Handicap and Distance

[Imurg]

This is an interesting one and a conversation I've had with someone before. Can you be a great ball striker if you can't keep it in play? I would argue not.

It's down to the definition of a good strike.
If you hit the ball cleanly from the sweet spot is that a good strike?
If the clubhead's pointing the wrong way but you still hit the middle is that a good strike..?

You're probably right though...

 

[JustOne]

This is an interesting one and a conversation I've had with someone before. Can you be a great ball striker if you can't keep it in play? I would argue not.

Depends what your aim is like :thup:


Tiger is a pretty good ball striker (so I've heard).... missed more fairways than any other player on tour (so I've also heard).

 

[harpo_72]

It's actually meaningless, I know lots of people who hit past me off higher handicaps, I know people of lower handicaps who are shorter than me. However it is always amusing watching it all occur, and the sincere knowledge that if they swing like that without practice an injury or wayward shot will ensue ... I wish these high handicap players would stop going on about how long they hit it, try talking about the amount of shots they took.

 

[Foxholer]

PGA Tour stats has a 'Ball Striking' category that merges Driving Distance and GIR.

Not sure how it does it as the stated way (simply adding the 2 ranking numbers ) doesn't match what the rankings say.

The term 'flush' is probably the one that simply describes contact, with no consideration of whether it goes in the right direction. I've seen a description of ball-striking involving the shape of the shot as well.

 

[DAVEYBOY]

On Sat I played a 500yard par 5 as follows... Driver - 6 iron - 2 putt birdie. Am I allowed to do this off 17?

I also played a par 4 as follows. Drive which left me 90 yards in - fat pitch - crap chip - 3 putt = 6

I drove the ball like a very low handicaper on sat but my short game and putting was complete crap due to lack of golf and practice lately. The players behind us where constantly praising my tee shots and probably thought I was a low handicapper but they where not around the greens to what happened next.

I also hit the gym 6 days a week so I would expect a power advantage.

Shall we start a thread on high handicappers who are good putters?

 

[Foxholer]

Shall we start a thread on high handicappers who are good putters?

Pretty short thread I would think!

 

[HawkeyeMS]

On Sat I played a 500yard par 5 as follows... Driver - 6 iron - 2 putt birdie. Am I allowed to do this off 17?

I also played a par 4 as follows. Drive which left me 90 yards in - fat pitch - crap chip - 3 putt = 6

I drove the ball like a very low handicaper on sat but my short game and putting was complete crap due to lack of golf and practice lately. The players behind us where constantly praising my tee shots and probably thought I was a low handicapper but they where not around the greens to what happened next.

I also hit the gym 6 days a week so I would expect a power advantage.

Shall we start a thread on high handicappers who are good putters?

It was very windy on Saturday :ears:

 

[DAVEYBOY]

It was very windy on Saturday :ears:

Lol still hit some belters into the wind. I didn't enjoying the soggy fairways though, Drives where stopping like wedge shots. Back at home this week (PGA) so I'm hoping they have still got some roll on them. West Midlands was very wet and slow though. The slow greens really caught me out. I actually prefer the fast pace of the PGA's greens now.

I did par the 18th island green par 3 at West Midlands though which is very identical to the one at TPC sawgrass - 140 yards it played.

 

[the hammer]

My take on this would be keeping the ball in play whilst hitting it long, my h/c dropped from 18 to 14 in a weekend, with nothing longer than a 4 iron, i found the difference between 18 & 14 massive, without the ability to hit long and stay in play i'll struggle to better bogey golf.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

On Sat I played a 500yard par 5 as follows... Driver - 6 iron - 2 putt birdie.

300yd drive followed by 200yd 6i then?

Can you estimate your carry for both shots as not really able to get my head around these distances.

 

[HawkeyeMS]

Lol still hit some belters into the wind. I didn't enjoying the soggy fairways though, Drives where stopping like wedge shots. Back at home this week (PGA) so I'm hoping they have still got some roll on them. West Midlands was very wet and slow though. The slow greens really caught me out. I actually prefer the fast pace of the PGA's greens now.

I did par the 18th island green par 3 at West Midlands though which is very identical to the one at TPC sawgrass - 140 yards it played.

Driver-6i 500yds on a soggy course with no run? No disrespect but those are frankly unbelievable distances for an amateur golfer, downwind or not.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Driver-6i 500yds on a soggy course with no run? No disrespect but those are frankly unbelievable distances for an amateur golfer, downwind or not.

Carry distances? Blimey - either that or the hole yardage is way wrong

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Driver-6i 500yds on a soggy course with no run? No disrespect but those are frankly unbelievable distances for an amateur golfer, downwind or not.

Remember many base their distances hit upon the figure on the scorecard, not the distance of the hole as played. Therefore, the distance "achieved" by forward tees etc; is often overlooked.

 

[DAVEYBOY]

LOL here we go another no he didn't...

Right Garmin S3 measured... 500 yard par 5. Might have been 503 on the watch standing on the tee. Wind diagonal from left to right down the hole. Hit a draw which measured exactly 298. I then had 210 to the back of the green and hit 6 iron as I didn't want to come up short of the green as there is a lake which runs across the front of the green. On arrival of the green my ball was on the back edge of the green approximately 1 yard from my pitch mark (crater) two putt for a birdie.

Not sure why I would need to lie.

 

[DAVEYBOY]

LOL here we go another no he didn't...

Right Garmin S3 measured... 500 yard par 5. Might have been 503 on the watch standing on the tee. Wind diagonal from left to right down the hole. Hit a draw which measured exactly 298. I then had 210 to the back of the green and hit 6 iron as I didn't want to come up short of the green as there is a lake which runs across the front of the green. On arrival of the green my ball was on the back edge of the green approximately 1 yard from my pitch mark (crater) two putt for a birdie.

Not sure why I would need to lie.

And yes there was very little run on the fairways as they where soggy so I'd imagine it would have been longer in summer conditions. If you need proof of me being able to hit a drive 300 yards then PM Hovis as he has played many rounds with me. He can also hit a long ball. We are fit young men who train a lot and have the strength and power to hit the ball a long way when our technique is on.

Moral of the story... Get down the gym if you want more distance.

And before the oldies get upset I'm not saying I average 300 yards I'm just saying I can get it out there.

 

[3565]

I think technology has a lot to do with it. Bigger heads, larger sweet spots, balls spinning less flying further, shafts that help with kick points pending on your swing, and general fitness. With all them factors could an 18hc player hit it 270? Possibly, but on a consistent basis to average the claim that they hit it 270......... No. The average on the PGA tour is only 288.8yds, which seems low when you see them booming over 300yds. But not everyone can do that, so realistically the '18 hc golfer' is 18.8 yds behind guys who do this for a living and even those who are short on the tour, their ball striking is far better then your scratch player. They are leagues away from the amateurs that we are.
http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-equi...5/2012/08/is-distance-really-out-of-cont.html

 

[3565]

Moral of the story... Get down the gym if you want more distance......

moral of the story, stop hitting the gym and spend more time on your short game if you want to get your handicap down.........

 

[Liqdaddymac]

A lad I play with a fair bit constantly carries the ball with a square headed nike driver 310 yards in calm conditions with pretty much zero roll, it starts off low, slowly climbs up and up and up then drops almost vertically down. He is yet to beat me.

I play off 6 and constantly put it past the lad off +2 at our club.......

 

[DAVEYBOY]

Moral of the story... Get down the gym if you want more distance......

moral of the story, stop hitting the gym and spend more time on your short game if you want to get your handicap down.........

Why? Its winter and there aren't many comps. I'd like a lower handicap but after playing only 4 comps in my first season it isn't going to come tumbling down. I play golf for fun at the moment but who knows I might practice as much as Homer one day.

 

[DAVEYBOY]

So Hawkeye... Is the S3 wrong or am I lieing? Why would it be unbelievable really? A 298 yard drive is unbelievable LOL maybe 350+ yes but 298 really? And a 200 yard 6 iron??? I would use my 6 iron for anything from 175-185 normally so is 15 yards extra with some wind truly unbelievable. The wind didn't suit my shot shape but it gave me 15 yards. If it had of landed on a summer fairway it could of rolled out up to 220 yards, would I be hung for quoting a 220 yard 6 iron?

This forum makes me laugh when I comes to distance threads.