High handicappers who hit the ball well and far...

[Cernunnos]

only if you are a bull with femininity issues

 

[slugger]

only if you are a bull with femininity issues

lol, that deserves its own thread somewhere else!!!!

My original point was not about average length of drives. It was about one person calling another a liar when the first person say they hit a ball 300yds. There doesn't need to be any average about it.

If i say i "have" it means i "can" and therefore probably "will" in future!

For what it's worth, i have hit my 3 wood 300yds with a sligh tailwind, and am a high handicap (for now) golfer. I only took the game up just over a year ago and so am still learning the short game from experience, which, i believe, is where the scoring can actually come down.

I didn't intend for this to turn into a big liar liar debate, but to my mind, it's as if certain low handicappers feel slightly threatened by a high handicapper who can hit the ball a long way.

I've experienced this on here, and in one of only 4 medals i've played in. This wee old scrawny italian dude who questioned my handicap for an entire round of golf because i have a nice swing.

At the time, my answer was, "yep, i've got a nice swing, but i cannae play golf!"

 

[Robobum]

........but to my mind, it's as if certain low handicappers feel slightly threatened by a high handicapper who can hit the ball a long way.

Now that is deluded.

 

[Herbie]

Locking horns, sounds kinky to me

Didnt your mum tell you about those books under your bed Parmo?

 

[Timberbonce]

I whole heartily agree with you Slugger on this point, i have a very similar experience on the course... i hit my first drive and out come the same old coments; "23 my arse"..."Bandit" etc. Just hitting a long ball does not mean you can play golf and attain a low handicap, surely i don't need to point out there is more to this game than hitting a long ball.

So in conclusion: Some poeple hit long drives others don't and it doesn't nessecerely reflect your ability as a golfer.

 

[Yerman]

"The woods are full of big hitters"

 

[Golfmmad]

I've read this thread with interest and here's my two penneth.
On Sunday last I played in the winter league Gala Day. We all went out in 4 balls - one from each different team. In my group there was a 5,12 and a 16 handicap, myself off 25. They all hit the ball way further than me - no problem to me, I accept that I'm not a big hitter. Quite often during the round their drives were going left, right, all over the place but did usually manage to get back on track. I had a couple of duff tee shots but mostly I was fairly straight 200yds ish.
On the 17th long par 4, the player whose home course it was said to me you're doing well to come off with a 5 here.
One hit well left in or near ditch, one hit way right on the 18th fairway, the other way left again further in or near ditch. Mine, about 200yds just off edge of fairway but sitting up nicely and was able to nail my 5 wood to leave a PW which I hit to 15-20yds for par, missed the putt but made 5. The others two sixes and a blob.
So, I'm sure we all know we don't always have to be longest off the tee

Golfmmad.

 

[KeefG]

I've been out playing this afternoon and have hit a 329yd drive, I've know its within 2-3yds of this distance as i've just measured it on Google Earth.

I know exactly where it finished up on the map is I drove into a stream that runs across the middle of the 13th fairway at Temple Newsam

Admittedly I had the perfect tailwind for the shot, coming from left to right and the tee box is quite elevated but even so, thats a monster drive

Thats twice i've driven it that far off the tee there, twice out of about 40 times i've played it, and its the only 2 times the wind has been blowing favourable for the shot as its normally a headwind!

 

[Herbie]

I whole heartily agree with you Slugger on this point, i have a very similar experience on the course... i hit my first drive and out come the same old coments; "23 my arse"..."Bandit" etc. Just hitting a long ball does not mean you can play golf and attain a low handicap, surely i don't need to point out there is more to this game than hitting a long ball.


So in conclusion: Some poeple hit long drives others don't and it doesn't nessecerely reflect your ability as a golfer.

That is a very good point, when I play high h/c players I am never surprised that they can cream a driver frequently down the fairway to 250yds or more, and the reason I am never surprised is because to hit a drive 250 or more requires a reasonable swing speed, timing and accurate ball contact. This is something the majority of golfers can achieve from time to time or even consistantly and high h/c players can also achieve this though perhaps less often.

The way a player plays throughout the round may make me call them a bandit but not their drives.



Everyone seems to have to qualify or prove that they hit a long one yet no one has to qualify or prove why they cant!

 

[Parmo]

I whole heartily agree with you Slugger on this point, i have a very similar experience on the course... i hit my first drive and out come the same old coments; "23 my arse"..."Bandit" etc. Just hitting a long ball does not mean you can play golf and attain a low handicap, surely i don't need to point out there is more to this game than hitting a long ball.

So in conclusion: Some poeple hit long drives others don't and it doesn't nessecerely reflect your ability as a golfer.

Funny you should mention that, I get the "23 my arse" on the first tee

 

[vig]

"The woods are full of big hitters"

And the clubhouse full of bulls hitters!

Does it matter how far one can drive?

I very rarely use a driver cos i'm sh'ite with it.
I don't feel an urge to outdrive my opponent. Don't get me wrong, i'd love to be able to hit a gentle draw with the big stick but at the moment, it is a work in progress.
If I get a 4 on a par 4 by hitting 3 iron, 4 iron, putt, putt OR chip, putt. It is still the same score as a drive to 320yds, sand iron, putt, putt.

Why do we get so hung up about driver distance.
Most holes that we play are reachable in regulation without having to hit a 300yd drive. It may just be a longer iron in.
Fortunately my long irons are a strength in my game so I can keep up with the 300yd brigade

H/cap has no bearing on distance whatsoever.
I have a nephew who plays infrequently and is about 6 stone wet through but can cream his driver. Rest of his game is rubbish though

 

[Timberbonce]

What you say is true Vig but nobody is showing off about long drives and i agree long drives don't mean a lot at this level, we are simply saying, to whoever thinks that no high handicaper can hit long consistent drives; you are wrong.

......and besides if you can then why not use it, in general i can as i have said, but if i couldn't i would be up pooh creek cos my long irons arn't accurate enough and my chipping and pitching is crap, so while i work on these week points a long drive and a good full wedge/ nine iron onto the green keeps my score some where near acceptable.

 

[Adrena1in]

Why do we get so hung up about driver distance.

Machismo.

Fortunately my long irons are a strength in my game so I can keep up with the 300yd brigade

I've recently come to the conclusion that my mid to long irons aren't bad at the moment, and since the longest hole at my course is only 366 yards, I'm going to have a break from the "Get as close as possible" mentality and perhaps even not take my woods out at all for the next few rounds...see how I get on. I don't want to come across as arrogant to the other players though.

 

[Parmo]

I often use a 4iron on shorter par 4's, I know that it is a safe option.

The driver at times can reach most of the shorter par 4's are our course which can lead to birdies and eagles, but in the bigger picture and the ratio of that happening and the ball ending up in a worse position I tend to take a hybrid or 4iron and use course management.