Vardon11
Medal Winner
Ok mate, let me know. All 27 holes are now open!
How far could / should I be able to hit my driver?
- Thread starter Vardon11
- Start date
Ok mate, let me know. All 27 holes are now open!
HawkeyeMS
Ryder Cup Winner
HawkeyeMS
Ryder Cup Winner
I did, but we're not talking exact distances, Dave clubs are 2deg stronger than mine which equates to 5 or 6 yards. I don't know his SS and I don't know my or his exact yardages. His 160 and my 165 are probably about the same in real life, he may well be a bit longer than me. The yardages he quoted are just his baseline as mine are.
Taking the PW for example, I usually base mine on a carry of 105 this time of year, he uses 110, that allows for the 2 degress stronger lofts. Similarly, he quotes 120 for his 9i, I work on about 116\117. For the 5i, I work on 5 yds more but that isn't to say I always hit it 165, often it is shorter. At the end of the day, if you are saying Dave B is very short then so am I but that isn't my experience on the course.
All this is of course irrelevent as I don't remember the last time I had a shot that actually played to the yardage when you allow for wind etc. For example, I hit a 5i to 4 feet from 133yds on Sunday and I nailed it.
Golf is about more than how far you hit it, it is about understanding how your shots react in different conditions and being able and comfortable to hit any club in your bag to achieve the desired result regardless of the yardage. Maybe that's why all these people who hit the ball miles further than me also have higher handicaps
jimbob.someroo
Journeyman Pro
Golf is about more than how far you hit it, it is about understanding how your shots react in different conditions and being able and comfortable to hit any club in your bag to achieve the desired result regardless of the yardage. Maybe that's why all these people who hit the ball miles further than me also have higher handicaps
Well summed up. I consider myself a relatively big hitter but unless it was downwind / really hot / downhill wouldn't think of pulling out a 9 iron from 155.
I could probably get one there, but would be swinging out of my boots and would struggle to hit it straight consistently.
The other thing that is confusing for me is saying things like 'that's my 9 iron carry distance implying that there's more to come from roll out ... I'm yet to hit a full 9 iron which rolls out more than 5 foot and to be honest, most will come backwards or at least stop where they are.
garyinderry
Ryder Cup Winner
at all times I like my approaches to sit down asap! talking about short irons with roll doesn't compute with me. I play a soft ball to try and stop any roll.
when the greens dry out this cant be done. you have to know carry distance then calculate the silly roll depending on the trajectory of the shot or adjust the trajectory to suit the shot.
when the greens dry out this cant be done. you have to know carry distance then calculate the silly roll depending on the trajectory of the shot or adjust the trajectory to suit the shot.
mcbroon
Journeyman Pro
Golf is about more than how far you hit it, it is about understanding how your shots react in different conditions and being able and comfortable to hit any club in your bag to achieve the desired result regardless of the yardage. Maybe that's why all these people who hit the ball miles further than me also have higher handicaps
Absolutely right.
Me too. If you get another 6 or 7 yards roll out from a full 9i then you're hitting it wrong.
Airlie_Andy
Challenge Tour Pro
The original iron yardages are pretty similar to what mine used to be but im a good club shorter than that now due to slightly weaker lofted and shorter length irons. I'm also trying to swing with more control for consistent distances. At the moment a well struck drive is carrying about 250 yards for me so you should be somewhere around there I would say.
TheJezster
Tour Rookie
No hes not Davey. He's probably about the normal for a club golfer. Most people (almost all) think they hit their shots further than they think, possibly you included. Now, I'm not saying that everyone specifically lies about it, but they do invariably get it wrong, albeit innocently.
Some will be shorter than him, some longer, but what he isnt, to the club golfer is "very short"
I realise that this will tear into the machoism of plenty on here, but that's life. Not trying to create an argument, just pointing out the facts. The links that Dave included back this up too.
There are some genuinely long hitters around, and some short ones too. As long as they both get down for the same number, thats what counts on the card.
S
Snelly
Guest
I agree with you on all points.
njc1973
Head Pro
I would say the hitting off a 7 iron 190 yards at Doral that has been brought up a few times is a bit of a misnomer, firstly it's a hell of a lot warmer therefore it's probably only playing 170 yards back home in the cold air and they are going at it hard to get the height to stop it on rock hard greens & strike the ball a lot cleaner than we do.
I reckon most people on here would be use a 6 or at most a 5 iron in that sort of weather for 190 yards
I reckon most people on here would be use a 6 or at most a 5 iron in that sort of weather for 190 yards
HawkeyeMS
Ryder Cup Winner
Once you get to above a certain temp (18C rings a bell), the temperature has no effect on distance. There is no way most people on here are hitting a 5 or 6 iron 190yds. At altitude maybe, but not in Florida.
njc1973
Head Pro
Saw this the other day on another website, although it was from a few years ago so it the difference in balls may have changed the outcome. From personal experience I get 10-20 yards more carry with mid-long irons when I go to Spain/Portugal in March which I can only put down to the warmer temps.
Here is the answer straight from my PGA Teaching Manual;
'The temperature of a golf ball affects its ability to rebound from the clubface. The following chart is the approximate influence of temperature on the ball for a shot that would normally carry 220 yards at 75 degree temperature.
Yards --- Temp
226 ------- 105
224 ------- 95
222 ------- 85
220 ------- 75
216 ------- 65
214 ------- 55
205 ------- 45
196 ------- 35
Here is the answer straight from my PGA Teaching Manual;
'The temperature of a golf ball affects its ability to rebound from the clubface. The following chart is the approximate influence of temperature on the ball for a shot that would normally carry 220 yards at 75 degree temperature.
Yards --- Temp
226 ------- 105
224 ------- 95
222 ------- 85
220 ------- 75
216 ------- 65
214 ------- 55
205 ------- 45
196 ------- 35
HawkeyeMS
Ryder Cup Winner
Maybe I should have said little difference rather than none, and your stats back that up. Once you get above 65, the increase in distance is far less apparent than below 65. It certainly does nothing to back up your claim that most on here would be hitting 5 or 6i 190 yards
njc1973
Head Pro
In hindsight you're probably right about the club used, I would use a 5 iron in the middle of summer for a 190 carry and am probably slightly longer than the average among the groups I play with
S
Snelly
Guest
Indeed. I am not a short hitter and hit my 5 iron about 175 ish.
Depends on the 5 iron too though. I might hit yours a bit further as your lofts are probably stronger than mine with the X-16 Pro 5 iron having a loft angle of 26 degrees.
No need to lie about my distances mate, if you need confirmation then PM Hovis, I hit a good few drives out to 260-270 yards at Woodhall SPA a week or 2 back but unfortunatly Hovis was the only one in my group from the forum that day... I measure all my distances with my S3 also so no imaginary guess work here.
As for the snidey HCP quotes... I got my HCP over a year ago and played around 4 comps so I'm sure that will fall this season as I am actually going to participate in comps when our season starts. Me and my mate flew around our course yesterday in 2:58 mins (to avoid darkness) and I scored 37 points without even reading a putt which did cause a few 3 putts so I'm confident of a lower HCP this season.
It's the same old story as always on this forum though with any distance threads when someone who doesn't hit the ball that long belives that no one else can either and it will never change.
Jack_bfc
Challenge Tour Pro
190yds. 5 wood never mind a 5 iron...
My new hybrid will probably get smacked for that sort of distance. Im waiting for some firm fairways/greens etc before I make that call..
Definatley wont be a 5iron.
Anyone want a TM 200 3, 4 or 5 iron as I dont have use for them anymore....
My new hybrid will probably get smacked for that sort of distance. Im waiting for some firm fairways/greens etc before I make that call..
Definatley wont be a 5iron.
Anyone want a TM 200 3, 4 or 5 iron as I dont have use for them anymore....
HawkeyeMS
Ryder Cup Winner
Personally I'm not doubting that you hit the ball miles, but that makes you very long, not Dave B very short.
Imurg
The Grinder Of Pars (Semi Crocked)
Is the correct answer.......
The majority, I suspect, will take a 7 iron for a 150 yard shot.
If you take 8 or even a 9 then you're longer than average
If you need a 6 or a 5 then you're shorter than average
But it's irrelevant.
If someone takes a 9 iron and I take a 7 and we both stiff it to 6 inches who cares......?
G.U.R
Head Pro
Careful you are bringing logic and sense to a discussion they normally have no place in.
