How far do I need to be able to hit it?

[Canary_Yellow]

I've been on a quest to become "good" at golf for what feels like forever (in actual fact it must be about 6 years). Just a bit of consistency, that's all I want....

I've always hit the ball a decent way and enjoyed doing so. I always thought that being able to give it a hefty whack was a bonus, but (somewhat late to the party) have realised it is also what gets me in trouble more often than not.

So now I'm thinking is there some merit in looking at it a different way. Should I think about what the max distance I need is, and don't worry about trying to hit it any further than that until I know I can hit it straight.

I'd be pretty confident of hitting a 5 iron 170 ish, and keeping that more or less straight off the tee. And then a 7 or 8 iron 140 - 150 should be fine off the deck. Seems to me like that should be enough to be able to play off about 12 or so. Having had a bit of a break from the game my handicap is inactive, I'd love to be back playing off a real 12.

So what is the minimum distance needed to get down to single figures? Steady 210 driving? Then a confident 7 or 8 iron good enough?

Of course this all hangs on a good short game!

Or was I right all along? Keep practicing with the driver because being able to hit 230 - 250 consistently straight makes it significantly easier? I think it would, just not sure if I'll ever be consistent enough with the amount I play....

 

[ScienceBoy]

Any length that gets you on the green making two putts. Its all about how you finish a hole.

Three 180 yard shots can get you onto most par 5s in 3... If you can hit it 180 and straight you are fine

 

[EZprophet]

Of course if you could somehow manage to add 30 yards to your drives this would help your game (you will end up, on average, between 5-15 yards closer to the target/pin after your second shot, depending on the shot distance) but that extra proximity to the hole is useless without a decent short game..

In my opinion the quickest way to lower your handicap is through course management (target selection/planning, proper club/shot selection) and "getting up and down" more often (through proper bunker technique, learning how to hit all types of chip shots decently, practicing putts inside of 10 feet).

I would also say that if those iron distances are correct then you hit them plenty long enough, but in relation to them your driver distance is not great. Could be the club or your technique with the driver but either way if your iron distances are correct then you should be able to find some extra yards in the tank with the driver somewhere.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Thanks guys.

You're right; it's course management and short game I should be working on more than anything else.

At my old course, there were a lot of dog leg holes which meant it was essential to get a drive away because any other club wouldn't reach the corner.

So that meant hitting driver was crucial.

However, playing other courses I'm seeing that isn't the case, but I still find myself reaching for the big dog when the risk is high and the reward being 170 yards and straight is not proportionally increased.

Back to the original question, could you be single figures and never hit the ball more than 200 yards with any one shot?

 

[drdel]

I try and work backwards on a new course because +IMO its wisest if you think of your 'best' short club/wedge into the green (e.g. the one you can get some consistent stop-on) you can then work back to establish the club(s) that will get you within that ideal 'go-to' distance.

Hitting 150+yards shots into the green will be harder make it harder to get some check/stop on the ball and if you're relying on running up the apron the ball is going to be heavily influenced by the vagaries of the green's 'slope'.

 

[ParParTripleBogey]

You are hitting them roughly the same distance as me (aside from driver which as EZprophet says, looks suspiciously like your technique or club needs some attention) and while Im not single figures, Im 100% sure it's not distance that's stopping you or me from getting to single figures. Start tracking your fairway and greens in regulation and see what they look like because it's likely that one or both are pretty inconsistent. If I could hit my 7/8/9/W irons from the fairway consistently, I'd be confident of making single figures. The number of duff contacts, push or pulled shots is where Im losing majority of my strokes - when I catch them clean, the distance the ball goes is totally fine (145 carry with 7 iron, 135 carry with 8 iron, 125 carry with 9 iron).

If you clean up consistency on your shorter irons and get good swing/ball striking, 200+ yards will be no worse than anyone else's. It's a difficult shot to make, end of. I think you're worrying about the wrong end of the range to be honest. In any one round, ignoring the driver/3 wood, I'd maybe hit 3/4 shots that are longer than 200 yards, whereas I'll be hitting 25+ shots that are in the 100-200 range.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

Thanks everyone. Makes sense.

I've found recently that my scores are almost entirely dependent on whether I have a good day with the driver. That made me think that I might be using it too much.

Sounds to me like course management should be my initial focus. That will improve my FIR, but not necessarily GIR if I'm leaving long approaches.

So then, no short cut for just having a better technique with the big dog and a better touch with approach shots!

The more I play and the more I think about golf, the more I realise there just are no shortcuts!

 

[Orikoru]

Firstly I would say whatever length you can comfortably find 90% of fairways is best. But if you want to directly link it to your handicap, it probably depends largely on the lengths of the par 4s at your course. If most of them are quite long then it may mean you have to hit it 250 off the tee in order to reach the greens in two. As someone said above it's about course management and leaving yourself that shot to the green first and foremost. If a 200 yard drive finds the fairway every time and leaves you a comfortable iron to the green then by all means do that.

 

[Dan2501]

Just checked the GAME Golf benchmarking and it gives the following average driving distance results:

Scratch golfer: 251 yards
72-75 (avg score): 243
75-80: 229
80-85: 217

 

[Yant]

How far you hit it is somewhat irrelevant IMO. I know 70 & 80 year olds who hit their driver no further than 200 yards and they still play to low single figure handicaps.

I would happily exchange a little distance for a bit more consistency.

 

[Dan2501]

Also worth noting Fairway Accuracy:

Scratch: 53%
72-75: 51%
75-80: 48%

and then GIR:

Scratch: 67%
72-75: 59%
75-80: 47%

and finally scrambling:

Scratch: 54%
72-75: 43%
75-80: 29%

 

[ParParTripleBogey]

Thanks for posting those stats Dan - very interesting. Quite surprised at them. I think I might be too hard on myself!

 

[jim8flog]

I play mainly with senior golfers, like myself quite a few are single figure handicap players. All of us only drive the ball (on average) about 230 yards and have a 6 iron length around 140-150.

Getting your handicap down is mainly about getting the 'stupid' shots out of the system and developing a really good short game eg these days I probably miss about 50% of the greens in regulation but probably up and down around 60-70% of the time.

 

[Deleted member 21258]

I think it will depend on how you wish to play golf and why you do. If you wish to score, then learn to course manage, to take the doubles or trebles out of play(that said it would never keep me coming back every week, so not how I play normally).

However last night I had an interesting 9 holes. I ventured out on the course and reckon I was swinging at about 75-80mph with the driver(normally swing about 100 but torn muscles) and played 9 holes. Driver was a max of 190 with run and 7 iron about 125 yards with run, went round in 4 over and being negative I only got up and down once out of 5 times(doh).

What I learnt is that I didn't get in much trouble but I don't like playing like that, it was quite boring for me personally. You don't have many good birdie chances and felt like I was always trying to save pars, as could not reach the mid-long par 4s in two or get close to par 5s in two.

The distance you hit the ball you can get you to single figures on most courses but all your game has to be good, not just driving. Up and downs from around the green are so important.

Best of luck.:thup:

 

[Hobbit]

In theory, 100yds would do. 2 shots would get you onto most par 3's, and lead to a number of 1 putts and 2 putts. 4 shots to get on to most par 4's, and 6 shots to get onto the 4x par 5's.

If you 2 putted every green that would give you a score of 106. Some of the holes you'd only 1 putt on, and some of the par 4's you might make in 3... but after we've all lashed a driver into the deep rough, hoiked an iron left then duffed a chip and 3 putted we might go round in.... 106.

If you now say you can hit it 150yds you could break 90 easily. Just hit it straight.

 

[IanG]

I'd bet Jordan Spieth could get round most of the courses we play on using a 9 iron and a putter in just a few over par.

 

[chip barm]

i'm straight as an arrow with the driver but only hit it about 200 yards. i deliberately slowed it down because things go wrong when i up the auntie and try to force it. so for now, i'd rather hit my second off the fairway than risk a sl’T lie for an extra 50 yards.

 

[Canary_Yellow]

What has this meant for your scores chip barm?

 

[Ragamuffin Gunner]

I'm more interested in what it has meant for his auntie....!

 

[chip barm]

What has this meant for your scores chip barm?

It’s helped a lot in the twelve months i've been playing. i’m hitting high 80 or low 90 consistently now. I’m not a big hitter so it’s important for me to give myself a chance to make progress. Too often I used to stand over my third shot on par 5’s and still have a tonne of work to do because my second was used up hacking out from the trees just to get straight again. Or I’d make little progress with a poor connection from longer grass…assuming I even found my ball that is. Now ideally I’m looking to play my third shot to the green, or on the longer par 5's, leave myself a chip on and a makeable par putt.