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Pro Distances

When the pros say they hit a club X amount of yards thats how far they carry it not how far it ends up when its landed 50 short and ran up like amatuers ball striking...

Spot on, they hit the ball and it stops. Played with a guy the other night, he hit a 6i from 174y into the wind and onto the green....the ball ran about 30 odd yards to get there.
 
"Ben Hogan was once playing in a pro-am where one of his partners asked him all day what club he was using. Finally, on the eighteenth hole, a long par 3, after hitting his regulation shot, Hogan proceeded to put a ball on the green with every club in his bag. He looked at his astonished amateur partner and told him that it didn't matter what club he used, but rather what the shot had to be in order to make club selection."
I've heard the exact same story about several of the old timers. I assume at least one of them is true! :)
 
I was watching a bit of the Codgers stuff at Carnoustie, and they were showing Langer (he of the I hit my 7i 153 yards exactly), and he was 210 from the pin. What did he hit? 7 iron.

They still knock it out there.
Of course it depends if it's downwind/downhill etc. I remember a commentator once saying that Tiger hit an 8 iron 208 yards into a par 5. I assume it wasn't into a strong headwind. :-)

I also recall once in the mists of time (I think it might have been at the 1997 Open) when Tiger was lining up a 3-wood second into a par 5. The commentator said it was into the wind and not even Tiger would be able to reach...but reach it he did. The commentator was absolutely flabbergasted!
 
When the pros say they hit a club X amount of yards thats how far they carry it not how far it ends up when its landed 50 short and ran up like amatuers ball striking...

A bit cynical :)

The distances I think I hit clubs are carry distances. Surely most amateurs don't include roll, that would be pointless. :D
 
The distances I think I hit clubs are carry distances. Surely most amateurs don't include roll, that would be pointless. :D

Pointless.....yep

Those averaging 275+.....definately includes roll
 
When the pros say they hit a club X amount of yards thats how far they carry it not how far it ends up when its landed 50 short and ran up like amatuers ball striking...

A bit cynical :)

The distances I think I hit clubs are carry distances. Surely most amateurs don't include roll, that would be pointless. :D

Whoa, not sure about that one.

I see guys all the time measuring where there ball ended up, not sure I've ever seen someone measure from a pitchmark or roughly where it landed.

There is a hole up our place that if you miss left out of the left rough you can easily catch a flyer and hit a 7 iron 200-250. I never hear any of them telling me where it landed only how far it went.
 
When the pros say they hit a club X amount of yards thats how far they carry it not how far it ends up when its landed 50 short and ran up like amatuers ball striking...

A bit cynical :)

The distances I think I hit clubs are carry distances. Surely most amateurs don't include roll, that would be pointless. :D

The pros know how far they hit it on a flat calm day on flat ground and they work from that your average amateur hits a 4 iron to a 201 yard par 3 as a one off and all of a sudden you hear "i hit a four iron 201 yards you know" when in reality you have done it once. one warm day does not make a summer.
 
When the pros say they hit a club X amount of yards thats how far they carry it not how far it ends up when its landed 50 short and ran up like amatuers ball striking...

A bit cynical :)

The distances I think I hit clubs are carry distances. Surely most amateurs don't include roll, that would be pointless. :D

The pros know how far they hit it on a flat calm day on flat ground and they work from that your average amateur hits a 4 iron to a 201 yard par 3 as a one off and all of a sudden you hear "i hit a four iron 201 yards you know" when in reality you have done it once. one warm day does not make a summer.

Seconded
 
When the pros say they hit a club X amount of yards thats how far they carry it not how far it ends up when its landed 50 short and ran up like amatuers ball striking...

A bit cynical :)

The distances I think I hit clubs are carry distances. Surely most amateurs don't include roll, that would be pointless. :D



There is a hole up our place that if you miss left out of the left rough you can easily catch a flyer and hit a 7 iron 200-250. I never hear any of them telling me where it landed only how far it went.

exactly but how many people hit a 7 iron 200-250 yards???
 
In that case I feel reassured that I have a slight edge over some others then if they're including roll in their iron distances.

If someone asked me my average driver distance though I'd assume it was to include roll. I know how far I can carry it if there's a hazard to avoid but I'd never expect anyone to ask about it.
 
What amazes me is the distances the lads hit on links (Open) courses, with all the roll.
Didn't Harrington hit a 275 5 wood at Birkdale?
That's driver distance for the shorter hitters on the tour on a parkland course.
Even I hit a 310 yarder once on a flat hole on the Dutch Open course.

PS..not all holes on Dutch courses are flat!!!

Oh actually, remembering it.....I was almost in the mid-fairway bunker on the 6th at Royal St. D's last time. It's 330 to roll into it. Much too close :eek:
 
I have found that the few times I have carried over 330yds it also comes with 80yds of backspin! ;)

My shot shape right now is 220/230 low draw + about 60yds of roll, unless I lean back and launch one into the clouds
 
"When a corporate playing partner wouldn't stop admiring Hogan's ability to stop his seven iron on a dime, and kept pestering him for a tip about it, Hogan finally asked how far he hit a seven iron. "One hundred and twenty yards", came the answer. Hogan replied:"Why the hell would you want it to to stop?"

:cool:
 
In that case I feel reassured that I have a slight edge over some others then if they're including roll in their iron distances.

Well feel reassured.

If you know the exact yardage you hit every club good on ya.

I just hope that its not windy, wet, uphill, downhill or a dogleg cos if it is how are you going to cope???

Surely as amateurs its better to know roughly how far you hit as we dont have the time to practise our games enough to know them inside out...
 
Oh how I love these willy waving threads ;)

Thirty years ago I was able to hit a 5 iron into a particular par3 hole. Now I can hit a 6 iron into that hole.

Surprisingly enough, the 5 iron of 30 years ago and the current 6 iron have the same loft !

Perhaps I should go for one of the 'super duper distance game improvment' models available, cause I've seen one where the 7 iron is only 1° weaker than my old 5 iron of 30 years ago.

I'd then be able to boast I can hit a 7 iron 172 uphill and into the wind and hit the green :D
 
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exactly but how many people hit a 7 iron 200-250 yards???




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I do, and it only takes me 3 shots!


Chris
 
In that case I feel reassured that I have a slight edge over some others then if they're including roll in their iron distances.

Well feel reassured.

If you know the exact yardage you hit every club good on ya.

I just hope that its not windy, wet, uphill, downhill or a dogleg cos if it is how are you going to cope???

Surely as amateurs its better to know roughly how far you hit as we dont have the time to practise our games enough to know them inside out...

I din't mean to imply I knew them exactly, just that the distances I have in my head are carry not roll.

If the conditions mean you need 10, 15, or 30 yards more or less than normal, what use is that unless you know how far each club goes in normal conditions.
Unless you play every shot by feel, which I'm not good enough to do.

I spent some time measuring different types of wedge shot, but my iron distances are a combination of an initial guess, and adjusting them as I've played if something is consistently long or short.
 
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