Swing Speed

[bazlambo]

Hi Guys

Due to a redundancy induced exile, I am now over this and getting back into golf big time again.

Am looking at a new driver and had my first experience on the Vector launch Monitor today. I was surprised at my swing speed as I thought it would be higher than it was, as it came in between 75 - 80mph.

What sort of speeds do you guys generate?

 

[HTL]

Went to AG a few weeks ago to get my swing speed assessed to match my golf balls, the slowest was 97mph and the fastest 115mph.

If only I could put it on the right fairway and greens!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I average out at between 92 and 94 mph but when I was swinging the Yonex nanospeed driver recently it went up to between 95 and 99

 

[RGDave]

I was surprised at my swing speed as I thought it would be higher than it was, as it came in between 75 - 80mph.

and you play off 11.7? (0.1 more than me )

You must be quite a good player.....

I'm at about 90-95 and struggle to reach long holes.....

 

[bazlambo]

Homer is that down the shaft or something else.

RGDave I am fairly accurate with the driver and average 220 carry. The monitor was in AG so who knows if it was working properly!!!

 

[Macster]

Was at Titleist recently for the GM Custom Driver fitting feature, and was very pleasantly surprised at mine, not because it was exactly 100mph, but mostly because every one was exactly the same.

Mind you, I did slip to a 99 and one at 101mph too......

 

[RGDave]

RGDave I am fairly accurate with the driver and average 220 carry.

Could you be my long lost brother?

You sound the same as me.....

 

[minty18]

RGDave I am fairly accurate with the driver and average 220 carry.

Could you be my long lost brother?

You sound the same as me.....

220yds carry is long enough isn't it? especially if it's fairly straight.

My aim eventually is to get down to single figures however I'm not a long hitter. Would you say there is a distance off the tee where you're just never going to get below a certain handicap?

ie. if you cant hit further than 180yds off the tee you'll never get down to single figures? or can we not categorise it like that?

 

[bazlambo]

I'm looking for another 10-20 yds off the tee to bring the longer par 4's into mid rather than long iron or hybrid/3 wood range.

Not sure you can categorise as probably only a couple of holes per course are 400+ yd par 4's off the yellow tees. I often have the mindset that sometimes I'll play these as par 5's and rely on the short game to get my fair share of par 4's.

I think keeping the ball in play, course management and a consistent short game are the foundations of reducing the handicap.

 

[minty18]

Baz, i agree with you.

I hit about 220 off the tee, sometimes further when its right out the button. I've got mates than can hit 300yds+ but then they lose a couple of balls per round, costing them a few shots.

I'm happy with my distance and feel the way forward now is my wedges and putting.

 

[Macster]

I think there is a correlation between length and handicap, as length off the Tee is undoubtably a huge advantage in enabling you to get closer to the pin perhaps with short irons.

Thats not to say you cant score very well with shorter drives, but it would mean you have to develop either a redhot short game or a red hot long iron/hybrid game, and possibly both.

I know at my own club, a 'shortish' CSS 69, we have 4 very testing par 4's of 451, 440, 457 & 469, which are fairly tight too.
Without a 'reasonably' good long game, there isnt a hope in hell of scoring well on them, and even then, its tough.

Accuracy always comes first, but length is damned useful too if you wanna get down.

 

[SammmeBee]

Gary Wolstenholme didn't/doesn't hit it anywhere.......he did beat TW in his (TWs) last game as a amateur.....

 

[RGDave]

220yds carry is long enough isn't it? especially if it's fairly straight.

My aim eventually is to get down to single figures however I'm not a long hitter. Would you say there is a distance off the tee where you're just never going to get below a certain handicap?

ie. if you cant hit further than 180yds off the tee you'll never get down to single figures? or can we not categorise it like that?

Aha.....my kind of discussion.

OK, 220 i.m.o. is NOT enough.......possibly in the summer, you might find you can get 240-250 with roll.....

IF you can hit the ball 95% straight, you could potentially play off less than 9 by "writing off" the long holes but making pars and sneaking in a birdie or three in a game.

12 years ago (before we started a family) I often played to 5 or 6 (off 8). Those games, I'd have to write off the 3-5 long holes and concentrate on the shorter ones. Sure, I'd par these long holes sometimes, but essentially I'd make 10 pars, 6 or 7 bogeys and a birdie most "good" games. IF I could have parred the long ones more often, then I reckon I could have played to 3 or 4 on those "good" games.

220 (as you say) is definitely good enough to get to 9 (I did it!!) but you'll need a bloomin brilliant short game from 10-40 yards to start parring the long holes any more than 25%, say (at a guess).

Is there anyone on here who will admit to short(ish) driving but finding ways to really score well?

 

[RGDave]

I think there is a correlation between length and handicap, as length off the Tee is undoubtably a huge advantage in enabling you to get closer to the pin perhaps with short irons.

I agree, but long hitters can get in terrible trouble. My mate (who's quit my club) could out-hit my driver with his 3 or 4 iron, but rather than using this "talent" and playing sensible with his choice of club off the tees, he'd go for broke 9/10 and consequently plays to 14....

To me, a good player (and probably a low h'cap too) will take risks at the right time and know when to play sensible.

 

[SimonC]

My average with the driver is 110mph, I've seen 119mph but it's not very often I will get up to that speed. Would like to get my average up a little to 115mph but I'm happy enough where I am at the moment.

 

[andiritchie]

I had a average of 114 when i got fitted for my driver Jan 09,my length off the tee helps on 3 holes on my course where the driver is needed

 

[Smiffy]

I think there is a correlation between length and handicap, as length off the Tee is undoubtably a huge advantage in enabling you to get closer to the pin perhaps with short irons.

Thats not to say you cant score very well with shorter drives, but it would mean you have to develop either a redhot short game or a red hot long iron/hybrid game, and possibly both.

I know at my own club, a 'shortish' CSS 69, we have 4 very testing par 4's of 451, 440, 457 & 469, which are fairly tight too.
Without a 'reasonably' good long game, there isnt a hope in hell of scoring well on them, and even then, its tough.

Accuracy always comes first, but length is damned useful too if you wanna get down.

A mate of mine who came to The Addington on Tuesday is also a member of the club I have joined. He has a swing to die for, plays off 8 and hits the ball a country mile. If I'm taking a 7 iron to a par 3 he will more than likely be hitting an 8, sometimes even a 9. Off the tee, with his driver, he can bang the ball past me by a good 30 yards or more. Add that to his better distance with his irons and where I might sometimes be hitting a 5 iron in, he will be hitting something like an 8 or less! I'm not being funny but in 6 years or more of playing golf with him at various courses, I think he's only ever beaten me once in matchplay, and very rarely has a higher stableford score than me. So whilst distance is a much sought after attribute, I would say course management and a good short game are more useful overall....

 

[Macster]

"Thats not to say you cant score very well with shorter drives, but it would mean you have to develop either a redhot short game or a red hot long iron/hybrid game, and possibly both."

.....which you obviously therefore have

 

[Smiffy]

"Thats not to say you cant score very well with shorter drives, but it would mean you have to develop either a redhot short game or a red hot long iron/hybrid game, and possibly both."

.....which you obviously therefore have

Mine was just a general comment Chris, not a pop at your post mate.
Rob

 

[Mike_j_golf]

Hi,
Swing speed with a driver is 115 to 118 and with a 6 iron 96 to 99.
Mike