What distances do you hit?

[Curls]

This year I moved to Mizunos and probably lost a clublength through the irons. I went from 9.0, to 9.5, to 5.5.

OP, distance is important, no point pretending otherwise. But it is not the be all and end all. I don’t even hit my irons full bore up to 6i. My 7i to SW are all shorter controlled swings, i choose to carry my PW 100 because that’s the distance I can control the best and with reasonable lateral dispersion.

I have two quick questions that may gain you yards off the tee (I carry ~220 with little run out without proVs, would be more with distance balls but again it’s not everything), but they are not independent.


1. have you been fit for your driver?

2. How often do you strike it out of the middle and get it moving mostly forward?

To get the most out of a fitting you need the answer to 2 to be reasonably often. To get the most out of your driver I suggest 1 when 2 is achieved. You don’t need to go to the gym for that imo, but if it’s something you really want to do go for it. However if ur not already a gym bunny the chances you’ll lose interest are high. What do you play golf for? Whether it’s enjoyment or achievement you have to ask yourself how much you’re willing to sacrifice for that

 

[Swango1980]

Normal playing season, no wind, averages:

Driver: 260 (yards)
3-wood: 232
3 iron: 205
4 hybrid: 197
5 iron: 184
6 iron: 169
7 iron: 163
8 iron: 147
9 iron: 150
Wedge: 130
52: 110
56: 98
60: 79

These are averaged over last 20 shots. Bizarre that my 8 iron goes less than 9 iron, although may be I use 9 iron a lot more, so data is more up to date, whereas 8 iron uses info from colder weather? Or maybe it is a loft issue. I hit short irons generally quite well, but often suffer with long irons due to swing plane, so they don't get hit as flush sadly. Our course generally has very soft fairways and long grass, so not much roll out. Wind has a big difference to me. Into reasonable wind, average 7 iron 138 yards, wind behind 183 yards

 

[ScienceBoy]

This makes me laugh. What is longer, a pitch shot or an approach shot? I would say the latter...

A quick google says:

Pitching wedges have a loft of between 46 and 48 degrees. Approach wedges have lofts between 50 and 52 degrees.

Golf club naming is a mess, just print the lofts now and move on!

 

[Orikoru]

This makes me laugh. What is longer, a pitch shot or an approach shot? I would say the latter...

A quick google says:

Golf club naming is a mess, just print the lofts now and move on!

I think approach wedge is just a name people sometimes use for gap wedge. I never refer to my wedges by 'name' though anyway. I just call them my 46, 50 etc. I do the same with my hybrids actually, I've no idea which one is meant to be a '3 hybrid' or '4 hybrid' etc so I call them 20 hybrid, 23 hybrid etc. That's what it says on the bottom of the club anyway so that makes it easier.

 

[albie999]

This year I moved to Mizunos and probably lost a clublength through the irons. I went from 9.0, to 9.5, to 5.5.

OP, distance is important, no point pretending otherwise. But it is not the be all and end all. I don’t even hit my irons full bore up to 6i. My 7i to SW are all shorter controlled swings, i choose to carry my PW 100 because that’s the distance I can control the best and with reasonable lateral dispersion.

I have two quick questions that may gain you yards off the tee (I carry ~220 with little run out without proVs, would be more with distance balls but again it’s not everything), but they are not independent.


1. have you been fit for your driver?

2. How often do you strike it out of the middle and get it moving mostly forward?

To get the most out of a fitting you need the answer to 2 to be reasonably often. To get the most out of your driver I suggest 1 when 2 is achieved. You don’t need to go to the gym for that imo, but if it’s something you really want to do go for it. However if ur not already a gym bunny the chances you’ll lose interest are high. What do you play golf for? Whether it’s enjoyment or achievement you have to ask yourself how much you’re willing to sacrifice for that

Really like this reply. I have used the foot spray on my clubs and strike is getting there ... cannot say by any means it is perfect, but I do find the middle often'ish lol, and no, not been fit for a driver ... yet

With regard to what I play for ... it is enjoyment (my wife plays ... some might say that is not enjoyment), however, unlike her who is just happy to be out, I have always been a person who wants to improve, which is why I have joined a club, and will get involved next year in club matches. With regard to the gym .. .I do enjoy that, so am hoping by carrying on with that ... it will help to improve my strength and flexibility (which has never been that good)

I am also in the category of probably only playing 3-4 times a month (if that sometimes), although with the SIM now setup in the garage, I will be grinding away in there

 

[Curls]

Really like this reply. I have used the foot spray on my clubs and strike is getting there ... cannot say by any means it is perfect, but I do find the middle often'ish lol, and no, not been fit for a driver ... yet

With regard to what I play for ... it is enjoyment (my wife plays ... some might say that is not enjoyment), however, unlike her who is just happy to be out, I have always been a person who wants to improve, which is why I have joined a club, and will get involved next year in club matches. With regard to the gym .. .I do enjoy that, so am hoping by carrying on with that ... it will help to improve my strength and flexibility (which has never been that good)

I am also in the category of probably only playing 3-4 times a month (if that sometimes), although with the SIM now setup in the garage, I will be grinding away in there

Lol, yeah I often wish my wife played golf but thy say you should be careful what you wish for

If you're already a gym-goer than great, I can't imagine strength training wouldn't help. There are guys who specialise in golf fittness though (I know there's one at Woodall Spa for instance) and it might be worth a look at those rather than making your own program.

SIM in the garage eh?! Nice one! Jealous. I too play about 3/4 times a month thanks to work commitments, it's only when I play much more regularly that I make any real improvement, the rest of the time you're trying to eek out what you know you had before. Competitive play is, imo, the best way to improve because you learn how to score (even when not at your best), and you need to be doing that regularly. However, you can burn out too and over-golf (I've never been in such a fortunate position!), so its a balancing act.

If your driver is off the shelf and the wrong flex for you, you might see some real gains with a fitting. If its the right flex by chance then that might be more marginal.

Sounds like you're starting on the road to lowering your handicap. What did you do? You fool. You damned fool. You had to ruin it all. Your life is no longer your own.

Welcome to the club. It's great.

 

[Coffey]

My on course distances are (this is the club i would chose for this distance more than not):

Driver: 230-240 carry
3 wood: 210-220 carry (off the deck, which is not very often, goes a bit further off the tee)
3 hybrid: 210 total
4 iron: 195 total
5 iron: 185 total
6 iron: 170 total
7 iron: 160 total
8 iron: 150 total
9 iron: 135 total
PW: 125 total
50: 115 total
54: 100 and in
58 never hit full

Now, I know the top end of my bag is bunched up, thats mainly because on the course my confidence is low with those clubs (apart from the hybrid really). The 4 iron and 3 wood are not great.

If you put me on a launch monitor it is a different story, i can smoke them all. I get a lot of lessons using Trackman and my last average total with my 6 iron was 183 total. No where near what I would hit on the course.

I am definitely a better golfer on the simulator, yes the simulator is setup for a nice day, mild temps but for sure I am more confident I believe, i make better swings, i commit to the shot better and the strike is better (maybe due to having a perfect lie).

So I know how far I hit each club, but in reality on the course it is quite different. I would never pull a 6 iron on the course to hit the ball 180.

 

[jamiet7682]

Been playing for 4 months and distances are currently:

Driver - 170yds
3W - 140yds
4H - 135
5 - 130
6 - 125
7 - 120
8 - 110
9 - 100
PW - 90
SW - 80

Just about enough to get round under 100. Reckon if I can get my Driver over 200 and increase the rest in line with that I will be good.

 

[albie999]

I think part of my problem, has been looking at the distances I feel I "should" hit, rather than concentrating on what I do hit ... this causes me (especially on the course) to over hit a shot, get myself into trouble and then lose shots. I will have to "try" and re-train my brain to not hoof the thing lol

 

[bobmac]

It's an oldie but goldie........

Don't hit it harder, hit it better

 

[Orikoru]

I think part of my problem, has been looking at the distances I feel I "should" hit, rather than concentrating on what I do hit ... this causes me (especially on the course) to over hit a shot, get myself into trouble and then lose shots. I will have to "try" and re-train my brain to not hoof the thing lol

There is no such thing as a distance you 'should' hit. Just keep a mental note of how far you hit each club on a normal swing and work with those distances. What other people hit is irrelevant to you and your round of golf.

 

[Curls]

My on course distances are (this is the club i would chose for this distance more than not):

Driver: 230-240 carry
3 wood: 210-220 carry (off the deck, which is not very often, goes a bit further off the tee)
3 hybrid: 210 total
4 iron: 195 total
5 iron: 185 total
6 iron: 170 total
7 iron: 160 total
8 iron: 150 total
9 iron: 135 total
PW: 125 total
50: 115 total
54: 100 and in
58 never hit full

Now, I know the top end of my bag is bunched up, thats mainly because on the course my confidence is low with those clubs (apart from the hybrid really). The 4 iron and 3 wood are not great.

If you put me on a launch monitor it is a different story, i can smoke them all. I get a lot of lessons using Trackman and my last average total with my 6 iron was 183 total. No where near what I would hit on the course.

I am definitely a better golfer on the simulator, yes the simulator is setup for a nice day, mild temps but for sure I am more confident I believe, i make better swings, i commit to the shot better and the strike is better (maybe due to having a perfect lie).

So I know how far I hit each club, but in reality on the course it is quite different. I would never pull a 6 iron on the course to hit the ball 180.

I had a similar thing to you in that I carried clubs because I thought I had to have them for gapping, but if you don't have confidence in them it's pointless carrying them around, they only give you an option thats more likely to go wrong than right. Which is not an option!

If you flush everything in the sim but not on the course, maybe it is a commitment thing but what are your divots like? Maybe it's not that you have a perfect lie, but an artifical one.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

It's an oldie but goldie........

Don't hit it harder, hit it better

So true, but then I see Rory and Brooks swinging so hard and the little demon on my shoulder whispers 'hit it harder, hit it harder' . Advice to remember though

 

[Curls]

So true, but then I see Rory and Brooks swinging so hard and the little demon on my shoulder whispers 'hit it harder, hit it harder' . Advice to remember though

Yeah. They're doing both.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Yeah. They're doing both.

Annoying isn't it

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

It's an oldie but goldie........

Don't hit it harder, hit it better

Once upon a long time-past I read that in a John Jacobs article and it has stuck with me ever since as I search (usually in vain) for the perfect strike.

 

[simonm8]

Mine are as follows so includes roll out.. This is from Game golf so quite accurate, and covers all seasons etc

Driver - 10.5 - 234 YRDS
5 Wood - 16.5 - 211 YRDS
22 Degree Hybrid - 202YRDS
5i - 174
6i - 166
7i - 157
8i - 146
9i - 139
PW - 129
GW - 118
SW - 90
LW - 70

 

[louise_a]

Where do they get the ladies averages from, 200 yds for a driver! My driving is longer than most and 200 yds is a very good drive for me if the ball is running.

 

[ScienceBoy]

It's an oldie but goldie........

Don't hit it harder, hit it better

I’ve been wondering for years why my wife keeps saying this golf adage? Any clues?

 

[Dando]

from my fitting back in may my average driver distance was 282 and 7 iron was 198