Why are we obsessed with length.

[Oddsocks]

Im struggling to work out where the obsession with length comes from. When ever there is a discussion on this matter, its get touchy, like someone is questioning your sexuality or something.

Now i have to admit since being on this forum ive become less obsessed with it, and more focused in the final score, but a part of me is always looking an new drivers in the effort to find that magic stick that will have me competitive with stevie big balls in the distance war.

Do i see my current swing producing 300 yards drives.... in a word no. but if i had the option of £500 in lessons to produce that 300 yard average, or £500 for a new fandangle driver that was a sure thing with no compromise on consistency would i buy one,,,,, too friggin right.

 

[Val]

Length is nothing without the rest, Luke Donald has proven that length doesn't really matter that greatly but it does help.

If you can chip and putt well then your handicap will drop quicker than it will being able to bomb 300 + drives and have an average short game.

 

[brendy]

You are reading too much into it. Take a gander over to other topic forums, with car forums it is BHP, with football its blatant biased opinions etc. It happens. The thing with forums is that they are an open door for anyone to come and go and say anything and never have to fulfill the proof. From evidence on this forum, it has come to fruition only to be stamped with a big red fail sign.
People come and go and never get to see the repetitive thread that we do so its going to happen more often than say, a conversation between mates.
Dont worry about it...unless you are only a tiddler!

Im struggling to work out where the obsession with length comes from. When ever there is a discussion on this matter, its get touchy, like someone is questioning your sexuality or something.

Now i have to admit since being on this forum ive become less obsessed with it, and more focused in the final score, but a part of me is always looking an new drivers in the effort to find that magic stick that will have me competitive with stevie big balls in the distance war.

Do i see my current swing producing 300 yards drives.... in a word no. but if i had the option of £500 in lessons to produce that 300 yard average, or £500 for a new fandangle driver that was a sure thing with no compromise on consistency would i buy one,,,,, too friggin right.

 

[One Planer]

Can I just say I've never been obsessed by it.

I hit the ball as far as I do, or as far as my technique allows. I'm a firm believer in the philosophy that as my technique improves so will the diatance I hit the ball.

In any case I don't want to be a bomber, after all, where's the fun in playing drive, wedge every hole?

 

[hovis]

it what men do. how fast, how high, how big. not just golf,,,,,everything. why buy a porsche? it spends more time sideways and up tree's or in the back of another car. so why???????? because its fun. where's the fun and the testostorone release from a pidly drive.

 

[User 105]

In any case I don't want to be a bomber, after all, where's the fun in playing drive, wedge every hole?

That describes my m8 Rich down to a tee. Drives the ball a mile and pretty much has a wedge in his hands next shot. And he's not overly wild with it either ! He plays off 2.

There's just some courses he rips apart when he's on form.

But stick an 7i in his hands and he's lost

The longest I've measured, with my skycaddie, was 420 yards on the 1st on Woburn Dukes !! Wind was behind, but you still have to hit it. The noise it made off the face through those trees was frighting.

Still, probably not as long as Steve though !! :mmm:

 

[chrisd]

A couple of the lower handicappers at my place who have won quite a few competitions can barely hit their drivers 200 yards but are mighty fine long iron/rescue club players and a putting game to match. I think that length is only important if it comes with some degree of accuracy.

Lets be frank, the tour pro's do well if they average 300 yards and most amateurs 250 yards and any amateur who claims 300+ and doesn't have a handicap is either a deluded ****** or should be entering the World Long drive Championship cos I saw the champion, Joe Miller last year at Golf Live, and I have never see an amateur ever get neer his clubhead speed, and when Nick Dougherty tried Joe's playing driver (not his competition one) the ball almost went off at right angles, the shaft was so stiff. On the day I think he was biffing it about 380 to 400 yards and you've never seen so much hang time!



Chris

 

[Dreamer2]

i don't care about drive distance,why ? there is always another 1-2-3 shots after the drive ,thats what puts you on the green & thats where i like to be

accuracy is the winning shot

 

[User 105]

I think accuracy has to be No 1 priority, but if you can put distance with the accuracy it's a huge benefit.

Coming into greens with 1-2 clubs less, sometimes more, where you have more control and less dispersion has got to be better. Providing you can capitalise on the length.

I know people keep quoting Luke as an example, but lets face it, he's a freak.

 

[Monty_Brown]

It's because we were not loved enough as children, Dr Freud.

I'm not bothered about driving distance, but that's cos I have a massive knob. I know because I measured it with a GPS on the first tee while the Club Captain took the honour.

 

[Oddsocks]

I'm not bothered about driving distance, but that's cos I am a massive knob. I know because I measured it with a GPS on the first tee while the Club Captain took the honour.

Fixed

 

[Naybrains]

We're not!
It's just laugh when the bombers drop one.

 

[Oddsocks]

But I wanna be a 300 yard bomber

 

[painterboy]

A good drive must be the most satisfying shot you can play. The longer the better. Don't know a golfer who wouldn't like a few extra yards

 

[brendy]

A good drive must be the most satisfying shot you can play. The longer the better. Don't know a golfer who wouldn't like a few extra yards

You obviously don't carry a 2 or 3 iron.

 

[Oddsocks]

See I disagree, my driving is the best part of my game Sunday I had 1 fairway missed from 14 and all were pretty solid. But the most enjoyable shot was the approach to 18th, a pured 4i 205 yards to 6ft from the pin.

If I could have 10% more length off the tee or 10% tighter dispersion on my approaches I know what I'd prefer, but it won't stop me looking at drivers

 

[Tiger]

But I wanna be a 300 yard bomber

I hit it a pretty long way but struggle with control. It's getting better and maybe this summer I'll break the 300 yard barrier for the first time. What I do find interesting is that I am longer than a lot of people I play with and the number of times people say "that's huge got to be over 300 and the GPS measurement is anywhere from 275-290 yards...

Then there's the topped or skied ones that eradicate the mighty tonks and offer a degree of sobriety to your driving average.

It's funny that Timmy has been reborn as Steve but I have to say I get more satisfaction hitting an iron or wedge to six feet than hitting a long drive

 

[G1BB0]

I would be happy to hit 250 consistantly

 

[Achilles]

I would be happy to hit 250 consistantly

Yep, me too!

I hit the odd one right out of the middle now and again, but as has been said before, you often think you're close to 300 when in fact it's 260ish when measured....very easy to overestimate distance! More often than not when I do hit a gem I then massively cock up my approach shot. Aim this year is to hit a good drive and follow it with a good wedge!

 

[User 105]

I wouldn't claim to be a bomber but I used to regularly put them out there around or beyond 300. BUT I was just as likely to put the next 2 or 3 100 yards right. I used to have a reputation at my place as being someone who hit it miles. They'd forget the wayward ones.

It wasn't until I started to ramp down the power to get some control that my scores started to drop as I'd take those 7's, 8's and 9's off the card. My average drives during the summer are still in the 250-260 yard range with the occasional one getting out there 280-290. But round my place 250-260 is 'far enough'.

There is something very satisfying about spanking a driver right down the middle, but I probably get just as much enjoyment nailing an iron right at the pin or dropping a wedge close from 100.