Distance and handicaps for 14 year olds

[KILLEDBYASHANKEDWEDGE]

Standing on #2 tee , a dogleg left, fairway runs out at 290. Player in the group ahead is playing his second about 280 out. My son is waiting for his fellow competitor, a 14y/o, to play, they both parred the 1st and the f/c had honors. The 14 y/o says he better wait because he hit it 280 once, LOL! About 10 minutes later he pull hooks it about 160.

[OptionlessM]

In the best interest of improving your golf game, forget handicap and driving distance entirely.

focus on tournament results.

[mnplayer]

I'd say most of the better high school players drive it 270+. I'd say age is meaning less and less. We had a 7th grader win our section this year.

[Sling]

I posted upthread already but for what it's worth my son shot 75 from the tips this weekend in a regional adult tournament. Thats 7,050 yards. He is 12 and his short game isn't all that great.

Some Juniors can hit it very long and very straight but unless you've seen it with your own eyes you tend to disbelieve. Having said that the number who can do so is fairly small given the overall number of Junior golfers but remember these boards are self selected, in general it will be the better golfers who post here.

I second OptionlessM, focus on performing well in tournaments, however you do need to get your handicap down so you can enter the best tournaments that have a handicap requirement and forget about driving distance.

[CCUgolfer23]

just because you upload a swing video dosent prove you are a good golfer, you can have a great looking swing and still play bad and vise versa. So just because you look like you have a good full swing dosent mean anything, becuase the thing that really matters is from 100 in and if you suck at that your scores will suffer. At 13 i doubt that you can hit 280 into a wind c'mon its a golf thread dont try to make yourselfs look better saying you can hit it 300 + into a wind a 12. I dont doubt at all that there a GREAT junior golfers volunteering with first tee, and seeing some junior golf tournys i know there are good ones that hit the ball far the thing is they have been playing since they were toodlers not 10 months.

[wakeusam]

[quote name='ProJuniorGolfer' timestamp='1334150178' post='4699486']
[quote name='wakeusam' timestamp='1334015396' post='4688422']
[quote name='TheMackDaddy' timestamp='1333687461' post='4662716']

Just cause you cant hit it 280-300 doesn't mean noone can by that age
I hit my first 300 yard drive when i was 11
[/quote]

thats bs 300 yards when you were 11!!! I'm 12 drive the ball at best 245 and maybe 250 if i get a strong downwind but I average 230.
[/quote]

ProJuniorGolfer, you seem to be new to GolfWRX, but let me help you understand a bit about this site. Lots of people lie about their distances. Some have never hit that far, but want to be cool, others have hit one off the cart path downhill, downwind and swinging out of their shoes that have gone 290 and then proceed to say they hit 300 yd drives. It's sad, but it's chronic on here and only gets worse when juniors carry on the torch.
[/quote]

And some are actually legit

[wakeusam]

[quote name='kg92lefty' timestamp='1339592386' post='5083466']
[quote name='wakeusam' timestamp='1339591167' post='5083368']
Seriously! I have said im not trying to say that i average 300
even now at 13 i only average 270-280
I definitely have the strength i have a 102 mph ss w/ my driver and when i catch it really well straight downwind yeah i can get it out there 300
[/quote]

102 ss averaging 270-280? You either play at high altititude or on hard pan.
[/quote]

I dont play on hardpan but the fairways arent exactly lush
I prob only carry 245- 260 but i can hit it 280 pretty frequently.

[Hattori Hanzo]

When I was 14, I played in a tournament with another kid my age who made it to the 2nd round of the ReMax LD Championships. On a 520 yard par 5, he had 130 in. I think the shortest he hit the driver all day was about 330. He wasn't even particular jacked, more just THICK. His calves were about the size of my thighs lol. For all of you skeptics out there: it happens.

[no1charlfan]

16 y/o
8 capper
250 carry 275 roll
100-108 ss

Sound legit?

[jollysammy]

Distance means something, but accuracy is much more important. Last year at Lake Chabot my son played with a kid who hit a few monster drives, but also sprayed a bunch of them ob trying to hit it too far, result, my son beat him by 4 strokes even though this kid outdrove him on about 8 holes by 30-40 yds. 2 weeks ago at the Bridges in San Ramon, the other boy in his 3some hit it about 10-15 yds ahead, but ended up with an 81 while my son shot 78, the difference, he had alot of 3 putts whereas my son putted for birdie on 4 or 5 holes, and generally stayed out of trouble.

Rather than worry about being the longest driver, concentrate on your short game and putting to make the most difference.

[station2station]

I'm not a Junior golfer but a raised a junior who is now playing Division I NCAA college golf. I can tell you that you are in that age range 13-15 where there is a lot of shift based on maturity and body growth. There is no real avg performance metric ESPECIALLY at your age. But you are doing well for High School expectations. Maybe not AJGA level where I saw a lot of +2 cap 60's shooters at 14. But you really just started golf and there is a lot of experience-based learning that you couldn't have come across yet. Situations on the course that no 10 month golfer has endured. This is coming for you - soak it in.

If I can offer one piece of advice to you and those in your age group is "don't rush" You have plenty of years ahead of you to mature and become good. We are constantly bombarded by the Golf Channel and reports of 11-12 year olds making the US Open cut (Alexis Thompson, Wie in her day, and this year the 14 year old Japanese kid that will be at the Masters). This puts undue pressure on juniors - and these freaks of the media often peak and disappear - or never retain their former glory. Take your time. Hone your craft,

Enjoy the journey, there is no destination in golf.

Model yourself after Ian Poulter who (as an adult and working at a golf course) had to lie about his handicap to gain entry into an event to get a shot at being a pro golfer. With golf you have plenty of time. This isn't soccer.

[cbrown177]

flexibility and core movement are key. watch the video of how Sadlowski gets his power... you don't have to be huge to get a ton of distance. His wrists are insanely flexible... skip to the :48 mark...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUZeBzkcLU0

[kevcav2006]

14 years old. 11 handicap. Average carry 220 with roll 240. 9 iron distance about 125 130.

[DLiver]

There is a junior at my club who is 13. He plays to a +1 index, and is a top ten junior in the state. He is about 5'5" and 125 lbs soaking wet. He hits is driver about 250+ in the air. No BS. And he is getting longer every day. The other day I was watching him hit 4 wood 210 in the air with range balls off bare dirt lies. Temp about 55º

He could be something some day, and he is a great kid too.

[Birdies4Days]

17 years old, +3 index. Had a 72.1 scoring average last season (Jr. year) and have gotten better. Looking to average under 70 this next year. Currently have scholarship offers to play at Washington and Oregon, holding off and hoping for UCLA. Playing in a Cal State Am qualifier in April at Olympic Club, should be fun.

6'1 170 lbs, average driving distance is about 290.

[Birdies4Days]

[quote name='station2station' timestamp='1356625262' post='6123751']
I'm not a Junior golfer but a raised a junior who is now playing Division I NCAA college golf. I can tell you that you are in that age range 13-15 where there is a lot of shift based on maturity and body growth. There is no real avg performance metric ESPECIALLY at your age. But you are doing well for High School expectations. Maybe not AJGA level where I saw a lot of +2 cap 60's shooters at 14. But you really just started golf and there is a lot of experience-based learning that you couldn't have come across yet. Situations on the course that no 10 month golfer has endured. This is coming for you - soak it in.

If I can offer one piece of advice to you and those in your age group is "don't rush" You have plenty of years ahead of you to mature and become good. We are constantly bombarded by the Golf Channel and reports of 11-12 year olds making the US Open cut (Alexis Thompson, Wie in her day, and this year the 14 year old Japanese kid that will be at the Masters). This puts undue pressure on juniors - and these freaks of the media often peak and disappear - or never retain their former glory. Take your time. Hone your craft,

Enjoy the journey, there is no destination in golf.

Model yourself after Ian Poulter who (as an adult and working at a golf course) had to lie about his handicap to gain entry into an event to get a shot at being a pro golfer. With golf you have plenty of time. This isn't soccer.
[/quote]

What program does your son play for?

[lefty_with a power fade]

stewie kid you are full of BS. with that awkward swing you are carrying the ball 200 tops. maybe a 10 handicap. im 15 and have been playing for 2 years, every weekend and every day all summer and im only a 2 handicap. either you have the greatest short game of all time or your a flat up liar

[lefty_with a power fade]

id like to pose a question. why would you ever ask distance anyway? luke donald #3 in the world carries it 275 tops. zach johnson same story. all that matters is that you hit it straight and can putt.

[coloradogolfer632]

I usually hit it about 220 -240 but up in the mile high city it's a little easier
Handicap 9

[Grimlock]

I hit 260-280 as a freshman, but I have a 48 inch driver, so take it with a pinch of salt

[BlaineGolf]

I'm 14 a 10 handicap and drive it 220.

[KILLEDBYASHANKEDWEDGE]

[quote name='BlaineGolf' timestamp='1357778912' post='6200169']
I'm 14 a 10 handicap and drive it 220.
[/quote]

Welcome to the Forum! Do you play middle school Golf or are you a Freshman?

[BlaineGolf]

Middle school golf and MN junior PGA.

[Onicov]

14 years old, a really good drive for me will roll out to be around 280 but I usually drive around 270. I have been playing for 3 years and I only have a handicap of 6. Don't really have much time to get out on and practice but I really do wish I was rich hahaha.

[Cobras7]

I just turned 17 and play for my High School Varsity team. Current USGA index is 11.4 and I am a short hitter too. I am only about 110 lbs so my driver is about 225 average maybe 230. I was taught to play golf in the fairways though and for the past 2 years have led my golf team in both Fairways hit and GIRs even though i don't hit it far, i shoot for consistency. I believe junior golfers and any golfer beginning to play golf need to learn that it isn't how far you hit it, it's about getting up and down when you miss greens, or making those 10 foot par puts to scramble on a hole.

[tyler-49]

6'1 215 17 years old i carry my drive about 270-280 playing at 5000 ft. i play about a 10-11 index. long drive ever was like 350 and that was downhill downwind, I've seen a scrawny 15 year old average 295 at playoffs last year, and that was impressive.

[BlaineGolf]

I am a very short off the tee (around 220) but I have a great short game. Short game is what makes or breaks your game. I'm trying to get stronger for more distance but short game is what helps your handicap improve.

[lefty_with a power fade]

240 off the tee. (225 carry). im accurate and a good iron player however

[CaptainRook]

I'm 11. A 6.6 handicap and average 230 off the tee.

[Cobras7]

[quote name='tyler-49' timestamp='1358145311' post='6223929']
6'1 215 17 years old i carry my drive about 270-280 playing at 5000 ft. i play about a 10-11 index. long drive ever was like 350 and that was downhill downwind, I've seen a scrawny 15 year old average 295 at playoffs last year, and that was impressive.
[/quote]

Playing at 5000 ft above sea level can add almost 15 yards to your clubs though. So these answers do vary according to where everyone is located. Im only 200 ft above sea level some else might be 7000 ft above it. That could make a pretty size able difference! So it's hard to tell who would be the long hitters if we all gathered in the same spot. I know it wouldn't be me, but we might be surprised!