So what's the truth about LPGA Driving Distance?

[BrianL99]

Before I commented on another thread about distance, I went to the Trackman site to check on Tour player averages. I also happened to notice the LPGA stats.

 

According to the LPGA, 153 golfers are driving the ball an averaging of over 232 yards.

 

(http://www.lpga.com/...riving-distance)

 

According to Trackman, which doesn't have a horse in the race and really doesn't have any reason to lie, the average driving distance of an LPGA professional in 2014, was 218 yards.

 

Call me crazy, but someone seem to be flat out exaggerating here.

[sbeduckman]

I played D2 golf in college. I have never played with an LPGA pro. I have played with D1 women players...and got my clock cleaned on a 6500yd course from the same tees. Driving distance not withstanding; they can play. Stretch it out to 7000 and I'm still sure they'd compete for D2 (LPGA pros for sure). They have great touch and short game, and hit hybrids and fairways straighter than most men hit their mid irons.

[Buzzkill]

I played D2 golf in college. I have never played with an LPGA pro. I have played with D1 women players...and got my clock cleaned on a 6500yd course from the same tees. Driving distance not withstanding; they can play. Stretch it out to 7000 and I'm still sure they'd compete for D2 (LPGA pros for sure). They have great touch and short game, and hit hybrids and fairways straighter than most men hit their mid irons.

 

What he said!^

[dhogan13]

My guess is the LPGA is using total as opposed to just carry. 14 yards of roll out sounds about right.

[Shilgy]

My guess is the LPGA is using total as opposed to just carry. 14 yards of roll out sounds about right.

That would be the first part to correct Brian. The second would be go watch them. They should be playing somewhere near you this summer. Many of the girls are quite long. Not all of course but a lot are. No the numbers are not exaggerated. Geez, what is with all of the conspiracy buffs these days. Here in Phoenix they played the back tees on about half the holes. Yes, they really did and I there. So they did not just claim to, they really hit off that tee lol. The daily yardage varied between about 6500-6650. I know it can be emasculating lol but yeah, the girls are good, and some are long as well.

PS because it's wrx I'm surprised we don't have some posters claiming to be women and saying they are much longer than the pros.

[Leftagain]

The PGA tour lists 95 guys with an average over 289, they're exaggerating too?

 

 

[Shilgy]

The PGA tour lists 95 guys with an average over 289, they're exaggerating too?

 

 

Yep. We should get Trackman to do a wrx chart. Now that would be nice to see. Maybe have one column for real and another for imagined.

[QMany]

Driving distance versus carry. Sometimes it is hard to read clearly labeled charts.

[BrianL99]

My guess is the LPGA is using total as opposed to just carry. 14 yards of roll out sounds about right.

 

 

 

According to the LPGA, the mean driving distance of their Top 155 Players, is Stacey Lewis who averages 255 yards (Carry & Roll).

 

According to TrackMan, the average driving distance of an LPGA Touring Professional, is 218 Yards of carry.

 

So LPGA Pros are averaging almost 40 Yards of Roll?

 

I suppose that's possible, but seems ridiculously high to me.

 

(& please, I know the difference between "mean" and "average", but for this purpose, it's a reasonable comparison).

 

The average LPGA Pro is hitting a 6 Iron, from the 150 Yard Marker?

 

& I'm going back to edit my original post, because my unsubstantiated opinion of the LPGA Tour in general, isn't relevant. I'm merely asking about the disparity between what's reported by the LPGA and what was measured by Trackman.

[sbeduckman]

My guess is the LPGA is using total as opposed to just carry. 14 yards of roll out sounds about right.

 

 

 

According to the LPGA, the mean driving distance of their Top 155 Players, is Stacey Lewis who averages 255 yards (Carry & Roll).

 

According to TrackMan, the average driving distance of an LPGA Touring Professional, is 218 Yards of carry.

 

So LPGA Pros are averaging almost 40 Yards of Roll?

 

I suppose that's possible, but seems ridiculously high to me.

 

(& please, I know the difference between "mean" and "average", but for this purpose, it's a reasonable comparison).

 

The average LPGA Pro is hitting a 6 Iron, from the 150 Yard Marker?

 

& I'm going back to edit my original post, because my unsubstantiated opinion of the LPGA Tour in general, isn't relevant. I'm merely asking about the disparity between what's reported by the LPGA and what was measured by Trackman.

 

Now my post is without context...that's not very fair :)

 

For anyone wondering; OP stated he didn't think the best LPGA players could compete on a men's D2 golf team, I didn't share his opinion.

[Sean2]

My best friend's daughter now plays on the the LPGA Tour. I have played a lot of golf with her. I would put her up against any D2 player. She averages about 260 off the tee. I've seen her hit it longer, and shorter, depending on course conditions. Ask Nick Faldo and Butch Harmon how good she is. As an amateur she played in a couple of their tournaments (Faldo mentioned her a few times during golf tournaments he was broadcasting).

 

Last winter we were playing Triggs. Wind chills in the upper 20s. 191 yard par three. She takes out her hybrid and hits a very high baby draw to 2.5 feet, into the wind. I've seen her hit countless shots like that. She played in her first US Women's Open at the age of 14.

 

She can flat out play this game. 5500 yards would be a pitch and putt for her.

 

She plays blades, with stiff shafts.

 

To call it a "novelty" does the LPGA a disservice. These players work just as hard, and have just as much a passion for the game as the men do.

[hell_is_chrome]

40 yards of roll may be a stretch, but I'm sure the LPGA does the same thing the PGA does with hard fast fairways. I've watched my share of LPGA golf and their drives roll out way more than mine, just like the men.

[Shilgy]

40 yards of roll may be a stretch, but I'm sure the LPGA does the same thing the PGA does with hard fast fairways. I've watched my share of LPGA golf and their drives roll out way more than mine, just like the men.

Not disputing your comment but we here that all the time on wrx. Howe the tours bake the fairways to manner then look good. First, I would wager most of us get more roll than we think. It's hard to tell from over 200 yards away(sorry on wrx it's 300) how much roll you got. We do see events all the time with virtually no roll and they still are long.

[Soloman1]

I think there's lots of eye roll in this thread...

[Seamus_McDuff]

 

 

 

 

According to the LPGA, the mean driving distance of their Top 155 Players, is Stacey Lewis who averages 255 yards (Carry & Roll).

 

 

 

(& please, I know the difference between "mean" and "average", but for this purpose, it's a reasonable comparison).

 

 

 

 

median

[Shilgy]

My guess is the LPGA is using total as opposed to just carry. 14 yards of roll out sounds about right.

 

 

 

According to the LPGA, the mean driving distance of their Top 155 Players, is Stacey Lewis who averages 255 yards (Carry & Roll).

 

According to TrackMan, the average driving distance of an LPGA Touring Professional, is 218 Yards of carry.

 

So LPGA Pros are averaging almost 40 Yards of Roll?

 

I suppose that's possible, but seems ridiculously high to me.

 

(& please, I know the difference between "mean" and "average", but for this purpose, it's a reasonable comparison).

 

The average LPGA Pro is hitting a 6 Iron, from the 150 Yard Marker?

 

& I'm going back to edit my original post, because my unsubstantiated opinion of the LPGA Tour in general, isn't relevant. I'm merely asking about the disparity between what's reported by the LPGA and what was measured by Trackman.

Funny how stats work. In a recent thread I got drilled because I used actual PGA Tour stats and stated they men average just 12 yards of roll. Many posted that the carry number was not valid because it wasn't used enough. We see plenty of events where the men and women get no roll but all anyone remembers are there holes where the ball bounds down the fairway.

[MadGolfer76]

Lol. Are we really scratching our heads about this?

 

Look at the fine print at the bottom of post 6 in this thread and find the answer.

[BrianL99]

According to the LPGA, the mean driving distance of their Top 155 Players, is Stacey Lewis who averages 255 yards (Carry & Roll).

 

 

 

(& please, I know the difference between "mean" and "average", but for this purpose, it's a reasonable comparison).

 

 

 

 

median

 

Mean, median, average ... close enough, but you're right :)

[Argonne69]

I believe the LPGA stats are based on only 2 holes per tournament, one upwind and one downwind. I imagine that the TM data is a sample across all holes?

 

Based on the current LPGA driving distance stats, the average distance is 255.920 yards, and the median is 255.175.

[tsecor]

the chicks can bomb it.....no doubt

[hell_is_chrome]

40 yards of roll may be a stretch, but I'm sure the LPGA does the same thing the PGA does with hard fast fairways. I've watched my share of LPGA golf and their drives roll out way more than mine, just like the men.

Not disputing your comment but we here that all the time on wrx. Howe the tours bake the fairways to manner then look good. First, I would wager most of us get more roll than we think. It's hard to tell from over 200 yards away(sorry on wrx it's 300) how much roll you got. We do see events ask the timer with virtually no roll and they still are long.

 

They don't have to be baked necessarily, just cut tighter than what we play. Combined with a little less water and their fairways are running as fast as someof the greens I play.

 

Also, my eyes are fine, I can see exactly what is happening at 350 yards.

[North Texas]

Lol. Are we really scratching our heads about this?

 

Look at the fine print at the bottom of post 6 in this thread and find the answer.

 

MadGolfer seems to the only one to get it.

[North Texas]

the chicks can bomb it.....no doubt

 

Yep. Watched Lexi Thompson at demo day on the range at Orange County National during the PGA Merchandise Show a couple years ago absolutely bombing her driver. To say it was impressive is an understatement.

[Shilgy]

40 yards of roll may be a stretch, but I'm sure the LPGA does the same thing the PGA does with hard fast fairways. I've watched my share of LPGA golf and their drives roll out way more than mine, just like the men.

Not disputing your comment but we here that all the time on wrx. Howe the tours bake the fairways to manner then look good. First, I would wager most of us get more roll than we think. It's hard to tell from over 200 yards away(sorry on wrx it's 300) how much roll you got. We do see events ask the timer with virtually no roll and they still are long.

 

They don't have to be baked necessarily, just cut tighter than what we play. Combined with a little less water and their fairways are running as fast as someof the greens I play.

 

Also, my eyes are fine, I can see exactly what is happening at 350 yards.

350-that's a nice carry. Even on wrx! :)

[tbowles411]

40 yards of roll may be a stretch, but I'm sure the LPGA does the same thing the PGA does with hard fast fairways. I've watched my share of LPGA golf and their drives roll out way more than mine, just like the men.

Not disputing your comment but we here that all the time on wrx. Howe the tours bake the fairways to manner then look good. First, I would wager most of us get more roll than we think. It's hard to tell from over 200 yards away(sorry on wrx it's 300) how much roll you got. We do see events ask the timer with virtually no roll and they still are long.

 

They don't have to be baked necessarily, just cut tighter than what we play. Combined with a little less water and their fairways are running as fast as someof the greens I play.

 

Also, my eyes are fine, I can see exactly what is happening at 350 yards.

350-that's a nice carry. Even on wrx! :)

Speak for yourself! :cheesy:

[DavePelz4]

You also have to look at the conditions of the course during setup. As was the case at Sawgrass last week, they can make the course play really fast and firm. Don't get me wrong as some of the girls on the LPGA are very long but you can make a course play as long or as short as you want, off the same tee, with how you set the course up. You can minimize/maximize rollout with how the grass is cut, how much water is on the fairways, etc.

[duffer888]

I bet the talent pool on the LPGA is much wider than on the PGA. I'd rather see the LPGA average of only those who have won an LPGA tournament or are like T100 or something.

[tbowles411]

You also have to look at the conditions of the course during setup. As was the case at Sawgrass last week, they can make the course play really fast and firm. Don't get me wrong as some of the girls on the LPGA are very long but you can make a course play as long or as short as you want, off the same tee, with how you set the course up. You can minimize/maximize rollout with how the grass is cut, how much water is on the fairways, etc.

Very true. They make the courses as hard and as fast as they can usually, depending on the venue. The big ball parks in the 6700 range are made that way and the 6000 yarders are usually set up more forgiving to help make it competitive. Gerina and Lexi are bombers, but some of their drives are ridiculously long because there's either a ton of run or they can fly the trouble. Amazing to watch actually.

[Argonne69]

I bet the talent pool on the LPGA is much wider than on the PGA. I'd rather see the LPGA average of only those who have won an LPGA tournament or are like T100 or something.

 

The average for the top 100 is 260.90, and the median is 259.11.

[legitimategolf]

Another witch hunt. Great. Thanks OP. Just what we need. Okay so the ladies can barely drive it 200 yards. Okay so they are inferior golfers to the wonderful men of the PGA Tour. Now that someone has admitted it you all can puff out your chests and feel good about yourselves.