So How Far Do Average Golfers Really Hit the Ball?

[Sean2]

Just as an example that the vast majority of golfers over estimate the distance they can hit each club......

 

I watch golf on the course 40 hours a week, well until 2 months ago when I retired, and I can tell you the safest place to be when people hit to the green is in the middle to the back of said green. 90% of ALL golfers are short of the green with approaches. I had NO fear of being hit by a golf ball as long as I was standing on the back fringe. Then, if the ball did actually make it to the green 50% of those where already rolling on the ground. Very few golfers hit greens on the carry. I know it sounds bad but for the average Joe golfer it is true. I was asked all the time if I feared being hit by a ball and I always laughed and explained the above. People have egos that they can't deal with. BTW - The ladies were just as bad as the guys when estimating what club to carry onto a green.

 

The closet I ever came to being hit was today. I was playing golf!! We were headed up the middle of our fairway when ball hit the front of our cart on the fly. It came from a tee box on an opposing fairway. We never saw it coming, no "FORE", no nothing. Just a bunch of stupid people playing the tips that had no business being there. Sorry....rant over.

 

I read a story where Ben Hogan was asked how to spin the ball. He looked at the questioner and asked him how often he hit the ball past the pin. They guy said, "Never", and Hogan then asked, "Then why on earth would you want to learn to spin the ball?"

[Sean2]

We accept everyone, including moose. Except rats. You're likely to get a longer prison sentence for smuggling a rat into Canada than cocaine.

Long ago in a Boy Scout trip to to Quetico provincial park, one of our adult members was stupid enough to try to bring live bait with him. Thankfully I was not sharing that ride. He avoided jail but the fine was substantial - were talking 4 figures.

 

In our 60 mile canoe trip (which I've done numerous times) I recall meeting t so brothers while waiting for an unexpected backup at a portage. Fun talk and according to them all of Canada appeared as in the park. - rocks, water, birch or pines. I thought it more like legends of the fall or the unforgiving - that western Rockies look better than the us ones, IMO - though river runs through it gives them a good run. Been past Yellowstone and Missoula man times but have failed at getting up to glacier. Some day. Nothing like shooting by Brent musburgers old stomping grounds of big timber. Or that horse whisperer guy.

 

I spent two weeks in Quetico, canoeing, portaging, camping, fishing...wonderful place.

Highlight of all my trips ( aside from burning the outfitters Hudson Bay bread in the campfire - an annual ritual), was spending a day on an island in batchewaung lake with a damp eaglet - he or she apparently got a bit wet fishing and could not fly. Attempted it but crashed again. I stood on shore and watched it breast stroke to the rocks about 10 feet from me. When mom showed up the show was over and we left them to their half of the island. Heard some real sad tales of accidental deaths in the park. Mostly from people doing stupid things down rapids or not being aware of waterfalls.

 

I remember spending some time on Lake Batchewaung. Didn't experience what you did though, however I was on a portage and after a while I put the canoe down to take a breather and 20 feet in front of me was a bull moose. Man, those things are big!

 

Never heard about the accidents though. When I lived near Seattle I was a search and rescue volunteer, and yes the kind of stupid stuff people did while in the wilderness never ceased to amaze me.

[JustTheTips]

I read it before. The mode would make more sense. The averages are all low. How are <5 hdcp avg 250? Not the ones I play with.

We should all be fine playing on <6000 yard courses. The ball should be rolled forward and the limits on drivers lifted.

 

Decent short games.:) Seriously 230 off the tee and a 150 yard 7 iron gives you a very playable game on most 6300 or so yard courses. You will rarely need to hit anything lower than 5 iron into greens unless you are going for par 5's in 2 (which will rarely be an option).

[596]

We accept everyone, including moose. Except rats. You're likely to get a longer prison sentence for smuggling a rat into Canada than cocaine.

Long ago in a Boy Scout trip to to Quetico provincial park, one of our adult members was stupid enough to try to bring live bait with him. Thankfully I was not sharing that ride. He avoided jail but the fine was substantial - were talking 4 figures.

 

In our 60 mile canoe trip (which I've done numerous times) I recall meeting t so brothers while waiting for an unexpected backup at a portage. Fun talk and according to them all of Canada appeared as in the park. - rocks, water, birch or pines. I thought it more like legends of the fall or the unforgiving - that western Rockies look better than the us ones, IMO - though river runs through it gives them a good run. Been past Yellowstone and Missoula man times but have failed at getting up to glacier. Some day. Nothing like shooting by Brent musburgers old stomping grounds of big timber. Or that horse whisperer guy.

 

I spent two weeks in Quetico, canoeing, portaging, camping, fishing...wonderful place.

Highlight of all my trips ( aside from burning the outfitters Hudson Bay bread in the campfire - an annual ritual), was spending a day on an island in batchewaung lake with a damp eaglet - he or she apparently got a bit wet fishing and could not fly. Attempted it but crashed again. I stood on shore and watched it breast stroke to the rocks about 10 feet from me. When mom showed up the show was over and we left them to their half of the island. Heard some real sad tales of accidental deaths in the park. Mostly from people doing stupid things down rapids or not being aware of waterfalls.

 

Took a vacation to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area many moons ago. Spent 7 days canoeing, camping and fishing and never saw another person. One of the best vacations the kids (7 and 8 at the time) ever had. My brother is the retail store manager for Mountain Gear in Spokane and guided us for the 7 days. Now when we rough it we stay at a Holiday Inn Express instead of the Luxor in Vegas..LOL

[RichieHunt]

Haven't read the OP but have guessed the article. Yesterday in a 25 MPH wind, I hit a 56 degree wedge 137 yards.

 

Why the obsession with distance? It makes no difference. I don't care if you hit it farther than me, shorter than me or exactly the same as me. It's irrelevant. Play your own game, don't listen to what Sam Snead is purported to say.

 

Have fun, keep on pace and respect the other golfers and the course.

 

Distance is very important. There is a strong mathematical correlation between handicap and club speed/distance.

 

What's irrelevant is people who don't understand how short they hit it. If they have a disillusioned idea of how far they hit the ball it will take them longer to improve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

RH

 

I should have qualified my comment a bit. Why obsess with how far "others" hit the ball? Worry about yourself and improve your distance as you can't control what the other players do.

 

I understood you and agree with your point. It's just that some think distance doesn't matter and it's always good to clear that up. Just like it's good to clear up that your 10 handicapper isn't likely busting 300 yard drives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

RH

[596]

I'm all over that chart. I'm over 60, hit the ball 220 carry and am under a 5 handicap from the regular men's tees.

 

Distance....it ain't about how far you hit each club. It's how well you control that club for a particular distance. I can hit a 9 iron 150 yards. I hit it from 130 for more accuracy. I hit a pitching wedge 135 but am deadly accurate with it from 100 yards. Yes, distance is an advantage, but most people have no idea how to actually use it to their advantage. I play with a guy who can hit the ball well over 300 yards but I beat him every single time we play. He has no idea how to hit a club from under 250 yards... :cheesy:

 

Given your 9 iron and PW yardages...you should be hitting the driver much further

 

Not really. I use a 10.5* K15 driver. Not the longest but deadly accurate. I also use TM Speedbaldes with jacked lofts. My 8 iron is basically everyone elses 7 iron. I score well with both and see zero reasons to change. My last 18 hole score is a 2 under 70. I see zero reason to chase more distance.

[RichieHunt]

Haven't read the OP but have guessed the article. Yesterday in a 25 MPH wind, I hit a 56 degree wedge 137 yards.

 

Why the obsession with distance? It makes no difference. I don't care if you hit it farther than me, shorter than me or exactly the same as me. It's irrelevant. Play your own game, don't listen to what Sam Snead is purported to say.

 

Have fun, keep on pace and respect the other golfers and the course.

 

Distance is very important. There is a strong mathematical correlation between handicap and club speed/distance.

 

 

RH

 

Which would make you think that "Long Drive" competitors would be better players.

 

They are usually better players in terms of handicaps. If Sadlowski played in state amateur competitions, good chance he would dominate. Most of them can flat-out play, but at a pro level is where things drop off. But a lot of people assume that they are just guys that can't play and only hit the ball a long ways and usually there's little truth to that.

 

If you segment the population into Tour players, you do see a small correlation between distance and adjusted scoring average. The Tour average club speed is about 113.5 mph, but when they play the Tour Championship every year with the top-30 players of that season...usually the avg. club speed of those 30 players is in the 116-117 mph range.

 

There is a strong correlation between distance off the tee on Tour and the length of the average birdie putt when they hit the GIR. That means they are getting better make % probabilities on their putts and can be lesser skilled and still make more putts than the more highly skilled putter who has a lower make % probabilities on their putts. And if you combine the two (long hitter getting shorter birdie putts and is a highly skilled putter)...that's a large advantage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

RH

[Argonne69]

I'm all over that chart. I'm over 60, hit the ball 220 carry and am under a 5 handicap from the regular men's tees.

 

Distance....it ain't about how far you hit each club. It's how well you control that club for a particular distance. I can hit a 9 iron 150 yards. I hit it from 130 for more accuracy. I hit a pitching wedge 135 but am deadly accurate with it from 100 yards. Yes, distance is an advantage, but most people have no idea how to actually use it to their advantage. I play with a guy who can hit the ball well over 300 yards but I beat him every single time we play. He has no idea how to hit a club from under 250 yards... :cheesy:

 

Given your 9 iron and PW yardages...you should be hitting the driver much further

 

Not really. I use a 10.5* K15 driver. Not the longest but deadly accurate. I also use TM Speedbaldes with jacked lofts. My 8 iron is basically everyone elses 7 iron. I score well with both and see zero reasons to change. My last 18 hole score is a 2 under 70. I see zero reason to chase more distance.

 

OK, anybody using clubs with jacked lofts should be required to disclose such. Lol. E.g., I really nailed that "9" iron, or it's an easy PW*.

[oregongolfguy]

It seems fairly accurate to me. It says i should average somewhere in the 230 range. That would be true for me. My better ball strikes will push into the 260 range, my occasional snap hook is in the 200yd range...my alright but not great strikes are somewhere around 230.

[nix]

Not sure that average is the best metric for what the purpose of the article is. I would think you would want to eliminate some of the extremes, especially on the short end. Median may be a better number to use.

 

For example,

 

If I hit 3 drives, two of which are 250 yds and then a third one which i completely flubbed and went 50 yds, my average is 183 yds, but my median is 250. The 250 is more indicitave of my typical driving distance.

[North Butte]

Not sure that average is the best metric for what the purpose of the article is. I would think you would want to eliminate some of the extremes, especially on the short end. Median may be a better number to use.

 

For example,

 

If I hit 3 drives, two of which are 250 yds and then a third one which i completely flubbed and went 50 yds, my average is 183 yds, but my median is 250. The 250 is more indicitave of my typical driving distance.

 

The chart and the linked article were indeed using median whilst referring to it as "average".

[Shilgy]

Not sure that average is the best metric for what the purpose of the article is. I would think you would want to eliminate some of the extremes, especially on the short end. Median may be a better number to use.

 

For example,

 

If I hit 3 drives, two of which are 250 yds and then a third one which i completely flubbed and went 50 yds, my average is 183 yds, but my median is 250. The 250 is more indicitave of my typical driving distance.

 

The chart and the linked article were indeed using median whilst referring to it as "average".

See post #46 in this thread.

 

PS post above beat me to it

PSS if you are a 26 that regularly hits it 250 I want you on my team.

[llewol007]

Distance is only good if you hit it straight. Look at the long drive guys. How many blast the ball into the 350+ range but are off the grid. Take that to any golf course and suddenly you are playing hole number 1 from fairway number 9. Distance is important only if you end up on the same hole you are playing. I remember playing with a couple in their mid 70's some of the nicest people you could meet and talk about course etiquette. The husband teed off the white tees and consistently drove the ball about 200 yards. I am not talking about hitting one 200 then another 220 to the right and 230 to the left. No!! His game was 200 yard driver off the tee box middle of the fairway, then 5 wood into the hole. Amazing but it was clock work. Sometimes he would have putt for par but usually setting himself up for a shot at bogey. The thing I picked up about his game was that he learned to play what kept him in the middle of the fairway with a shot at the green. The biggest mistake I see a lot of new golfers having at the driving is trying to hit the ball long. With many, a lot of those same golfers cant hit a straight shot. So I would say about 1 out of every 7 drives goes straight. Same golfers translate that to the golf course and most are never on the fairway they should be on. All this could be corrected if the mentality sold by the golf industry was 17 yards straighter rather than 17 yards further. I think that with the advent of new material being used, there is almost a false sense of comfort amongst newer players that the driver will auto correct your swing faults and suddenly gain you that extra 17 yards off the tee. Yes the sliding weights, the 400 cc this and the jailbird that with the composite top dont mean crap if your ball never touches that imaginary golf ball they have on the face of your driver.

[North Butte]

To paraphrase Winston Churchill, come morning the long hitter will be in the fairway but the short hitter will still be short.

[oregongolfguy]

I don't care about being straight off the tee....i care about being straight enough :)

[Argonne69]

To paraphrase Winston Churchill, come morning the long hitter will be in the fairway in two, after punching out from the trees, but the short hitter will still be short, and hitting the green in regulation with an 8 iron instead of a pitching wedge.

 

Fixed that for you.

[North Butte]

By the way, to totally clarify the chart numbers, they are golfers' median driver distances averaged across golfers in various age and handicap categories. Averages of medians in other words!

[nix]

Not sure that average is the best metric for what the purpose of the article is. I would think you would want to eliminate some of the extremes, especially on the short end. Median may be a better number to use.

 

For example,

 

If I hit 3 drives, two of which are 250 yds and then a third one which i completely flubbed and went 50 yds, my average is 183 yds, but my median is 250. The 250 is more indicitave of my typical driving distance.

 

The chart and the linked article were indeed using median whilst referring to it as "average".

See post #46 in this thread.

 

PS post above beat me to it

PSS if you are a 26 that regularly hits it 250 I want you on my team.

 

I'm actually a very good teamate in a net competition. I don't regularly hit it 250, and clearly don't regularly hit it straight (thus the 26), but on a good day when everything is working I can blast a few in the 250 range. My scores are high due to blowup holes. The other day I had 2 birds and 2 pars and still shot a 100. I'm trending to a lower hc, so in a best ball I can play a few holes like a 10 handicap, a few holes like a 1,000 handicap and a few holes like a 20 handicap.

[nix]

Just read post 46. Saw they are using Median. So ignore my post. thanks.

[rawdog]

Ah, yes, the old "long but wild" vs. "short but deadly accurate" caricatures starting to emerge...

 

If you're thinking of accuracy in yards left or right, of course a shorter hitter is going to find more fairways.

 

A 300 yard drive that's 3* offline is 15.7 yards offline

A 250 yard drive that's 3* offline is 13.1 yards offline

A 200 yard drive that's 3* offline is 10 yards offline

 

So, it's close to 1:1 yards offline increases as your distance increases.

 

If 2 players swing with the same effort, just because one is stronger or has a faster tempo, why is he stereotyped as always being wild? I don't get it.

 

It is a huge advantage if you only need 250 yards and a fairway to be hitting a shorter club. So if you need to hit a driver to go 250, and I need a 5 wood, I'm holding a club that's 2-3 inches shorter, and inherently more accurate.

 

It's easy to use anecdotes about some guy's game you saw once, or your local "steady Eddie," but when comparing large amounts of data, of course more distance is going to equate to bigger misses. It's math.

[nix]

It also depends on the course as well. Some courses will be ok for a long inaccurate driver, others will be too penal.

 

From experience I can tell you that long and innacurate is better than short and innacurate.

[llewol007]

Not sure that average is the best metric for what the purpose of the article is. I would think you would want to eliminate some of the extremes, especially on the short end. Median may be a better number to use.

 

For example,

 

If I hit 3 drives, two of which are 250 yds and then a third one which i completely flubbed and went 50 yds, my average is 183 yds, but my median is 250. The 250 is more indicitave of my typical driving distance.

 

The chart and the linked article were indeed using median whilst referring to it as "average".

See post #46 in this thread.

 

PS post above beat me to it

PSS if you are a 26 that regularly hits it 250 I want you on my team.

 

I'm actually a very good teamate in a net competition. I don't regularly hit it 250, and clearly don't regularly hit it straight (thus the 26), but on a good day when everything is working I can blast a few in the 250 range. My scores are high due to blowup holes. The other day I had 2 birds and 2 pars and still shot a 100. I'm trending to a lower hc, so in a best ball I can play a few holes like a 10 handicap, a few holes like a 1,000 handicap and a few holes like a 20 handicap.

Reading this shines the light on a lot of new golfers out there picking up the game. You are not playing golf to play in a best ball scramble. Haaaa haaaaa. Too funny.

[llewol007]

Ah, yes, the old "long but wild" vs. "short but deadly accurate" caricatures starting to emerge...

 

If you're thinking of accuracy in yards left or right, of course a shorter hitter is going to find more fairways.

 

A 300 yard drive that's 3* offline is 15.7 yards offline

A 250 yard drive that's 3* offline is 13.1 yards offline

A 200 yard drive that's 3* offline is 10 yards offline

 

So, it's close to 1:1 yards offline increases as your distance increases.

 

If 2 players swing with the same effort, just because one is stronger or has a faster tempo, why is he stereotyped as always being wild? I don't get it.

 

It is a huge advantage if you only need 250 yards and a fairway to be hitting a shorter club. So if you need to hit a driver to go 250, and I need a 5 wood, I'm holding a club that's 2-3 inches shorter, and inherently more accurate.

 

It's easy to use anecdotes about some guy's game you saw once, or your local "steady Eddie," but when comparing large amounts of data, of course more distance is going to equate to bigger misses. It's math.

Anybody would take any one of those numbers you used in your example. 300 yard drive and only 15 yards off the center of the fairway. That sounds more like Iron Byron swinging than many of the golfers I see out on the golf course. Of course thats the case. With the 3 degree example, that is the not the amateur player I run into on the golf course, that is more your single digit amateur. 15 yards off center still puts you in the fairway. Even at 250 yards and being 13 yards off. If you guaranteed me 13 yards off a 250 yard drive I would say deal. Then I would practice my mid to long irons like crazy. The misconception is that the distance has nothing to do with how well you hit the ball. That person driving the ball 300 hundred yards hits it pretty dam straight if they are only 15 yards off the center. That is a pro who plays a cut on their drive. We are talking about the players who describe their mishits not as baby fades or draws but more like banana slice or a pull hook. Im not saying that each joe smoe on the course fits the description to a tee but all the players in my group that tend to have distance issues is because they are playing those banana slices or pull hooks back into our fairway.

[micscottj]

Haven't read the OP but have guessed the article. Yesterday in a 25 MPH wind, I hit a 56 degree wedge 137 yards.

 

Why the obsession with distance? It makes no difference. I don't care if you hit it farther than me, shorter than me or exactly the same as me. It's irrelevant. Play your own game, don't listen to what Sam Snead is purported to say.

 

Have fun, keep on pace and respect the other golfers and the course.

 

Yeah agreed, you have to play your own game because it is the only one you got. You can't be overly focused on what you don't have but be more focused on what you got and how to improve it. However, it just shows how distance is directly related to better scoring and handicap. The longer you are the more chance you have to be a better scoring golfer. Distance is an advantage.

 

 

 

 

This tells me that getting old is going to suck.

[nix]

Not sure that average is the best metric for what the purpose of the article is. I would think you would want to eliminate some of the extremes, especially on the short end. Median may be a better number to use.

 

For example,

 

If I hit 3 drives, two of which are 250 yds and then a third one which i completely flubbed and went 50 yds, my average is 183 yds, but my median is 250. The 250 is more indicitave of my typical driving distance.

 

The chart and the linked article were indeed using median whilst referring to it as "average".

See post #46 in this thread.

 

PS post above beat me to it

PSS if you are a 26 that regularly hits it 250 I want you on my team.

 

I'm actually a very good teamate in a net competition. I don't regularly hit it 250, and clearly don't regularly hit it straight (thus the 26), but on a good day when everything is working I can blast a few in the 250 range. My scores are high due to blowup holes. The other day I had 2 birds and 2 pars and still shot a 100. I'm trending to a lower hc, so in a best ball I can play a few holes like a 10 handicap, a few holes like a 1,000 handicap and a few holes like a 20 handicap.

Reading this shines the light on a lot of new golfers out there picking up the game. You are not playing golf to play in a best ball scramble. Haaaa haaaaa. Too funny.

 

best ball and scramble are two different things... (pet peeve)

[spetzle]

Distance is a real advantage in a good golfer. If you're a short hitter you'll have to accept it in a world where longer is better. You'll get used to it and then you no longer care about the bomber playing with you. You play your fairways and greens game, which is nerve wrecking for your rival.

 

So true.

[SNIPERBBB]

Anybody would take any one of those numbers you used in your example. 300 yard drive and only 15 yards off the center of the fairway. That sounds more like Iron Byron swinging than many of the golfers I see out on the golf course. Of course thats the case. With the 3 degree example, that is the not the amateur player I run into on the golf course, that is more your single digit amateur. 15 yards off center still puts you in the fairway. Even at 250 yards and being 13 yards off. If you guaranteed me 13 yards off a 250 yard drive I would say deal. Then I would practice my mid to long irons like crazy. The misconception is that the distance has nothing to do with how well you hit the ball. That person driving the ball 300 hundred yards hits it pretty dam straight if they are only 15 yards off the center. That is a pro who plays a cut on their drive. We are talking about the players who describe their mishits not as baby fades or draws but more like banana slice or a pull hook. Im not saying that each joe smoe on the course fits the description to a tee but all the players in my group that tend to have distance issues is because they are playing those banana slices or pull hooks back into our fairway.

 

What if your fairways are only 20 yards wide? lol, Luckily my home course is fairly open except for about a third of the holes.

[Medic]

I played with one "youngster" who easily drove the ball 40 past me. And I managed to beat him. (No short game)

 

And then there is the gent who is 82 who beat me. I was past him all day but he never missed a putt.

 

Somehow I just don't think distance and length are the single most important factor of this difficult game. Important to be sure - but just one of several things that much come together in order to lead to lower scores.

[SpeedAgent]

No clue what the point of this post is, but I'm new to golf and here are my distances per club shortest to longest;

 

Lob- 91 yds

56 degree- 98yards

Pitch- 141ds

9I-153yds

8I-164yds

7I- 188yd

6I- 201yds

5I- 211yds

4I- 219yds

 

3H- 230yds

3W-252yds

 

Driver-278yds

[Medic]

No clue what the point of this post is, but I'm new to golf and here are my distances per club shortest to longest;

 

Lob- 91 yds

56 degree- 98yards

Pitch- 141ds

9I-153yds

8I-164yds

7I- 188yd

6I- 201yds

5I- 211yds

4I- 219yds

 

3H- 230yds

3W-252yds

 

Driver-278yds

 

The point actually is that most players don't know their actual distances.

 

Many go off of the distance of a hole. 350 yard par 4. They hit their drive and end up around 50 out - wow! 300 yard drive. But they never realize that the hole may not have actually been 350.

 

Worse yet are those players who go off of Trackman or other similar devices.

 

To get my actual average distance off of the drives I used my GPS device. Exactly 237 average at the time. This was the actual distance per the device from the point on the tee area where I hit the ball to the point the ball ended up.

 

And so...

 

The point of the OP is that most players go off of some really big assumptions and don't hit the ball nearly as far as they actually believe. It's an age old debate on here and one that gets a lot of feathers ruffled up. Not sure if it's because of ego or what - but it sure causes some members to go on the defensive for some reason.