How far would prime Tiger hit the ball with today’s equipment?

[nikegolfer93]

Let’s say you put a Stealth driver in 2000s Tigers hand, would be reaching 195 ball speed?

[Trippels]

I'd bet anything he could get over 200 ball speed.

[Pepperturbo]

Prime Tiger with today's equipment would, again, be stomping on all the players.

[MonteScheinblum]

Easily and I have a frame of reference.  I can’t pin point the date, many here will know, but it was around 20-25 years ago.  We were both on staff with titleist and they had just built their new fancy facility that measured ball speed.   Let’s just call it 2000.  
 

I was there the same day he was.  His fairway finder was 180ish, going after it 185ish and he maxed out at 189.  
 

I maxed out at 202.  In 2015 I maxed out at 202 at the world championships in the fat old man division and I can tell you, I was WAY shorter in 2015 at age 48 than I was at age 33 in 2000.  

[MonteScheinblum]

2 minutes ago, Trippels said:

I'd bet anything he could get over 200 ball speed.

Yes

[MonteScheinblum]

Just now, Pepperturbo said:

Prime Tiger with today's equipment would, again, be stomping on all the players.

He’d be same as dechambeu and Champ

[Rdailey9108]

Wasn't a broken Tiger when he came this year hitting high 170s/180s ballspeed? 

[GoGoErky]

9 minutes ago, Rdailey9108 said:

Wasn't a broken Tiger when he came this year hitting high 170s/180s ballspeed? 

Iirc he was hitting 185 just a few years ago

[phizzy30]

26 minutes ago, Trippels said:

I'd bet anything he could get over 200 ball speed.

He was supposedly 127 mph on his fastest swings back in his prime.  He'd be in the 190's ball speed. 

Edited June 15, 2023 by phizzy30

[Valtiel]

2 hours ago, MonteScheinblum said:

He’d be same as dechambeu and Champ

 

2 hours ago, MonteScheinblum said:

I was there the same day he was.  His fairway finder was 180ish, going after it 185ish and he maxed out at 189.  

 

2 hours ago, Rdailey9108 said:

Wasn't a broken Tiger when he came this year hitting high 170s/180s ballspeed? 

 

2 hours ago, GoGoErky said:

Iirc he was hitting 185 just a few years ago

Yeah I actually think this is a pretty easy question since we have guys out there now that have the same speed Tiger had back then, plus obviously far more sophisticated measuring devices and estimation tools. 

A fairway finder at 180, "full" at 185, and all out at 190 is basically where Rory, Bryson, and the Camerons (Young and Champ) are at on the course, although Bryson and Champ have gotten north of 190 plenty of times. Factor in launch conditions and Tiger's preferred ball flights with the speculation that his speed then with a 43.5" 130g shaft would be higher with today's modern equipment simply due to weight and you could put him with Bryson easily I think, maybe subtracting a tick due to the fact Tiger likely wouldn't target the same kind of super high draw ballflight as Bryson and lose a little carry/total distance. 

[llewol007]

Probably as far as Dj and the farther hitters. Tiger hits it far but he had control 

[TLUBulldogGolf]

The furthest back the radar stats go is 2007 and he averaged 182. But he was probably faster in the late 90s before he went through the swing change. There is an old Golf Digest article where he was supposedly measured at 180 BS with his steel shafted Cobra Driver and a wound ball presumably. I think he would have been well into the 190s when he wanted with longer graphite, a solid core ball, and a hotter face.

Edited June 16, 2023 by TLUBulldogGolf

[hammersia]

Don't think he ever really got close to an "optimised" driver (or driver swing) compared to his 3 wood or 2 iron. His 3 wood was Daly / Quiros sort of level. 

[bladehunter]

17 hours ago, phizzy30 said:

He was supposedly 127 mph on his fastest swings back in his prime.  He'd be in the 190's ball speed. 

Have to remember though that was with a 110-130 g shaft at 43.5 or so inches.  Drop 70 g off the shaft and add an inch to inch and a half length to it and you’re auto gaining swing speed most likely.  Maybe 10 mph 

Edited June 16, 2023 by bladehunter

[ferrispgm]

He would totally be around the 195-200mph ballspeed now days factoring everything in and with his old swing. 

 

My question is a little deeper.  How fast would he be with his current swing and no injuries at 21 y/o?  With all of the injuries he's had, he has been able to keep the ball speed respectable in the 170s.  I would argue that's because he was forced to make his current swing more efficient.  If his old swing was this efficient, he may have been another few mph faster back then and with fewer injuries...of the golf-related kind anyway. If he had a graphite shaft and another half inch or so on the driver, he very well may have been cruising around 185-190 or so then. 

[FormerBigDaddy]

Dude was still hitting 180 ball speed earlier this year with a broken body.  You have to think young tiger could swing it easily 10 mph faster 20-25 years ago.  Give him a modern driver then with graphite shaft at standard length and I wouldn't be surprised at all if he could have been at 195+ BS and 325-330 carry.  He can still carry it 300... you telling me he couldn't have been 25 yds longer before all the injuries?  Go watch young tiger videos.. that swing speed was easily 130.

[cgasucks]

Minimum 190 ball speed for 2000 Tiger.  He'd be invincible if he had today's technology back then.

[Shilgy]

23 hours ago, MonteScheinblum said:

He’d be same as dechambeu and Champ

Distance wise….yes.  I think he was referring to winning.

[MonteScheinblum]

20 minutes ago, Shilgy said:

Distance wise….yes.  I think he was referring to winning.

 

20 minutes ago, Shilgy said:

Distance wise….yes.  I think he was referring to winning.

I thought that’s what the discussion was about.

[Shilgy]

3 hours ago, MonteScheinblum said:

 

I thought that’s what the discussion was about.

It is….but like all threads they tend to wander a bit at times.😏
 

edited to add…..so Tiger would be among the longest players AND be stomping all on the leaderboard.

Edited June 16, 2023 by Shilgy

[MK7Golf21]

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