100-105 Swing Speed Distance

[Pleasedwith3putts]

[quote name='amish' timestamp='1364139669' post='6678211']
Went to a Bridgestone Challenge ball fitting last summer. My numbers with a 10.5 deg Powerbilt nitrogen filled driver with a stiff Fuji E350 shaft were:

ss - 108.9, B/V - 140.9, L/A - 12.2, B/S - 3087, dist - 237. That is a pretty low smash factor of 1.29 and too much back spin.

Bridgestone's ideal numbers were - ss - 108.9, B/V - 181.2, L/A - 11.4, B/S - 2339, dist - 292! They have a smash factor of 1.66! They must be including roll in their numbers but that driver distance is definitely at the far end of my capabilities.

I felt I hit the ball solidly during their test. They let me hit until I felt I caught a couple of them right and they used those numbers. I've hit balls on DSG launch monitors and never carried over 250. If that SS is correct I am not getting the most out of my clubs distancewise. I like the Powerbilt driver better than a 9.5* Adams RPM driver that I had refitted with a UST proforce 65 stiff shaft (when I was tested to have a 105 mph swing speed) about 8 years ago. I especially like the shaft which flattens out the trajectory much better, as I am a high ball hitter.

So how does one up their smash factor numbers?
[/quote]

You are quite right in identifying that as a bad smash factor. You should be over 150mph ball speed with 109 swing speed and I can't help wonder if the machine was measuring correctly. To have that bad a swing angle you need to be making poor contact, yet that launch angle is OK (little low) and you need at least that spin rate unless you are launching far higher with more ballspeed.

If you feel you are striking it solid then I'd say the swingspeed measurements are wrong, but on raw data you are not striking it solidly at all and should be able to gain a huge amount with a proper driver fitting.

[Golfrnut]

[quote name='amish' timestamp='1364139669' post='6678211']
Went to a Bridgestone Challenge ball fitting last summer. My numbers with a 10.5 deg Powerbilt nitrogen filled driver with a stiff Fuji E350 shaft were:

ss - 108.9, B/V - 140.9, L/A - 12.2, B/S - 3087, dist - 237. That is a pretty low smash factor of 1.29 and too much back spin.

Bridgestone's ideal numbers were - ss - 108.9, B/V - 181.2, L/A - 11.4, B/S - 2339, dist - 292! They have a smash factor of 1.66! They must be including roll in their numbers but that driver distance is definitely at the far end of my capabilities.

I felt I hit the ball solidly during their test. They let me hit until I felt I caught a couple of them right and they used those numbers. I've hit balls on DSG launch monitors and never carried over 250. If that SS is correct I am not getting the most out of my clubs distancewise. I like the Powerbilt driver better than a 9.5* Adams RPM driver that I had refitted with a UST proforce 65 stiff shaft (when I was tested to have a 105 mph swing speed) about 8 years ago. I especially like the shaft which flattens out the trajectory much better, as I am a high ball hitter.

So how does one up their smash factor numbers?
[/quote]

Center face contact, straight ball flight, and a shallow angle of attack...the face contact being absolutely the most important. Smash fact is only a "pseduo" name for PTR, or power transefer ratio. No gimmiks to it, it's a measurement of how much energy is transferred from the club to the ball. Ceter face contact has the highest effect.

[gopherguts]

[quote name='amish' timestamp='1364139669' post='6678211']
Went to a Bridgestone Challenge ball fitting last summer. My numbers with a 10.5 deg [size=5][b]Powerbilt nitrogen filled driver[/b][/size] with a stiff Fuji E350 shaft were:
{snip}

So how does one up their smash factor numbers?
[/quote]

Maybe it's the driver ?

[Northeaster]

I thought it was the indian, not the arrow? Very tough to compare clubs when you can't repeat a swing like iron byron the robot. I always struggle with this

[amish]

Nothing wrong with the driver. As I said, I get better distance with it than I do with an Adams driver I had reshafted to fit my swing better.

[gopherguts]

[size=4][quote name='holein3' timestamp='1364227610' post='6688953'][/size]
I thought it was the indian, not the arrow? Very tough to compare clubs when you can't repeat a swing like iron byron the robot. I always struggle with this[size=4][/quote][/size]

That's the golf teacher's line.

If it was always the indian and not the arrow there wouldn't be a need for so many brands, shafts and/or driver types.

Powerbilt is a 3rd rate manufacturer. Sorry but them's the facts. Maybe the COR is nowhere near .83 ? Maybe the sweetspot could be dwarfed by a gnat ? Maybe the driver and/or shaft just doesn't FIT him ? Who knows ?


[size=4][quote name='amish' timestamp='1364239941' post='6691135'][/size]
[size=4]Nothing wrong with the driver. As I said, I get better distance with it than I do with an Adams driver I had reshafted to fit my swing better.[/size]
[/quote]

All THAT means is the Powerbilt's better (for YOU) than the Adams.

If, as you seem to be suggesting, you're hitting the middle of the face with a reasonably good swing and getting a smash factor of only 1.29 it's the driver.

And I don't know what Bridgestone's telling you or if you just misunderstood it but 1.50 is the MAXIMUM smash factor - it's all over Golfwrx,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.

[learjetguy]

ss of 100 will get u 235 245 roll is what ever conditions permit period With that said I would take that all day long going straight down the middle 240+roll leaves 180-150 inn on a 450 par 4

[Redneckgolfer54]

I have a ss of 105 and only get about 230-250ish never get much roll it just drops out of the sky I hit a 9.5 I've only been on a lunch monitor once and I can't remember what everything was.

[Northeaster]

[quote name='Redneckgolfer54' timestamp='1364833624' post='6737125']
I have a ss of 105 and only get about 230-250ish never get much roll it just drops out of the sky I hit a 9.5 I've only been on a lunch monitor once and I can't remember what everything was.
[/quote]

What kind of shaft are you gaming? I was in the same boat until I reshafted with aldila RIP beta 70s in the driver.. Lower ballflight, more roll, more carry. Get yourself in a low spin/ low launch shaft. I use a 9.5 as well

[Redneckgolfer54]

I have a prelaunch red stiff in my driver . how do you know if the shaft is a low spin? is it based on torque?

[gopherguts]

[quote name='Redneckgolfer54' timestamp='1365095063' post='6760533']
I have a prelaunch red stiff in my driver . how do you know if the shaft is a low spin? is it based on torque?
[/quote]

You get on a launch monitor,,,,,,,,,,,, again,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Golfrnut]

[quote name='Redneckgolfer54' timestamp='1365095063' post='6760533']
I have a prelaunch red stiff in my driver . how do you know if the shaft is a low spin? is it based on torque?
[/quote]


There is no "knowing" per say. All shafts react differently for different people based on the amount of shaft lead and deflection at impact. And no, torque is not the cause.

[Hot Rod 71]

I have a Sky Caddie and often use the distance measuring feature. I have a 105 ss and find that my best drives carry 250ish and end up 270 to 280 total distance, on average. I play with different people all the time and what I find interesting is how far people think they hit the ball versus how far they actually hit the ball. The way most golfers figure their distance is to subtract their distance to the center of the green after they tee off from the hole length marker on the tee box. While this may sound logical, it is often very misleading. I have stood on the tee of a relatively flat par 5 measuring 530 yards (according to tee marker) and hit a great drive. I then find my ball resting next to the 200 yard marker. Logic would dictate that I hit a 330 yard drive. However, after referencing my Sky Caddie I see I drove it 285 yards. At my home course we have a short, drive-able par 3 measuring 320 from the back tee. If I stand on the tee box and check the hole distance on my Sky Caddie it reads 285 yards. So if I drive the green did I hit it 320 or 285?

I have found over the last several years that yardage markers on tee boxes are misleading. These yardages are measured along a line that follows the curvature or dog-leg of the hole, and not on a straight line from the tee to the center of the green. The Sky Caddie provides a point-a to point-b straight line measurement of distance, much like a launch monitor does. The only way to truly know how far you hit the ball is to get on a launch monitor or use the measuring feature on a GPS unit.

[Scottyguy68]

My ss is 105-110 and a good drive only goes 260...

[Ri_Redneck]

[quote name='amish' timestamp='1364139669' post='6678211']
Went to a Bridgestone Challenge ball fitting last summer. My numbers with a 10.5 deg Powerbilt nitrogen filled driver with a stiff Fuji E350 shaft were:

ss - 108.9, B/V - 140.9, L/A - 12.2, B/S - 3087, dist - 237. That is a pretty low smash factor of 1.29 and too much back spin.

Bridgestone's ideal numbers were - ss - 108.9, B/V - 181.2, L/A - 11.4, B/S - 2339, dist - 292! They have a smash factor of 1.66! They must be including roll in their numbers but that driver distance is definitely at the far end of my capabilities.

I felt I hit the ball solidly during their test. They let me hit until I felt I caught a couple of them right and they used those numbers. I've hit balls on DSG launch monitors and never carried over 250. If that SS is correct I am not getting the most out of my clubs distance-wise. I like the Powerbilt driver better than a 9.5* Adams RPM driver that I had refitted with a UST proforce 65 stiff shaft (when I was tested to have a 105 mph swing speed) about 8 years ago. I especially like the shaft which flattens out the trajectory much better, as I am a high ball hitter.

So how does one up their smash factor numbers?
[/quote]

I've tried all different kinds of launch monitors and get goofy specs out of most. Usually my SS is higher than it really is. If this is off, it will kill your Smash Factor ratio. Retail stores are notorious for this stuff. Used a Foresight CG2 Saturday and it was spot on. I usually carry 245-250 and it had my SS at 105 - 107 and my SF/PTR was around 1.48 - 1.49 on most hits. Friday, I was on another monitor (don't know the brand) and it had my SS up near 120, yet I was getting the same distances that I got Saturday. needless to say, it had my SF/PTR in the 1.2 range. I knew it couldn't be right cause I wasn't swinging that fast.

BT

[Fourmyle of Ceres]

I'm amazed at how often I'll tee off standing by a tee-box plate that says "346", my ball will end up right next to a sprinkler head that says "118" and yet my laser or GPS tells me I'm only 215 yards from where I teed off. Subtraction says it was a 346-118=228 yard drive but it really went not nearly that far, even including roll.

The actual straight-line distance is often 10-15 yards less than what you'll get from the markings on the course. Either the tees are up or you're cutting off a little bit of an angle, some sprinkler is mismarked or someone is actually inflating the on-course markings on purpose.

[Locked]

My SS is almost constant between 100 and 105, If I have a 10 yard gully from 235-245 that I would have to carry odds are I'm laying up. Yes I could carry it if struck very well, but at least 40% of the time I'm probably not going to carry 245.

[bullrambler]

I'd be more inclined to suggest that at 100mph the distance would be about 240 and at 105 about 250. The factors that would add length to those distances would be down-hill fairway - or dry fairways where roll could be 30 yards or possibly more.

[amish]

Got another chance to hop on a launch monitor to try out some new Callaway drivers at my local DSG. They are giving away a sleeve of Chrome+ balls with every test drive this week. Seems my swing speed was between 97 and 102 mph with around a 145 mph ball speed and a little over 240 yards of carry. Those numbers fall within the realm of what a ball should do with that clubhead speed I believe. Certainly more accurate than what the Bridgestone ball test spit out, although the carry number was pretty close. My spin numbers were into the 3000's despite the low spin characteristics of the drivers. I hit both the X hot and the Extreme. I did a little better on the X-hot. I hit a 10.5/reg and a 9.5/stiff in the x-hot and a 9.5/stiff in the extreme. I believe the shafts were Project X.

So with a 100 mph clubhead speed, what is the optimal launch angle and spin for a driver?

Since I didn't hit the magic 1.48 max how much more can I really expect to squeeze out of a driver?

[Golfrnut]

[quote name='amish' timestamp='1369233579' post='7084544']
Got another chance to hop on a launch monitor to try out some new Callaway drivers at my local DSG. They are giving away a sleeve of Chrome+ balls with every test drive this week. Seems my swing speed was between 97 and 102 mph with around a 145 mph ball speed and a little over 240 yards of carry. Those numbers fall within the realm of what a ball should do with that clubhead speed I believe. Certainly more accurate than what the Bridgestone ball test spit out, although the carry number was pretty close. My spin numbers were into the 3000's despite the low spin characteristics of the drivers. I hit both the X hot and the Extreme. I did a little better on the X-hot. I hit a 10.5/reg and a 9.5/stiff in the x-hot and a 9.5/stiff in the extreme. I believe the shafts were Project X.

So with a 100 mph clubhead speed, what is the optimal launch angle and spin for a driver?

Since I didn't hit the magic 1.48 max how much more can I really expect to squeeze out of a driver?
[/quote]


Launch angle and spin is dependent on things like your AoA. No one can really give you a number without knowing what some of your other specs are. Low smash and higher spin suggest possibly a negative AoA and possibly a low hit on the face. That is complete speculation though and just a shot at it.

That, and even though you didn't get there, work on your PTR(smash factor). You are losing yards there too for sure. A properly fit driver for length, weight, and all that jazz would probably help.

[slodsm]

[quote name='Ed Rooney' timestamp='1311124137' post='3406001']
I used to register 105 on all the monitors. My carry was always 235-240 and a total distance on 260-270. This was somewhat proven when I would play my local course with really soft, slow fairways and I NEVER got it past 240. Then I would go to a more normal course and average 260.

I saw a chart once that said the average 105 swinger was carrying it 240.
[/quote]

These are my identical numbers. I swing right around 105 but have soft fairways at my home course and rarely see the ball passed 250. Occasionally I'll stretch it another 10 but my typical drive is 235/240 with almost no roll (I also spin the ball a lot with a driver).

I recently switched to a KK Silver shaft for lower launch/spin and when playing a new course with my boss I was mind blown by the difference in distance. My worst drive of the day was 235 but I had numerous in the 260 range and one that went 277 with a bit of aid from the wind. I love firm fairways. I had more GIR's on that course than I've ever had in my life. An 8i for an approach shot is a lot safer bet than a 5 or 6.

[A C]

Longest drive I had was over 300 yards...based off the score sheet tee to green distance of 450 yards par 4, and my second shot was only 140. 310 yards drive, baby!!!

Even though they had the tee up 60 some yards up from the score sheet. LOL

[Northeaster]

[quote name='slodsm' timestamp='1369447063' post='7102964']
[quote name='Ed Rooney' timestamp='1311124137' post='3406001']
I used to register 105 on all the monitors. My carry was always 235-240 and a total distance on 260-270. This was somewhat proven when I would play my local course with really soft, slow fairways and I NEVER got it past 240. Then I would go to a more normal course and average 260.

I saw a chart once that said the average 105 swinger was carrying it 240.
[/quote]

These are my identical numbers. I swing right around 105 but have soft fairways at my home course and rarely see the ball passed 250. Occasionally I'll stretch it another 10 but my typical drive is 235/240 with almost no roll (I also spin the ball a lot with a driver).

I recently switched to a KK Silver shaft for lower launch/spin and when playing a new course with my boss I was mind blown by the difference in distance. My worst drive of the day was 235 but I had numerous in the 260 range and one that went 277 with a bit of aid from the wind. I love firm fairways. I had more GIR's on that course than I've ever had in my life. An 8i for an approach shot is a lot safer bet than a 5 or 6.
[/quote]

If you spin the ball a lot with the driver give the Razr Hawk Tour and Razr Fit Xtreme a swing. I used to put a ton of spin on it with the driver even with a nice heavy low/low shaft. Switched to RHT and got the same carry with 15 yards roll. I recently broke it and callaway sent me the RFX. Same story. It would be worth at least demoing one. RHT are a few years old and cheap. Changed my driving game. Went from a 260-275 driver to 275-290 same shaft. If you go with the RFX try the Matrix black tie 7m3 its awesome.

[someon3]

I've noticed quit often someone will hit a good drive around 270 total, cut the dogleg abit, then do straight math, par 4 435yds and I've got 129 yrds in, I hit it 306! SS of 100-105 well struck carry is going to be somewhere around 235-250 yds ( level fairway, no wind, sea level, 9.5 degree loft).

[learjetguy]

[quote name='rafal' timestamp='1311123399' post='3405961']
[quote name='csiachos' timestamp='1311122683' post='3405928']
I don't care what your smash factor and spin rate is, a ss of 100-105 is not going to give you a 280-290 carry. All things being perfect, it would still be impossible.
[/quote]

People need a reality check on all their distances not only driving.
[/quote] I agree you need ss over 110 to carry 280 avg distance for weekend players 235 100ss for me is 245/250 carry whatever I get on the roll is a plus...and Im happy with 245/250

[am-bm]

One answer. Ernie Els.
Big easy swing. Goes miles.
Same as a heavy weight boxer. Slower punch than a flyweight but does far more damage.

[northgolf]

[quote name='am-bm' timestamp='1381686605' post='7995461']
One answer. Ernie Els.
Big easy swing. Goes miles.
Same as a heavy weight boxer. Slower punch than a flyweight but does far more damage.
[/quote]

Very simply put, when it comes to the collision between a club head and a golf ball, you are wrong. Given the same quality of contact (smash factor), you cannot hit the ball farther with slower club head speed.

Big easy might look like he is moving slow, but he isn't - his avg ss is 114mph the last time I checked his stats.

[lsufooshee]

[quote name='northgolf' timestamp='1381776280' post='8000175']
[quote name='am-bm' timestamp='1381686605' post='7995461']
One answer. Ernie Els.
Big easy swing. Goes miles.
Same as a heavy weight boxer. Slower punch than a flyweight but does far more damage.
[/quote]

Very simply put, when it comes to the collision between a club head and a golf ball, you are wrong. Given the same quality of contact (smash factor), you cannot hit the ball farther with slower club head speed.

Big easy might look like he is moving slow, but he isn't - his avg ss is 114mph the last time I checked his stats.
[/quote]

Ernie has a longer swing arc. Higher angular velocity. Higher swing speed. You're correct. His swing just looks nice and easy because it is but he is creating substantial clubhead speed.

[madolive3]

[quote name='Ed Rooney' timestamp='1311124137' post='3406001']
I used to register 105 on all the monitors. My carry was always 235-240 and a total distance on 260-270. This was somewhat proven when I would play my local course with really soft, slow fairways and I NEVER got it past 240. Then I would go to a more normal course and average 260.

I saw a chart once that said the average 105 swinger was carrying it 240.
[/quote] Yep, that is about right on with my distance. I have a 100 to 107 SS and I carry about 235 out to 250 on well hit balls. I do get some 280 and even a few 3 over 300 with the roll out. But that's due to wind and tee elevation, things like that.
My longest measured drive was 318 verified with a laser.

[sailfishchris]

My drives are monstrous. I base this on the fact that in 2001 I hit a Cleveland Launcher 230 yards (downhill...wind aided) Each year I have bought a new driver guaranteeing me 10-15 more yards and 2-3 more mph swing speed. My current drives are monitored by the FAA as I am not allowed to play within 45 miles of any airport for fear of taking down a Cesena. Yet, I still, l......sometimes 3 putt for par