The driving distance thread

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#ICanHitADraw
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What is your average drive? Is this a measured number or an estimate (yardages on a scorecard do not count as measured).

Also, what is the yardage you might reach a couple of times a round.

Then, what is the longest drive you have ever had (and was it measured or estimated)?



I'll start.

I average about 220. This is a guess based on measuring several drives a round with GPS. I don't measure them all. I'd also say that this is pretty much my median drive also, though I have never checked. I just know that while I have some that are quite a bit longer, I have as many that are quite a bit shorter. The last couple of rounds I've played, I have had two in each round that were between 240 and 248, measured by GPS. That's also about my max. Although my average will sometimes depend on how far it is over the lake. More often than not, when I have a forced carry, I barely make it over. And that can happen when it's 150 or 180 across.

The longest drive I have ever had is an estimate. I know it hadn't lost much altitude when it reached the trees on the left side of the fairway 250 yards away (measured by my Bushnell rangefinder). I am guessing it might have gone 300 yards but I never found it. I also had one that I launched towards I-70 at Sunflower Hills (Jeff, this would have been on hole #12) that took off at an almost 90° angle to the left of the tee box. Looked like a pro hit it (it took off and rose slowly and seemed to fly forever, it was such a pretty shot!). Too bad it was nothing but OB! I am guessing that I might have hit it 300, but I am probably being generous.
 
Simple:
1) Don't know, don't care
2) see #1
3) see #1

As long as it is in the fairway or not is my only concern.
 
Glad you started this Smallie. Maybe it can keep rants off of other threads.

1. I average about 250 off the tee.
2. I get it to about 270 or so a couple of times a round.
3. I hit a drive on an extreme downhill fairway at a course in Indiana called Bear Slide that went 385 yards. You could tap it with a wedge and it would go 250
 
Distance with out accuracy means you better have a world top 10 pro tour short game. I average about 250, which means I am hitting balls anywhere from 240-260. I am consistantly inconsistant as far as my driver, and yardage are concerned. This with a fitted 10.5 460 driver. That being said, more times than not, I hit my 14* 3W on par 4s. 225, for more accuracy off the tee. This is a good first step to breaking 80 on most courses for me. We have a guy at our home course who swears he is hitting the ball 300+ yards. He uses our 10th hole as an example. It is 385, with a pretty sharp dog leg left. Any golfer with decent height off the tee, can fly the ball over the trees, while cuuting across the dog leg. When he dose this he usually lands the ball about 75 yards from the center of the green........or, in his mind, a 310 yard drive. :comp:
 
I have never used a GPS in my life, so this can not all be verified. All i use is yardage markers and sprinkler heads

1) I have no idea what I average.. Maybe.. 255? 260? I'll try and get a GPS this yea rand update

2) I'll get it to 280 a couple times a round.

3) Longest drive - Again only with a sprinkler head, I was 137 out on my second shot on a Par 5 514 yard hole.. about 30 MPH winds behind me.. soo.. 377? The ball just kept rollin and rollin.

To be honest, any nay sayers can knock me down all they want, this is an estimate and it's possible. Just because you can't drive 280 doesn't mean someone else can't either.
 
I have a question, when taking the "average" driving distance you are supposed to enter 0 yards for the drive when missing the fairway correct???


yes...this is a loaded question
 
I have a question, when taking the "average" driving distance you are supposed to enter 0 yards for the drive when missing the fairway correct???


yes...this is a loaded question

Hmm.. I'm not sure why you would put 0 if you missed the fairway. I mean unless you are cutting corners you still put the ball out there, just at a different location, but the ball still has a distance to it.
 
That's why I didn't create a poll. I don't care how you keep track. Besides, you're likely to have shorter "drives" when you miss the fairway anyway because you probably hit a tree or something. You definitely didn't get as good of roll. So count it or not, doesn't matter.
 
Hmm.. I'm not sure why you would put 0 if you missed the fairway. I mean unless you are cutting corners you still put the ball out there, just at a different location, but the ball still has a distance to it.

I was under the impression that was the way they did it on the pga tour, but in looking I found "Drives are measured to the point at which they come to rest regardless of whether they are in the fairway or not."

To me it doesn't really matter where or how far it goes, it's how many it takes to get it in the hole, so I don't keep track of any of that. I think it is a good idea for a thread Smalls, but I know how these usually end up....
 
how they factor irons hit off the tee... that really skewes numbers then
 
To me it doesn't really matter where or how far it goes, it's how many it takes to get it in the hole, so I don't keep track of any of that. I think it is a good idea for a thread Smalls, but I know how these usually end up....

I started this because it was beginning to be discussed in another thread, so I thought it would be better served to have it's own thread. I am just surprised you have responded the way you have in this thread after the way your disaster hole/ worst hole etc. turned into something you weren't meaning it to.

And this may end up turning into something different from the original thread. People may claim to bomb it 350 yards on average or whatever. I'm just surprised that you were the one to start veering this off the original intent.
 
My average would be in the 220-230 range. Sure I can get a few out to a verified 250 per GPS & have 2 lucky assed shots which somehow magically landed at 270 yds....I think squirrels moved those there for me.

But I also hit those lousy tee shots which only go 170-180 at times. Hitting an average of 250+ is a pretty good feat of skill.
 
Smalls now you will get a PM from him on how it's okay to question regular people on the forums but not mods like Craig Mac who get special treatment, and then a straw man defense on why it's not okay to compare him to Erik. All forums end up being the same after they start to grow.
 
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AJ,
This is the last time I will ask you to cut it out. I dont know what happened to a great poster here named Action Jackson, but we would all like him back. Enough already. Let it go, or move on!
 
All information was verifed by GPS.

Last years driving average was 242 yards for 78 rounds. My driviing accuracy was 89.4%.

I consistently hit my drives between 240-245 yards on a straight hole. If I cut over a dog leg, then the distance is greater, since a hole is measured down the center of the fairway.

My longest drive was to date was 297 yards. This particular drive resulted in me cutting over a lake and catching the slope on the other side which provided additional roll.

Hopefully, my driving distance will increase and accuracy remain the same this year.
 
Average is 280
long during rounds is around 290
I use the GPS at the golf course on every shot almost
 
CG,
Your distance numbers are about the same as mine, but I know without ever having calculated mine that your accuracy percentage is far better!
 
CG,
Your distance numbers are about the same as mine, but I know without ever having calculated mine that your accuracy percentage is far better!

Thanks. I wish I was longer like some of the other posters. Maybe I should eat more protein and bulk up.
 
I don't want to know my driving accuracy stats... scary low
 
Thanks. I wish I was longer like some of the other posters. Maybe I should eat more protein and bulk up.

I wouldn't go and do that. Your length would put you in the mix on the LPGA. Here's the 2008 avg. driving distance, where you would fall:

106 In-Kyung Kim 242.7
T107 Lindsey Wright 242.6
T107 Young Kim 242.6
T107 Il Mi Chung 242.6
110 H.J. Choi 242.5
T111 Sarah Jane Smith 242.4
T111 Seon Hwa Lee 242.4
T111 Katherine Hull 242.4
114 Liz Janangelo 242.3
115 Michelle Ellis 242.1

But your driving accuracy on the 2008 tour would be #1. Here's last year's top ten:

Rank Player Total Rounds Percentage
1 Meena Lee 99 0.798
T2 Seol-An Jeon 30 0.788
T2 Yu Ping Lin 24 0.788
T2 Sophie Giquel 59 0.788
T5 Meg Mallon 43 0.783
T5 Sung Ah Yim 55 0.783
7 Vicki Goetze-Ackerman 41 0.782
8 Kim Hall 71 0.777
9 Morgan Pressel 84 0.771
10 Meaghan Francella 68 0.767

With your numbers off the tee, it sounds like you're better off working on putting and the short game than on protein-shake bulking!
 
Tell me about it, Mine is 45%

I cry for you, Dent...
Mine is somewhere in the region of 20%... Or lower. :D

I'd say my good drives (the ones I'd be happy with) average around 240-250. If you add in all the duffs and curve balls, that would come down... somewhat. ;)
 
I wouldn't go and do that. Your length would put you in the mix on the LPGA. Here's the 2008 avg. driving distance, where you would fall:

106 In-Kyung Kim 242.7
T107 Lindsey Wright 242.6
T107 Young Kim 242.6
T107 Il Mi Chung 242.6
110 H.J. Choi 242.5
T111 Sarah Jane Smith 242.4
T111 Seon Hwa Lee 242.4
T111 Katherine Hull 242.4
114 Liz Janangelo 242.3
115 Michelle Ellis 242.1

But your driving accuracy on the 2008 tour would be #1. Here's last year's top ten:

Rank Player Total Rounds Percentage
1 Meena Lee 99 0.798
T2 Seol-An Jeon 30 0.788
T2 Yu Ping Lin 24 0.788
T2 Sophie Giquel 59 0.788
T5 Meg Mallon 43 0.783
T5 Sung Ah Yim 55 0.783
7 Vicki Goetze-Ackerman 41 0.782
8 Kim Hall 71 0.777
9 Morgan Pressel 84 0.771
10 Meaghan Francella 68 0.767

With your numbers off the tee, it sounds like you're better off working on putting and the short game than on protein-shake bulking!

If I ever want to play on the LPGA, I have got to get longer off of the tee. It is definitely an advantage. However, I am only 5'2" and I will never drive the ball 280. :angry: Agree, I have been spending a considerable amount of time on my short game and putting.
 
"See those moutains over there, I'll bet I can hit a golf ball over them"

uncle_rico.jpg


In all seriousness, I don't have a forkin clue what my average is... Somedays it's sooper dooper, others I should have just hit a 5 iron. As a guess, I'd say somewhere between 230 and 240 with a few 'sweet' ones here and there (and a couple wormburners as well just to keep it even)
 
I average anywhere from 240-260. Once a round I'll "hammer" one about 270 because I have to hit it that far to clear water. 90% of my drives are in the 240-260 range though.

Obviously, this is all based on course distance markers, as I have no GPS or Rangefinder.

And I have no idea how far my farthest drive is, If I had to guess I'd say 670-700 yards.


In all seriousness, I hit about 70% of fairways. And about...uh....10% greens. :(
 
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