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Are you psyched when heavily out-driven?

JB said:
Nope. I know my strengths and play to them. I compete against par. The handicap system works the rest out in a handicapped event and a non-handicap event I deal with my strengths and play fairways and greens.

My goals never change and frankly they shouldn't regardless of what another player does. Its really no different than competing against someone that is shorter than you, or a good putter or anything else. Just one part of the game, and frankly the rest matters just as much.
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tahoebum said:
Almost no one hits it that far now. Average driving distance on the professional tours has been stagnant for a decade. I grow weary of hearing about all these guys who can hit it 300+ when only about 15 PGA Tour players average over 300. I have played a lot of competitive golf including at the D1 college level and I have only seen a handful of guys in my life that average 300+ off the tee. OK, I feel much better, rant over. :act-up:


DistanceStats.jpg
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Anyone else scratching their head at this graph?!?
 
No, I have enough to worry about in my own game to worry about the other person's game.
 
I'm psyched when I'm not heavily out driven! :act-up:[h=2][/h]
 
Doesn't bother me at all. I've gotten comfortable with my iron game this year so as long as I have a shot to the green I'm pretty comfortable. I don't really care how far my partner blows the ball past me, because they all usually do. I hit the ball about 240-250 and occasionally can pop one out there 260 but most times I'll be hitting first on all second shots.
 
I don't see myself as a short hitter at all, but I usually can't outdrive my roommate. He can mash it, but he just doesn't know where it's going, so it doesn't get in my head too much. I've played the last two days with a former college golfer with a 120+ swing speed. He's driving the ball all the way to within 50 yards to most holes, if he's not almost getting to the green. And he hits most of the fairways.

I hung with him the first day shooting a 76 to his 75, but yesterday for some reason I was trying to get a few more yards out of my driver and I started over doing it. I missed more FWs than normal and that led to bad positions for 2nd shots and I ended up shooting a 45 on the front to his 36 before we scrambled on the back so we could beat darkness. It definitely got in my head yesterday. He was even encouraging me saying to play my game and don't worry about it. Guess I need to work on that because I know I'll run into situations where I won't be the long hitter in the group.
 
Being out driven doesn't bother me.

Being occasionally heavily outdriven gets my attention but doesn't ruin my game; in fact I just increase my concentration on the following shots.

Being consistently heavily outdriven, by players who stay in or reasonably close to the fairway, makes me feel like I am causing those players to slow their game down for me. That bothers me and I try to avoid it. Especially if I am in a group of long hitters.

Since I am 75 years old, and now drive the ball under 200 yards, I simply choose not to play with younger advanced players: Especially if it is a group.

It does concern me, and can put me off my game if I feel others are consistently having to wait for me. Since I do not play competitively any more, I can be fairly selective in choosing my partners. I try to stick with players that are over 65, as I can usually stick reasonably close with that group in accuracy and distance. In that age group anyone can make a bad tee shot, so short but consistent driving is not a bad thing.

What amazes me is the fairly large number of younger players that ask me to join then. When that happens I just ask them their handicaps, playing ability, or the club they wlll be hitting off the first tee, and if they all are advanced players, I graciously decline.

It is hard for me to believe any good golfer would not be negatively effected by being repeatedly "heavily outdriven" in a competitive scenario if there is no equalizing handicap adjustment. After all: The definition of "competition" is to achieve being " The Best".
 
Not a bit.
 
deuce said:
No. What appears odd about it?
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Missing information for the fourth line at the top. What does that line represent?
 
As one on the long hitter end of this conversation, I can say that it can be demoralizing watching a shorter hitter whoop my backside around the course. I played a few holes with my club pro and an older former club pro who was barely 220 off the tee and it was an amazing thing watching him play simple, good golf. Totally neutralized whatever advantage I thought my length gave me. Was a good lesson.
 
As one on the long hitter end of this conversation, I can say that it can be demoralizing watching a shorter hitter whoop my backside around the course. I played a few holes with my club pro and an older former club pro who was barely 220 off the tee and it was an amazing thing watching him play simple, good golf. Totally neutralized whatever advantage I thought my length gave me. Was a great lesson to be handed.
 
Nope, it doesn't really bother me. I'm not able to really break 200 yards off the tee and when one guy pulls out his PW for a 120 yard shot, I'm reaching for my 8 iron. I just try to remember that I'm playing the course and no one else and to try to keep the ball straight. I don't want to hold anyone up if I'm playing with them and tell them I'm not good at the game to let them decide whether they'll partner up with me or not.
 
Doesn't really bother me, it's all about the score


Proud Member of #TeamParadise
 
Nope not at all....I am not a total short knocker...but not a bomber either. I just play my own game and let them worry about theirs
 
Best advice I can give is play your own game and try not to let it bother you. And def don't try to keep up. If someone is longer than you and you start swinging out of your shoes to try to gain another 5-10 yards you're only gonna be putting yourself in a bad place. I've seen it a lot over the years. You can only play your own ball so put your thoughts and energy into that and don't worry about what anyone else is doing.
 
I'll let you guys know if it ever happens to me:alien:
 
Although I was always a long hitter, I can still say from experience to guard against the affects of playing with someone longer.

Years ago, I was a single digit player with about a 110 mph clubhead swing, I got it out there just fine. My swing was on the short side, compact, I was happy with my progress.

Then I started playing regularly with a childhood friend who moved back to the area. Chris was long, like freaky long, long-drive competitor long. His swing of 130 mph+ would routinely carry 350+ yards. His 200 yard club was his 7-iron, 150 yard club, SW. Yes, he forward pressed some but not that much, just a good shaft lean.

At an outing, Sean "The Beast" Fister spent about an hour trying to convince Chris to give the pro circuit a go (Chris was/is a successful salesman, so he wasn't interested).

Anyway, sorry to ramble. Although it never bothered me, him air-mailing my 300 yd drive, I think there was a subconscious affect. My once compact swing grew longer and my inflexibility encouraged my left arm to collapse at the top.

Although I've improved as a player and have since increased my own clubhead speed a bit, despite my efforts I've never been able to reel that backswing in and enjoy the consistency of the past.
 
Acuna said:
Missing information for the fourth line at the top. What does that line represent?
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Interesting. Overlooked that aqua blue line. Must be another tour averaged in with the rest ... not sure what tour it is though.


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I have learned to appreciate watching someone hit a shot much farther than me. If I am playing with friends, I don't get too jealous since they are just that; friends. I try to keep up when possible, but usually let my short game do the talking, unless the long hitter is also a scorer then I just accept the fact that I can not keep up. Jealousy is not a big factor in my game.
 
My early golf experience was always with a good friend of mine that is freakishly long. He's a big dude and can put his mass behind the ball and get it moving. Because of that, I have always been shorter than someone and I got used to it. I learned that there are other areas that I can make up our differences. He may be further down the fairway but more often than not I am closer to the pin after our approach shots. There will always be someone longer, as long as you can keep it respectable and it suits your game, one will be no worse for wear.

When someone outdrives me it doesn't psyche me out, it just makes me want to hit the next one tight. Perhaps thats something you get used to when you are bordering on midget status like myself.
 
Blazer said:
Not normally, but it did get to me when a 73 year old guy hit the ball as far as I did. He had a beautiful swing.
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Was that 73 year old Sam Snead? I hope i have his half swing when i'm 70.

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I don't mind it, I play with a guy who can hit his 3 wood as far as my driver but he is a great guy and I have no frustration that I am hitting shorter.
 
I usually have a hard time staying in tempo when I play with people hitting it longer than me. One of my buddies is good at handling it though. He hits it about 240 off the tee, but he usually plays the back tees. He rarely has to worry about trouble off the tee, cause the fairway bunkers don't really come into play for him. He's not an amazing golfer, but he's a lot better than I am, his index is about 5 I'd say. He hits it straight, has a great short game, and reacts well to bad breaks. If I were going to create a golfer to illustrate Bob Rotella's teachings, I'd start with him.
 
deuce said:
No. What appears odd about it?
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5 colored lines on the graph, 4 in the key? All lines appear to show some combination of averages between PGA, Web, and another tour. Am I missing something here, which may be entirely possible seeing as I've slept about 5 hours all week due to final exams.


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alexfromkansas said:
5 colored lines on the graph, 4 in the key? All lines appear to show some combination of averages between PGA, Web, and another tour. Am I missing something here, which may be entirely possible seeing as I've slept about 5 hours all week due to final exams.


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Here is the article it came from:
http://www.golfdigest.com/blogs/the-loop/2012/08/is-distance-really-out-of-cont.html

It could be PGA alone, which I base on this.
http://www.pgatour.com/content/dam/pgatour/shotlink/rutgers.pdf

Maybe they should hire a proof editor. I'm available for a reasonable fee.
 
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