Average LPGA swing speed

[MWard]

Do you really believe that PGA Tour pros are leaving distance on the table by hitting down on their driver instead of up?

They do and some admit it. They care more about accuracy than pure distance, if they know the extra yardage won't help them out as much as a short grass to hit from

 

[CBaker]

Do you really believe that PGA Tour pros are leaving distance on the table by hitting down on their driver instead of up?

I would think it's possible. Watched a video of a tour pro who hit down on a ball (believe it was around -1 AoA) and carried 250 with 109 clubhead speed. Exact same club head speed of 109 but had a positive AoA around +1 or 2 on the next one and carried 280+. So I'd have to imagine a positive angle of attack can benefit you if everything else is the same. At least that's what I took away from it.

 

[sleuth]

Aren't most LPGA tournaments around 6300-6500 yards long? Not sure what everyone was expecting as far as their distances.

I can hit it as far as a girl, yippee

 

[golfinFF]

Do you really believe that PGA Tour pros are leaving distance on the table by hitting down on their driver instead of up?

Absolutely and they are adding spin by hitting down as well but hitting it where you want it is more important than the extra yardage for them.

Aren't most LPGA tournaments around 6300-6500 yards long? Not sure what everyone was expecting as far as their distances.

I can hit it as far as a girl, yippee

They typically are 6200-6600 per an earlier post.

Gotta remember these are average distances so there are some on either side of those numbers

 

[fairband]

Just another reason why I like watching the LPGA, their games are much similiar to mine. Minus the whole under par thing.

 

[superhawk]

I like watching the LPGA and Seniors because their game is more like mine and i like watching their course management.

 

[Johnny mojo]

It's tough to be a short knocker! Just think about all us amateur women who don't come close to LPGA swing speeds. I remember playing in a scramble at PGA National with a group of THPers. One guy was hitting his wedge and I had a 6 iron.

I resemble this remark...................I find myself hitting 6 and 7 irons where a lot of guys are hitting 9 and PW.

JM

 

[SeeMoreGuy]

I thoroughly enjoy the LPGA events. I can at least relate to their distances but their accuracy is so spot on. Just goes to show you don't have to bomb it to play great golf. I doubt I will ever comprehend hitting a 6 iron 200 plus yards. Thank goodness for the LPGA!

 

[-CRW-]

Do you really believe that PGA Tour pros are leaving distance on the table by hitting down on their driver instead of up?

As other's have said, absolutely.

These are the Trackman AOA numbers from world long drive hitters:

 

[Dave Alvarado]

These are the Trackman AOA numbers from world long drive hitters:

That's an interesting spread. If you're a world long drive hitter and you're hitting down on the ball, why wouldn't you hit up on it and dominate?

 

[sleuth]

Wonder what degree driver those > 6* AOA guys are using. 5* maybe?

 

[-CRW-]

That's an interesting spread. If you're a world long drive hitter and you're hitting down on the ball, why wouldn't you hit up on it and dominate?

Presumably for control, but the only one with a negative AOA (Smith of Tomball, Texas), lost in the 2014 semifinals because he didn't hit it long enough.

 

[-CRW-]

Wonder what degree driver those > 6* AOA guys are using. 5* maybe?

Probably. Jamie Sadlowski uses a: [h=3]
CALLAWAY X2HOT PRO LD 5.5 DEGREE[/h]
http://www.jamiesadlowski.net/my-equipment/

 

[Dave Alvarado]

Presumably for control, but the only one with a negative AOA (Smith of Tomball, Texas), lost in the 2014 semifinals because he didn't hit it long enough.

Ha, I was trying to find where those guys were from. I figure a really long driver hitting down on the ball is from Texas. That PGA event they had the other weekend was a lesson in why hitting up isn't always a good idea.

 

[Hawk]

Ha, I was trying to find where those guys were from. I figure a really long driver hitting down on the ball is from Texas. That PGA event they had the other weekend was a lesson in why hitting up isn't always a good idea.

Hitting up actually lowers spin most of the time, so it would actually be a good thing in the wind.

 

[wedgeworker]

I thoroughly enjoy the LPGA events. I can at least relate to their distances but their accuracy is so spot on. Just goes to show you don't have to bomb it to play great golf. I doubt I will ever comprehend hitting a 6 iron 200 plus yards. Thank goodness for the LPGA!

I find these comments interesting. Is the average dispersion better on LPGA than PGA? When talking same club "number". Or even yardage. Etc... I would bet not. Another interesting aspect is average driving distance vs average course length and average score on the different tours. Not trying to instigate or insinuate either is better than the other. Would just be fun facts.

Hitting up actually lowers spin most of the time, so it would actually be a good thing in the wind.

Spin loft.

Have to think a 150 ft high drive is affected more by cross wind than a 100 ft one. I know Bubba does hit up a lot and in turns do get insane height, but the argument could be made some tour pros doesn't want to hit up and raise their launch. Remember 10 degrees being the average launch angle on PGA.

 

[Hawk]

That's a good point as I was looking at it more as a headwind scenario. It's not as if a guy with negative AoA on the PGA Tour is tossing up low balls though.

 

[JB]

Remember 10 degrees being the average launch angle on PGA.

One thing to note is that I believe last year it was 11* and this year it appears is up from that to just over it.

 

[CBaker]

I find these comments interesting. Is the average dispersion better on LPGA than PGA? When talking same club "number". Or even yardage. Etc... I would bet not. Another interesting aspect is average driving distance vs average course length and average score on the different tours. Not trying to instigate or insinuate either is better than the other. Would just be fun facts.

That wasn't his point. He was saying you don't HAVE to bomb it to play great golf. Not that bombing it hurts you at all or that hitting it farther makes you worse. Everyone just constantly talks about the need to hit it farther and farther, and the point is, is these LPGA players don't hit it all that far in comparison but still score really well.

 

[wedgeworker]

One thing to note is that I believe last year it was 11* and this year it appears is up from that to just over it.

That's interesting. Wonder if that's "modern" teaching techniques replacing "old", or driver tech, or even the hunt for distance with increasing course lenghts forcing more guys to alter their launch and possibly height?

 

[JB]

That's interesting. Wonder if that's "modern" teaching techniques replacing "old", or driver tech, or even the hunt for distance with increasing course lenghts forcing more guys to alter their launch and possibly height?

I think it's technology. The ability to create lower spins has left more room for moving to higher lofts.

 

[wedgeworker]

That wasn't his point. He was saying you don't HAVE to bomb it to play great golf. Not that bombing it hurts you at all or that hitting it farther makes you worse. Everyone just constantly talks about the need to hit it farther and farther, and the point is, is these LPGA players don't hit it all that far in comparison but still score really well.

Well I disagree. They don't hit it as far, but they also play shorter courses. I would like to see a driving distance vs average scoring stat. To be frank everyone on tour doesn't often finish top 10. Are they the ones below the average, or above it?

I'm not saying his point isn't valid. I agree you can play great and score well without bombing it. Dispersion is king either way. I'm just interested in the stats.

 

[CBaker]

Well I disagree. They don't hit it as far, but they also play shorter courses. I would like to see a driving distance vs average scoring stat. To be frank everyone on tour doesn't often finish top 10. Are they the ones below the average, or above it?

I'm not saying his point isn't valid. I agree you can play great and score well without bombing it. Dispersion is king either way. I'm just interested in the stats.

Well you can color me confused, because I honestly have no idea what you are disagreeing with. The only thing you can disagree with that I can tell is the comment "you don't have to bomb it to play great golf", which later in your comment you go on to say "I agree you can play great and score well without bombing it".

 

[wedgeworker]

Well you can color me confused, because I honestly have no idea what you are disagreeing with. The only thing you can disagree with that I can tell is the comment "you don't have to bomb it to play great golf", which later in your comment you go on to say "I agree you can play great and score well without bombing it".

lol yes I can see your confusion... I'm a bit tired over here...

Either way, my point is great golf is a relative term here. Not "bombing" it and scoring well isn't covered by those stats. That's why I said an average driving distance vs average scoring stat would be interesting. Some score better than others on tour, on average. Are those the ones hitting it above average or below? Not attacking you mate, just asking questions.

As well as this:

and the point is, is these LPGA players don't hit it all that far in comparison but still score really well.

They don't hit it all that far in comparision to what? The guys on the PGA tour period? Or in comparision to how far the course is when comparing to how far the guys hit it on their longer courses?

 

[CBaker]

lol yes I can see your confusion... I'm a bit tired over here...

Either way, my point is great golf is a relative term here. Not "bombing" it and scoring well isn't covered by those stats. That's why I said an average driving distance vs average scoring stat would be interesting. Some score better than others on tour, on average. Are those the ones hitting it above average or below? Not attacking you mate, just asking questions.

Didn't feel attacked haha, just super confused.

Here is a list of top 50 on tour in terms of driving distance and their corresponding top 50 scoring rank if they are in there as well. Most in the top 50 driving distance aren't in the top 50 scoring average, so I'd say based on that driving distance doesn't have a lot to do with scoring, but people can make their own conclusions. You might be able to make an argument for DJ and Bubba, but I'd say that's more just them being better overall players, not necessarily because they hit it further. Stenson and Spieth aren't in the top 50 driving distance and they are #1 and #3 in scoring. But, at the same time they also aren't short hitters in the realm of golf either. Just not top 50 PGA.

		Ave. Driving Distance	Top 50 Scoring Average
1	Dustin Johnson	318.8	4
2	Bubba Watson	309	2
3	Tony Finau	308.7	#N/A
4	Brooks Koepka	307.8	8
5	Charlie Beljan	307.5	#N/A
6	Ryan Palmer	306.1	5
7	J.B. Holmes	305.3	#N/A
8	Patrick Rodgers	305.2	#N/A
9	Jason Day	305.1	9
10	Gary Woodland	305	#N/A
11	Jason Kokrak	304.1	24
12	Keegan Bradley	302.8	#N/A
13	Daniel Berger	302.3	21
14	Brendan Steele	302.2	19
15	Andrew Loupe	301.9	#N/A
16	Graham DeLaet	301.6	#N/A
17	Jimmy Walker	301.4	6
18	Jhonattan Vegas	300.5	#N/A
19	Aaron Baddeley	300.4	#N/A
20	Morgan Hoffmann	300.1	#N/A
T21	John Daly	299.8	#N/A
T21	Charles Howell III	299.8	46
23	Justin Thomas	299.4	37
24	Robert Garrigus	299.3	#N/A
25	Sergio Garcia	298.8	11
26	Charl Schwartzel	298.3	#N/A
27	Steven Bowditch	298.2	#N/A
28	Harris English	298.1	10
29	Martin Laird	297.7	17
30	Carlos Ortiz	297.4	#N/A
31	Paul Casey	297.3	13
32	Charley Hoffman	297.1	#N/A
33	Justin Rose	297	#N/A
34	Billy Horschel	296.9	#N/A
T35	Hideki Matsuyama	296.7	20
T35	Hudson Swafford	296.7	#N/A
37	Phil Mickelson	296	#N/A
38	Scott Piercy	295.8	38
39	Russell Henley	295.6	39
40	Robert Streb	295.5	31
T41	Lucas Glover	295.3	#N/A
T41	James Hahn	295.3	49
43	Martin Flores	295	#N/A
44	Alex Prugh	294.9	#N/A
45	Kyle Stanley	294.8	#N/A
T46	Max Homa	294.6	#N/A
T46	Shawn Stefani	294.6	18
T48	Louis Oosthuizen	294.5	40
T48	Andres Romero	294.5	#N/A
50	Roger Sloan	294	#N/A