I think the real question in my head is how many of these guys would be hitting whatever club they think they carry 200 yds an feel comfortable on a 200 yds pure carry to a par 3. Pins in front and you have 5 yds to spare or your in the water. No doubt guys hit 6 irons 200 sometimes but are you so consistent that's the club you pull.
Agree with that, but that's why Shot Scope and Arrcos are so great as it'll tell you over just a few rounds what your actual distances are. Maybe not carry, but you're going to be certain you're not pulling 6i on a 200y par 3 over water when it says your playing average is 185 (well that's me anyway)
Anybody who's comfortable going pin hunting on 200 yard forced carry par 3s with a 5 yard margin of error isn't hanging around posting on golf forums. They're too busy out making a living playing golf.
Here's my question... What does anyone gain or lose by posting their numbers like this on the forum? ...and to add to that, the question was 'average' carry, not in whatever situations concern.
I know there are plenty of folks who do not track their shots and over-estimate their distances. But there are also high cappers who are physically gifted enough to be both long and can make good contact on a regular basis (sadly I'm niether). They're high cappers because of other reasons such as a failure to keep the ball on a good line, poor short game, poor course management, etc. I don't think it's that rare to find some of these players who can average 200 yards carry with clubs higher than a 4i - especially if they're working on improvement and just haven't turned the corner score-wise. As others have hinted, this is not a forum full of players who only get out just a few times a year to slap the ball around.
I occasionally play with a guy who's a 25+ cap. He's a beefy, powerful dude who hits monster distances and although I can't say with certainty I'd be willing to bet he has at least 4 clubs in his bag he hits 200+. He's a 25+ cap because he sprays the ball and his misses are clear into the next ZIP code, his short game is so tragic that it's comical, and he's a mediocre (at best) putter. 4 clubs that go 200+ don't do you any good when they're bouncing off houses, landing in backyards and flying out into the middle of the desert somewhere.
This is so descriptive. I did literally laugh out loud because of how relatable it is. As bad as my putting currently is, it used to be worse - comically worse.
Not that they're "bad", but Cameron Champ led the PGA Tour in driving distance last season. 19 events, 11 missed cuts, 0 wins and 3 top 10 finishes, his OWGR position at the end of the year was #155. Wyndham Clark was ranked #4 (1 spot above Jon Rahm) in driving distance last season - 30 events, 0 wins and 3 top 10 finishes, his OWGR position at the end of the year was #163.
I agree its not everything but, imagine if they didn't hit it that far, they might not even be playing on the Tour though.
Sounds about like me. Most of my shots aren’t off the planet but they’re an off by a decent amount. The short game and putting though? Yeah I’m bad. So bad. But with enough work I won’t have to rely on my touch as much.
