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Do any of you have pro-like distance and trajectory, but shoot to a 35 handicap?

Have you thought about taking a short-game lesson?
 
It's the Internet....doesn't everyone? lol
 
That would probably do wonders.

I leery of some of the teachers around here. There is 1 or 2 that are constantly booked up. They work on improving what you already have.

Some of the others try to start over completely.

I have asked most of the local pro shops to let me know if there is a short game clinic close by.

Every now and then one pops up.

I might have to drive an hour or so to get there.

Thanks,
Jack

P.S. We went to a Demo Days about 3 weeks ago. I was discussing faults and fixes with a rep and he told me " It's too early in the season for anyone to expect very much out of their game". Let your game settle in and form a pattern for a little bit.
 
I get what you are saying OP.

Some people hit it far and impressively high, but still stink. I stink without the impressively high and far thing.
 
After my tee shot, I should get out an air freshner. Lol

Jack
 
I have nothing pro like lol. I think a lot of people forget how high and far the tour pros actually do hit it. I definitely understand what the OP is saying, but I think a lot of people can't wrap their head around how far the guys on tour actually hit the ball. Jim Furyk is ranked 201 at 272 average drive. How many guys here can actually average that? I'm not saying can pop a drive out there 275 plus, I'm saying if you hit 25 drives how many of them would be 272 or longer and accurate?

One thing I really enjoyed was watching the guys warm up and practice at Oak Hill in 2013. The sound it makes when the guys hit an iron shot is like nothing I've heard on a golf course, and I've played with A LOT of good players and a lot of guys who can hit the hell out of a golf ball. I truly believe the only thing us amateurs can actually get as good as the tour pros is putting, but none of us want to spend the time practicing the way it would take to get there.
 
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Six4three5 said:
I have nothing pro like lol. I think a lot of people forget how high and low the tour pros actually do hit it. I definitely understand what the OP is saying, but I think a lot of people can't wrap their head around how far the guys on tour actually hit the ball. Jim Furyk is ranked 201 at 272 average drive. How many guys here can actually average that? I'm not saying can pop a drive out there 275 plus, I'm saying if you hit 25 drives how many of them would be 272 or longer and accurate?

One thing I really enjoyed was watching the guys warm up and practice at Oak Hill in 2013. The sound it makes when the guys hit an iron shot is like nothing I've heard on a golf course, and I've played with A LOT of good players and a lot of guys who can hit the hell out of a golf ball. I truly believe the only thing us amateurs can actually get as good as the tour pros is putting, but none of us want to spend the time practicing the way it would take to get there.
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This is a load of bologna. Your wardrobe is second to none. Even Winchell #TourWorthy
 
Mystery Meat said:
(Off topic) but love your avatar . That was the era of golf celebrity i loved .. Can never replace that man
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Originally missed your post.
Thanks and Yes, that was a great era period. Cant replace either of those men and a few others too :)
Found that picture not too long ago and just had to put it up there. What a round of golf that would be hah. I think I'd chose that over a favorite golf pro. Dino was the "king of cool" And besides, we share the same name. lol
thought the golf cart is pretty cool too.
 
Drive For Show. Putt For Dough. It's all in the short game. A old man I play with can't hit a driver over 225 yards but I have never saw him shoot over 79. He had absolutely rediculous short game and can scramble like crazy. When you think he is in trouble he will pull some wild and crazy stuff out of his rectum to get up and down. Distance doesn't mean anything if you can't do anything when you get there. Short game destroys rounds for me. Not that I am any good but short game is why I shoot a 99 instead of a 89. I was 10 over on the front today and followed it up with 18 over on the back for a smooth 100. It's all in chipping pitching and putting.
 
My game might resemble a pros game, if said pro was very very drunk. Fortunately I do have a short game I can rely on most of the time. I'm just struggling off the tee, but things are getting better.
 
stepup said:
Drive For Show. Putt For Dough. It's all in the short game. A old man I play with can't hit a driver over 225 yards but I have never saw him shoot over 79. He had absolutely rediculous short game and can scramble like crazy. When you think he is in trouble he will pull some wild and crazy stuff out of his rectum to get up and down. Distance doesn't mean anything if you can't do anything when you get there. Short game destroys rounds for me. Not that I am any good but short game is why I shoot a 99 instead of a 89. I was 10 over on the front today and followed it up with 18 over on the back for a smooth 100. It's all in chipping pitching and putting.
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There is truth to what you say about short game, however its not just that simple and its not "the only thing" by any stretch. The short game is critical at all levels and will help lower scores at all levels. But imo one also does need to keep the ball in play with his entire game from tee to green. Many mid and especially higher cappers do not have the medium and longer parts of their game consistent enough to score well either.

Hitting an errant tee shot that goes astray 7 or 8 times a round and then taking a stroke and/or a pitch out or both and then doing it again with the next shot just doesn't (or should I say) does add up. Lets face it, getting to or near the green already hitting 5,6 or 7 strokes is every bit as detrimental to ones score as a poor short game. You personally "may" be one who is consistent with the longer game and only suffers due to short stuff and if that's the case then when you get a good short game going you should be quite the player.

But that's just not the case imo for most higher and even many midcap players. Struggles and inconsistencies with the tee game and the mid distance game can be killers to scores even if one has a (relatively speaking) decent short game. Unfortunately many higher cappers struggle with consistency with all the parts and imo all the parts are equally as detrimental to his scoring. Short game is huge, but imo it only becomes far more important when one is decently efficient on enough of a consistent basis with the other parts. Until that ability is met, one imo must work on all parts equally. Many might argue this but from my experience the argument often comes from those who are already consistent enough with the longer and medium range games to take those parts as somewhat of a given. Basically they can keep the ball very much in play most of the times via the long and mid range game without too much of it being too detrimental to their scoring.
 
rollin said:
There is truth to what you say about short game, however its not just that simple and its not "the only thing" by any stretch. The short game is critical at all levels and will help lower scores at all levels. But imo one also does need to keep the ball in play with his entire game from tee to green. Many mid and especially higher cappers do not have the medium and longer parts of their game consistent enough to score well either.

Hitting an errant tee shot that goes astray 7 or 8 times a round and then taking a stroke and/or a pitch out or both and then doing it again with the next shot just doesn't (or should I say) does add up. Lets face it, getting to or near the green already hitting 5,6 or 7 strokes is every bit as detrimental to ones score as a poor short game. You personally "may" be one who is consistent with the longer game and only suffers due to short stuff and if that's the case then when you get a good short game going you should be quite the player.

But that's just not the case imo for most higher and even many midcap players. Struggles and inconsistencies with the tee game and the mid distance game can be killers to scores even if one has a (relatively speaking) decent short game. Unfortunately many higher cappers struggle with consistency with all the parts and imo all the parts are equally as detrimental to his scoring. Short game is huge, but imo it only becomes far more important when one is decently efficient on enough of a consistent basis with the other parts. Until that ability is met, one imo must work on all parts equally. Many might argue this but from my experience the argument often comes from those who are already consistent enough with the longer and medium range games to take those parts as somewhat of a given. Basically they can keep the ball very much in play most of the times via the long and mid range game without too much of it being too detrimental to their scoring.
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I fully agree with what you say here. My long and mid game sucks or I wouldn't shoot 100. But it just doesn't suck as bad as my short game. I agree penalties hurt your score more than anything else but even once you get to where you can beat the ball down the course you still have to be able to chip and putt. In my game my chipping and putting is costing me a lot of strokes and that is where I am really struggling. As long as I have a hybrid or iron in my hand I feel pretty good. Granted this is coming from a guy who is going out just trying to get into the 90's I can take a iron or a hybrid and the majority of the time hit it close to the spot I am aiming for and be within a reasonable distance. If I am hitting a 6 iron into the green I will be left with a 20 yard chip at the worst the majority of the time. If I am hitting a 8 or 9 iron I will usually be putting. Granted it may be a long putt I am usually on the green. Putting and the driver are what mainly give me fits. I am talking I'm very relative terms though. What may be close to the direction and distance for me maybe awful for someone else. This is all coming from a guy who shot his personal best Sunday with a 97 and I was stoked about it. With that 97 I know I left 6-8 strokes on the course from chipping and putting probably more. I had a 8 ft. Birdie putt on 18 and blew it past the hole 5 feet. Then missed it and wound up 3 putting for bogie. If I can ever get my putting worked out I might actually be able to shoot a low 90 number until then I will just have to keep trying to hack it under 100.
 
stepup said:
I fully agree with what you say here. My long and mid game sucks or I wouldn't shoot 100. But it just doesn't suck as bad as my short game. I agree penalties hurt your score more than anything else but even once you get to where you can beat the ball down the course you still have to be able to chip and putt. In my game my chipping and putting is costing me a lot of strokes and that is where I am really struggling. As long as I have a hybrid or iron in my hand I feel pretty good. Granted this is coming from a guy who is going out just trying to get into the 90's I can take a iron or a hybrid and the majority of the time hit it close to the spot I am aiming for and be within a reasonable distance. If I am hitting a 6 iron into the green I will be left with a 20 yard chip at the worst the majority of the time. If I am hitting a 8 or 9 iron I will usually be putting. Granted it may be a long putt I am usually on the green. Putting and the driver are what mainly give me fits. I am talking I'm very relative terms though. What may be close to the direction and distance for me maybe awful for someone else. This is all coming from a guy who shot his personal best Sunday with a 97 and I was stoked about it. With that 97 I know I left 6-8 strokes on the course from chipping and putting probably more. I had a 8 ft. Birdie putt on 18 and blew it past the hole 5 feet. Then missed it and wound up 3 putting for bogie. If I can ever get my putting worked out I might actually be able to shoot a low 90 number until then I will just have to keep trying to hack it under 100.
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Let me tell ya, at least imo that mid game does not suck at all in the slightest bit. Being close (20 yrds at worst) with the longer irons/hybrids on most occassions, and usually greening 8/9 irons? You are fortunate imo because those things I only wish I could say. You work on the tee game and of course that chipping/putting and you should be one pretty darn good player of the game.
 
rollin said:
Let me tell ya, at least imo that mid game does not suck at all in the slightest bit. Being close (20 yrds at worst) with the longer irons/hybrids on most occassions, and usually greening 8/9 irons? You are fortunate imo because those things I only wish I could say. You work on the tee game and of course that chipping/putting and you should be one pretty darn good player of the game.
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Maybe I am overinflating myself. I don't feel like that the only 2 things holding me back from being a good player is short game and driver. It all is holding me back I just feel more comfortable with those clubs. I am in no way good at any part of the game. This is the only sport I have never been OK at when I started. I was always a pretty good athlete but this game has really humbled me.
 
Nope, nothing like about my game is like a pro's.
 
stepup said:
Maybe I am overinflating myself. I don't feel like that the only 2 things holding me back from being a good player is short game and driver. It all is holding me back I just feel more comfortable with those clubs. I am in no way good at any part of the game. This is the only sport I have never been OK at when I started. I was always a pretty good athlete but this game has really humbled me.
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I here ya,
Many would argue that those who are good athletes should also be as good (relatively speaking) at golf too but I disagree. Imo many other sports have similarities for running, jumping, strength, being very agile, etc.....and a number of athletes can succeed at more than one but imo that doesn't mean one can also be nearly as good at golf even at their own relative level.
 
Recovery shots kill me at the mid range yardage. You hit a good drive 250+ it rolls under a tree at the edge of the fairway, but still in the fairway by 20 ft.
Now, you have a 180 yard shot that has to go under tree branches 6 foot off of the ground, with a ditch 100 yards out from the green. I try to hit a low worm burner that won't make it to the ditch, then a pitching wedge at the green.

The guy next to me hit 225 in the middle. Now he is hitting 3, wood at the green.


Someone, tell me how far the pros really hit a 5 iron? I'm getting different opinions on this.

I alway thought 195-205 yards was about right. That is my yardage on a good solid shot.

Golfsmith lists pro 5 iron as 181 yards +.

http://golftips.golfsmith.com/average-yards-per-club-pro-golfer-20585.html

I know that Rory, Tiger, Bubba, as well as others, can crank a 5 iron to over 250.

You hear people talking about pros hitting 5 irons 325 yards, etc. I went and watched the Nike tour a few times when it came local. They hit beautiful shots high, low, left, right, bombs that fell out of the sky, some shots took off and climbed like an airplane.

We never saw any insane distance shots, playing or on the practice range.

Some of the players were: John Daly, Camilo Villegas, and others.

So then what is the real yardages?

Thanks,

Jack

On edit: I did see John hit some 150????? Yard PW shots and a couple long 8 & 9 irons.
 
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I'm totally guessing here and may even be more a question than a comment but I don't know if we can really say there is a common yardage for a given club even at the tour level. Firstly I believe they use different clubs not just based on yardage but also on what trajectory and shot shape they want. May use a 7iron for example from several different yardages due to weather, lie, greens slopes, and the desired shape and/or decent angle to best play the shot. Good and especially great players can hit the same club from several different yardages for whatever the reason they feel the need to. But I guess there would still also be a general given yardage for a given basic shot. But even that would be different for each individual no? Now with that said, if we ask how far can they hit a given iron? and still successfully hit it within reason to where they aim? I'd imagine pretty darn far but I just don't at all know how far.
 
Jackal said:
Recovery shots kill me at the mid range yardage. You hit a good drive 250+ it rolls under a tree at the edge of the fairway, but still in the fairway by 20 ft.
Now, you have a 180 yard shot that has to go under tree branches 6 foot off of the ground, with a ditch 100 yards out from the green. I try to hit a low worm burner that won't make it to the ditch, then a pitching wedge at the green.

The guy next to me hit 225 in the middle. Now he is hitting 3, wood at the green.


Someone, tell me how far the pros really hit a 5 iron? I'm getting different opinions on this.

I alway thought 195-205 yards was about right. That is my yardage on a good solid shot.

Golfsmith lists pro 5 iron as 181 yards +.

http://golftips.golfsmith.com/average-yards-per-club-pro-golfer-20585.html

I know that Rory, Tiger, Bubba, as well as others, can crank a 5 iron to over 250.

You hear people talking about pros hitting 5 irons 325 yards, etc. I went and watched the Nike tour a few times when it came local. They hit beautiful shots high, low, left, right, bombs that fell out of the sky, some shots took off and climbed like an airplane.

We never saw any insane distance shots, playing or on the practice range.

Some of the players were: John Daly, Camilo Villegas, and others.

So then what is the real yardages?

Thanks,

Jack

On edit: I did see John hit some 150????? Yard PW shots and a couple long 8 & 9 irons.
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Honestly I think you are getting a little too caught up on "professional" yardages. There isn't a set range that professionals hit their irons/fw/driver/etc. They all hit their clubs different lengths, just like amateurs hit their clubs different lengths.

It doesn't matter if you can hit your 5 iron 400 yards if you can't chip or putt. If you want to learn to score better, you have to get your short-game in check. For a lot golfer's I would imagine that 2/3's of their strokes come from 125 yards and in during a given round.

Yes having consistently in your long/medium game is important too, not saying it isn't, but for scoring purposes I believe that 125 yards and in is the most important part of golf.
 
Rollin,
That is exactly what I have thought. One time in Golf Digest, they said the monthly averages were taken on a few certain holes at certain tournaments.

That means ( to me), on a specific course there is a par 3. It is 155 yards . Due to overhead tree limbs, most golfers that week chose to hit a 7 iron. Not because of the distance. But, because they want the trajectory, left to right workability, control, etc.

Though according to PGA stats, now that would show a 7 iron as a 155 yard club, if in fact that was one of the statistic holes.

Does this make sense?

Jack
 
Jackal said:
Rollin,
That is exactly what I have thought. One time in Golf Digest, they said the monthly averages were taken on a few certain holes at certain tournaments.

That means ( to me), on a specific course there is a par 3. It is 155 yards . Due to overhead tree limbs, most golfers that week chose to hit a 7 iron. Not because of the distance. But, because they want the trajectory, left to right workability, control, etc.

Though according to PGA stats, now that would show a 7 iron as a 155 yard club, if in fact that was one of the statistic holes.

Does this make sense?

Jack
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Well. imo many (but not all) stats of any kind in just about any subject can be very skewed due to the situations and variables in which they are made (such as that hole you describe) and also stats can be made to order for what the individual is looking for. They can be viewed from different angles to help one justify a need or want. Not just golf stats but many stats in anything. They need to be taken with a grain of salt for what they are and if one wished to really gain knowledge from stats imo they really need to be fair and keep an open mind to view stats from different sides and not just the side that helps what they want to here or think. Truth is imo there are many stats which don't really hold much value at all when viewed with a true open mind.
 
Thanks to all, I have finally got the answer to my question thru several different people, several of the answers here from people with similarities to me.

I have seen other threads such as the one " I need to be born again", and others.

My big mistake was asking my original question in wrong form.

My question should have been "Do people see you hit, and by looking at your distance and the way you hit, expect you to be a 10 handicap or better ? Then are they puzzled to find out you can't break 95 if your life depended on it". Lol

It actually seems pretty common from some of the responses.

Thanks again everyone,

Jack
 
Pro distance and a pro swing are two different things. If you get a chance at an PGA event, watch a pro on the range. Their effortless but fast swings and pure striking of the ball differentiate us from them. Distance means nothing. I wish I had the swing, then I would have a chance, lol.
 
I don't have 'pro like distance', but will generally hit my driver 290-310 (total, not carry)...

The last 2 rounds I played, I only played driver on 3-4 holes, and instead hit my 4-iron (generally around 210 total yards).

I actually scored better both of the last 2 outings.

My 4-iron leaves me playing from the fairway while my driver can often times leave me somewhere I don't want to be. That leads to harder 2nd shots.

I used to love playing driver, and the yardage I could get with it. But, I'm quickly learning yardage takes a huge backseat to aim. If you knock the ball out their 300 yards, but every 2nd or 3rd hole find yourself in trouble after a tee shot.

I want to get back to hitting driver again, but I'm not doing it until I know I can control it better. 25 yards left one shot, and then 25 yards right the next is a horrible shot irregardless of how far you hit the ball. You might as well top the ball and knock it out 140 yards into the center of the fairway.
 
I have nothing in my game that even resembles a pro's game. The level at which they play at is amazing.

One of my friend's dad is a local pro here in our area. He win's the club championship at each of our local courses, plays the GCAT, and last 2 years has made the senior US Open. I've played a few rounds with him and his ability to recover and hit a multitude of shots is astounding. At our championship course there is a par 5 with a bunker about 280 yards out from the tips. On the tee box he says he will hit 2 draws, 2 fades, and 1 straight. I watched as all 5 carried the bunker and landed within 10 yards of each other. Each time I've played with him I've never seen him shoot over a 71. On holes where he misses the green he seems to always recover and put the ball within 3 feet of the cup.
 
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