What to hit from 170yds out...

[hkypuk]

I find it to be a silly question..sure I can get it there with a seven but how many times out of ten I can get it close?
I can do it very consistently with a 6 ..
I know there are SOME players out there that are naturally long but I'm surprised with the average response of a 6??
I believe 6 is above average for a solid 170yd shot.
How did you determine .
How far you think you hit it?
How far you hit once? twice?
I play with a lot of "average golfers" and I rarely see many of them that can hit a 6 close from 170 even close to consistent..and before you slammers jump all over me ask your local CPGA pro about it because he/she will tell you everyone thinks they hit it further then they do.

[Started2k3]

I find it to be a silly question..sure I can get it there with a seven but how many times out of ten I can get it close?
I can do it very consistently with a 6 ..
I know there are SOME players out there that are naturally long but I'm surprised with the average response of a 6??
I believe 6 is above average for a solid 170yd shot.
How did you determine .
How far you think you hit it?
How far you hit once? twice?
I play with a lot of "average golfers" and I rarely see many of them that can hit a 6 close from 170 even close to consistent..and before you slammers jump all over me ask your local CPGA pro about it because he/she will tell you everyone thinks they hit it further then they do.

If you look for a poll from either early this year or late last year you will find that the average handicap for the forum (at least based on people who respond) is in the 12-14 range, so from that I conclude that the forum is generally made up of "better than average golfers".

[hkypuk]

If you look for a poll from either early this year or late last year you will find that the average handicap for the forum (at least based on people who respond) is in the 12-14 range, so from that I conclude that the forum is generally made up of "better than average golfers".

A good handicap does not equate to length.
Why do people always equate length to proficiency?
If you were to ask people what club they hit from 170yds and the # of strokes it took to finish the hole then it would be relevant.
I hit a 53 degree from 139 yds and flew the green today.
Same conditions as the poll.
Does this mean I hit that wedge 139?..nope.
I hit it 115 yds on average.
I may be wrong...all I'm saying is I find it surprising that the average is a 6-IMO that is above average for an accurate shot(let's say 70% for arguments sake) from 170.

[Started2k3]

A good handicap does not equate to length.
Why do people always equate length to proficiency?
If you were to ask people what club they hit from 170yds and the # of strokes it took to finish the hole then it would be relevant.
I hit a 53 degree from 139 yds and flew the green today.
Same conditions as the poll.
Does this mean I hit that wedge 139?..nope.
I hit it 115 yds on average.
I may be wrong...all I'm saying is I find it surprising that the average is a 6-IMO that is above average for an accurate shot(let's say 70% for arguments sake) from 170.

The reason why hcp is important in a poll like this is that with "better than average golfers" they are going to hit the sweet spot a more often and thus (according to theory) they are going to have more distance than average.

[hkypuk]

The reason why hcp is important in a poll like this is that with "better than average golfers" they are going to hit the sweet spot a more often and thus (according to theory) they are going to have more distance than average.

I don't believe that"Better than average" in your words has any relevance to what a player hits from 170 and neither does a good handicap. A real 12 is a pretty damn good player but lacks a bit of consistency and leaves a few strokes in the scoring zones.

We could argue this all day but I'm not interested in an argument.
My point was I was surpised the majority replied the way they did.
IMO a player that hits a 6 170yds consistently is longer than the norm regardless of their "cap".
One only has to see the average tour players stats to see the comparison.

The range is full of 12 handicaps...those are all the same guys who are telling everyone they smoke it 300.

[Started2k3]

I don't believe that"Better than average" in your words has any relevance to what a player hits from 170 and neither does a good handicap. A real 12 is a pretty damn good player but lacks a bit of consistency and leaves a few strokes in the scoring zones.

We could argue this all day but I'm not interested in an argument.
My point was I was surpised the majority replied the way they did.
IMO a player that hits a 6 170yds consistently is longer than the norm regardless of their "cap".
One only has to see the average tour players stats to see the comparison.

The range is full of 12 handicaps...those are all the same guys who are telling everyone they smoke it 300.

Check out my analysis on page 3 post #82. Have a look at the attachment and you will probably see that a 6i to 170 is not that long off the tee.

[hkypuk]

Check out my analysis on page 3 post #82. Have a look at the attachment and you will probably see that a 6i to 170 is not that long off the tee.

Interesting.
You make some very valid determinations.
I no longer keep a handicap as I am no longer a member anywhere and don't play competitive golf.
When I did it was as low as 8 something. It's probably about a 12 now.
I play with guys who are better players than I am but not quite as long and therefore I considered myself above average in length but not in the loooooooooooong group.
Most guys I play with COULD hit a 6 170 but wouldn't be close often.
I guess thats why I was a bit surprised by your poll.

[timmu]

You guys make me laugh. Here, just like on most golf sites, everyone is hitting their drives 300 yards, 325 yards, etc. and other ridiculous distances all the way on down through every club in their bag. I've NEVER played with anyone who AVERAGED 300 yards off the tee, or AVERAGES 170 yards with a 7 iron or an 8 iron, and I've played with some scratch golfers and long hitters. As countless teaching pros have said, you may have hit a career 8 iron 170 yards once in your life, but your average 8 iron probably goes about 140 yards.

Dave Pelz wrote a great little piece online a month ago or so, where he used ShotLink to actually measure amateur golfers' shots during a pro-am event (I tried hard to find the link again but couldn't). He grouped them by handicap, something like this: 0, 0-10, 10-20, 20-30. These were real average distances for the event. You'll no doubt be surprised to know that while the group of amateurs with the longest driving averages were the 0 handicappers, their average distance off the tee was only 249 yards. The pros in the event, on the other hand, averaged something like 289 yards off the tee. So for all of you out there claiming you AVERAGE 300 yards off the tee, even 280 yards off the tee, you're either dreaming, or you're too good for us and should go join a pro tour.

Who cares how far people hit the ball? What's important is hitting each of your clubs the same distance consistently, and CONTROLLING YOUR BALL. Does that phrase sound familiar? That's because Tiger and so many PGA pros use it during interviews after they've shot a really good round.

I have hit drives 280, 290, even 315 yards (once). But those probably account for less than 1% of my total drives. My average drive, my REAL AVERAGE, taking into account sculls, pushes, hooks, etc., is probably about 215 yards. When I put a good swing on it and hit the ball in the centre of the clubface, I will hit it between 240 and 255. But that is only about 20-30% of the time.

For the record: if I have a shot of 170 to a centre pin, with all conditions being normal, I will pull a 5 iron just about every time, because although I HAVE hit it farther, on AVERAGE, I will only hit my 5 iron about 175 yards. And if I don't put a good swing on it, if it's left or right or hit too high, I'll still probably end up somewhere on the green because I played a club about 5 yards longer than I needed to.

[jeffc]

dude you make me laugh. How would you know how far anyone hits their clubs if you haven't played with them. I can vouch for lots of people on this site. As for me, my 6 iron goes 175. My 8 155. I have hit it that far countless times. Perhaps not every time, but the question was not what do I average, it was what would I hit from 170 yds. And all things being equal, it's a smooth 6. And if I hit a six, I know a half dozen or so guys on this site that would be one club less than me.

[John]

I love these posts they are hilarious. No one is claiming they hit the ball 300 yards on average man, your post comes across as rude and honestly pretty stupid in my opinion.

Why would this topic get your undies in such a bunch?

[timmu]

No undies in a bunch here.

I just can't tell you how many sites I've been to where people are claiming ridiculous distances. It's just not true. Unless the only people on these sites are extraordinary golfers, and I doubt that.

That must be the case here too, because I'm about a 12 handicap and an average hitter, and I hit a 5 iron about 170-175, yet more than 50% of respondents to this poll hit their 6 or 7 iron that distance. So either they're all long hitters, they're all single digit handicaps, or both.

As far as what you would choose to hit in this situation vs. what you hit 170 yards on average, if the goal is to hit the ball near the hole, wouldn't those 2 be one and the same? Because if they weren't, that would mean you knew before the shot that you were going to put a perfect swing on the ball and hit it longer than you do on average....?

[timmu]

By the way, I didn't mean to offend anyone. I probably shouldn't have started off with "you make me laugh".

But I still do think that the vast majority of golfers inflate their distances, and when data is actually collected on it, they tell the same story.

[Old Man]

hit the six iron then lean ,pray a bit ,beg and then pray some more then when it hits the green act as if it was a every day shot.

[KickerOfElves]

The "vast majority" of golfers are casual players at best...and I doubt many of them frequent a golf board.

As "Started2k3" said, the average handicap on this board (or any good message board with a solid group of posters) is probably much higher than the "vast majority" of players found on a muni.

I'm probably one of the worst golfers on the board (score-wise) especially this year, but I'm a relatively long hitter. Albeit erratic. There are a bunch of people on this board that are longer than I am (and much better players) as well; this is verified because a lot of the people on here actually golf with each other.

If someone was blowing smoke about their distance and game they would have been called on it, you can believe that.

This is not BSG.

[Started2k3]

If you want timmu I can show you how to be a 290yd hitter and a 21 hcp ... it is quite easy because I do it all the time.

[Old Man]

the poll ask what you would hit.To a lot it would be a six iron they pull out.Now I said six because I hit it between 165 and 175 and would rather be short on the shot then over the green and in deep you know what.So you answer what you think is being asked....what would you hit!

[jeffc]

No undies in a bunch here.

I just can't tell you how many sites I've been to where people are claiming ridiculous distances. It's just not true. Unless the only people on these sites are extraordinary golfers, and I doubt that.

That must be the case here too, because I'm about a 12 handicap and an average hitter, and I hit a 5 iron about 170-175, yet more than 50% of respondents to this poll hit their 6 or 7 iron that distance. So either they're all long hitters, they're all single digit handicaps, or both.

As far as what you would choose to hit in this situation vs. what you hit 170 yards on average, if the goal is to hit the ball near the hole, wouldn't those 2 be one and the same? Because if they weren't, that would mean you knew before the shot that you were going to put a perfect swing on the ball and hit it longer than you do on average....?

that depends on how you read those numbers. More than 50% also said they would hit 5 or 6 (57% to be correct) so more people would indeed hit 5 or 6 vs those who would hit 6 or 7 (52%).

I am a 12 cap as well. More often than not, I will hit a shot that distance with that club in my hand and if I had one more, I'd likely hit it 10 yds past.

[3Jack]

There's an article in this month's Golf Digest, cover story is 'Jack's All-time Basics'. In it, he says he could hit an 8-iron 190 yards in his prime, but rarely did because he'd rather be in control of his ball, even if that meant hitting his 8-iron 150 yards instead.

I think we're all way too number conscious when it comes to what club we are hitting what distance, mainly in an effort to 'cowboy-up' and impress both ourselves and our playing partners.

Far too often I have been guilty of hitting a club a certain distance because 'that's my stock distance', rather than concentrating on controlling the ball.

So what if people respond to the survey by saying they I hit 7-iron 180 yards? The question asks nothing of accuracy, and really, has no bearing on your ability to play the game of golf - after all, the game is 'golf', not 'swing', and most certainly not 'what iron did you hit'.

[timmu]

If you want timmu I can show you how to be a 290yd hitter and a 21 hcp ... it is quite easy because I do it all the time.

Started2k3, look at what 3Jack wrote, and think about it for a minute. Maybe if you focused less on how far you hit the ball, and, to say it again, on controlling your ball, you would reverse those numbers in your handicap.

How does that saying go again, about driving for show...?

Anyway, I can see that I'm stirring the pot here and that's not really what I meant to do. Everyone has their own goals in golf. For some it's to try to impress with how far they hit the ball. For me, it's to shoot lower scores every year that I play. To each his own.

[3Jack]

Everyone has their own goals in golf. For some it's to try to impress with how far they hit the ball. For me, it's to shoot lower scores every year that I play. To each his own.

I dunno... I think deep down everyone wants to get better - that's why we play - and getting better means lower scores... The evolution in technology in the last ten years has made us far more distance conscious than ever before, and in a certain sense, our continuing focus on distance has distracted us from the real key to getting better - accuracy and touch.

[Started2k3]

Started2k3, look at what 3Jack wrote, and think about it for a minute. Maybe if you focused less on how far you hit the ball, and, to say it again, on controlling your ball, you would reverse those numbers in your handicap.

How does that saying go again, about driving for show...?

Anyway, I can see that I'm stirring the pot here and that's not really what I meant to do. Everyone has their own goals in golf. For some it's to try to impress with how far they hit the ball. For me, it's to shoot lower scores every year that I play. To each his own.

You don't know me. I don't know you. I hope it stays that way.

[timmu]

Whatever bud. I just pointed out a truism (that most people inflate their distances), and after reading all of the posts in this thread tonight, it's again obvious to me why that happens - because of threads like this, where people get baited into thinking they're wimps or "weaklings", etc., etc., because they don't hit it as far as the next guy claims to.

The average driving distance on the PGA tour in 2006, for the best golfers in the entire world, was 287 yards. But hey, if you as a 21 handicapper, playing $40 courses in Ottawa, are a "290 yard hitter", far be it from me to doubt you. Maybe some of the pros could learn a thing or two from you since you've obviously figured out something they haven't.

I hope you solve whatever deep-seated need you're trying to address by displaying for everyone all of these distance comparisons, nice little charts, and discussions on loft, shaft length and flex.

I'm officially an 8.6 handicap, and a "240 yard hitter". To everyone else on this board worried about how far you hit the ball, don't; it won't automatically make you a better golfer.

[timmu]

Also note: average distance PGA players hit their 5 iron: 185 yards

http://www.redorbit.com/news/sports/...g_on_pga_tour/

[jonf]

i haven't seen anyone in here baited into thinking they're wimps or weaklings. This forum is great for that. Instances where people are mocked for their distances are rare, if they happen at all. In fact, it's a lot more frequent that people are mocked for being long hitters with minimal accuracy (as you have so tactlessly demonstrated about 5 posts back). Honestly, reading your posts, it's pretty clear that you're just being an ass for the sake of being an ass. The fact that there are so few jackasses like you on this board is what makes it great. Sorry Dan, had to be said.

[Started2k3]

Also note: average distance PGA players hit their 5 iron: 185 yards

http://www.redorbit.com/news/sports/...g_on_pga_tour/

You are absolutely right ... tour players are a bunch of pea shooting weakling wimps ... "these guys are good" my AS_ ... the only thing those guys are good at is hitting it short. HA HA HA HA

[Started2k3]

I hope you solve whatever deep-seated need you're trying to address by displaying for everyone all of these distance comparisons, nice little charts, and discussions on loft, shaft length and flex.

My "deep-seEDed need" is that I am trying to learn. Some people don't share this interest.

[Started2k3]

That must be the case here too, because I'm about a 12 handicap and an average hitter, and I hit a 5 iron about 170-175, yet more than 50% of respondents to this poll hit their 6 or 7 iron that distance. So either they're all long hitters, they're all single digit handicaps, or both.

I'm officially an 8.6 handicap, and a "240 yard hitter". To everyone else on this board worried about how far you hit the ball, don't; it won't automatically make you a better golfer.

So what is it? Are you a 12 or an 8.6? 12 when playing skins and 8.6 when wandering round the clubhouse?

[Big Johnny69]

So what is it? Are you a 12 or an 8.6? 12 when playing skins and 8.6 when wandering round the clubhouse?

Alright gentlemen, let's get back on topic here.

[John]

Allright 2K3 take it easy brother, no need for this thread to get silly now. If you guys have issues pm one another or just chill out.

[timmu]

I've always assumed I was about a 12 but last night I actually calculated my handicap using 5 of my last 10 rounds, and it came out to 8.6, which was a surprise.

I'm going to stop posting to this thread. I really was just trying to make a point at the beginning, but I admit the tone I used then and in subsequent posts was excessive, and I reacted badly when insulted. I apologize for that.