I have noticed my iron shots increase in distance with each club as they should but my 3 wood and driver travel about the same. (225m)

Any reasons you can think of for this?

1)Lack of compression.

2) Lack of enough swing speed to get enough loft and spin on the driver to keep the ball airborne.

3) The longer the club the more swing issues come into focus.

Thanks Guru,

So I should be increasing my swing speed for the driver? I have been trying to keep my swing pretty much the same for all clubs.

take your skirt off, it’s getting in the way

Swing itself if the same speed. The clubhead will be going faster through the added length of the club.

take your skirt off, it’s getting in the way

Data from a survey of some 14500 golfers in the USA that was presented to the World Scientific Congress of Golf on 25th March 2008 contains the following little gem

“Results from the study showed that most golfers prefer to play golf courses that are shorter than those presently being designed. In general, golfers overestimated the distance they drive the ball by 30 yards or more – the study found that the average male golfer drives the ball 192 yards, and the average female drives it 145 yards.”

The data was collected by “Frankly Golf” which is a Company headed by Frank Thomas, former USGA Technical Director for 26 years, and author of the recently released golf book “Just Hit It.

This man’s scientific golfing knowledge, Spring like effect on large headed drivers, development and use of the Stimpmeter and such, has helped shape the game as it is now played with “conforming” equipment.

His survey and the findings are not to be dismissed lightly.

So, muscle man, how far do you really hit it?

192 yards is not that far so you’d have to assume that there were a lot of below average or old golfers in the survey. Most people I play with would take a 4 or 5 iron for that distance…

Crash:yes there are those that do hit it further as the word was ‘average’.

Yes that includes those that hit it further AND shorter.

The majority of golfers struggle to bust 200 yards and golf courses are full of them on the tee box. Wonder why there are so many higher loft drivers in stores now? Coz the majority of players need then to get closer to 200 yards.

The joy of making stats say what you want.

Using mediums over averages would probably be better in this case. Also seeing the bell gragh of the distances would be a much better way to communicate this data. eg 70% of people drive 180-220 yards.

Another thing about the sample size. Even though 14500 people were surveyed, several thousand of the people in the survey could play once a month or less. One 50m duffed drive a round would lower the average 10 yards for these players and thats one scenario.

The joy of making stats say what you want.

Using mediums over averages would probably be better in this case. Also seeing the bell gragh of the distances would be a much better way to communicate this data. eg 70% of people drive 180-220 yards.

Another thing about the sample size. Even though 14500 people were surveyed, several thousand of the people in the survey could play once a month or less. One 50m duffed drive a round would lower the average 10 yards for these players and thats one scenario.

Exactly, statistics are statistics…enough said. What handicap parameters, what balls, what conditions, how often played blah blah. Like putting stats, I play with a guy off 3 or 4 his putting stats are amazing…averaged 24.7 monthly medals last year BUT small greens & great chipper so putt stats mean zip.
Statistics ( other than your own ) are for golf magazines and maths ( couldn’t spell the bigger word ).

Listen up guys.

This is a very serious survey, conducted by very serious and knowledgeable people with the data being presented to truly knowledgeable people – the World Scientific Congress of Golf.

Believe me, the survey was not taken from a bunch of ladies and old men but from real life golfers who could not only see how far they had hit the ball, but had it measured for distance also. How many of you qualify on either count?

It is not a load of old hyperbole such as you hear on the driving range –
“See that John?’ “230 meters at least!”; – this when you can clearly see that it has gone nowhere near the distance claimed. We’ve all been there and seen that!

The purpose of the survey is to ensure that the we, the real golfers, get to play on courses that are both a severe test of our abilities yet remain manageable.

This, as opposed to all golf courses becoming 7500yd gorillas “just so the Pros can be challenged” now that latter day equipment has got them all hitting it better and a little further. They do, we don’t.

Your average golfer has benefited by no more than 5 or 6 yards due to improvements in clubs and balls, whereas your Pro has gained about 20 yards or so, only, on his average driving distance since the late 1990s.

Bear in mind also that for televised tournament, in the US especially, that the landing area of the fairway is cut shorter and “stimped” a lot quicker than most of our greens. Considerable increases in driving distance are due to this alone.

The OEM’s claims, supported by the blatant lies of those with a vested interest, the Pro featured in the infomercial, would have you believe that every new club they produce will give you another 20 yards. Well, it doesn’t for the Pros (check on the PGA’s own player statistics if you can be bothered) and it sure as eggs are eggs will not give you any extra.

Now if you want to play 7500 yard courses and buy a new Driver each year to chase distance you wont get, then keep on exaggerating your current distances and ignore the facts.

No offense to any of you guys who hit it more than 192yds, I do so myself comfortably and I am 65, but bear in mind that for every one of you who does there is one who doesn’t – thats how you arrive at an average.