differance from a 10.5 degree to a 9.5 degree

dumbbell

Only recently took up golf and playing off 24..
had a lesson or two and my drives are pretty constant at around 250 to 270 if it gets a hard bounce ..

if i changed my standard run of the mill driver which is a 10.5 spalding to say a 10.0 or 9.5 would i see a difference in distance ? my shots tend to go very high and thought if i used a lower degree club i pay get more yardish ?

brousing on adverts also has me window shopping so to speak


thanks in advance

Tones69

dumbbell wrote: »

Only recently took up golf and playing off 24..
had a lesson or two and my drives are pretty constant at around 250 to 270 if it gets a hard bounce ..

if i changed my standard run of the mill driver which is a 10.5 spalding to say a 10.0 or 9.5 would i see a difference in distance ? my shots tend to go very high and thought if i used a lower degree club i pay get more yardish ?

brousing on adverts also has me window shopping so to speak


thanks in advance

Was thinkin the same myself, started out again recently and have 10.5 spalding driver myself

goodgolfer64

prob not....maybe less...if your hitting it that far i'd change nothing...too many variables out there in golf esp driving....shaft stiffness,weight,torque...then ones swinging plane/speed...it go for a lesson with a recommended pro if tryin to hit the ball further guys/girls

G1032

dumbbell wrote: »

Only recently took up golf and playing off 24..
had a lesson or two and my drives are pretty constant at around 250 to 270 if it gets a hard bounce ..

if i changed my standard run of the mill driver which is a 10.5 spalding to say a 10.0 or 9.5 would i see a difference in distance ? my shots tend to go very high and thought if i used a lower degree club i pay get more yardish ?
brousing on adverts also has me window shopping so to speak


thanks in advance

In a word....... No.

Aesop

If you are hitting drives consistently 250-270 to where you want them and playing off 24 then I'd be shopping for items that are going to help my game from within 100-150 yards in. I wouldn't be messing with new drivers or lofts. There are a lot of 18 handicappers wouldn't hit a driver consistently like that.

staker

Aesop wrote: »

If you are hitting drives consistently 250-270 to where you want them and playing off 24 then I'd be shopping for items that are going to help my game from within 100-150 yards in. I wouldn't be messing with new drivers or lofts. There are a lot of 18 handicappers wouldn't hit a driver consistently like that.

As he said,I can't hit the ball that well with the driver,and I'm off 18.
250 to 270 yds straight drive is plenty enough,would it not be better concentrate on the last 150 yds?

Paulusmaximus

As Aesop said, if you are averaging 250-270 off the tee, and are playing off 24, you have one hell of an advantage over everyone else. Get your short irons sorted/pitching/putting and you should drop shots easily.

In answer to your question, you would probably hit the ball further with a 9.5 but you are increasing the spin on the ball and your fade/draws are going to be more severe. for the sake of 10 yards, its not worth it.

Or where you missing a decimal point in the OP and your handicap should have read 2.4?

aster99

I'm sure Luke Donald is only averaging something over 270 on his drives so if you're hitting a few that far playing off 24 I wouldn't be changing anything!

mr.mickels

won't neccesarily hit it longer, it might be a few yards extra but only if you hit it as well, lower loft is more difficult to hit. It is likely you will get the same distance but with a lower ball flight, which might give extra run rather than extra carry. Extra carry is more preferable to extra run, but neither are of any extra benefit to you at this stage. Don't fall into the usual trap of being concerned with distance, and be concerned with accuracy. If you hit drives 250 to 270 down the fairway and play off 24 then the rest of your game is lousy. Work on the rest of the game, as others have said, particularly 100 yards in. If you do get a new driver I would suggest you will also keep the one you use now in case the new one doesn't work out.
Also it is important to know the reason why new drivers released each year can advertise to hitting the ball longer than last years model, the main reason is that they lengthen the shafts, which is a con really as if you put the longer shaft on previous models they would also hit it longer. What they don't tell you is almost every touring pro on both sides of atlantic use a shorter shaft than what the manufacturers are selling off the shelves, because the pros know a longer shaft will likely mean much less accuracy and the extra yards aren't worth it. If you are getting a new driver you should think about shaft length, you don't want something that hits it longer and longer into the bushes.

Uncle Mclovin

The tour average on the PGA Tour this year is 286 yards. If you are hitting between 250 and 270 consistently then I wouldn't recommend changing that driver.


Off 24 and hitting that distance regularly says to me there seems to be a problem with the handicap allocation at your club...... You're going to drop an awful lot of shots in a short space of time if you can putt any bit decent.

big_drive

I'm playing off 8 and my average would be in the region of 220 yards. If you are off 24 and hitting it over 250 every time don't change a thing

ssbob

Wait I think the OP is Happy Gilmore and he is just lousy at putting..................


Remember what Chubbs said "Just tap it in" "Tap, Tap, Tap":D

bustercherry

Uncle Mclovin wrote: »

The tour average on the PGA Tour this year is 286 yards. If you are hitting between 250 and 270 consistently then I wouldn't recommend changing that driver.


Off 24 and hitting that distance regularly says to me there seems to be a problem with the handicap allocation at your club...... You're going to drop an awful lot of shots in a short space of time if you can putt any bit decent.

How can the handicap allocation be wrong based on the average driving distance? How would the handicap secretary even know how well he hits it off the tee? It's calculated based on how many number of shots it takes to get the ball in the hole, the only figures the handicap secretary can base it off.

Uncle Mclovin

bustercherry wrote: »

How can the handicap allocation be wrong based on the average driving distance? How would the handicap secretary even know how well he hits it off the tee? It's calculated based on how many number of shots it takes to get the ball in the hole, the only figures the handicap secretary can base it off.

It was a poor attempt at a joke. I know how a handicap is allocated......... I'm saying if you're hitting it that long every time. It's nearly impossible to not score lower.

Sandwlch

Uncle Mclovin wrote: »

I'm saying if you're hitting it that long every time. It's nearly impossible to not score lower.

Is correct. There are always odd exceptions but there is a very good correlation between average driving distance and handicap. Distance is the key factor in how well you will likely play the game for 99% of handicap golfers. The better you get, the more short game becomes the differentiating factor. The correlation with long hitting is more to do with the fact that long hitters have fundamentally better swings and are also more likely to hit the ball consistently, than simply the fact that it is better to be further down the fairway off the tee.

There are no 23 handicapper who hit it 280 off the tee. There are no 5 handicappers who only hit it 180 off the tee.

Disappointing truth unfortunately, for the short hitters of the world...

Russman

Sandwlch wrote: »

There are no 23 handicapper who hit it 280 off the tee.

Exactly, there are very few amateurs full stop who hit it 280.

heavyballs

the ould distance row
what a load of b........
the op would need a decent swing at over 100mph to hit it 280,i'd guess he'd do well to carry a hazard of about 210,i carry it about 240 and i play off 5
on the original question shaft is more important than loft,i have a 7.5 driver i used to use but got rid of it because i was hitting it too high.
i now have 9.5 with the new titleist rip stiff shaft

Russman

Op, to answer your original question, if you are happy with the way you are hitting your driver, don't change it, seriously. There are no magic wands anymore, drivers in particular have more or less reached where the limit is, most of the changes now are cosmetic.

Distance is gained from a good, high, boring flight, hitting it lower doesn't necessarily mean further in normal conditions and will almost always mean shorther. The lower the loft you have the more swing speed you will need to launch it correctly. Don't fall into the trap of thinking a lower loft is a bit more manly, plenty of tour pros use 10 or 10.5 degree drivers nowadays.

If you are getting lessons, wait until you have made any changes recommended by the pro before you even think about changing driver. And, when you do, get a custom fit - that will be the best money you can spend on clubs.

Tones69

Sandwlch wrote: »

Is correct. There are always odd exceptions but there is a very good correlation between average driving distance and handicap. Distance is the key factor in how well you will likely play the game for 99% of handicap golfers. The better you get, the more short game becomes the differentiating factor. The correlation with long hitting is more to do with the fact that long hitters have fundamentally better swings and are also more likely to hit the ball consistently, than simply the fact that it is better to be further down the fairway off the tee.

There are no 23 handicapper who hit it 280 off the tee. There are no 5 handicappers who only hit it 180 off the tee.

Disappointing truth unfortunately, for the short hitters of the world...

I dont agree with that at all, me and my friend have just taken up playing and when we join a club im pretty sure we could be issued handicapps of between 22-26, and we can drive the ball 270 yards without even putting full strength into it (Trying to get technique right first before letting rip),fair enough we might only hit about 50% of them dead straight but 270 yards isnt a problem. Cant remember which hole this was exactly but on a par 4 in rathsallagh last week he left the ball no more than 25-35 yards from the pin, pretty sure the hole was 320 or more

Tones69

Russman wrote: »

Exactly, there are very few amateurs full stop who hit it 280.

Really? How come my friend and I can hit it 270+ and only playing a wet week, and no we aint happy gilmore types either Run of the mill driver too

GreeBo

Have any of the 270+ Brigade actually had drives measured or are they basing it of distances measured during the play of a hole?

Tones69

GreeBo wrote: »

Have any of the 270+ Brigade actually had drives measured or are they basing it of distances measured during the play of a hole?

Brigade? Im just stating a fact, never measured it exactly, but at the driving range we have often drove it over the 250 mark, that 250 mark being a fence (that could be meters too actually), not bragging at all im just genuinely asking

Russman

Tones69 wrote: »

Really? How come my friend and I can hit it 270+ and only playing a wet week, and no we aint happy gilmore types either Run of the mill driver too

Maybe ye're two of the very few

GreeBo

Tones69 wrote: »

Brigade? Im just stating a fact, never measured it exactly, but at the driving range we have often drove it over the 250 mark, that 250 mark being a fence (that could be meters too actually), not bragging at all im just genuinely asking

Personally I wouldnt trust anything at a driving range
Unless I've measured it myself (which I have) I dont believe any measurements regarding carry or total distance. Too many lakes out there for that.

ssbob

Tones69 wrote: »

I dont agree with that at all, me and my friend have just taken up playing and when we join a club im pretty sure we could be issued handicapps of between 22-26, and we can drive the ball 270 yards without even putting full strength into it (Trying to get technique right first before letting rip),fair enough we might only hit about 50% of them dead straight but 270 yards isnt a problem. Cant remember which hole this was exactly but on a par 4 in rathsallagh last week he left the ball no more than 25-35 yards from the pin, pretty sure the hole was 320 or more

Hi Tones69, alot of Rnages don't have the yardages correctly measured but in terms of driving the ball on a golf course, top tour pro's averages are only 280-300 at the upper end so maybe you hit the odd drive 270 yards as I hit two last week which were about that but most of the time like the rest of us you are probably hitting it about 220-230, not having a go at you but the next time you are on a course, take note of your distances(remember too, tee's get moved back and forth so take that into account) and then post those distances here for everyone to see.

I regularly play with a 2 handicapper who drives it a mile and only remember about twice was he excited about a drive and said I hit that one 290.........

Tones69

ssbob wrote: »

Hi Tones69, alot of Rnages don't have the yardages correctly measured but in terms of driving the ball on a golf course, top tour pro's averages are only 280-300 at the upper end so maybe you hit the odd drive 270 yards as I hit two last week which were about that but most of the time like the rest of us you are probably hitting it about 220-230, not having a go at you but the next time you are on a course, take note of your distances(remember too, tee's get moved back and forth so take that into account) and then post those distances here for everyone to see.

I regularly play with a 2 handicapper who drives it a mile and only remember about twice was he excited about a drive and said I hit that one 290.........

Ok no prob il do that, but i dont wanna get into a 'who can hit the ball further' debate, ya know? To be honest id hit over 200 yards with a 5 iron, and straight as an arrow

ssbob

Tones69 wrote: »

Ok no prob il do that, but i dont wanna get into a 'who can hit the ball further' debate, ya know? To be honest id hit over 200 yards with a 5 iron, and straight as an arrow

Thats good mate......my 5 iron is about 180/190 but not guaranteed to hit it straight, hard club to hit(for me anyway)

Where you playing out of?

Tones69

ssbob wrote: »

Thats good mate......my 5 iron is about 180/190 but not guaranteed to hit it straight, hard club to hit(for me anyway)

Where you playing out of?

Playin out of me bedroom dude ah im only after buying my set of clubs 2 weeks ago, i played par 3 a couple of times 14 years ago when i was 14 and suddenly got the urge again recently, love the game and very interested in doing it right. Probably join carlow golf club next jan I think

EDIT: Actually just thought of it now, seeing as we're on the "distance" buzz here, par 3 220 yards last week i hit it about 15/20 yards passed the pin with a 3 wood off the Tee, was proud of that one

EDIT #2: Sorry to the OP for ruining your thread, we are still kinda on topic though

micky radigan

Tones69 wrote: »

Playin out of me bedroom dude ah im only after buying my set of clubs 2 weeks ago, i played par 3 a couple of times 14 years ago when i was 14 and suddenly got the urge again recently, love the game and very interested in doing it right. Probably join carlow golf club next jan I think

EDIT: Actually just thought of it now, seeing as we're on the "distance" buzz here, par 3 220 yards last week i hit it about 15/20 yards passed the pin with a 3 wood off the Tee, was proud of that one

EDIT #2: Sorry to the OP for ruining your thread, we are still kinda on topic though

YAWN

micky radigan

Tones69 wrote: »

Ok no prob il do that, but i dont wanna get into a 'who can hit the ball further' debate, ya know? To be honest id hit over 200 yards with a 5 iron, and straight as an arrow

YAWN

Tones69

micky radigan wrote: »

YAWN

Point of that post was?

micky radigan

Tones69 wrote: »

Brigade? Im just stating a fact, never measured it exactly, but at the driving range we have often drove it over the 250 mark, that 250 mark being a fence (that could be meters too actually), not bragging at all im just genuinely asking

YAWN TIME FOR BED

Tones69

micky radigan wrote: »

YAWN TIME FOR BED

Goodnight so