Longest drive you have witnessed?

ForeRight

What is it?

Basically I'm having a war of words with a lad I know as he tells me that his mate can drive the ball like nothing you will ever witness on the PGA tour.

Example he gave me is that they measured his mates drive on the 18th in Millicent an uphill par 5. He told me the golf buddy clocked the drive at 380yds.... No that's not a typo I did say 380

When I asked what his mate was off with driving like that I nearly fell off the chair when I was told 23!!!!!!!!!


Gotta love amateur golfers measuring devices

stockdam

I have no idea.

I was outdriven by 40 yards at Skerries in a long drive hole when I had boomed it 280 yards (ok so he may have hit the downslope and rolled for miles).

On the 6th (par 5) at Clandeboye (Dufferin) the shortest club that I had hit for my 2nd was a 4 iron. Darren Clarke hit a 9 iron when he played it.

ForeRight

When I hit one perfect once in a while it might go 270-280 at a push. Not taking into account down slopes or hitting paths etc I just can't accept that this lads mate can drive 380 up a bloody hill haha.

DuckSlice

I've seen someone hit it 300 yards( landed on the green) on the 9th in mulranny gc, mayo. Doesn't seem far but it's all uphill I would guess at least 50ft elevation and to land the green it's all carry as the green is raised about 10 feet from the last bit of fairway. Pretty impressive.

DuckSlice

ForeRight wrote: »

What is it?

Basically I'm having a war of words with a lad I know as he tells me that his mate can drive the ball like nothing you will ever witness on the PGA tour.

Example he gave me is that they measured his mates drive on the 18th in Millicent an uphill par 5. He told me the golf buddy clocked the drive at 380yds.... No that's not a typo I did say 380

When I asked what his mate was off with driving like that I nearly fell off the chair when I was told 23!!!!!!!!!


Gotta love amateur golfers measuring devices

I sense porkies. If he can hit it 380 uphill then he can probably drive most par 4's too hit it that far he would have to be swinging as fast as bubba Watson. If not faster.

levitronix

ForeRight wrote: »

What is it?

Basically I'm having a war of words with a lad I know as he tells me that his mate can drive the ball like nothing you will ever witness on the PGA tour.

Example he gave me is that they measured his mates drive on the 18th in Millicent an uphill par 5. He told me the golf buddy clocked the drive at 380yds.... No that's not a typo I did say 380

When I asked what his mate was off with driving like that I nearly fell off the chair when I was told 23!!!!!!!!!


Gotta love amateur golfers measuring devices

Its not that unbelievable ive been around the 200 yard markers on the 18 fairway on a few occasions at Millicent, does he drive the 5th green ?

ForeRight

levitronix wrote: »

Its not that unbelievable ive been around the 200 yard markers on the 18 fairway on a few occasions at Millicent, does he drive the 5th green ?

No idea.

What distance is the 200 markers.

That must be a 350 yard drive or so

levitronix

ForeRight wrote: »

No idea.

What distance is the 200 markers.

That must be a 350 yard drive or so

The fairway is rock hard right now and the ball runs, I carry about 260-280, it wouldn't be unusual to get 50 yards run with the right shape, so a long hitter could nail it, it only goes uphill about 150 yards out

200 markers would be about 340-350 yards, but the 5th hole is about 310 carry to hit the green that's the test for the long hitter

ForeRight

levitronix wrote: »

The fairway is rock hard right now and the ball runs, I carry about 260-280, it wouldn't be unusual to get 50 yards run with the right shape, so a long hitter could nail it, it only goes uphill about 150 yards out

200 markers would be about 340-350 yards, but the 5th hole is about 310 carry to hit the green that's the test for the long hitter

So as good as you hit it on a good day clean as a whistle with 50 yards of run try to comprehend this lad is claiming to have been 50 yards further again.

levitronix

ForeRight wrote: »

So as good as you hit it on a good day clean as a whistle with 50 yards of run try to comprehend this lad is claiming to have been 50 yards further again.

I do hear you, but I played a guy who hit his hybrid as far my driver but he was a very hard hitter.
What I do find hard to comprehend is was a freak shot or does he pull these shots out of the bag every other hit ?

PARlance

etxp wrote: »

I've seen someone hit it 300 yards( landed on the green) on the 9th in mulranny gc, mayo. Doesn't seem far but it's all uphill I would guess at least 50ft elevation and to land the green it's all carry as the green is raised about 10 feet from the last bit of fairway. Pretty impressive.

That is some drive, know the hole well, 50ft at least. It's not as if it can roll onto the green from the fairway either. (Green itself is elevated)

mike12

Played Kirkstown castle in a strong breeze. Down wind hard fairway on a 400 yard plus hole i was 10 yards off the front. I'd count myself as a big hitter and i would average around 270. I would hit the odd drive around the 300 but 260 to 280 is average.
I've never really been in a 4 ball where i have been out driven. 250 is a big drive for anyone.
Mike

ForeRight

levitronix wrote: »

I do hear you, but I played a guy who hit his hybrid as far my driver but he was a very hard hitter.
What I do find hard to comprehend is was a freak shot or does he pull these shots out of the bag every other hit ?

No this lad is off 23 as he says he sprays it all over the place and just hits a big one once a round maybe.

Every round though he has 340-380 yard drives.

air

I'm a bit like the guy mentioned in the OP, don't play the game to any kind of standard but can hit it a long way. Not 380 but have carried 300+ and have plenty of drives around the 330 mark or so.
It's all a bit pointless without consistency and the other parts of the game though.

DuckSlice

ajcurry123 wrote: »

That is some drive, know the hole well, 50ft at least. It's not as if it can roll onto the green from the fairway either. (Green itself is elevated)

It was very impressive I've been at the base of the green with a tailwind but this was pure calm day that he done it.

Dolph Starbeam

If I really let it rip I can hit it 300-320 yards, usually about 270-280.

Know a couple members of the club who regularly carry the ball 300+ yards problem. In Tullamore from the back tees they would be driving the 11th green and carrying the stream on the 15th. Know another couple who would be able to drive it as far but a lot more erratic and nowhere near as consistent.

gorfield

My Barton shield partner drove the 10th in Baltray In practice round for the East, his carry (consistently) is 300-315 and incredibly hes pretty straight, I've yet to see any amateur as long. I've seen some fools on twitter/foolbook claiming to carry it 350+ etc during the winter. Sorry physics don't allow that carry in Ireland IMHO.

chalkie 501

The 11th hole on Killeen is a 500 yard par 5(they played it as a par 4 for the Irish open), anyway theres a road that crosses the fairway about 180/190 yards short of the green (about 310/320 off the tee), i've come close to the road a few times,i was playing with a local snr cup player one sunday and his ball pitched on the road and finished 40 yards passed it:eek: he was hitting a wedge for his second!!
I was telling a few lads about this drive and they say this guy has often carried the road....scary stuff,cool to watch though

Rikand

Best I have ever seen is two friends of mine who while playing the 5th in athlone, a par 5. hitting the ball inside the 200 meter marker. That'd be a hit of around 320 metres.

Pretty decent, but the spanner in the works, the play off 2 and 4

ForeRight

So basically so far we have senior scratch cup players, lads hitting paths to add distance and lads who are just generally monster hitters and none of them can get the ball 380 off the tee yet.


This lad im talking about should be in the Guinness book of records based on what he is telling me

PARlance

ForeRight wrote: »

What is it?

Basically I'm having a war of words with a lad I know as he tells me that his mate can drive the ball like nothing you will ever witness on the PGA tour.

Example he gave me is that they measured his mates drive on the 18th in Millicent an uphill par 5. He told me the golf buddy clocked the drive at 380yds.... No that's not a typo I did say 380

When I asked what his mate was off with driving like that I nearly fell off the chair when I was told 23!!!!!!!!


Gotta love amateur golfers measuring devices

Does he hit his second shot back towards the tee???

DuckSlice

ForeRight wrote: »

So basically so far we have senior scratch cup players, lads hitting paths to add distance and lads who are just generally monster hitters and none of them can get the ball 380 off the tee yet.


This lad im talking about should be in the Guinness book of records based on what he is telling me

He is a long way off the Guinness book of records just yet .

FWVT

Here's a piece I did for TMT on the effects of weather on driving distance. Physics is important, so keep those balls nice and warm in winter and you will get a lot more yardage.

http://www.meteotimes.net/2012/02/how-weather-affects-your-golf-shots.html?m=1

Rikand

ForeRight wrote: »

So basically so far we have senior scratch cup players, lads hitting paths to add distance and lads who are just generally monster hitters and none of them can get the ball 380 off the tee yet.


This lad im talking about should be in the Guinness book of records based on what he is telling me

My brother-in-laws brother hits it massive distances and he plays off 19. But massive would be 300+ yards and he can hit it absolutely anywhere

Would usually rack up 7-8 pars in a round and then 10 blanks

PhlegmyMoses

I've only just started playing the last couple of months and seem to hit a decent drive distance-wise, but there's no consistency naturally. Was at Swords Open yesterday evening with another poster from here and hit a pretty big drive on the 15th, which is 285 metres from the yellows - although they don't seem to have whites at the minute on a lot of holes, which would be 305 metres, not sure if they did on the 15th.

Left it ~40 metres off the green and split the fairway - it's all fairly flat, no elevation or downslopes - which left a dainty pitch on. That's around 270 yards, which is definitely the longest I've hit in my short time in the game. Was delighted with myself

Saw a guy crease a 3 wood a couple of weeks back around 250-260 as well. My drive was around 235 into a bunker and he was easily 15-20 yards further on in the fairway.

FixdePitchmark

I hit it 300 to 320 on a good one. Ive taken distance of my swing in last year. Can go anywhere. Age and sense slows you down.
I was at Irish amateur , the lads were longer than me and straighter.

A good one for me is 1 in 20.
A good one for them is 1 in 5.

The longest golfer i ever seen was an assistant in Enniscrone , he was 30 to 40 yards past me when i was at 270 to 280.

Senna

I'll never forget being out on the course when we were in our early twenties, we are on the 17th and a two ball comes up behind us with a particular loud mouth being one of them, they were in the comp and we were just out for a casual round so we offered to let them through on the 18th, we all tee off together with the loud mouth teeing off first, he hits a great drive about 270yards down the fairway (slight up hill) and says "that's a contender for longest drive of the day", my mate stand up and hits it about 20 yards pass him, the look on his face was priceless.:D

That particular mate would be one of the longest drivers on our home course, but even in his prime, not many shots would be over 300yards, unless they had serious wind assistance or maybe a rock hard bounce. He was a long hitter, but still 300yards wasn't normal and he would be swinging out of his socks to get that.

Since GPS distance measurement has arrived, a lot of people are realizing they're not as long as they think they are. I know I'm not long, but would still out drive most other people I happen to be paired with, but yet 240 would be a normal good drive for me except for holes were you get assistance (elevated tee, down wind, link fairways in summer etc)

DuckSlice

Senna wrote: »

Since GPS distance measurement has arrived, a lot of people are realizing they're not as long as they think they are. I know I'm not long, but would still out drive most other people I happen to be paired with, but yet 240 would be a normal good drive for me except for holes were you get assistance (elevated tee, down wind, link fairways in summer etc)

exactly, ive read up on it in the past and the average person hits there drive about 200 yards, but they probably think they hit it 230.

also when people say the knocked it up to 30 or 40 yards in front of the green on a 320 yards par 4 so they say thats a 290/280 yard drive. but the measurement is to the centre of the green so you could take another 15 yards-ish off that again.

PhlegmyMoses

etxp wrote: »

exactly, ive read up on it in the past and the average person hits there drive about 200 yards, but they probably think they hit it 230.

also when people say the knocked it up to 30 or 40 yards in front of the green on a 320 yards par 4 so they say thats a 290/280 yard drive. but the measurement is to the centre of the green so you could take another 15 yards-ish off that again.

Yeah, I think the average drive is something between 190 and 210, from what I've read. Driving range would help with measurement as well, with the massive 200 and 250 signs out there.

It's weird because nobody in the group that plays casually with me can't hit a 7/8 iron 150 to a par 3 so it stands to reason that we should all be driving over 200 regularly. That loss in distance shows the difficulty most of us have in hitting a driver relative to an iron.

OneColdHand

ForeRight wrote: »

What is it?

Basically I'm having a war of words with a lad I know as he tells me that his mate can drive the ball like nothing you will ever witness on the PGA tour.

Example he gave me is that they measured his mates drive on the 18th in Millicent an uphill par 5. He told me the golf buddy clocked the drive at 380yds.... No that's not a typo I did say 380

When I asked what his mate was off with driving like that I nearly fell off the chair when I was told 23!!!!!!!!!


Gotta love amateur golfers measuring devices

Is the hole a dog leg? If he cut a corner that could 'add' some distance.

Senna

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

It's weird because nobody in the group that plays casually with me can't hit a 7/8 iron 150 to a par 3 so it stands to reason that we should all be driving over 200 regularly. That loss in distance shows the difficulty most of us have in hitting a driver relative to an iron.

I can just barely hit a 7 iron 150 yards, anyway uphil, into a breeze or a cold day and 150 on the GPS means a 6 iron to me. Although most people will hit a 7 iron when they have 150 to the pin, most come up short.

PhlegmyMoses

Senna wrote: »

I can just barely hit a 7 iron 150 yards, anyway uphil, into a breeze or a cold day and 150 on the GPS means a 6 iron to me. Although most people will hit a 7 iron when they have 150 to the pin, most come up short.

Hmm, ~150 yards on the card is usually the magic number for a 7 iron for me off the tee on a par 3, unless faced with a stiff wind or uphill, and it's the same for the 3 other guys I play with regularly. I'll not say I'm even getting it near the hole regularly but distance isn't the problem there, it's accuracy and consistency. I suppose I am trusting the distances on the scorecard or the yardage markers and don't own a GPS. I don't hit my irons half as well or quite as far as any of the other guys I play with either. Seem to be better with distance with the bigger clubs.

GreeBo

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

distance isn't the problem there, it's accuracy and consistency.

Golf is about accuracy, not distance.
Lots of golfers are swinging at 100% when they should be maxing out at 80%.


I bet you would be more accurate & consistent with a 6 iron from the same distance, so in reality distance *is* the problem, you just havent realised it yet.

fullstop

Senna wrote: »

Since GPS distance measurement has arrived, a lot of people are realizing they're not as long as they think they are.

You wouldn't think it to look at this thread though...

Anatom

OneColdHand wrote: »

Is the hole a dog leg? If he cut a corner that could 'add' some distance.

It is a slight dog leg but you wouldn't be able to cut the corner really. A really good draw would help alright. Its a great hole and I don't believe the OP's measurement at all. I played it last Sunday and it took a good 220ish drive, followed by a decent hybrid (from the light rough *cough, cough*) and then a decent wedge to get on the green.

A really good drive for me would be 250, but I'm more likely to be 20-30 yards shorter. If I am thinking my way around the course properly, especially one I know well, then I'm usually less concerned about the extra distance and more about where I'm putting it to be in the best position possible for the approach.

I'd happily sacrifice a couple of yards off my drives to be able to hit my longer irons a lot more accurately!!!

ForeRight

Anatom wrote: »

It is a slight dog leg but you wouldn't be able to cut the corner really. A really good draw would help alright. Its a great hole and I don't believe the OP's measurement at all. I played it last Sunday and it took a good 220ish drive, followed by a decent hybrid (from the light rough *cough, cough*) and then a decent wedge to get on the green.

A really good drive for me would be 250, but I'm more likely to be 20-30 yards shorter. If I am thinking my way around the course properly, especially one I know well, then I'm usually less concerned about the extra distance and more about where I'm putting it to be in the best position possible for the approach.

I'd happily sacrifice a couple of yards off my drives to be able to hit my longer irons a lot more accurately!!!

I don't believe him either by the way. I think it's impossible!

Anatom

Maybe it was just that the Golf Buddy had damaged itself falling off the back of that truck...?

That, or
(a) the fatigue after a long round
(b) the sun being in their eyes over the clubhouse up the hill, or
(c) perhaps they all forget the second shot he'd actually taken from just beyond the ladies tees.....?!

Arsenium

LOngest I've seeen (I think) was in a society outing in Luttrelstown earlier this year. Par 5 18th. We were playing off the forward tees. But my playing partner hit his R11S driver right out of the middle.Down the right. We looked for it for a while and assumed it was lost. After giving up we found it around the 100 yard marker, in the middle of the fairway. He choked down a wedge and still put his second through the green.

If anyone knows the distances they could tell me. Otherwise I have a stroke saver in the bag which I can dig out and measure the dstances from that. All I know is we had a little bit of a side bet and coming to that hole I was 1 point ahead and I hit a beauty up the middle. Only for this monster drive to appear from nowhere :-)

PhlegmyMoses

GreeBo wrote: »

Golf is about accuracy, not distance.
Lots of golfers are swinging at 100% when they should be maxing out at 80%.


I bet you would be more accurate & consistent with a 6 iron from the same distance, so in reality distance *is* the problem, you just havent realised it yet.

Not sure you can say definitively that distance is the problem in this case, from the small bit of info I've given. I'll give some more: I tend to hook the shorter irons, which causes an accuracy problem. I suspect that this has more to do with stance and grip than using too little club but open to ideas.

I never try to burst an iron shot because there's always more club to go with and I'm aware that accuracy with irons is by far the weakest part of my game. 150 (provided the distances on the card are accurate) with a 7 iron isn't a big deal for me or any of the other lads I play with, who would be bigger and more accurate. It feels comfortable enough.

realgolfgeek

I can hit a 9 iron 150 yards.
9 times out of 10 though it's 20 yards left of target because I'm over doing it.
hence I would usually take a 7 or 8 iron.

what alot of people can't understand, is that the easier the swing is, the further the ball will go.
It's just the brain isn't wired that way. We think that smashing the ball will make it go a mile further, when it actual fact you're losing distance.

I used to be sucker for trying to match playing partners that could hit it longer. I don't give a toss anymore and majority of the time I take 2 clubs longer to reach the same target.

DuckSlice

realgolfgeek wrote: »

I can hit a 9 iron 150 yards.
9 times out of 10 though it's 20 yards left of target because I'm over doing it.
hence I would usually take a 7 or 8 iron.

what alot of people can't understand, is that the easier the swing is, the further the ball will go.
It's just the brain isn't wired that way. We think that smashing the ball will make it go a mile further, when it actual fact you're losing distance.

I used to be sucker for trying to match playing partners that could hit it longer. I don't give a toss anymore and majority of the time I take 2 clubs longer to reach the same target.

I don't see how swinging easier makes the ball go further. Faster swing speed equals more distance.

fullstop

etxp wrote: »

I don't see how swinging easier makes the ball go further. Faster swing speed equals more distance.

I presume he means for higher handicap players and inconsistent strikers as when they swing hard they're less likely to find the middle of the club, hence less efficient use of the clubhead speed.

BigChap1759

The only accurate way to measure a drive is with a laser - GPS can be very inaccurate depending on signal etc and it doesn't work to say you hit a 300yd drive because you have 200yds left on a 500yd hole....

peepee

The only accurate way to measure a drive is with a laser - GPS can be very inaccurate

Not my experience! You can press a button on newer models that just measure from how far u walk from the tee. Also its pretty easy to subtract what it says on the tee and from ur ball !

ForeRight

etxp wrote: »

I don't see how swinging easier makes the ball go further. Faster swing speed equals more distance.

Not too sure about that as a general assumption.

I think I heard Justin rose say he was 52th on the PGA tour in club head speed but first in driving distance this season. I may have that wrong being honest but it was definitely something along those lines.

He puts it down to the fact his customisation is so dialled into his swing he gets everything out if his driver even with a slower swing speed.

fullstop

ForeRight wrote: »

Not too sure about that as a general assumption.

I think I heard Justin rose say he was 52th on the PGA tour in club head speed but first in driving distance this season. I may have that wrong being honest but it was definitely something along those lines.

He puts it down to the fact his customisation is so dialled into his swing he gets everything out if his driver even with a slower swing speed.

He's number 23, but yes you're right, his speed is much lower down the rankings.

gorfield

I remember Howard Bennett the ex Irish team coach many years ago asking the Irish boys squad about their distances. He went around the room asking "how far do you hit say your 5iron?" And everyone answered what they thought.... Except one... A certain Gmac, when asked "how far do you hit your 8iron Graeme?"


His reply... "How far do you want me to hit it"

Epic

ForeRight

fullstop wrote: »

He's number 23, but yes you're right, his speed is much lower down the rankings.

Ah right. Knew it sounder s bit too good to be true alright

So he is 52th in club head speed but 23rd in distance? Is that correct.

That very interesting as it shows how important customisation really is.

Domo86

gorfield wrote: »

I remember Howard Bennett the ex Irish team coach many years ago asking the Irish boys squad about their distances. He went around the room asking "how far do you hit say your 5iron?" And everyone answered what they thought.... Except one... A certain Gmac, when asked "how far do you hit your 8iron Graeme?"


His reply... "How far do you want me to hit it"

Epic

Had to be there I'd say:)

DuckSlice

ForeRight wrote: »

Ah right. Knew it sounder s bit too good to be true alright

So he is 52th in club head speed but 23rd in distance? Is that correct.

That very interesting as it shows how important customisation really is.

But if he increased his club head speed he would get more distance.

BigChap1759

ForeRight wrote: »

Ah right. Knew it sounder s bit too good to be true alright

So he is 52th in club head speed but 23rd in distance? Is that correct.

That very interesting as it shows how important customisation really is.

This is where Smash Factor comes in...yes?