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Question re drive yardage at different levels

• ranierk 14 Posts

  Fri, May 30 2014 11:56 AM

  I could drive 325-335 yds at a lower level. Now at level 87, I rarely hit 300 yds, even on a ding and w/the wind. What's the secret? Must I buy the most costly clubs and balls to gain distance?? Thanks for any help.

• ApexPC 3,164 Posts

  Fri, May 30 2014 8:38 PM

  You'll get your longest drives on St. Andrews.

  Level really has nothing to do with it except that at a higher level we have access to better clubs and balls.

  You don't say if you are using the same ball and driver now that you were using before at a lower level.

• mantis0014 8,946 Posts

  Fri, May 30 2014 9:25 PM

  Change of Tee might have something to do with it.

  When you change to a longer Tee, then the ball will be hitting different parts of the fairway now. This could cause the ball stopping quicker

  -Roger

• ApexPC 3,164 Posts

  Sat, May 31 2014 11:18 AM

  Yep. If the ball lands on a down slope it will roll out a lot more than if it lands on an up slope.

  The spin, if any, dialed in on the ball will effect the distance a drive flies in the air before it lands too.

• andyson 6,415 Posts

  Sat, May 31 2014 12:08 PM

  ranierk:

  I could drive 325-335 yds at a lower level. Now at level 87, I rarely hit 300 yds, even on a ding and w/the wind.

  I looked at your score history Ranierk.  Last year, and earlier this year, you were playing St. Andrews exclusively and you will get big tail winds, favorable bounces, and lots of roll on the hard fairways there.  And those equate to long drives.

  You've branched out this year and played Olympic, Kiawah and most recently Congressional.  You won't get the long drives there because the wind is not as severe as STA and the fairways don't give the long roll outs. 

  You've played Royal St. George's, which has the high winds like STA, but there if you get a big tail wind you deal with all the fairway mounds and in many cases we need to choke down on the driver( or hit 3W) with a big tail wind because of bunkers or the burn on #14.  We can get an occasional 350yd drive there.  But not like St. Andrews.

  Don't worry about it.  The long drives you remember are from St. Andrews.

  And by the way,  I watched your replay of your Double Eagle from 198 yds on St. Andrews #5 last year.  Congratulations on a very rare shot.  Well done!

   

• ranierk 14 Posts

  Wed, Jun 18 2014 3:22 PM

  Thanks for your reply ApexPC. True I was getting the longer drives on STA.  I forgot to mention that I was using better clubs and balls, which added to my frustration. Based on replies, sounds as though my issue was limited and distance on other courses is w/i the norm. 

• ranierk 14 Posts

  Thu, Jun 19 2014 8:04 AM

  andyson, Thanks for your detailed reply. Very helpful. One simple question: You mention "choke down" on the driver. How is that done? Do you it less than full and/or reduce topspin? Thx again.