Driving Distances

Hi fellow golfers, I keep having discussions with a work colleague every time time new driver comes out, I know the ball can make a lot of difference but why would a top pro use a new driver if it didn't get further or more accurate, or is it just so the maker can sell more to us, so are they hitting further than say 5 years ago or ten years ago, tried to google it, but no success.

Graham

Graham, every time a Tour player Tees up with a Taylormade driver regardless of who sponsers their irons they get several thousand $ for using it, and Taylormade putters. That's why ebveryone and his dog had a spider when they came out. So you have answered your own question it's all about getting us gullables to part with our cash. Distances have not really increased with equipment so much ,but the players are becoming more like atheletes with thier workout regimes.

Hi Dave, thought it was something like that, certainly the players are fitter and stronger and eat the right food and so on, like other sports people, in the end I suppose the ball will only go so far otherwise they will be hitting par 5's in one providing they are straight, well I am practising my pitching and chipping.

Regards

Graham

The pro game is crash, bang, wallop now, with the winner being the one who can putt better than the rest, Skill has gone out of the window. Shotmaking has long been destined to the dustbin,

I think its quite a lot of Bull Darren , they claim 10 yrds every new one!http://www.golfshake.com/scripts/ckeditor362/plugins/smiley/images/regular_smile.gif" title="smiley" width="20" /> TM have made some great drivers the TP R510 one of the best (and a personnal fav) and still go for good $

In terms of driver technology I think forgiveness in a club is the biggest difference.  Yes if you make a bad swing you'll still be in the trees, but the ball hitting the centre of the face isn't as vital anymore.  Year on year obviously the difference aren't massive, but you'd notice that more on your 10 year old club than you would the distance

I only took up golf again last year after about 15 years off. I had an original "Big" Bertha and swopped it for a Ping G15 last summer. I think I am a good 20-30 yards further with the G15 and it certainly seems easier to hit although I guess any club would be difficult to hit after such time off!

I suspect that moving to say the G20 would be not so fruitful so I think I ought to spend my efforts improving my swing rather than the "all the gear, no idea" trap ! Then again the G15s did not come cheap

Well Taylor Made have launched 10 or more new drivers in the last 3-4 years claiming that each one is is 10 yards longer than the previous. So by their logic a modern driver will be 100 yards longer that a 3-4 year old model. What a load of cobblers. Altough I do believe advances in manufacturing techniques can have some benefits -they are very subtle and greatly exaggeratted by the manufacturers. A better shaft can also make a lot more difference to a driver too in IMHO,

regards, Mike.

The trouble is if the new driver is 00.01% longer than there last one the words"our longest ever driver" is strictly true albiet very misleading. The best ever was from Cobra, our drivers have 9 sweet spots! ha . I had a gilfriend once with 9 sweetspots ,could never find then either!http://www.golfshake.com/scripts/ckeditor362/plugins/smiley/images/teeth_smile.gif" title="laugh" width="20" />

Did she go for a better shaft in the end Dave?

1" longer xtra stiff  I believe Tim

Well fella golfers, I think that most opinion points to the fact that the manufacturers are after our coins and once you get a good driver and your swing is as it should be, no matter what they bring out, you will probably gain only a few yards, I have a 420 R9, and I have changed my grip from a weak one to a strong one (with a lot of effort) but the difference is probably far better than trying a new driver, the ball is going farther and straighter, now I am trying to save shots on my short game, thank you for all your comments, happy golfing.

Graham

Have to admit I got suckered by the Nike marketing hype when i was looking to upgrade from my dunlops (Sports world special). Although I have noticed a big difference and have been shooting generally lower scores, this won't prompt me to upgrade to say a set of ping's or whatever to reach category 1. That I know comes from hard work and practice. Each to their own though.

Enjoy your Golf

Macca

I would take issue with your damning observation of the modern pro game John. Yes! there is  a lot in what you say about the importance of the putter, but the modern players skill level is extremely high. Watch old film of tournament play and Ryder Cups. The skills on show were significantly inferior to modern play. Perhaps you hold on to a rose coloured view of how things used to be.  

This is a forum, Michael B and you can take as many issues with what I write as you wish.

Just watch Shells wonderful world of golf match between Ben Hogan and Sam Snead, in the fifties at the Houston Golf and Country club, which was over 7000 yards in those days and then tell me who were the most skilful. Ben hit every green in regulation and if he were around today he would be at the top of the leaderboard, as would many of the great players of the past.

Shotmaking on these modern courses is not required as all the greens are receptive and have very true putting surfaces, surfaces that the like of us never get the chance to play on.

I might also add that they do not have to hit the type of shots that the players of my era had to learn. It is all mechanical now, based on strict yardages.

The modern equipment just cannot produce the shots of yesteryear thus reducing the tremendous enjoyment from the game that I was fortunate enough to have been a part.

Just check the results of each tournament and you will see that over half the field cannot even play to scratch.

The cut at the AT &T was made after the third round at level par, which meant that the remaining 87 players were over par. I think it is you who has the rose tinted spectacles on.

Point taken John, but I think you have chosen two exceptions rather than the rule. I think you will agree that Woods, Mickelson and McIlroy et.al will in short time join the pantheon of golfing greats. The point I was making is that todays professional game has far greater depth of skilled players than in times past. Just look at our recent Ryder Cup teams compared with past ones. Whatever view we take I think we would both agree that this wonderful game has been blessed by professional (and some amateur) golfers who represent their sport better than those of any other. whatever era they played in.  

You have to remember, Michael, that the tour of old was nowhere near like the tours of today, where so much money has been pumped into the game.

I remember talking to Christy O'Connor Snr when I was partnering him in a Pro Am in Portugal and he said to me."When I won the Carrolls at Woodbrook I picked up £20,000 but today we see players of limited ability pocketing more than I ever could win at a tournament. In fact I was 20 years too soon for the really nice money"

Woods and Mickelson are already up there with the best, as are many others, McIlroy will soon join them.

Have you ever considered Bobby Jones a great, a man who won the grand slam as an amateur.

What I am basically saying is that the scores have not improved dramtically like everyone is trying to make out. After all Henry Cotton shot 65 at Royal St.Georges in 1934. Not many have bettered that score since.

In fact when I was a good enough player to have turned professional, there was no tour in the UK. just the odd tournament, and the Opens of the european countries. Certainly not a professsion to enter if one needed to live in the time.

It is now a closed shop, especially with the Monday qualifiers being done away with. We are seeing players of average ability earning quite a nice living.

Don't forget that what you see on the TV are those on the leaderboard, so the strength in depth you talk about is really a myth.

Thank's for all your comments fellas, and John, I have watched that Shell World of Golf programme and really found it good to watch, I saw one with a very young Mickleson I think he was playing Montgommery, what good telly.

I am off now to play Lingfield.

Regards

Graham

I've had a Great Big Bertha II since 2003 and I love it.  It's one of the clubs that I consistently hit well, and with my game any sort of consistency is a bonus.  Not sure that the possibility of hitting the ball another 10 yards is worth the money, when I know that I'll get on the fairway 9 out of 10 times with what I'm playing at the moment.  I'd rather spend the money on lessons to help me hit my mid/long irons better, which I usually duff immediately following a lovely 250-yard drive straight down the middle of the fairway. 

The stats available on the Europen Tour website give an interesting insight.

Since 2007, Alvaro Quiros has been the longest hitter in all but 1 year.  The stats show as follows -

2007 - 308 yds

2008 - 310 yds

2009 - 315 yds

2010 - 306 yds (Nicloas Closaerts - 308 yards)

2011 - 313 yds

2012 - 315 yds

To my mind, this doesn't really demonstrate any meaningful improvement year on year as a result of new clubs being released.  My advice, save your money!

Richard