Distances are getting ridiculous

[wanole]

I can't watch the PGA anymore without thinking they are using illegal equipment. 340 yrd drives with effortless power. 230 yrd 5 irons.
Driver wedge 10 times for VJ on a long course. Even the little dudes are knocking the snot out of the ball. Kind of depressing, but I guess they practice almost 24/10, but I do get somewhat jealous. 450 yrd hole and I am hitting driver 5 or 6 iron when Immelman hits a 3 wood, 8 iron.

Just a different game they play. Amazing scores haven't gone down over the years though.

 

[c21heel]

I think the increased distances are a combination of improved equipment, physical conditioning and equally important, course setup. Have you seen how far the ball rolls on most pro-tour course fairways?

I think equipment gets a little more credit than it deserves. Maybe there are very few "flippers" left on tour these days!

 

[bendet3]

Not just improved equipment but "adjusted" equipment, I think that alot of the guys make their irons "stronger" (ie. lower the lofts) than the ones you and I play. Couple that with all that is mentioned above and voila.

 

[Perfect Impact]

Wishon says that's the reason for "4 wedges" and such: with lofts strengthened, what used to be 2 - PW and SW is now 4 - PW, GW, SW, and LW....and more to come, prolly.

 

[Erik_K]

I can't watch the PGA anymore without thinking they are using illegal equipment. 340 yrd drives with effortless power. 230 yrd 5 irons.
Driver wedge 10 times for VJ on a long course. Even the little dudes are knocking the snot out of the ball. Kind of depressing, but I guess they practice almost 24/10, but I do get somewhat jealous. 450 yrd hole and I am hitting driver 5 or 6 iron when Immelman hits a 3 wood, 8 iron.

Just a different game they play. Amazing scores haven't gone down over the years though.

Yep. Ted Fort told me that most people nowadays know what's in a good swing (minimal leakages, trigger delay, etc).

Also, don't discount the golf ball! That little white orb has gone under lots of changes in the past 20 years or so.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

I can't watch the PGA anymore without thinking they are using illegal equipment. 340 yrd drives with effortless power. 230 yrd 5 irons.
Driver wedge 10 times for VJ on a long course. Even the little dudes are knocking the snot out of the ball. Kind of depressing, but I guess they practice almost 24/10, but I do get somewhat jealous. 450 yrd hole and I am hitting driver 5 or 6 iron when Immelman hits a 3 wood, 8 iron.

Just a different game they play. Amazing scores haven't gone down over the years though.

If you haven't listened to the last podcast brian did you really should. Whatever your normal driving distance is at your local course, add about 10-25 yards at a tour event. They cut the fairways so tight and run them dry the ball rolls a whole lot further.

Also, a lot of times on TV the holes are on the scorecard as "450 yards." But they move the tee boxes around and it could be 420 or 430 but they said it was 450 yards.

Go to a tour event and you'll see much more "average" length hitters than you think.

 

[RickPinewild]

Distance

At the US Open at Pinehurst last year, I stood on the 14th tee with my range- finder and shot the caddies when they got to the ball. Most everyone was 280-290, and that is a little down hill. There were a few exceptions, but very few.

 

[c21heel]

Rickpinewild, how much would you estimate that fairway roll contributed to those driving distances?

 

[wanole]

Jim..I have wondered about that. I followed Vj around several times and he hits it far, but it wasn't mind boggling. I aften wonder how much they fib. Now Tiger was hitting it 30+ on almost everyone I saw go by on one hole.

I also notice especially on womens golf they have like 230 to the hole and hit like a 3 wood but it hits like 30 yrds short of the hole and rolls up. The announcer then act like they flew it 230.

I was just amazed at the iron distances these guys were hitting yesterday. I guess that is why I was mostly shocked.

 

[EC]

At the US Open at Pinehurst last year, I stood on the 14th tee with my range- finder and shot the caddies when they got to the ball. Most everyone was 280-290, and that is a little down hill. There were a few exceptions, but very few.

Rick,

Did the same thing at the 2005 Masters...1st Hole, between 6:30 and 7:30 pm, all drives in the 280-295 range (all UPHILL)...except Tiger (338 yds. over the bunker; line drive with a cut! He was playing with DiMarco who flailed it out to the right, careened off the trees and came down short of the bunker. Tiger hit LOB wedge, struck the pin, and caromed into the front left bunker...Bogie. DiMarco made birdie of course. Such is Golf. Oh yeah, the point is that it was late after a rain delay. cool, and uphill, yet they still were absolutely punishing the ball. Those guys are GOOD!!!

EC