Jim Kobylinski
Super Moderator
So this is right out of Happy Gilmore, some of you may not even believe me.
I'm at the range last night testing out some new equipment when i saw a friend from work there. I help him on his swing a bit and he decides to leave and go get his friends. They are a few range stalls away from where we were. This is when i spot the guy, i see him swing (super long backswing akin to most LD guys) and he hits the ball and it was the loudest collision i have ever heard.
Now the ball didn't go anywhere because it just ballooned right up into the air. However just the sheer sound of impact and seeing him swing the club i knew he had to be north of 130-135mph. I bet you are wondering how i could tell that? Well i know 2 people who have/do compete in Sr. Long Drive events and neither of these guys could hit it as hard as this kid and they in the 130s low 140s.
So i was introduced by my work friend and i straight up asked him if he was ever on a monitor before. He said yes on a monitor at a different range. I asked him if he knew which one trying to figure out the accuracy of whatever he was going to tell me and i believe it was an older version of flightscope. Reason i believe that is because that range, the golf shop, i know has one. Ready for what he said flightscope was telling him? He said swing speed ratings were between 155-165mph! Now even if we say flightscope isn't perfect and is maybe reading 5-7% too high that is still obnoxious. Oh btw this was with a 45" driver and not a LD setup at max length.
If you are wondering he is built like a brick house; about 5'11" - 6'0" (i'm 5'10.5" so i guessed based on that) with a similar frame to me but all muscle and probably 230-240lbs of pure muscle but not in a bulky way. I mean i don't know why the kid isn't in the NFL playing strong safety destroying people. So i asked him how long he has been hitting golf balls and he told not very long since he would just go with his dad and randomly hit balls at the year. I think he told me specifically how long but it i know it is less than a year. I also asked him if he played baseball and had obnoxious power with that too. He told me that he plays a lot of softball and can routinely hit a 12" softball over 300 feet. He said his record that they measured was 374 ft with a 12" softball.
I told him that he had the raw speed and power to compete in real LD competitions and contend if he decided to really pursue it with a proper head and shaft combination. I don't know if he really will but he is without a doubt the hardest swinger of the golf club i have ever come across. The odd thing too is that while he obviously takes a giant rip at the ball it doesn't seem ungodly out of control; i mean no more than what Bubba Watson looks like.
Thought i would share
I'm at the range last night testing out some new equipment when i saw a friend from work there. I help him on his swing a bit and he decides to leave and go get his friends. They are a few range stalls away from where we were. This is when i spot the guy, i see him swing (super long backswing akin to most LD guys) and he hits the ball and it was the loudest collision i have ever heard.
Now the ball didn't go anywhere because it just ballooned right up into the air. However just the sheer sound of impact and seeing him swing the club i knew he had to be north of 130-135mph. I bet you are wondering how i could tell that? Well i know 2 people who have/do compete in Sr. Long Drive events and neither of these guys could hit it as hard as this kid and they in the 130s low 140s.
So i was introduced by my work friend and i straight up asked him if he was ever on a monitor before. He said yes on a monitor at a different range. I asked him if he knew which one trying to figure out the accuracy of whatever he was going to tell me and i believe it was an older version of flightscope. Reason i believe that is because that range, the golf shop, i know has one. Ready for what he said flightscope was telling him? He said swing speed ratings were between 155-165mph! Now even if we say flightscope isn't perfect and is maybe reading 5-7% too high that is still obnoxious. Oh btw this was with a 45" driver and not a LD setup at max length.
If you are wondering he is built like a brick house; about 5'11" - 6'0" (i'm 5'10.5" so i guessed based on that) with a similar frame to me but all muscle and probably 230-240lbs of pure muscle but not in a bulky way. I mean i don't know why the kid isn't in the NFL playing strong safety destroying people. So i asked him how long he has been hitting golf balls and he told not very long since he would just go with his dad and randomly hit balls at the year. I think he told me specifically how long but it i know it is less than a year. I also asked him if he played baseball and had obnoxious power with that too. He told me that he plays a lot of softball and can routinely hit a 12" softball over 300 feet. He said his record that they measured was 374 ft with a 12" softball.
I told him that he had the raw speed and power to compete in real LD competitions and contend if he decided to really pursue it with a proper head and shaft combination. I don't know if he really will but he is without a doubt the hardest swinger of the golf club i have ever come across. The odd thing too is that while he obviously takes a giant rip at the ball it doesn't seem ungodly out of control; i mean no more than what Bubba Watson looks like.
Thought i would share
