Less control hitting up on driver?

[Richie3Jack]

Interesting stuff Richie. Have you applied this to Tiger's driving during the Haney years when he appeared to be an outstanding ballstriker in the danger zone but was getting slated for missing fairways off the tee?

The issue is that the 'distance from edge of fairway' only goes back to 2008. And with Tiger on and off with his playing status. I don't have the stats with me, but IIRC, his '08 driving wasn't very good, but he was 1st in Danger Zone play that year. Which...makes sense.

Tiger is now hitting up on the ball with his driver.

Yeah, he ain't hitting it well right now, but he appears to me to be hitting the driver much better than his last couple of years under Haney. If we remember the 4th round of the 2009 PGA Championship where he used the driver only a few times and was left with all these long approach shots (while Yang was having much shorter approaches), he just had zero confidence in the driver back then. Now at least he hits the thing and can keep it on the lot.






3JACK

 

[duckjr78]

Maybe I'm being to simplistic here, but isn't a drive that is longer always going to be farther away from the centerline of a fairway than a shorter drive, assuming the shot wasn't dead straight down the middle?

 

[mgranato]

Maybe I'm being to simplistic here, but isn't a drive that is longer always going to be farther away from the centerline of a fairway than a shorter drive, assuming the shot wasn't dead straight down the middle?

For the same percentage of off-linedness. That's why us long hitters are so awesome. When we hit the fairway, our ball has had to go straighter longer when compared to a short knocker who hits the fairway. It's really impressive to see.

It's also why these stats aren't equitable. If a non grape buster misses his drive by 6%, he's still in the fairway. If one of us misses by 6%, we're signing a glove for a spectator. We have an extra burden to carry. Half of a Bugatti's awesomeness is that it is fast, the other half is its handling. The handling of a Hyundai at speed should not be graded the same as a Bugatti as speed. As unfair as it is, it's a burden we accept.

 

[duckjr78]

For the same percentage of off-linedness. That's why us long hitters are so awesome. When we hit the fairway, our ball has had to go straighter longer when compared to a short knocker who hits the fairway. It's really impressive to see.

It's also why these stats aren't equitable. If a non grape buster misses his drive by 6%, he's still in the fairway. If one of us misses by 6%, we're signing a glove for a spectator. We have an extra burden to carry. Half of a Bugatti's awesomeness is that it is fast, the other half is its handling. The handling of a Hyundai at speed should not be graded the same as a Bugatti as speed. As unfair as it is, it's a burden we accept.

I enjoy the burden as well.

 

[Jared Willerson]

It is no joke that Mike can BOMB it. Pretty impressive in person.

 

[mgranato]

Stoppit!