Golf statistics: driving distance
By Jonathan Hensey, MS Education & MS Sports Psychology
Driving Distances
During club fittings, a frequently asked question is “how far should I hit the ball.” However, during a custom club fitting, the goal is to optimize distance. Following a purchase, many will say they are not getting the yards on the golf course. Thus understanding your performance or your equipment’s performance begins with collecting accurate data on the golf course. Objective data helps golfers avoid a subjective perception of what happened. The shots are seen for the distance and lie. Furthermore, situational data is also significant: penalty drop, positional shot (chipping from behind a tree, or out-of-bounds penalty drop. Therefore, shot tracking is a tool for generating understanding.
We can see that 69% of golfers hit the ball less than 250 yards and 15% of golfers average more than 275 yards. This would explain why people golf hard and tee off from distances that do not permit a reasonable chance to hit a green in regulation. However, this statement also requires identifying the golfers’ handicaps to better understand.
How do handicap golfers compare
Single-digit handicap golfers hit an average drive of 243 yards, and higher handicap golfers hit the ball significantly shorter. It is likely that most golfers choose tee boxes based on the best-struck shots. Thus, it is crucial to see the distance relationship between golf clubs.
Distances by club: Longleaf Tee System
Each golfer’s shot distances and skill is different, so evaluate your game and choose wisely. The Longleaf Tee Systems identified a need for understanding distances and tee box selection. The distance-based system aimed to identify the abilities of golfers and help them make better tee box choices. For example, on average, amateur golfers hit their drives 225 yards. Based on the yardage, the golfer should reference column 6, and play a course between 6000 and 6300 yards.
Golf Analytics by Shot Scope
You can benefit from tracking your statistics. Shot tracking, GPS distances, and mobile application are the features that will help you identify your golf course distances. Shot Scope offers GPS mapping, shot tracking, and laser rangefinders to help you score better on the golf course and practice better. Furthermore, Shot Scope accumulates the data from all golfers that use their gear for shot tracking, and their periodic reports reveal golf course performance truths of amateur golfers. We will cover more of the analytics and how to improve your performance and enjoyment.
Hensey Sports sells Shot Scope GPS watches and rangefinders because of the mentioned benefits.
Author’s Notes:
The Workshop News aims to investigate the ‘WH’ questions [what, why, how, which, who, where, when…]. The topics link to sports psychology and the golf equipment phenomenon. Respectful dialogue is valued and cultivated so we can all transform our understanding of sports performance and personal growth.
References
https://www.longleafteesystem.com/#driver-carry-distance-formula (retrieved November 2022)
https://shotscope.com/us/golf-improvement/data/what-is-strokes-gained/ (retrieved November 2022
