Golf-FAQ.com

how do pros determine golf distances

by Cloyd Gaylord II Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
image

Calculate the Distance of the Shot When a pro has their ball next to a stake away during the game, they only have to count the meters of the ball to the nearest stake and add or subtract them as indicated. These meters are usually measured by counting the steps, considering that a step (rather long) is approximately 1 meter.

The yardage book are ubiquitous on the PGA Tour. Players and caddies carry them in their pockets and consult them before each shot. They show yardages to various targets on each hole, different points of elevation, and a close-up of the green that shows detailed contours and yardages.Jun 26, 2019

Full Answer

Should you look at the golf distance charts?

Looking at the charts can be intimidating. On the other hand, it can also lower your expectations! More important than how far you hit the ball is to know your own distances. Go to the range and map out your 50%-100% distances with every club.

What factors determine your golf clubs distances?

Factors that Determine You Golf Clubs Distances. 1 Golf Swing Speed: Pro golfers swing in excess of 100 mph, and often closer to 120 mph with the driver. Average golfers swing 70-90 mph with the driver. 2 Golf Ball Speed: 3 Launch Trajectory: 4 Backspin Rate: 5 Course Conditions: More items

How do pro golfers measure distance to the Green?

Over time this will become largely instinctual but all players, the pros included, will benefit from having an accurate idea of the distance to the green, the pin, and any potential hazards. The scorecard and tee box markers will give you the total distance of the hole. Thereafter one will have to use yardage markers.

How do I track my golf ball distance?

Grab a laser range finder and walk out to your golf balls with a pen and notepad. Fire the rangefinder back at the golf bag so you have an object to hit with the laser and write down these distances. If you don’t have a range finder to track your club distances, then use “strides” with each “stride” being about 1 yard.

image

How do pro golfers know their distances?

To know the course's exact distances and dimensions, professionals rely on a tour caddie yardage book. Golf yardage books are detailed guides that pros and their caddies use to navigate the course during play.

Do PGA players use rangefinders?

While professional golfers still cannot use rangefinders in most competitions, they do use them during practice.

How do you judge Golf Club distances?

I strongly recommend tracking your shots on the course for every club. You can do this with a golf GPS, golf watch, or even sensors on your clubs. All of these will allow you to measure the distance you hit on each club—from drivers and fairway woods to hybrids, irons, and even wedges.

How far do pros hit a 7 iron?

between 172-215 yardsA PGA Tour player hits a 7-iron between 172-215 yards. Meanwhile, a short-hitting amateur male golfer averages 120 yards with the same club. Men, women, seniors, juniors, professionals, amateurs and beginners all hit their clubs different distances.

How do caddies know yardage?

The yardage book are ubiquitous on the PGA Tour. Players and caddies carry them in their pockets and consult them before each shot. They show yardages to various targets on each hole, different points of elevation, and a close-up of the green that shows detailed contours and yardages.

Can PGA players wear shorts?

The PGA of America gave the OK for shorts during practice rounds at that PGA, and in 2019 the PGA Tour started allowing golfers to wear shorts in pro-ams and practice rounds. Caddies can wear shorts, but for the golfers themselves, that might never happen.

How far should I be hitting a 6 iron?

You should hit a six iron about 150 yards. The average golfer gets just over 150 yards with their six-iron. Players with faster swing speed will get closer to 165 or even 170 with a six iron.

How far should you hit a 9 iron?

For men, the average 9 iron distance is between 130-140 yards. A more experienced golfer who makes better contact and is longer, will usually hit it 135 yards and further. A tour pro will hit it closer to 150-160 yards on average. For women, the average will be around 90-100 yards.

How far should you hit your irons?

How Far Should Golfers Hit with Each Club?GOLF CLUBWomen GolfersMen Golfers3 iron100/125/160 yards160/180/205 yards4 iron90/120/150 yards150/170/195 yards5 iron80/110/140 yards140/160/180 yards6 iron70/100/130 yards130/150/170 yards9 more rows

How far does Tiger Woods hit a 7 iron?

Club Averages His long irons (2- to 4-iron) range from 250 to 200 yards. His middle irons (5, 6, 7) range from 208 to 172 yards. His 8-iron travels 158 yards, and 9-iron flies 142.

How far does Dustin Johnson hit his 8-iron?

As for his short irons his 8-iron yardage is 165, he hits his 9-iron 150 yards and his pitching wedge 135 yards on average.

Is a 250 yard drive good?

The average driving distance for a golfer with a 5 handicap or less is 250 yards. You might think that's kind of low for a good golfer but it's pretty realistic for someone who isn't a professional. If you hit the ball the average distance you're really not that far away from the average distance of a scratch golfer.

Can you measure yardage with an artificial instrument?

Under the USGA rules, golfers in professional tournaments are not permitted to use artificial instruments to measure yardage . This includes anything digital or mechanical.

Can pro golfers use rangefinders?

Can Pro Golfers Use Range Finders. Under the rules of the USGA, pros are not allowed to use top golf rangefinders. The wording states that artificial instruments are not to be used in gameplay. They can use them during practice play to get more acquainted with the course, but not once the competition is underway.

Why is it important to learn your averages with your clubs?

This is why it is important to learn your averages with your clubs. If you change or upgrade you will most likely have to factor in these changes after getting used to them for some time. Most game improvement clubs will have a strong loft to help the player achieve an easier launch.

How many clubs can you carry in a golf game?

Golf rules dictate that you may only carry a maximum of 14 clubs for a round of golf. You will normally have a driver, a fairway wood or two, possibly a few hybrids, your irons, wedges, and a putter. What this means is that you have to understand each club in your arsenal and know the distance they can deliver.

Why is it important to work out your personal average?

It is important to work out your personal average. This should naturally increase over time as your skills and technique improve. It is valuable to keep track of your distance s from practice as well as on the course. This can be done manually however there are mobile phone apps that can also help.

Is a hybrid shot longer than an iron?

As a result, your average shot with a hybrid is likely to be longer than with an iron. Hybrids tend to come in a slightly wider range of lofts and this will obviously impact the distance so take this into account when making distance calculations.

Is golf a competitive sport?

Golf is a highly competitive sport but the manufacturers are equally competitive with each trying to get a larger slice of the market. As distance is something understandably important to most golfers, many manufacturers design new clubs to hit as far as possible.

Do putters work for distance?

Putters have obviously been excluded as they are not used for distance. These days, very few golfers, including many of the pros, do not use the longer irons. Many use a hybrid in place of the 2, 3 and 4 irons.

Is Mark Long's yardage book the go-to standard?

Although Mark’s book is the go-to standard, there are a few other options. Some might be limited to a specific golf course only where the book creator has intimate knowledge. These might be used in some cases but always with the insight that Mark Long’s yardage books offer.

Do pro golfers take yardage seriously?

Final Thoughts. Pro golfers take yardage very seriously. The inches are critical and the stakes are high. While they cannot make use of modern technology, these yardage books give them the edge they need to reliably calculate the yardage and are essential to pro golfers. Now you know how they know.

Impact Location Golf Iron and Driver Sweet Spot

An impact out of the "sweet spot" of your irons or woods will lead to a higher smash factor than strikes that are too low, too high, off the toe, or off the heel.

Spin Rate and Club Path

Spin rate plays a large role in how far you'll hit the ball and the shapes of your shots.

Launch Angle

For each club, there is an optimal amount of spin and an optimal launch angle. Launch angle is the angle of a golf ball's initial ascent relative to the ground.

Factors Out of Your Control

There are also factors out of your control that can affect distance, like temperature and altitude.

Why is it important to know your golf club distance?

There are two reasons why knowing your golf clubs distances is most important: You can improve your golf scores quicker. You’ll know how much work you have to do to increase your club distances.

How to track golf clubs with laser?

Grab a laser range finder and walk out to your golf balls with a pen and notepad. Fire the rangefinder back at the golf bag so you have an object to hit with the laser and write down these distances . If you don’t have a range finder to track your club distances, then use “strides” with each “stride” being about 1 yard.

Why is my golf ball not flying?

This can result in the ball not flying as far through the air before hitting the ground, costing you lost distance potential.

What is the goal of the Trackman skills test?

The goal of the skills test is to test your accuracy, rather than your max distance. Trackman will flash a distance on the screen and you’ll try to hit the ball exactly that distance while also hitting it as straight as possible. You’ll get scored 0-100 on each shot.

What is the flip side of launch?

On the flip side of launch is back spin. Lower ball flight shots tend to have less back spin allowing them to roll more upon landing, getting you additional distance. Higher ball flight shots like irons and wedges have much more backspin to help them stop sooner so they hold greens and don’t roll off. Driver shots should achieve a great mix of ball launch trajectory and backspin rate to hit the ball further.

What are the benefits of new technology in golf clubs?

New technology can help increase your swing speed and energy transfer, control spin rates, and enhance launch angles for better ball flight trajectories.

What is the smash factor in golf?

Golf Ball Speed: This data piece is known as “Smash Factor” and it’s how pure you hit the golf ball. The more pure you hit the ball on the face, the more energy the club will transfer to the ball and the faster it will rocket off the club face, known as ball speed.

Golf Club Distance Chart for Men By Skill Level

This chart shows you the average distances per skill level for male golfers. Where are you on this chart?

Golf Club Distance Chart for Woman By Skill Level

This chart shows you the average distances per skill level for female golfers.

Golf Club Distance Chart for Senior Golfers

This chart shows you the average distances per skill level for senior golfers.

Golf Club Distance Chart for PGA Tour Players

Here is how far male PGA Tour professionals hit their clubs in average.

Golf Club Distance Chart By Swing Speed

What impact does swing speed have on distance? In perfect conditions, see the table below. Keep in mind that the smash factor plays a major role when it comes to distance.

Driver Swing Speed Chart by skill level

How fast should you swing your Clubs? Kyle Berkshire’s (World long drive champion) fastest recorded swing speed was 155 mph!

Key Factors for Distance

Each club has a unique loft. Typically, higher lofts will translate into higher ball-flights. For example, drivers are built for distance, hence they have a low angle of loft. Lob wedges on the other hand are designed to propel the ball into the air and present a steep angle of descent. That way, the ball will stop closer to the point of impact.

Who won the 2020 US Open?

He has been absolutely crushing the golf ball lately and has just won his first major with a 6-shot win at the 2020 US Open over Matthew Wolff.

Can you have the same shot twice in golf?

Golf is a complex game that involves angles, elevation and forces. It’s often said that you sill never have the same golf shot twice! With all the different skill levels for golfers, it can be difficult to understand your yardages, club head and ball speeds.

How many golf courses has Tucker played?

To date, his golf travels have taken him to over two dozen countries and nearly 600 golf courses worldwide. While he's played some of the most prestigious courses in the world, Tucker's favorite way to play the game is on a great muni in under three hours.

How long does a Revolution Golf battery last?

The company’s stated battery life of more than ten hours means it should get you through at least 36 holes before needing to be recharged. It retails for $140, but you can check out this Revolution Golf exclusive currently for $117 ($107 for GolfPass members).

What is the difference between Apple Watch and Garmin?

The difference between Apple Watch and Garmin or other golf-centric watches is you have to use third-party apps, which are powerful but not as intuitive. Apple Watch is also reliant on your phone's Bluetooth connection and you have to start the round in your phone app.

Does Bushnell Wingman have GPS?

Here's a new option for 2020: A portable speaker that gives you yardage, too. Bushnell just introduced its Wingman, which has bluetooth-connected music but also has GPS, so you can get it to audibly tell you yardage. It also mounts to your cart with Bushnell's exclusive "BITE" magnetic feature.

Can you tether a GPS watch to a phone?

A strictly golf GPS watch with no tethering to phone ($110-500+) If you want to keep your phone far, far away from your golf game (and that's good if you plan on playing USGA competitions), stick to a golf-focused watch that requires no tethering to your smartphone's Bluetooth.

Can sprinkler heads be USGA conforming?

No more pacing off sprinkler heads. The cost of devices and accompanying apps can vary greatly. You can use something with one function or something incredibly dynamic. They can provide pinpoint accuracy to an object or a general front-middle-back number using satellites. They can be USGA conforming or not.

Does Garmin Vivoactive track golf clubs?

When you buy a Garmin device, the company's Connect and Golf apps are included and are pretty powerful. The Vivoactive doesn't track all the details of golf-specific watches like clubs hit, but the scorecard automatically displays once you reach the green, requiring one or two taps to move on to the next hole.

What is the biggest lie in golf?

The first question, the answer to which Max Homa calls the “biggest lie in golf”, is something every golfer should know. Just because you have hit a drive 280 yards one time does not mean you hit your driver 280 yards. That goes all the way down the bag. Take more club than you think, because there’s no pride in leaving 99 out of 100 shots short ...

Is Instagram a good golf guide?

Instagram. It’s not perfect, because it assumes a few things: That you’re hitting the ball consistently well, without much curve and with a driver that’s fit to your swing. But nevertheless, it can provide a good guidepost for golfers.

Do golfers want to hit the ball longer?

As soon as golfers accomplish the act of hitting the golf ball, they want to hit further. It’s only natural and in some ways, inescapable. But while many golfers want to hit the ball longer, there are often two related questions that sometimes escape them: How far do they hit it?

image

How Then Do Professional Golfers Know Their Yardages?

Image
Top professional golfers know exactly how far they can hit each club, and it is important to know which club to choose, especially on the approach shot to the green. Not only would they need the distance to the green but the position of the pin on the green as well. Coming to the assistance of the pro and his caddie is Ma…
See more on golfspan.com

How Does Mark Go About Putting These Books Together?

  • To produce a yardage book for any course a lot of high technology comes into play. The course is mapped using aerial photography, drones, range finders, and surveying instruments. All the measuring and layout information is fed into a computer where a tailormade program then produces the book. While technology is not allowed during the game, this book will give you acc…
See more on golfspan.com

What Information Do These Books provide?

  • To the average amateur, the book would represent Egyptian hieroglyphics, but to the pros and their caddies, it’s pure gold. There is a page for each hole and the book is roughly the size of a large smartphone and fits in the back pocket. There is a large black dot at the front of the green, and all measurements are taken from there. The green will show contours and the depth of the g…
See more on golfspan.com

What About The Greens?

  • You would think that with the green in view, or when standing on the green the player is quite capable of assessing the play himself, so why detailed information here? We now have a second page for each hole, and this gives us the pin position, the slopes and plateaus, and the grain of the grass. This is critical information for the approach shot and on long putts. The pin position will b…
See more on golfspan.com

in Practice, How Is This used?

  • Tournaments take place from Thursday to Sunday, and caddies usually arrive at the venue on Monday or Tuesday. The caddies would then get a copy of Mark Long’s yardage book for that course and set out on foot. The caddies will place a reflector at the front of the green and using a rangefinder do their measurements and calculations. Knowing the style of their player they will n…
See more on golfspan.com

Some Thoughts from Mark

  • People often find it difficult to understand how critical yardage might be. When a player is on his game and everything is going to plan, telling him it’s 138 yards or 140, could completely change his club selection and how he plays the hole. To show how important the accuracy of the book is Mark revisits every PGA tour course every year. Any updates even the slightest changes are reco…
See more on golfspan.com

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9