Adding distance is perpetually a hot topic in the golf world. Instead of talking about the pros, I want to talk about you – and why it’s a good idea to pursue distance and how you do it responsibly.
Recently, Adam Young, Cordie Walker, and I recorded our third podcast episode on this topic. You can listen to it below. In this article, I’m also going to summarize some of the main recommendations I have for golfers, and link to other articles I’ve written to provide more detail.
Golf Science Lab · Should You Chase MORE Distance? / Adam Young + Jon Sherman of Practical Golf
Golf is a Game of Proximity
The closer you are to the hole, the better opportunity you have to post a lower score. All things being equal, distance is a scoring advantage. Mark Broadie demonstrated this in his ground-breaking book, Every Shot Counts
.
While the pro game usually dominates the discussion about distance, and whether there is too much of it, the fact remains that recreational golfers need help in that department. The typical male golfer swings their driver at about 90 mph and doesn’t drive the ball more than 230 yards on average. On top of that, almost every data point suggests that the farther you can hit it off the tee, your scores will drop.
Take a look at this chart from Shot Scope, which tracks the performance of golfers on the course. You can see a correlation between average driver distance and handicap level:
The good news is that you don’t need to bulk up and drink 6-8 protein shakes a day to increase your ability to hit the ball farther. There are reasonable steps golfers of any level can take. But make no mistake, pursuing distance is a vital game-improvement category that shouldn’t be overlooked.
Distance Through
By: Jon
Title: Why You Want to Add Distance Your Game (And How to Do It Responsibly)
Sourced From: practical-golf.com/add-distance-golf/
Published Date: Wed, 22 Jul 2020 11:14:32 +0000
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Did you miss our previous article…
https://news-golf.com/golf-lessons/golf-swing-tips/zero-restriction-review-superior-protection-from-the-elements/