Only 27 players on the PGA Tour in 2015-16 had a faster average. Those yardages in his book are indeed modest. In the past if you were a long hitter, youd expect them to hit less fairways than we do but now, they actually hit it long, and they're accurate, and they hit greens, and they're able to get up and down, and everything is good., Highlights: Tavatanakit leads at ANA Inspiration. Again, same short persimmon steel shafted driver. I did everything I can to keep it a little bit calmer, because I know I'm getting excited. He also collected paychecks from non-equipment companies. GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, April 24, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, April 17, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, April 10, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, March 27, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, March 20, Please put and questions or comments here, Please put any questions or comments here. Youre sitting on your couch on a Sunday afternoon, scrolling through Twitter during a break in Golf Channels coverage of that weeks PGA Tour event. Sounds about right. What impact does swing speed have on distance? He would often hold back on power to achieve this, but had a power advantage over most rivals through the set, so that he could hit a 3-wood or 1-iron from the tee with increased accuracy to avoid trouble, with sufficient length to keep up with the drivers hit by most rivals. Nicklaus ranked 10th in driving distance and won two majors during that 1980 campaign, but his 269 yards off the tee would have been dead last on Tour in 2019. Who has the biggest driving distance average this season? I mapped them to different skill levels, ages & genders. The data is based on the average taken from over 26 million shots hit from golfers from scratch level to a 25 index. A Mammoth drive for persimmon! Jack Nicklaus driving average by year. 5-G For the season, Nicklaus won $316,911. Someone with a copy of the book handy could give you the entire breakdown. MEMBER REVIEWS: Cleveland Frontline Elite Putters! Drives exceeding 350 yards are seemingly routine for Dustin Johnson. Or you can do it yourself. I remember him saying that he didn't believe that at sea level with no wind, anyone could [i]fly[/i] a ball more than 260 yards through the air In 1980, Jack Nicklaus was the 10 th longest driver . You'll discover it's more than just a golf lesson. Here are the findings for 2019: Average Driving Distance By Age in 2019: 10-19: 234.2 yards 20-29: 239.7 yards 30-39: 233.7 yards 40-49: 225.9 yards 50-59: 215.4 yards 60-69: 204.5 yards 70+: 190.4 yards Your previous content has been restored. Just 28 players have ever missed more fairways than theyve hit, with the lowest percentage for a full season belonging to John Daly at 41.9 percent in 2007. [/quote] I acknowledged that. Now, on to the list: As many know, this has been an important topic to me for years, if not decades, and I have been passionate about my position, Nicklaus said in a tweet. Theres good reason to believe that Nicklaus record will never be approached again. . Lets take Tiger, and look at it from that perspective, Eric Smallwood, president of Apex Marketing Group told us in 2020. And I think what that misses is that the longest drivers miss an average of one more fairway per round. Using high-speed film analysis, experts estimate legendary amateur Bobby Jones had a swing speed of 117 miles per hour in the 1930s - using hickory shafts. GOLF.com and GOLF Magazine are published by EB GOLF MEDIA LLC, a division of 8AM GOLF. There are only five instances since 1980 where a player ranked better than 40th in fairways hit while still ranking in the top 10 in average distance. THE MATERIAL ON THIS SITE MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED, DISTRIBUTED, TRANSMITTED, CACHED OR OTHERWISE USED, EXCEPT WITH THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. 2023 DISCOVERY GOLF, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. So there you have it: Had Jack Nicklaus played today, he would have been an amateur phenom, he would have been one of the longest hitters on tour, and he would have made boatloads of money. Hitting a 6 iron into a par 5 isn't an advantage, because a hybrid from 225 is going to land just as soft. Hes everywhere. [/quote] If we translate that advantage to last season, hed have averaged 318.71 yards, which would have led the tour. RELATED: Jack at 80: 'I've still got a lot of things I want to do'. 1 in the Rolex/AJGA rankings, and rumor is Ohio State has the best chance of landing the Columbus native. Tavatanakit took a one-stroke lead into the weekend and on moving day extended her lead to as many as six. First, lets hear from a six-time major champion who starred in the 1970s. At the same time, driving distance turns on the jets, making huge strides into the high 280s, and finally breaking 290 for the first time ever in 2011. The pro who was markedly longer was Jim Dent. I have collected all the essential club distance charts for you in this article. In 2021, the average driving distance was 295.3 yards, second to only 2020 as the longest average driving distance in PGA Tour history. Keeeeeep scrolling. In it they share this statistical confirmation that core exercises really are the difference between today's Nicklaus' and Watson's and Nicklaus and Watson. Was he a long hitter back then? Early in Jack's career, he would have MacGregor "narrow" the grooves in his irons as the normal width v grooves spun too much for his liking. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you. GIVEAWAY! Your link has been automatically embedded. Wishon 54, 59 Micro-Groove HM Adding 35 yards for increased speed, hotter driver and better ball, Nicklaus would've averaged 311.0 last season. He rarely had to take anything out of his golf bag but his driver, wedge, putter and towel. Nicklaus was consistently among the longest and straightest hitters on the PGA Tour during his prime.One early example was winning the official long drive contest at the 1963 PGA Championsip with a belt of 341 yards, 17 inches (312 meters). All the latest stories & news from the Major PGA Championships. [size="5"]4-iron:185-200 yards[/size] The latest news & stories from PGA Amateur Programs. If we translate that advantage to last season, he'd have. [quote name='tembolo1284' timestamp='1302780024' post='3152485'] Privacy Policy. Tavatanakit is playing the course in a way that Rankin, the winner of the 1976 ANA Inspiration, has never seen before. Its worth wondering if Nicklausknowing not just that he could make millions with his play, but that hed also sign lucrative endorsement deals upon turning promight have left Ohio State early had he been in the Class of 2021, not 1961. The PGA of America is one of the world's largest sports organizations, composed of PGA Professionals who work daily to grow interest and participation in the game of golf. Hoofer, Ecco, Bushnell Now, we're talking persimmon, he played 42/3/4" long steel shaft driver (a 1/4 inch short). Once we got into a wound golf ball and once we got into steel shafts, the game from basically the early 1930s until 1995 changed very little, and all the golf courses that were built needed very little adjustment to be able to handle any kind of a tournament," Nicklaus told USA Today in 2007. Mizuno JPX 921 Hot Metal. Those yardages in his book are indeed modest. The leader in distance, Bubba Watson at 315.5 yards, was 9.1 percent longer. [size=5]4-iron:185-200 yards[/size] Now they can bust it out 240-250 with relative ease. Nicklaus and Duval are the only two players since 1980 to rank in the top 10 in driving distance and still rank in the top 30 in driving accuracy. [/b] Jack Nicklaus led the tour in driving distance through the midway point of 1970. Heres what he earned for each of those victories: Bing Crosby National Pro-Am: $28,000 Doral-Eastern Open: $30,000 The Masters: $25,000 U.S. Open: $30,000 Westchester Classic: $50,000 U.S. Professional Match Play Championship: $45,000 Walt Disney World Open Invitational: $30,000. But thats exactly what he was in his heyday. [size=5] The average tour pro has gained roughly 30 yards off the tee since 1980 (a 12% increase). That's upwards of a 25% increase. I remember seeing Jack taking a 5 iron and choking down hitting it 150 on several occasions. With the driver, he observed a 25-30 yard difference on well-struck shots. Greatest event I've ever seen in person. The latest news & stories from PGA Amateur Programs. [b]Definitely one of, if not the longest out there. . Ping Glide 3.0 50 56 60. But just how long would he have been with todays equipment and technology? I saw it from the back of the green and will never forget it. [quote name='tElihu' timestamp='1306158032' post='3255647'] Where are you on this chart? [size=5] Back in Nicklaus day, if you played well in a junior tournament, the best you could hope for was a write-up in the local paper. [/size] Typically, higher lofts will translate into higher ball-flights. His hands were so high he seemed taller than he was. The same could be said about Patty Tavatanakits performance this week at Mission Hills Golf Club. The LPGA Tour rookie ranks ninth on Tour in driving distance, and this week, has averaged 326 yards off the tee. Golf My Way, if memory serves, had all his distances. The simplest solution is change the frigging golf ball, Nicklaus said. RBZ 25* hb; RBZstage 2 19* hb. Telemetry companies. Smash Factor is ball speed divided by club speed. That drive was 341 yards, 17 inches. Chad Campbell averaged 291 yards off the tee in 2009, ranking 70th on the PGA Tour. With the 384, he said, he was driving 20 to 25 yards farther than he had a few years earlier. Here is the rest of the top 5: Having the fastest swing speed and winning the long drive contest does not necessarily mean a player is going to win the PGA Championship every year. [size="5"]Driver: 250 yards and up[/size] Seventeen straight PGA TOUR seasons with a win, tied with Arnold Palmer for most all-time. Jack would have been the best player in any era he played, regardless of the equipment he used. He often overpowered courses much in the same way todays longest hitters do, and he did so that week. Helped by the fact that he was hitting a warm ball through the thin Texas air, Jack was getting tremendous distance. [size=5]2-iron: 205-220 yards[/size] I think the modern clubs would hurt more than help, just like it has tiger. [quote name='titleistfan14' timestamp='1302833449' post='3154660'] Pretty hard to argue with his decision. A golfer would hope to achieve a smash factor near 1.50 on driver shots. "I said, guys, look at this now . Jack was very long, a very powerful swing. Strategically, it is often advantageous to lay up. Ping G410 3, 5 and 7 wood, Ping G410 5 hybrid-not much use. In 2021, the average LPGA Tour pros (female golfers) driving distance was 256 yards. Tavatanakit has a chance to write history on Sunday. The average tour pro has gained roughly 30 yards off the tee since 1980 (a 12% increase).