Distance????

[mutteriwiritys]

This is a very interesting thread. When I sail through these forums it feels like everyone throws over 300 feet even though it's far from reality.

 

[mashnut]

This is a very interesting thread. When I sail through these forums it feels like everyone throws over 300 feet even though it's far from reality.

There are several factors at work there. I would guess that there really are a higher percentage of players that throw 300'+ here than you'd find on a saturday afternoon at your local course, just because if you're posting here then you're more invested in the sport and more likely to put in time practicing than the average player. People also tend to measure their distance by the signed distance on a hole they can occasionally reach, not by accurately measured distance they can hit the majority of the time.

 

[mutteriwiritys]

That's true!

 

[gradus]

I suspect that practicing to increase your distance in my proposed three throws would improve your golf game more than practicing open field shots other than developing your power.

My perspective as someone who occasionally throws past 300ft. The consistent feedback from the forum is that consistency and accuracy come with better form. Also, increased distance comes with better form.

I started playing in 95 or 96, quit playing 2002-2011, and been back for a few years. During my break, the amount of instructional information has exploded. I was doing everything wrong from 95-02, but was able to adapt my horrible distance (250 at best?) to gain some sort of accuracy. But you can't fake distance. Only through better form have I added more distance, but have a long way to go.

On the course, I regularly see shots that exceed my previous best on that hole (distance and accuracy). The best way to improve for me is to hit the field and work to develop power. Quote above says, "practicing to increase your distance in my proposed three throws," so no contradiction here. But I frequently see people advocate practicing accuracy over distance. If you're like many players and don't throw over 300 easily, developing power seems to be the best area to focus your efforts.

 

[The Hammer]

There are several factors at work there. I would guess that there really are a higher percentage of players that throw 300'+ here than you'd find on a saturday afternoon at your local course, just because if you're posting here then you're more invested in the sport and more likely to put in time practicing than the average player. People also tend to measure their distance by the signed distance on a hole they can occasionally reach, not by accurately measured distance they can hit the majority of the time.

Also, people that throw far are more apt to tell you so than those that can't.

 

[BobbyCorn]

I know from playing courses with flat holes, I parked a 400 foot hole at Fore Palms and can come up 10 feet short on a 430 foot hole at Flyboy. Air desnity and humidity make a difference, but play a flat hole and chunk away, that's how far you throw. I can bomb 500+ downhill, but I dont go say I can throw 540.

 

[Psicko]

For me I can get the best distance on a flat straight throw. My max d is pretty much the same as my golf distance. Most courses I play in Phoenix are mostly open courses with a few trees in the way(sometimes). Every time I try and go for max distance I end up driving much worse than if I do a normal drive. I am in the 300-400 foot distance group. I measure mine at a football field. I throw from one field goal and I get them into the other endzone unless I mess up a drive. I have gotten my discs to the other fieldgoal on occasion, but not consistently.

 

[Chain_Bangers]

I have been playing about 5 months. I throw about 250 ft. On occasion I can get 300 but not often and when i do accuracy is off by about 20 to 30 degrees. I love the game and have had no lessons or had anyone show me anything. Totaly self taught off of youtube.

 

[Scottycb1]

Hate to break it to you guys on here but nobody throws 700 feet in a tournament round. That is stuff reserved for big D in the desert and other distance comps where players throw blizzard or dx plastic with huge tail winds. I would guess the number of people who ever throw over 600 feet in a tournament is under 20 people total. You have a lot of people over 1000 rated that will never touch 550 ft, and rarely if ever even get to 500. Being realistic as a 1012 rated Oregon Pro, I'm 27 years old and in pretty good shape, there is probably only 3 or 4 other "Pro's" in the Northwest that throw farther (a bunch of us all throw about the same.) Rarely if ever in a tournament do you see a disc travel over 525, not to say people do not have the power but when you try to throw that hard only bad things can happen. I would say that more people lie about how far they throw than tell the truth.

 

[Mabuku1]

I have been playing about 5 months. I throw about 250 ft. On occasion I can get 300 but not often and when i do accuracy is off by about 20 to 30 degrees. I love the game and have had no lessons or had anyone show me anything. Totaly self taught off of youtube.

I believe you were taught by you tube videos. So I don't think you can claim self taught unless the videos were of you.

 

[gradus]

I believe you were taught by you tube videos. So I don't think you can claim self taught unless the videos were of you.

Pleanty of self taught people who use books. Take a more modern view and videos take the place of written articles or books.

 

[BirdieMachine]

I play courses with quite a few long wide open shots. BRP, Elm Creek. Courses like Elm Creek with a 325 distance I really am not going to shoot much lower then I currently am. There are lots of 350-400 foot par 3's and two long 4's that I can't quite reach in two. At BRP I could have 8 more real birdie chances with more distance. Elm Creek 7 more. Convert half those and the score goes down real fast. Distance is a big advantage on many courses.

 

[Mabuku1]

Pleanty of self taught people who use books. Take a more modern view and videos take the place of written articles or books.

Using someone else's skill to learn the skill is not teaching yourself. You did not find out the techniques on your own from trial and error. Someone showed you how to do it, whether physically in front of you, over the phone, or via video. You did not think up the methods on your own.

So if you want to say videos are just like books, go ahead. You know what it really is.

 

[gradus]

Using someone else's skill to learn the skill is not teaching yourself. You did not find out the techniques on your own from trial and error. Someone showed you how to do it, whether physically in front of you, over the phone, or via video. You did not think up the methods on your own.

So if you want to say videos are just like books, go ahead. You know what it really is.

He communicated his message pretty clearly: "Totaly self taught off of youtube." Everyone knows what he means. Yet we're the ones in a pointless conversation about semantics. :wall:

 

[Mabuku1]

Your right.

 

[Dan Ensor]

I do have hard data from the top 36 Open Pros (out of 122) at 2002 Pro Worlds where 28% (10) threw over 400 feet and one was a roller. That's actual golf distance on a flat, wide open hole 570 feet long during play. Yes, it's older data. But even if you allow 10% increase in length with disc technology, the numbers are still pretty low. I would submit that disc technology has increased throwing distance for those below the top level more than the top pros because even then, they had better throwing mechanics allowing them to get more out of those discs than most players.

There's not much advantage throwing 420' over 380' on a 570' hole. Why throw a 90% shot when an 80% shot will get you to the same upshot? Also ... how does 10/122=.28?

 

[Kodachrome]

10 of 36.


agreed on the forty foot difference. that boils down to course management.

on a 430' foot hole it be quite the difference though.

 

[Vorpaljesus]

There's not much advantage throwing 420' over 380' on a 570' hole. Why throw a 90% shot when an 80% shot will get you to the same upshot? Also ... how does 10/122=.28?

10/36

 

[DerekTonn]

I'd be shocked if more than 5% of players can consistently reach 300+ feet off the tee. For every one person posting here, there's probably 20 huckers out walking their dog and drinking a beer with their buddies while they play.

Sanctioned tournament players? I'd bet at least 70% of players consistently throw over 300 feet, probably 90-95% of Advanced/Open! But that wasn't the OP's question. It was what percent of disc golfers. And I see plenty of huckers out there that can't hit even 250 feet on a consistent basis.

Wanna drive a guy with 425-450 foot drive crazy? Beat them, round after round...when you can barely hit 330-340 feet under optimal conditions. Drive for show, putt for dough. Drive doesn't NEED to be that long unless you're playing Advanced/Open! But if you can get "surgical" in your approach and putting game, you'll kick 95% of people's ###es on the course. Regardless of how far they can throw it off the tee.

 

[Cgkdisc]

There's not much advantage throwing 420' over 380' on a 570' hole. Why throw a 90% shot when an 80% shot will get you to the same upshot?

Reasonable assumption. But I would say unless there's sufficient risk or placement required, they will open up on holes like this because the closer you get the better your odds of guaranteeing your 3. It was also in Texas so you know a little macho element was there, too.