How far is average with proper technique?

[banzai7]

This is probably a dumb question ... but I'm just curious as to people's different opinions. Suppose you're not an athletic freak of nature; you're just an average reasonably healthy adult. How far could you expect to throw with solid technique? What is reasonable? Max distance and golf distance (not internet distance).

I've heard it said that most casual players who play a lot and throw far will hit around 350', but many of them aren't throwing with proper technique. Is it feasible to expect 450' with good form?

(I realize that it will be different for different people, and dependant on a lot of factors. What I want to know is: if you took an average joe off the street and taught him good technique --- what would your best guess be for how far he is throwing.)

 

[banzai7]

Just realized I wrote that as if the average golfer is male. Distances for the average female golfer are also welcome.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

I'd estimate 400 is average with no wind, truly flat, and not measuring skip and roll.

5' of elevation loss can change distance pretty substantially. Wind can really add or subtract. Average ejection speed probably 50-55mph with a driver.

500' in those calm/flat conditions is likely going to require 65-70mph ejection speed.

 

[HyzerUniBomber]

Total conjecture: 600-750' is pushing 80-85mph drivers

 

[m_Krakov]

I'll add that the rating system that DGCR uses to rank the difficulty of courses (the SSE), uses 355' as its average distance for a 1000 rated player (well above average IMO) on a "lightly wooded" course. I don't have a clue how they decided on that number, but I am sure that there was some thought put into it.

 

[sidewinder22]

Not sure how to answer. What do you consider good form vs great form? According to the PDGA..."Advanced players drive between 300-450'."

 

[jkirkland5012]

I think it would be tough to define what proper technique is. At what point can you say somebody has it?

I agree with HUB that somebody that has seriously looked into the mechanics of a throw, allowed other people to critique video of their throw and spends a couple days a week doing field work should be able to get a reliable 400'.

But, at least in my local league, we have probably 200 people you see regularly at the mini's during the season. Several touring pro's, handful of guys floating either side of 1000 rating (not me) and a ton of competitive players. I would guess the average, repeatable on command max distance is 320-340 for those 200ish people. Absolutely everyone of them will swear up and down they can throw 400'. If you took them all out in a level field, no wind etc ... I would give my next paycheck away if more than 20% of them could. 400' is a long freaking way. It's a rare person that can hit it without concentrated effort. 550-600' is for genetic freaks who also put a lot of practice in.

 

[rickles]

And...



Open - the top professional division, available to players of any age or sex.
A world class Open player has many years of tournament experience, drives at least 350 feet, makes 7-9/10 putts from 25-30 feet, rarely makes a mistake, and has a shot for every situation. Ratings Guideline: 1000+ Score range: <51
An average Open player has several years experience, throws 325-400 feet accurately, makes 6-8/10 putts from 25-30 feet, and has a variety of shots (rollers, forehands, etc) to draw from. Ratings Guideline: 970+ Score range: <56

 

[Pbmercil]

I'd estimate 400 is average with no wind, truly flat, and not measuring skip and roll

I agree. I think anyone with average athleticism and good form can push 400 -430 regularly. That's def not your "average" competative disc golfer tho, at least in most geographic areas. Big arms roll in packs, and the courses they play matter a lot.

For example, I was one of the weakest throwers in advanced at an A Teir I played in Orlando FL. 50 person advanced field, and I bet at least 35 of them were out throwing me consistantly. A week later at the HOFC in georgia, another 50 person field, and there were probably only 3ish people who could throw farther then me.

 

[m_Krakov]

400' is a long freaking way

This!

 

[Putt for D'oh]

I was wondering a similar question in that I'm feeling I'm getting my form close to right. I would consider myself above average athlete, but also over 40 and out of shape.
I am getting to where I can pretty much get the discs I throw to match the flight charts... almost
Maybe that is a good baseline? Average person + good form = flight chart.
There maybe some shortcomings and maybe the people being mentioned cap out at speed 10 discs, but those will get to 350'

 

[jkirkland5012]

The thing I go back and forth on is the divide between what is fun to work on and what benefits my game. Now that I can count on 350' every time, the quickest way to take strokes off my game would 100% be to do just enough field work to maintain that and then spend every other second of practice on short game and putting. But, it's way more fun to do it the other way around.

On your local courses how many stokes would you save by adding 50' to your drive vs. hitting 15% more of your putts?

 

[Dr.Smooth]

This is still really going to vary. Some people just click with getting d, some are in between and some don't no matter how much practice.

Athletic ablity is usually a good indicator. But I've seen super talented people who are great at every sport and are just average or slightly above average distance with a disc.

This is really what makes the sport unlike any other that you really just don't know what a person is capable of no matter what they look like.

 

[m_Krakov]

On your local courses how many stokes would you save by adding 50' to your drive vs. hitting 15% more of your putts?

Putts, without question.

At courses in central Ohio, an accurate 325-350' is going to give you a look at a 2 on better than 90% of the holes...granted you have to place the shots, but being able to stretch that accurate golf line out to 400+ might benefit you on one hole a round. Whereas a better short game gives you dozens of opportunities in a round to shave a stroke or three.

 

[Pbmercil]

On your local courses how many stokes would you save by adding 50' to your drive vs. hitting 15% more of your putts?

This is always the arguement used to justify not working on distance, and my answer is always the same; they are not mutually exclusive. You can put a lot of time into both, and both will make you a tremendously better golfer

 

[Pbmercil]

Putts, without question.

At courses in central Ohio, an accurate 325-350' is going to give you a look at a 2 on better than 90% of the holes...granted you have to place the shots, but being able to stretch that accurate golf line out to 400+ might benefit you on one hole a round. Whereas a better short game gives you dozens of opportunities in a round to shave a stroke or three.

If you've got 400-450 power those 325-350 shots become tremendously easier to be accurate with. I'll take the guy who can throw a flat midrange or an overstable fairway driver hyzer for those shots 99% of the time over the guy throwing an understable high speed driver

 

[Magicweed]

If you've got 400-450 power those 325-350 shots become tremendously easier to be accurate with. I'll take the guy who can throw a flat midrange or an overstable fairway driver hyzer for those shots 99% of the time over the guy throwing an understable high speed driver

That was the biggest benefit when I hit 400' with my throws. On a relatively flat 315' hole, I'm throwing a beefy Roc3 on a hyzer and letting it work back to the pin while other guys might be throwing fairways or even distance drivers. I might not hit the putt every single time, but I sure give myself a lot of chances. Throwing slower discs over longer distances is the biggest benefit of throwing far in my opinion.

 

[m_Krakov]

If you've got 400-450 power those 325-350 shots become tremendously easier to be accurate with. I'll take the guy who can throw a flat midrange or an overstable fairway driver hyzer for those shots 99% of the time over the guy throwing an understable high speed driver

Fair enough. I use putters off the tee out to about 200, so I get the link between distance capability and how that allows you to use slower discs in different situations, but I don't necessarily think that max distance ability correlates with shorter distance accuracy, and the fact remains that actually utilizing the increased distance is a situation whose frequency is far more limited than putting.

 

[Mspot]

If you've got 400-450 power those 325-350 shots become tremendously easier to be accurate with. I'll take the guy who can throw a flat midrange or an overstable fairway driver hyzer for those shots 99% of the time over the guy throwing an understable high speed driver

Unless its michael johanson throwing those understable drivers...

 

[Pbmercil]

Unless its michael johanson throwing those understable drivers...

Don't let him fool you, MJ pushes it out well past 400 no prob