Has the old adage changed? When I grew up in the late 80’s and early 90’s playing junior golf, I always heard “Drive for show, putt for dough.” Here are a few interesting stats regarding the statement.
As I write this, year to date the PGA Tour Average driving distance is 295.1 yards. The number one player in driving distance is Bryson Dechambeau at 320.9 measured over 67 rounds of golf. Number 208 on this year’s list is K.J. Choi at 268.7, 52 rounds of golf. As for putting, Louis Oosthuizen is number one in strokes gained putting and gains more than one stroke per round on the field. In last place is Kevin Stadler, who gives back over 1.4 strokes per round to the field.
So, while you can interpret the “old adage” how you like, one thing’s for sure: distance is more than ever becoming a big part of the game! So you need to be able to hit the center of the clubface to maximize your distance.
Stability & Mobility are very important in producing power and speed. Once you have a good understanding of that, make sure you stop by Custom Clubs to make sure your driver is a good fit. We try to maximize the chances of center contact by reducing length, changing weights, and using our new Shaft Matrix just to name a few. If you don’t hit the center however, you’re not maximizing your power off the tee! You can do a quick check by utilizing the picture above and spraying “face spray” on the driver very lightly to see where you make an impact. Try it out next time you’re on the tee line!
