I followed Mark O'Meara and Jerry Pate around today. I was very impressed with how fluent their swings were. I am always impressed with Tom Purtzers. He has the best on the senior tour. However Mark looked like he was not really putting a lot into it and still I would say he averaged 290 of the tee if not more. I have played this course many times and where he hit it on some holes it was definently 300-305.I play with a lot of fantastic scratch players and pros and they really are putting a lot into it for 280-300. I realize they have the newest equipment and the freshest golf balls at their beckon but still you have to give these guys a lot of credit for their game and I really feel that many of these seniors can still keep up with the young guns.
Is'nt it crazy that you see Natalie Gulbis, as thin as she is, putting very little effort into it and just making it work out poking them out there 260 with no problems. As for SI Re Pak that is awesome, it is not like watching Laura Davies putting all her weight into a shot to crush it. Si Re is like a dainty flower.
I did not hit balls with Gulbis, but she was down a few stalls from me. I was just getting in some range practice at Lake Las Vegas, and she showed up with a friend before they started their round. She was hitting the ball in the 260+/- range with out even trying it seemed. I have to swing at 100%, and then hope the ball stays in the fairway to even think about averaging 250 off the tee. She is averaging right at 250 off the tee this year, but she can hit the ball farther than that if needed. Compare her driving stats to Si Re Pak who is averaging 280 0ff the tee. Pak is getting some serious distance, and would be about 90th on the Men's PGA tour for driving. I was more surprised that she would show up in public, but I guess if you are going to live on a golf course you might as well play there. My round was comped as I was the client. OF course this is one of our higher end courses in the area, so it is not really a public course. The LPGA ladies can hit the ball. FHs
I know what you mean. Last year before Annika hurt herself, she was a guest on the Tonight Show W/Leno and We went and hit some balls together for a possible segment she was going to do on the show. I was hitting the ball very good at the time and she was hitting past me by 10 yards. We had a very close to the same swing speed. I think she was at 103 and I was at 104. It came down to technique, timing, and proper fit equipment. It was worth having my friends laugh at the fact she out drove me. I won overall with the lesson I got from it and being able to say I have hit balls with some of the top Professionals on tour.
That is fine golf course. I have played there 4 times, as well as one farther north a few miles. I used to work for a company that is located across the street from the Valencia course. When I had to go to a meeting, I would drive up from Vegas, spend an extra day or two and just golf. I even broke 80 once playing there.
The pros can hit it pretty far. But I think it is more technique for them than equipment. They just know how to hit the ball better than the rest of us while making it look easy. My reasoning is this. I knew Robert Gamez before he moved to Florida. He bought a semi custom home that I built. He could take my driver and absolutely send the ball upwards 300 yards from his driveway into a graded off area. The balls were ones that I had found, and had been rolling around in the back of my truck for a while. My driver at the time was a cheap clone, with a Harrison shaft. I think I paid $60 bucks for it. Tom Kite during a Wendy's 3 Tour Challenge basically said the same thing. Technique is everything. That is why the little skinny guy can out drive the bigger, stronger guy. Probably why Natalie Gulbis can out drive me....lol FHs
