Long Drive
My pal Ryan, from Thunder Bay made his way down to the GTA for a local qualifier for the World Long Drive Championships. If you know anything about golf, you understand the urge to hit the ball longer and not so much straighter. He’s always hit a long ball, but I guess he’s been able to experiment with some actual long drive equipment.
What’s the difference you ask? Regular stock equipment (ie: Titleist, Taylor Made, etc) will normally set up well for the average golfer. For drivers specifically, this means a large head, large sweet spot and a standard 45″ shaft that will range from a ladies to a stiff flex. In the world of long drivers, you’ll come across 50″ shafts that range from Xtra Stiff to XXXtra Stiff and large club heads with flat faces. A great world to be in if you’re an equipment whore.
Either way, I was glad to show up to the event. I was able to demo a one of the drivers to knock a few balls around. It took awhile to actually get used to the difference in equipment, but I was able to grasp it after 6 or so shots. By the end, I was happy to hit it about 340 yards. You really have no option but to swing your hardest, otherwise your ball will go nowhere! By the end of the session, my shoulder was really sore. Well, my bud Ryan was able to jump into 1st place with a 394 yard shot. He was quick to call after he solidified his 1st ranking with a 408 yard monster.
It’s definitely tempting to perhaps join this crazy world of going big or going home. However, until I get my shoulder repaired and revamping my relatively simple swing – I’ll stick to knocking the ball around the course trying to keep out of trouble.
Tags: golf, long drive