Why Length Matters

Last week, 20-year-old South African Aldrich Potgieter won the PGA Tour Rocket Classic. It was his first win on the PGA Tour. If you aren’t familiar with him, there exists a tremendous amount of hype with him because of how far he hits the ball.

Potgieter currently leads the PGA Tour in driving distance at 327.4 yards. Rory McIlroy sits in 2nd place averaging 320.6 yards. For comparison, the PGA Tour average is 293.6 yards.

Obviously, driving the ball as far as Potgieter does creates a lot of hype. Long hitters always generate interest with both fans and the media. From an analytical view, Potgieter has unlimited potential to be a mega star in golf because he has the greatest potential to score of anyone on Tour.

I’ve said this before, and I will continue saying it. How far a golfer hits the golf ball correlates directly to their ability to score. For starters, a player who is longer off the tee is closer to the hole and will be hitting a shorter club. But it’s more than just being closer and hitting a shorter club. Their power means they aren’t just longer with the driver. They are longer with every club in the bag.

In other words, Potgieter and McIlroy are longer with every club than every other player on the PGA Tour.

But this doesn’t tell the whole story.

On a 527-yard par 5, Potgieter would be 200 yards out after his tee shot and hitting a 7-iron. The average PGA Tour Player would be approximately 233 yards out. They would be pulling a hybrid or a 5-wood. That 33-yard difference equates to 4 to 5 club difference. Which would you rather be hitting into any green? I would bet you would want a 7-iron.

Even from 200 yards, there is a much better likelihood of hitting the green with a 7-iron than from 233-yards with a hybrid or 5-wood for a PGA Tour player. This improves the opportunity for an eagle.

For the average player, even being consistently 10-yards longer off the tee means hitting a shorter club into a green. Wouldn’t you rather be hitting a 7-iron than a 6-iron? Even from the rough, the longer hitter maintains an advantage simply by being able to hit a shorter club.

Some of you may be saying to yourselves you know someone who hits it shorter than you and is a better player. So, let me be clear. Being able to hit the ball longer indicates better potential to score, not that it automatically means lower scores. You still need to be able to hit irons, wedges and putt. Length only equates to scoring potential.

If you want to improve your scoring potential, focus on increasing speed leading to increased length. This will provide you with better opportunities to shoot lower scores since you will be closer to the green following your tee shot.

This also translates into increased distance with every club in your bag.

If you already hit the ball far enough but are not scoring, it’s time to focus on irons, wedges and putting.

As always, be thankful when you play. Be grateful for the privilege and opportunity to play this amazing game. Now, go golf!