Long driving is an offshoot of golf which is focused on hitting a golf ball for pure distance within a target grid. It is a combination of power, technique, and consistency with the purpose of producing the longest fair drive possible.
Rules and regulations
Long driving is done on a level target grid about 35 to 55 m (40 to 60 yd) wide instead of on a course. Competitors are given a set number of attempts, usually from 3 to 6, to hit the ball as far as possible within the grid. A shot must land within the grid for the distance to be counted; otherwise, it is counted Out-of-Bounds (OB). Clubs must conform to United States Golf Association(USGA) standards. That includes having a total club length of no more than 50 in (1.27 m) and a clubhead size of no more than 460 cubic centimeters.
Long drive competitors
Professional long drivers can average over 350 yards (320 m) in competition, compared with 300 yard (274 m) averages from the top PGA TOUR drivers and 200 yards (183 m) for an average amateur. Some shots in competitions surpass 400 yards (366 m). The world record in a long drive competition is 539 yards (493 m) by Scott Smith. The best can swing their club heads at over 160 mph (260 km/h), almost twice the 85 mph (140 km/h) average for an amateur. They train for strength, flexibility, and speed and often perform corporate exhibitions for money, exhibiting a variety of trick shots. Contrary to popular belief, long drivers usually possess very good golf games alongside their long drives and do not gain a significant advantage from specialized clubs.
There are several well-known names in long driving. Jason Zuback is perhaps the most famed, being one of two people to win multiple World Long Drive Championships, with four consecutive wins from 1996-1999. He stands 5-foot-10 (178 cm) and weighs 230 pounds (104 kg) and can reportedly bench press over 400 pounds (181 kg). Sean "The Beast" Fister is the other, winning in 1995 and 2001. A former pole vaulter and softball player, he stands 6-foot-5 (1.96m) and weighs 235 pounds (107 kg). Art Sellinger, 6-foot-2(1.88m) and 225 pounds(102 kg), was a two-time national champion and is the owner of Long Drivers of America.
Equipment
Long drive clubs, which are always drivers, are different in many ways from consumer clubs. Until the recent club length limitation rules, the shafts were much longer than a normal 44 in. (112 cm) shaft, sometimes exceeding 55 in. (140 cm). In 2005, the 50 in. (127 cm) limitation was introduced.
Long drive shafts differ from standard shafts. The main difference is stiffness, as a shaft not stiff enough will lag in an inconsistent manner, causing a loss of control. Long drive shafts are much stiffer in flex and almost always made of graphite, which is lighter than steel. In order to be stiff, a shaft is usually heavier and stronger. The shafts usually are still longer than a normal shaft, although within limitations. The kick point or bend point is also higher for a lower trajectory relative to the swing, and the shaft has a lower torque, meaning that it will not twist as much, allowing the clubhead to stay straighter.
Clubheads usually approach the 460 cubic centimeter limit, with the smallest in competition around 370 cubic centimeters. They must stay within the Coefficient Of Restitution(COR) limit of 0.83, which measures how a ball hits off the surface. Most clubheads only approach the COR in the center of the club, so technology has allowed more area of the club to posess a COR of above 0.80. Off-center hits that would otherwise lose much distance and accuracy do not lose as much with the newer clubheads. The loft of a long drive club is also much lower than a consumer club, sometimes around 4 or 5 degrees, as opposed to 10.5 degrees for an amateur's driver. That is because long drivers place their balls on high tees toward the followthrough of the swing, toward the left foot for a right-handed golfer and vice-versa. They swing their clubs to hit the ball on the upswing for a high trajectory worth over 12 degrees. The benefit of a lower loft hitting the same trajectory is that the ball has less backspin and can bounce and roll more upon landing, which can sometimes account for over 30 yards(27 m) of distance. Clubheads over 500 cubic centimeters and/or CORs of above 0.83 exist but are illegal in competition.
In all Long Drivers of America (LDA) sanctioned competitions, competitors must hit the same type of ball, the Pinnacle Gold Distance Maximum Velocity. The characteristic of this ball is raw distance with minimal spin, which helps the bounce and roll. It is optimized for long driving and is less sensitive to play with on a regular course, albeit possible nonetheless.
Despite having unique, custom clubs, a long driver can still hit any normal club much farther than an amateur or PGA player could.
External links
Last updated: 05-07-2005 07:14:16
Last updated: 05-13-2005 07:56:04
