1999 U.S. Open was on last night on the Golf Channel

[Hawgon]

And yes, it was rainy and cool that final day, but the distances on the drives were pretty eye opening.

Tiger was one group ahead of Payne Stewart and Phil.  On the last hole Tiger hit his drive 304.  Phil hit his about 265.  And Payne Stewart hit his 250! 

I watched about the last hour of it and you could tell that Tiger was swinging at it about as hard as he could, and Stewart and Phil were going about 80%.  On the other hand, the iron distances weren't that much off from what they are now.  Phil used a 7 iron on a 196 par 3 and Stewart used a 6 iron.

But Tiger changed the game.  Before he came around, I think players were still playing position golf that had been the style on tour all the way back to when Hogan won that way.  Their mentality hadn't caught up to the equipment.  Once Tiger got up there and not only bombed it, but dominated doing it, others began to swing for distance as well.  Then the manufacturers got on board and created a new ball built for distance and things really took off.

Tiger wasn't the first bomber or even the longest, but he was certainly the first bomber to come along in a long long time who could bomb it like that and win while doing it.  He really changed the game.

[billcollector]

I watched also, has the exact thoughts about distances and such... other things i noticed..

Tiger was playing what appeared to be a 90 compression titliest professional...

Had all but forgotten that Vijay wore those over sized glasses when he played...

Payne Stewart was a damn good swinger of the golf club... im going to try and incorporate some of that smooth action into my swing...

Funniest thing was trying to explain Payne's outfit to my GF...

[razordank42]

Thought the same thing, also had to explain the outfit to my wife n son and plane crash

[Hawgon]

I had also forgotten how much those guys could spin it on the greens with the balata balls.

[Pulled(PP)pork]

and it all started with Tiger getting the early morning tee time that previous thursday......


Pulled out...

[userpick]

Fashion has come a long way, too. Tiger was wearing a heavy, cloth shirt. When did dry-fit/clima-cool become popular?

[EastexHawg]

and it all started with Tiger getting the early morning tee time that previous thursday......

Tiger's not in the field at the Nelson this weekend.  That means Mickelson gets to go off in the morning on Thursday.  Will probably throw his body into shock...

BTW, keep it up.  Your hilarity is bringing down the house.  But have you noticed how many times Tiger has had the early Thursday tee time in majors and big tournaments (The Players) since I mentioned it a few years ago? 

[Hawgon]

Fashion has come a long way, too. Tiger was wearing a heavy, cloth shirt. When did dry-fit/clima-cool become popular?

Six or seven years ago.

[Hawgon]

It is wierd how much things have changed.  If you had asked a pro in the early 90s if he wanted a ball that went 20 yards longer, he probably would have told you that distance was not as important as precision.  After Tiger, that changed. 

If you had asked Hogan if he could hit a 7 iron two hundred yards, he would have probably told you that you were an idiot and that no one needed to hit a seven iron that far since a four iron worked perfectly well.

For those of us just old enough to have started golf in that era, it is startling to read message boards and the like and see what distances amateurs think they should be hitting their clubs.

[billcollector]

Fashion has come a long way, too. Tiger was wearing a heavy, cloth shirt. When did dry-fit/clima-cool become popular?

good point, i couldn't imagine playing golf now in a cotton shirt.. hell i even used to wear an under shirt...

[kingofdequeen]

For those of us just old enough to have started golf in that era, it is startling to read message boards and the like and see what distances amateurs think they should be hitting their clubs.

the only comparison would be if weekend warriors played baseball instead and used major leaguers as their barometers of average.

can you imagine some old dude on a bump somewhere working to get his 2-seamer up into the mid 80s?

[Wildhog]

I had also forgotten how much those guys could spin it on the greens with the balata balls.

I bought a big bag of recycled balls for the ol' lady, and I found several old tour balatas.

[71832]

the only comparison would be if weekend warriors played baseball instead and used major leaguers as their barometers of average.

can you imagine some old dude on a bump somewhere working to get his 2-seamer up into the mid 80s?

If I can get my slider to move a little more

[kingofdequeen]

If I can get my slider to move a little more

just work on your location.

[EastexHawg]

I bought a big bag of recycled balls for the ol' lady, and I found several old tour balatas.

I got some tour balatas about ten years ago because I got a free Golden Bear cap if I bought a dozen.  For the life of me I can't remember what kind of balls they were, but for that time they were pretty expensive.

We go out to the course and I pull out my new tour balls.  And...I'm coming up short on every approach.  At first I thought I must not have hit them as well as I thought, but then I figured out it was the ball.  Even in the technology of the late 90s to around 2000, before the Pro V1, the balls I was playing were longer than the expensive tour balls. 

I gave three sleeves of them to one of my buddies next time out.

[71832]

just work on your location.

funny, Wal-marts chick told me the same thing.

[Hawgon]

Even in the technology of the late 90s to around 2000, before the Pro V1, the balls I was playing were longer than the expensive tour balls. 

There has never been a ball made that is longer than a Rock-Flite you could buy in 1982.  The revolution with the Strata and the Pro-V1 was that they made a ball almost that long that was also soft enough for the tour player.

[EastexHawg]

There has never been a ball made that is longer than a Rock-Flite you could buy in 1982.  The revolution with the Strata and the Pro-V1 was that they made a ball almost that long that was also soft enough for the tour player.

I think I may have been playing a Strata back then.  I always put my pants on one leg at a time and occasionally even tried saying, "Be the right club today", but I never hit them quite like Hal Sutton.

[HF#1]

That was a great open.  I hope the next open at Pinehurst is as compelling as that one was.  Those were good times in the PGA tour.

[Pulled(PP)pork]

.  But have you noticed how many times Tiger has had the early Thursday tee time in majors and big tournaments (The Players) since I mentioned it a few years ago?

first I've heard of it...


Pulled out...

[Hawg414]

If you had asked Hogan if he could hit a 7 iron two hundred yards, he would have probably told you that you were an idiot and that no one needed to hit a seven iron that far since a four iron worked perfectly well.

For those of us just old enough to have started golf in that era, it is startling to read message boards and the like and see what distances amateurs think they should be hitting their clubs.

heard an interesting take on this once in an interview.. and youll appreciate it as it came from your buddy Jack.

said he was on a range hitting 7 irons to a stick at 150.  crowd had piled up to watch him.  overheard a couple of the amateurs muttering that they were surprised he was hitting a 7 iron, bc THEY too could hit their 7 iron 150.  he said he turned around and looked at them.. turned back around.. dropped another ball and hit it 175.  dropped another and hit it 200.  dropped a 3rd and hit it about 225.  said he turned back around to the guys... "i can hit it as far as i want to... i choose to hit it 150." 

[kingofdequeen]

thumbs down.  nobody hits 7 225.

however...it is a good drill.  take every club in your bag and hit it 100 or 150 yards.

[Hawgon]

thumbs down.  nobody hits 7 225.

however...it is a good drill.  take every club in your bag and hit it 100 or 150 yards.

Sure they do if they hood it down so that it has the loft of a 3 iron.

[kingofdequeen]

Sure they do if they hood it down so that it has the loft of a 3 iron.

If his name was Jamie Sadlowski, i believe you.

[Pulled(PP)pork]

thumbs down.  nobody hits 7 225.

however...it is a good drill.  take every club in your bag and hit it 100 or 150 yards.

I hit my pitching wedge 150, but it ain't gonna end up on the green


Pulled out...

[EastexHawg]

One of my friends used to be able to thin/nearly blade every iron in his bag.  It was an amazing talent, really.  Thirty years ago he could hit a Jim Turnesa 9-iron 160 yards with a beat up Club Special or Blue Max.

There was one par three on the local public course on which he would always ask "what are you hitting"?  When someone else would say "7" or maybe even "6", he would get a dung eating grin and say "I'm hitting 9".  He would then take a violent swing like a gorilla.  Half the time he would blade it over the green, over the creek, and into the pines, but at least he showed everyone.