Take more club, my friend

There have been two consistent statistics in my life.

1. I hit my 7-iron 150 yards, no matter what age.

2. Women leave me because I play too much golf.

But this next stat sorta blew my mind. Columbia Business School professor Mark Broadie (the guy behind the PGA Tour’s “Strokes Gained” analytics) crunched the numbers on golf shot dispersion.

From 150 yards out, the average 90-shooting amateur leaves the ball 40 yards away from the hole.

Wait, what?

That means the average amateur leaves almost ONE-THIRD of the original distance still left to go? Doesn’t seem possible.

Why is the gap so massive compared to the pros (who average about 8-10 yards from the pin)?

1. Mis-hits: Off-center strikes strip away ball speed, leaving shots drastically short.

2. The “Perfect Shot” self-delusion: Us amateurs club ourselves based on the one time we caught it pure back in 2022, rather than their actual average distance. Broadie’s data shows we miss short over 70% of the time.

Broski…ouch…..that hurts.

I wonder if Broadie factored in beer consumption in his study. Either way, take one more club than you think you need, and swing smooth. Your golf scorecard will thank you.