Does anyone know what were the average drives of Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Arnie and the Golden Bear

Question

I am talking in their prime. I know that Jack had a bomb of a drive and could definitely compete successfully in the PGA Tour if he was still 30 years old. What about the rest?

Answer 1

I don't know... but not as far as the players today, due to their equipment.  I just watched that HBO doc on Hogan/Palmer/Nicklaus and they talked about Hogan winning the grand slam and shooting 68 in the final round at the British...  Think about that now.  68 with those old clubs after traveling for days by ship to get to a course he's never seen.  

I think the old dogs could hold their own.

And if I hear one more person talk about Tiger and his knee... Hogan came back from a hospital bed and didn't limp sometimes, he limped on every step on legs wrapped in ace bandages and won the open.

Answer 2

Hogan, Snead, and Nelson were in their prime in the 1940s and 50s.  At that time drivers were either laminated wood, or persimmon wood.  There were no graphite shafts.  Most players hit low draws off the tee to get more roll.  Average drive was about 240, a big bomber downhill might go 260 or 270 tops.  Palmer and Nicklaus were in their prime in the mid sixties and technology had advanced.  They still hit persimmon drivers, but Arnie would go out there about 260 and Jack could hit a big one 270.  Later in their careers when we got to metal heads and graphite shafts they hit it further, but by then they were older and not as supple and strong.  In the mid sixties a 300 yard drive was just  huge and almost unheard of.

But with all this talk of driving distance don't loose sight of one thing - Golf is not about how far you hit the ball, it is about how many times you hit it.

Answer 3

With the equipment they were using back then, I would be surprised if any of them averaged much more than 260, 270 tops.  Now, if you put today's equipment in their hands, they would definitely compete successfully in today's tour.