Driver distance for 12yo girl?

[MB19]

2 hours ago, Orange Hog said:

 

You're reading my mind!  We had a good chat this week following a relatively poor outcome at a tournament last Saturday, in terms of where she can improve.  It came down to 2 things - consistent ballstriking and short game.  More specifically, she lost about 5-6 shots from topped iron shots in the middle of the fairway.  it's a mechanics thing and we've been working on it this week at the driving range and on the course.  With short game, it really came down to distance control.  She had probably 4-5 pitch or chip shots that were well struck but came up short of where she needed to land it.

 

In just a few days she's already made some good progress in getting those dialed in a bit more but we're spending a lot of practice time there before moving on.  Right now her strength is in the driver and fairway wood side of the bag.  I think once we get her ball striking and short game dialed in she'll start to see rapid improvement in her scores.

 

Getting the approach game dialed in is pretty unglamorous, but it sure did help both my kids... particularly my daughter.  She would pound a drive or fairway wood to inside 50-60 yards, then it was Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.  While she certainly isn't immune to a bad approach strike, it certainly happens less than it does with her low wedges from short range.  In a perfect world, she gets serious about cleaning up her short game but that will hopefully come.

 

Hitting her 8i-PW to a spot in practice was so boring to both my kids at first, but after a couple of years of inconsistency they bought in.  We have a Mevo+ setup in the garage where there's an approach exercise you can customize to hit greens of varying size from varying yardage.  Scores for hitting the targe area range from 1-5, depending on how close the shot was to the center of the green/area.  A miss of the area is a zero.  This and shooting at target areas at the range were great for them, and still is (even though the Mevo+ doesn't get much action in the summer because the garage is like an oven).

[killer21]

Speed and distance is super over rated in girls golf IMO.  Learn to hit it straight and then girls grow into distance.  I rarely see any girls that didn't grow into enough distance off the tee naturally to score low if they can square the club face.  I would say it's rare unless it's elite USGA or high level AJGA to play over 6000 yards for girls and it's usually somewhere where the ball rolls out anyway so again distance advantage is minimal. Girls are all about straight.  I am teaching my 15 year old now what most 7 year olds are learning how to square the clubface 9.5 out of 10 times.   Better late than never.  BTW she is 15, carry is about 220 + on average - around 90 MPH Club and 140ish ball speed.  Longer than many.

[killer21]

On 7/17/2024 at 3:37 PM, Orange Hog said:

 

You're reading my mind!  We had a good chat this week following a relatively poor outcome at a tournament last Saturday, in terms of where she can improve.  It came down to 2 things - consistent ballstriking and short game.  More specifically, she lost about 5-6 shots from topped iron shots in the middle of the fairway.  it's a mechanics thing and we've been working on it this week at the driving range and on the course.  With short game, it really came down to distance control.  She had probably 4-5 pitch or chip shots that were well struck but came up short of where she needed to land it.

 

In just a few days she's already made some good progress in getting those dialed in a bit more but we're spending a lot of practice time there before moving on.  Right now her strength is in the driver and fairway wood side of the bag.  I think once we get her ball striking and short game dialed in she'll start to see rapid improvement in her scores.

 

Most girls you are playing against are machines.  You need to work way harder.

[Orange Hog]

5 hours ago, killer21 said:

Most girls you are playing against are machines.  You need to work way harder.

 

Wow.  Thanks for that sage advice.  SMH

[eddiecut]

My daughter just turned 13, shes 5'6 and this weekend she flew 201 and 182 with the driver. She has a friend, same age and heigh, she had a few that flew 230. Different swings but her friend can def create the clubhead speed needed to get the ball out there with the driver. 

 

From my limited time in girls junior golf, 200 yards is acceptable... because its the second shots and putting that makes all the difference. 

[slideguy]

It’s really 2 questions.  Can a girl win tournaments U18 without being over 200 years off the tee?  Yes.

 

Will a girl be recruited in D2 without being able to hit the ball over 200?  Probably not unless she is a superstar everywhere else.  Womens D2 and D1 golf is played at approximately 6200 yards.  While coaches might take a girl short on distance, length is something that’s tough to teach.

[neighborhoodhero]

12 minutes ago, slideguy said:

It’s really 2 questions.  Can a girl win tournaments U18 without being over 200 years off the tee?  Yes.

 

Will a girl be recruited in D2 without being able to hit the ball over 200?  Probably not unless she is a superstar everywhere else.  Womens D2 and D1 golf is played at approximately 6200 yards.  While coaches might take a girl short on distance, length is something that’s tough to teach.

2 glasses of salt water for breakfast and a visit with Ray at PXG Orlando. She'll carry it 200 in days

[eddiecut]

Strength training and speed training are a beautiful thing! 

[MB19]

21 hours ago, neighborhoodhero said:

2 glasses of salt water for breakfast and a visit with Ray at PXG Orlando. She'll carry it 200 in days

Headed to Orlando in a few days, may have to visit Ray Ray and see what's up.

[eddiecut]

17 hours ago, MB19 said:

Headed to Orlando in a few days, may have to visit Ray Ray and see what's up.

Is there a joke associated with this? I am curious lol

[MB19]

8 hours ago, eddiecut said:

Is there a joke associated with this? I am curious lol

No, I was serious.

 

But the trip got cancelled ahead of a giant tropical storm coming.