Driver — 2026-05-11

Your driver averaged 192 yards of carry and 215 total. Ball speed averaged 137 mph with a peak of 142 on shot 4. Today's conditions worked against you: 8-10 mph wind in the face takes roughly 8-12 yards off driver carry, and worn range balls cost another 5-10 yards. In calm conditions with a fresh ball, expect 200-210 carry and 225-235 total. The 137 mph average ball speed is the more reliable number -- that's the engine, and it isn't affected by wind or ball condition.

The session's biggest problems came on the right side. Shot 1 (R33 offline, R31 curve) opened the day off line. Shot 3 was the worst miss of the day at R50 offline with R42 yards of curve -- an 8-iron-distance penalty and a different fairway on most holes. Shot 6 was the shortest of the day at 166 carry, R33 offline -- a blocked, low strike. Six of eleven shots had R20+ curve. That rate of big right misses is unplayable on the course.

The four highest-quality strikes shared a profile: ball speed 139-142 mph, smaller curve numbers, and offline ranging L5 to L18. Shot 5 was the cleanest face strike of the day -- R1 curve, 140 mph, 197 carry -- but it went L18. Same pattern as the 8-iron and 7-iron sessions: when you commit to the swing and the face is quiet, the path is too in-to-out and the ball pulls left. With driver the miss is wider because the club is longer.

Shots 8 and 9 launched at 12 degrees -- nearly double the session average of 7. Carry was 201/200 with 137/138 mph ball speed. These look like upper-face strikes catching more loft. Decent results (201 carry, R4 offline on shot 8) but inefficient. For driver you want launch in the 10-14 degree range driven by setup, not by face contact. Shots 4 and 5 carried just as far (202/197) with much lower launch -- center-face strikes that didn't need the extra loft.

Shot 2 was your longest at 211 yards (139 mph, 9 degree launch, R19 curve, L5 offline) -- nearly an ideal strike. Shot 6 was your shortest at 166 (135 mph, 4 degree launch, R37 curve, R33 offline) -- a blocked low spinner. That's a 45-yard distance range from the same club, which translates to a multi-club difference on approach. Six shots clustered in the 195-211 range, four shots came in at 169-182. When you make a good swing, the carry is consistent around 200. When you don't, the ball comes up a club short.

1. Three easy half-swings before shot 1. Shots 1 (R33) and 3 (R50) are warmup misses, not swing flaws. 2. The pull-left pattern on your best strikes is the same as your irons -- check stance width and ball position. When the face is square and you still pull it, the path is overcorrecting. 3. R20+ curve = lost ball. Six of eleven shots crossed that threshold today. Face-to-path is the highest-leverage thing to work on. 4. Expected calm-condition carry: 200-210. Total in normal conditions: 225-235. 5. Driver speed is solid at 137 mph average, 142 peak. The engine is there. Direction is the project.