Playing golf is quite hard and often makes you want to pick up your golf ball and give it a solid toss near the hole.
With how hard golf can be, having to play out every shot is just a lot of work, and sometimes more than a new player can handle.
If you are frustrated with your game and can’t get the ball out of a bunker, you may have tossed it at some point.
Have you ever tried to really give the golf ball a good throw?
It is much harder than you may think.
The ball does not travel through the air in the same way that you might think it would.
The golf ball gets kind of caught up, and this happens for a number of reasons.
If you are curious as to how far you can throw a golf ball, we have everything you want to know.
As frustrating as this game of golf can be, chances are you will still find your clubs to be more successful than your arm.
How Far Can You Throw A Golf Ball?
A golf ball can be thrown, on average, about 60 yards.
For people who have a very strong arm and a good throwing technique, it is certainly possible for the ball to travel 100 yards or more.
Those who feel as though the golf ball is a little too lightweight and difficult to throw may only be able to get the ball to go about 40 yards.
The distance of these throws may seem like it is not that much, but you have to remember that most golf yardages are measured using the metric system.
When you think about it this way, a yard is really three feet.
Throwing a ball 100 yards is more like 300 feet, and this is a long throw.
Overall, learning to throw a golf ball this far will take time and practice, and you will probably need to be careful that you don’t hurt yourself.
Although some people can really get a hold of a golf ball and throw it quite far, most will not find this to be the case.
In fact, you will soon find out that the better way to get a golf ball to travel a long way is to simply use the golf club as it is intended to be used.
Should You Throw A Golf Ball?
Throwing a golf ball is really not a great idea, nor is it necessary.
There are two reasons you really don’t want to throw a golf ball.
The first is that it could cause an injury.
However, the second reason is that this is very much against the rules of golf.
Of course, you will see people playing in a casual game and get frustrated and toss the ball.
However, for the most part, you should never touch your golf ball unless it has been marked on the putting green.
There are plenty of penalties associated with touching the golf ball and moving it from one location to another.
The rules of golf are very specific and require you to follow them closely if you are going to be a great player.
Throwing the golf ball around the course is not a fair way to play the game of golf, and it is something that could cause issues with your playing partners over the long term.
Although people often joke about using a hand wedge or a foot wedge to advance the ball, nobody really wants to play a round of golf with a person who cheats.
In fact, most people would rather play a round of golf with a person who is not very good at the game than a person who is dishonest and doesn’t score properly.
Golf is really not about what your score is, but it is more about how you conduct yourself and getting to spend time with friends and family.
If you are a professional golfer and put the time in to be good at the game, then being frustrated is understandable.
However, average golfers need to simply accept that golf is a difficult sport.
What Would You Score If You Played Golf By Throwing The Ball?
With all the discussion around how far a golf ball can be thrown, one of the things that often comes up is what would it look like to throw a ball completely around the golf course.
If you were to play a round of golf and only throw the ball, how many shots would it take?
If you think it is hard to break 100 while using your golf clubs, you will be quite surprised by how much harder it gets when you simply try to throw the ball.
Let’s assume that most golfers are going to throw the ball about 60 yards.
A typical par four is usually close to 400 yards or more.
This will take several throws just to get the ball on the green.
Once the ball is on the green, you will have to roll it to get it to go in the hole.
When you roll a ball on a putting green, it does not always go according to plan.
In fact, it is easier to putt the ball than it is to roll the ball.
The rolling will be extremely inconsistent, where you can learn to control what a putter does.
Putters that are sold in today’s world of golf are very forgiving as they have design features to help players stay consistent, and you won’t find the same results when rolling the golf ball.
Most players would average at least six or seven strokes on a hole.
When you consider the 18 holes of golf, chances are you will end up with a score well into the 130s.
The game of golf would have to be modified quite a bit in order to be played by throwing the ball.
It is certainly not cut out to be this kind of a game.
If you ever want to have a fun day with your friends, this is certainly a great way to try it, but you should make sure to play on a golf course that is empty, and they don’t mind you participating in this way.
Chances are you will lose fewer golf balls because of your ability to throw it straighter than you can hit it, but most will find that playing golf the traditional way is by far a lot more fun.
Why Is Using A Golf Club So Much Different Than Throwing?
When you swing a golf club, it may feel kind of lightweight.
There is no question that swinging a golf club feels quite a bit easier than swinging a baseball bat.
The golf club, although lightweight, can do quite a bit to get the golf ball to travel a long way.
Here are a few reasons that throwing a golf ball is so much different than hitting it with a golf club.
1. Moment Of Inertia
The moment of inertia is sometimes referred to as MOI.
This is the way that the golf ball comes off the clubface of the club at impact.
A high MOI is what you will want from your club.
Golf clubs are made with different materials to help ensure that they have the highest MOI on the market.
With a golf club with a high MOI, it gets much easier to hit the ball a long way.
If you have not purchased clubs in the last few years, you probably will notice an instant difference when trying out some new technology.
Simply take a few swings, and you will feel and see how the ball can jump off the club face.
When you throw a golf ball, this is not going to be the same.
The ball will simply come out of your hand with the force that you were able to give it.
2. Dimple And Groove Interaction
The dimples on the golf ball and the grooves on the golf club will interact to create more distance on your golf shots.
Dimples and grooves also allow for more or less spin on a golf shot.
The lower spinning golf shots tend to roll quite a bit, while the higher spinning golf shots are going to stop where you want them to land.
The dimple and groove interaction between the ball and the club will be much different than you throwing the ball from the palm of your hand.
When you learn to play golf, you probably don’t think very much about how the equipment works to send the ball into the air, but it is a big part of the game of golf.
3. Ball Flight
Many years ago, golfers assumed that if they kept the ball low and along the ground, they would hit their golf shots quite a bit further.
The lower-flighted golf shots do not actually roll as far as the higher golf shots.
The high ball flight golf shots are going through some thinner air, and they are dealing with quite a bit less resistance.
With the way that a golf ball and a golf club interact, you will get considerably higher ball flight with a golf club and ball than you will be able to get just by throwing the ball.
Clearly, there is a major difference between throwing a golf ball and hitting it with a club.
Think about how you can learn to swing a golf club at more than 100 miles per hour.
This is not always the case with being able to throw a pitch because most won’t be able to get anywhere near the same 100 mph.
What Is The Furthest A Golf Ball Has Been Thrown?
Although this is one of those things that we don’t recommend trying at home, you can attempt to throw a golf ball quite far.
The trouble is, of course, as we discussed, that if you do end up throwing the ball very far, it could hurt your shoulder.
A golf ball thrown exceptionally far can cause an injury if your arm is not prepared for it.
Since the ball is so lightweight, it becomes difficult to get it up to full speed and be able to throw the ball.
There is not much resistance from the ball, and it ends up causing some pain.
If, however, you are ready to try and throw a golf ball as far as you possibly can, then we recommend first taking a look at the world record.
The world record for throwing a golf ball is 170 yards or 510 feet.
This is quite long and about the average length that a golfer would hit a five or four iron.
If you have ever attempted to even throw a golf ball across your lawn, you likely understand how difficult this would be to accomplish.
Luckily, this record has held up for quite some time, even with the new golf ball technology on the market.
It seems as though for the golf ball to really go far, it must be compressed by a golf club.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you now feel as though you are ready to be the next long-distance golf ball throwing champion.
After a bit of practice, you can certainly learn to increase the distance that you can throw a golf ball.
Each time you throw it, you will get some better ideas for technique, and for the most part, you should be able to keep it quite a bit straighter than you keep your driver off the tee.
However, in the end, golf would not be what it was if we didn’t have the proper equipment that we have.
Part of the fun of the game is learning how to get these different clubs to interact and perform while out on the golf course.
We don’t see the sport of throwing golf balls around the course taking off anytime soon.
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