How Far Did Bobby Jones Hit The Ball… And How Far Would He With Modern Equipment?

Bobby Jones’ brief career was phenomenal. He won 13 major titles (those include The Amateur of 1930 and the US Amateur, which he won five times).

He won his first US Open in 1923 at the age of just 21. He won his final US Amateur at Merion thereby completing the famous “grand slam” at the age of only 28. In total, he played in just 21 Majors (including the amateur championships), and he won 13 of them. An almost unbelievable record.

He played sparingly but when he did, he invariably won. He was able to travel across the Atlantic and win. He was an equal to, and perhaps save for Walter Hagen, better than all the professional golfers of his era.

He had an exceptional aptitude for the sport. He wasn’t a big man, but he was strong with a graceful, flowing, powerful swing. He kept using the hickory shafts when others were moving to steel.

When he swung, the club looked loose, but he was just so balanced and centred. His action was a real thing of beauty.

There’s no doubt that Bobby Jones was a true great of our sport. We know he was a superb striker of the ball, but how far did he hit it?

First thing to remember is the equipment he was using. He played with hickory shafts and had to swing accordingly. Hickories demanded a more flowing action than steel shafted clubs. Power had to be generated more with perfect rhythm than brute force.

Although the best players could hit the ball prodigious distances with hickory clubs, they didn’t generate such length as those with steel shafts.

A good degree of speculation is required when considering the distances players from bygone eras were able to hit. Of course, there was no ball tracking in the 1920s so there aren’t reams of data to pore over.

But with Jones, we do have some evidence to go on. We know that Jones was one of the longer hitters of his era. There’s plenty of written evidence that indicates he was able to keep up with, and out-drive most of those in the fields of his day.

But what does that mean in terms of yardage? Well, we have some guidance from his own words.

In his famous book “Down the Fairway” he said - "I should say that for me the No. 4 is good for about 160-175 yards; the mashie-iron up to 190 yards; the No. 2 something like 200 yards; and 210 to 220 yards for the No. 1 and the driving-mashie"

These were his irons, so he could hit his strongest iron up to 220 yards. His wooden headed clubs would have gone further of course. Perhaps with the strongest of those he might have averaged somewhere around the 250-yard mark.

He could (of course) hit it further when required or conditions allowed.

Bobby's best stats...

During the 36-hole medal qualifying for the US Amateur at Merion in 1930, the distances players drove the ball was documented at some holes. Here are some of Bobby’s best stats...

Hole #5, 2nd round-> 275yd Drive
Hole #6, 2nd round-> 250yd 2i
Hole #7, 1st round-> 290yd Drive
Hole #8, 1st round-> 320yd Drive...2nd round->325yd Drive
Hole #16, 1st round-> 270yd Drive...2nd round->300yd Drive
Hole #18, 1st round-> 300yd Drive...2nd round->280yd Drive

Again from his own words, we know he was capable of some absolute boomers. In Down the Fairway he recounts drives at the 11^th and 14th holes at Oakland Hills.

"I remember that at the eleventh hole Charlie Hall, the famous Birmingham slugger, with whom I was paired, got away a drive of 360 yards and I nearly matched it with one of 340 yards; the two pokes aggregated just 700 yards.

And I got a longer one, potentially, at the 14th hole of the same round, where the drive goes straight against a sharply ascending hillside leading up to the green, 340 yards away. With no help whatever in roll, my shot there was just off the corner of the green. I think that is the longest ball I ever hit, for carry, though some have travelled a good deal farther before they stopped rolling."

Bobby Jones was capable of hitting the ball beyond 300 yards, but a fair average would likely have been around the 250-yard mark.

How Far Would Bobby Jones Have Hit The Ball With Modern Equipment?

Bobby Jones of the 1920s swung the club differently to players of the modern era. The hickory shafts he used necessitated that.

If he were given a modern driver and golf ball, he would first have to learn to adapt his technique before he could get the very best results.

But he was one of the most skilful golfers of all time with a brilliant action, so let’s assume he would be able to adapt fairly rapidly.

He wouldn’t have had the strength and fitness conditioning of the modern professional. Golfers didn’t train in the same way 100 years ago. So, without spending some time training in the gym, he wouldn’t have been able to generate clubhead speeds up to the level of a Rory or a Bryson.

But he was hugely dedicated with a ferocious will to win so, if he were alive in this era, we can safely say he would have put in the necessary hours to be in peak physical condition.

Without learning how to use the modern driver and without getting to modern professional fitness levels, I’d estimate he would drive the ball somewhere around the 280 or 290-yard mark with modern equipment.

By the time he modified his technique and became super-fit (as we know he would do) there’s no reason to think he wouldn’t be hitting the ball as far as the top modern professionals – 320 to 330 yards on average.

He was one of the longer hitters of his generation, he was an otherworldly golfing talent then and he would be now. He’d be keeping up with the longer hitters on tour.

Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen Quiz