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For those who want the TLDR: > "We can now fairly accurately determine that ball number one travelled 24 yards, and ball number two travelled 40 yards," says C
by sebmellen 6y ago
For those who want the TLDR:
> "We can now fairly accurately determine that ball number one travelled 24 yards, and ball number two travelled 40 yards," says Cheshire-based Saunders, who has been working with the United States Golf Association (USGA) to mark the anniversary.
> "Unfortunately, even the impressive second shot could hardly be described as 'miles and miles and miles', but of course this has only ever been regarded as a light-hearted exaggeration."
Is 40 yards impressive? I don't know anything about golf but as an ignorant observer that sounds fairly tame.
- jakear 6y agoAny shot on the moon is pretty impressive. But yes 40 would be puny on earth.
- nickff 6y agoHe did it one-handed (with some sort of iron IIRC), and had to 'fight' his own suit, which offered poor visibility and range of motion, as well as 'elasticity' from changes in volume.
- azernik 6y agoThe iron was an actual golf iron head, attached to the collapsible rod/handle of a sampling scoop.
- favorited 6y agoIt's impressive if you're 40 yards from the pin! But no, it would not be very long on Earth. A Par 4 hole would usually be between 300-470 yards from the mens' tees.
- sebmellen 6y agoMuch appreciated, this is what I was looking for. Turns out the article answered my question in more depth but I missed that part and thus the downvotes.
- ISL 6y agoThe entire second half of the article is devoted to that question.
- sebmellen 6y agoSorry, completely missed that. I was looking for that section but the large picture on my phone's screen somehow "signaled" the end of the article to my brain. Thanks for the heads up :)
- cooperadymas 6y agoThis is the problem with DR... > While those distances may appear underwhelming, it is still an astonishing feat by Shepard > The pressurised suits severely restricted movement, and due to their helmet's visors they struggled to even see their feet. > I would challenge any club golfer to go to their local course and try to hit a six-iron, one-handed, with a one-quarter swing out of an unraked bunker. > Then imagine being fully suited, helmeted and wearing thick gloves. Remember also that there was little gravity to pull the clubhead down toward the ball. > The fact that Shepard even made contact and got the ball airborne is extremely impressive
- sebmellen 6y agoThank you, I missed that part of the article entirely. I was on my phone, and scrolled down to read the article, but those images took up a large part of the screen and I sort of half-consciously took that to signal the end of the article, thus prompting me to ask here.
- cooperadymas 6y agoIt happens. NBD. My initial response was perhaps more snide than I intended, I should have at the very least ended it with a smiley to show I was only being playful. FWIW I don't feel your comment deserves to be downvoted, and this one where you acknowledge it certainly does not.
- willcipriano 6y agoIf the golf ball only traveled 40 yards, using motorised conveyance to chase after it would look rather silly.
- jerf 6y ago"Is 40 yards impressive?" It's the world record, which has stood for 50 years. Hopefully it won't stand another 50.
- gumby 6y agoIt is indeed the world record...for that world.