Comment

David Willmore

David Willmore is aiming for the top in long-driving golf after making stunning progress.

The 38-year-old from Witney finished seventh in his first competition, the UK Open at Whittlebury Park.

And with a swing speed faster than Tiger Woods, he now believes he could match the professionals in the US-dominated sport.

Willmore, who is a former British and European freestyle martial arts champion, said: "It all started on New Year's Eve last year.

"I was playing with some friends and ended up reaching most of the par fours in one.

"I did some research and it turned out that I was hitting similar distances to the long drive pros."

Willmore decided to enter the UK open where he qualified for the final with a 353-yard drive that virtually plugged.

"The reason why I didn't go further in the final was because I only had a six-degree club," said Willmore.

"All the others had a range of drivers so they could send the ball up higher into the wind.

"I was only about seven metres behind the people who get paid to do this.

"This year was only going to be a test, but it's going so well I'll just see where I get to."

Willmore fits windows and conservatories for Chipping Norton Glass and says the physical side of job is useful for training.

He is also doing a lot of gym work and is looking for sponsorship in this area.

Willmore's swing speed is 136mph, which is what gives him his distance.

He said: "The John Cook School of Golf at Witney Lakes have let me use one of their swing meters.

"I'm not allowed to hit straight down the range there because I hit the balls out the back.

"A lot of people give me a bit of grief on the driving range, saying you can hit the ball far, but can you putt?

"I only play golf three or four times a year, but my handicap is around 12.

"If I was in America, it would be a totally different thing, but not a lot is known about long-driving in the UK."

Long-drive events have a 40-yard wide landing area, so accuracy also important, but speed is the key.

Willmore said: "My swing speed is faster and longer than Tiger Woods.

"If I'm hitting 100 balls flat out I will tend to fatigue quite a lot.

"If I use a normal driver flat out I would shatter the face after ten shots because of my swing speed.

"Long-drive clubs have no dimples in the face to avoid back spin and the shafts are 50 inches long.

"The loft is anything from three degrees upwards, but all the clubs are USPGA approved.

"The average golfer swings between 80 and 90mph, while tour pros get up to 115 or more.

"I'm not fast compared to some of the top long drivers. Some of them get up to 150mph.

"But they are 6ft 5in and 18-stone, I'm only 5ft 10in."

He added: "I gave up the martial arts when I was getting a bit too old.

"It won't be long before I'm eligible for the long-drive seniors tour."

Willmore will compete next in Farnham in July and has had invites to play around Europe.

Would he recommend others trying out long drive?

Willmore replied: "If you can go over 300 yards I suggest you can have a go.

"You're not going to be competitive yet, but if you can hit 340-350 yards, you could be up there."

6:13pm Wednesday 30th April 2008

Print

Email this

Comment

Add your comment

Name:
Email: *
Location:
**
	e.g. 123-123
Comment: Please note: All HTML tags will be ignored. Format Text:
By posting a comment, I confirm that I have read and agree to the terms of use. Comments are not moderated but we will react if anything that breaks the rules comes to our attention and we may delete inappropriate postings. Please treat other people with respect. You must not post anything that is abusive, indecent, unlawful or defamatory. Remember, you are personally liable for what you post on this site. If you wish to complain about a comment, contact us here.
* Your email address will not be displayed ** To avoid register now or login