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Arvada power golfer one of four world top hitters

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Contributed by: Karen Groves/YourHub.com on 11/13/2008

Derek Hines said he started playing golf when he was 9, but didn't take it seriously until he finished up his pro baseball career in 2000.

The 31-year-old Arvada West High School graduate came in third at the week-long RE/MAX World Long Drive Championship Oct. 25 in Mesquite, Nev., where power golfers competed to see how far they could hit a golf ball on a grid that is 50 yards wide and 480 yards long, or the length of five football fields.

Hines said, "Players come from all over the world. I lost to a guy from South Africa and the winner was from Canada."

Hines made it into the final four with qualifying drives of 374, 379,399,390,398 and 413 yards.

Hines said winner Jamie Sadlowski, hit the ball 418 yards, a new record for the finals. He defeated South African Dewald Gouws whose ball flew 387 yards. Gouws took home $60,000, the winning purse was $250,000 and Hines made $25,000 after hitting the ball 413 yards.

Hines said touring events, which he hopes to do more of, can reach a top payout of $50,000 that is split amongst the winner and other players. The winner usually takes home $14,000.

"I've probably made $40,000 in the last two or three years, but, I've spent $60,000."

Russ Pate, director of communications for the Long Drivers of America, said, "This is the second time Derek has been in the top eight in the past three years. He's one of the top four hitters in the world."

Hines said, "This was my second time to make it to the finals. it was a blast."

Hines said his baseball background helped. After graduating from Arvada West in 1995 he played baseball at Yavapai College in Prescott, Ariz. After transferring to the University of Nevada, Reno where he played baseball in 1998, he signed as a free agent to play minor league baseball for the Chicago Cubs in 1999, where he played for two years.

Hines said he got started in long drive competitions in 2002.

Pate said, "It takes a lot of fast-twitch muscles and superior hand-eye coordination, as well as strength and timing and the mental focus to deliver a fast swing. You have to make solid contact within a split second."

Pate said baseball and hockey players have a similar coordination to swing hard.

"They have fast hips and fast wrists," Pate said.

Hines's old friend Zac Adams, who went to Oberon Junior High School with Hines and lives in Arvada as well, also has competed in the long drive. Adams said he and Hines they played baseball together as kids.

"We've both made it to the finals in the past five years. We do the same competition which is against 15,000 entries."

Adams emphasized how important it is to hit the ball straight within the grid.

"I got eliminated because I hit it out of bounds, but Derek did really well," Adams said.

Hines, who lives with his wife Julie and their 14-week-old daughter Addison in Arvada, said, "The long drive competition has nothing to do with putting. You see how far you can hit the ball."

Hines said because he won this year, he is exempt from competing in the qualifying rounds next year.

His training involves less weight lifting and more core training and stretching.

"The best I can do is play a lot of golf. You have to modify your training as you get older, but I will be at the world championships next October.

When he's not on the golf course, Hines takes care of baby Addison until 4 p.m. then heads to Colorado softball and Baseball Academy near Interstate 25 and 58th Avenue to coach traveling youth baseball teams for kids under 18.

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The October finals will be aired on ESPN at 1 p.m. Dec. 24 and on ESPN 2 on Dec. 25 at 2 p.m.

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Submitted By: Kevin Villegas

posted on 11/14/2008 @ 11:18:45 AM

Rated Story

My dad totally worked the Long Drive Competition this year. He lives in Mesquite, and he said they hit the ball so far, you lose sight of it. I believe him.

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