We love when we hear a golfer tell someone that their average driver distance is 300 yards plus! Why do we love it?
To be honest, it is funny. It simply isn’t true.
Unless you are at a party with Jon Rahm or Kyle Berkshire, we are willing to bet your neighbor doesn’t hit it 300+!
Fishermen like to exaggerate the size of their catch and golfers enjoy artificially increasing their average driver distance.
We aren’t saying they are lying on purpose, but we don’t have much faith in their data.
With this in mind let’s explore average golf drive distance and talk about ways you can improve. How can you start to hit your drives farther?
We’ll look at:
- Average Driver Distance By Player Type, from Amateurs to PGA Players
- Average Driver Distance By Sex – How Men and Women Compare
- Average Driver Distance By Handicap
- Average Driver Distance By Age – How The Years Affect Your Drive
- 5 Great Tips For Improving Your Average Golf Drive Distance
Let’s tee off!
Average Golf Drive Distance – By Player Type
Not all golfers are the same. We have professional golfers and amateur golfers. We have male golfers and female golfers. We have scratch golfers and high handicappers.
Let’s look at the average golf drive distance by player type.
During the most recent PGA Tour golf season, the average golf drive distance was 291 yards.
Only 22 of the 193 players (11%) averaged 300+ yards. These are the best players in the world. You can see why we laugh at your buddy that claims to hit it 320!
What about lady professional golfers? The longest LPGA player in 2022 was Maria Fassi and her average golf drive distance was 279 yards.
As you would expect, the average golf drive distance for amateur golfers is much lower than for professionals.
Average Driver Distance By Sex
The average male golfer hits his driver 215 yards and the average female golfer rips it just over 150 yards.
Average Driver Distance By Handicap
Yes, your golf skill plays a significant role in your average golf drive distance.
Single-digit handicaps hit 250 yards, while 20+ handicaps average under 200 yards.
Average Driver Distance By Handicap Chart
| Handicap Range | Average Driver Distance |
| Under 5 | 250 yards |
| 5-10 | 231 yards |
| 10-19 | 215 yards |
| 19-28 | 195 yards |
| Over 28 | 177 yards |
Average Golf Drive Distance – By Age
The goal is to put yourself in the correct bucket to compare your distance to other golfers like you.
Above we talked about professionals vs. amateurs and how your handicap (golf skill) impacts your distance, but now we want to focus on age.
As we mentioned in the previous section, the average distance for a male golfer is 215 yards – let’s take a closer look at this number by considering the age of the player.
Being young has some advantages and one of them is your average golf drive distance. Players under the age of 30 average 243 yards.
As you get older, your swing speed starts to decrease and this impacts your ability to hit your driver.
A rough estimate is that you will lose 10 yards every 10 years. Golfers between 30-40 years old average 230 yards.
Senior golfers (60+) average less than 200 yards off the tee. This is why many of them start to play the more forward set of tees.
As you lose distance, there is no shame in moving up a tee box. You want to play from a distance which allows you to still compete and enjoy the game.
When you play a new course, always check the scorecard and pick a yardage that is right for you, based on your average golf drive distance.
Did you know that some golf courses are even starting to design their course with this in mind? One example is Longleaf Golf Club in Pinehurst NC.
Their tee boxes are numbered 1-7 and they have distances marked on their driving range with the same numbers.
The idea is that before your round you hit drivers on the range and pay attention to which “numbered sign” you reach.
If your drivers reach the #5 sign on the range, you should play the #5 tees on the golf course.
It is a cool way to help golfers pick the correct set of tees based on their average golf drive distance.
Average Driver Distance By Age Chart
| Age Range | Average Driver Distance |
| 20-29 | 240 yards |
| 30-39 | 230 yards |
| 40-49 | 220 yards |
| 50-69 | 210 yards |
| 60+ | 195 yards |
| All Golfers | 219 yards |
How Can You Improve Your Average Golf Drive Distance? Can You Learn To Be Above Average?
You should be able to use the above information to determine if you are below or above average. Regardless of where you currently fall, we think you can get better.
You can develop the ability to hit the golf ball farther and increase your golf drive average distance. We have 4 ideas for you below.
1. Hit The Ball In The Center Of The Clubface
There are many different factors that determine how far you hit the ball (swing speed, clubhead speed, etc.), but nothing is more important than hitting it solidly.
Yes, professional golfers swing hard, but they also rarely miss the “sweet spot”. Golf clubs are built to give you maximum distance when you hit the center of the clubface.
I once asked a buddy why I don’t shoot lower scores and he sarcastically responded “lack of talent and lack of practice”.
I didn’t love his feedback, but he wasn’t wrong. To get better at golf you have to improve your technique and spend time on it. Let’s start with your technique.
Where do you miss the ball? Do you tend to hit it off the toe or on the heel?
You can use impact tape to get a better understanding of where you strike the golf ball.
Once you understand your game, it is time to allocate time towards your improvement. You may want to consider getting a lesson from a certified professional.
Regardless if you decide to go with a lesson or not, you will need to spend time at the driving range working on your average golf drive distance.
Develop an improvement plan and commit to a practice routine.
Ben Hogan famously said, “the secret is in the dirt”. He meant that you could find your game in the dirt of the driving range. You must practice if you want to improve.
2. Reduce Your Spin Rate
The driver you are using will impact your average golf drive distance. You may be able to hit the ball farther by tweaking your equipment.
Most amateur golfers lose distance because they put too much spin on the golf ball. This can happen for several different reasons.
The shaft in your driver may be the wrong flex. The perfect shaft for you will be determined by your launch angle and swing speed.
You may need a different brand or model of driver to reduce your spin rate.
The best way to determine the fix is to visit a golf store with a golf simulator. After each shot, the system will tell you the spin rate.
The best possible spin rate for you will depend on your swing speed, but anything between 2,000-2,500 RPMs is good.
The great thing about using a golf simulator is that you can make changes and immediately tell if it helped.
Try a new shaft, check your spin rate. Try a different driver, check your spin rate. Try a different golf ball, check your spin rate.
Figure out the combination of club, shaft, and golf ball that reduces your spin rate and your average golf drive distance will increase.
3. Set Stronger With Speed Training
What if there was a training program that would allow you to improve your clubhead speed in less than an hour per week?
Good news – these type of programs do exist. They are relatively inexpensive and can be completed in your free time between Zoom meetings.
The most popular is SuperSpeed. You use weight golf shafts to teach your body how to swing harder.
The workouts are easy to do and are quite fun. You literally swing as hard as you can. The goal is to introduce your body to this dynamic movement.
You will be amazed by the results. In a couple months you will start to notice you are hitting the golf ball farther.
Father Time may be undefeated, but you can decrease the impact of aging on your average golf drive distance with a speed program.
Get started today – you aren’t getting any younger!
4. Start A Golf Fitness Program
A quick way to improve your golf game is to improve your physical condition. More flexibility and strength can give you more distance.
Tiger Woods started the golf fitness craze when he joined the PGA Tour and now professional golfers look like athletes instead of bowlers.
There have been millions of dollars spent to determine the best exercises for golfers and you can take advantage of this investment.
Find a fitness instructor that is certified to help golfers. TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) is a good place to start.
Your certified instructor will assess your weaknesses and build you a custom program to help you improve your golf swing and increase your average golf drive distance.
Some golfers may be losing distance because of tightness in their upper leg muscles, while others might have poor shoulder flexibility.
Learn where your body needs help and improve these areas and you will not only hit the ball farther, you will feel better at the end of your round.
If you are unhappy about your average golf drive distance do something about it! Age ain’t nothing but a number.
