Instruction
How far you can actually hit your driver
This story was selected as one of the 15 best GolfWRX stories of 2015!
For 22 years I have taught golf full time, and the one thing that has NEVER changed is the unrealistic expectations golfers have of how far they think they can drive the ball with their current swing speed.
When I ask students how far they carry the ball and what their average total distance is, the answer is usually grossly inaccurate and overstated 99 percent of the time. It has taken technology such as Trackman and FlightScope, the most popular Doppler Radar systems, to help people truly understand how far they can hit their drives.
For that reason, I’ve provided two charts from Trackman below that show you just how far the ball will carry and roll on PGA Tour-like fairways. The results will probably surprise you, and show that there are far fewer golfers in the world who can actually hit the ball 300 yards without the help of special circumstance.
For swing speeds of 75 mph to 95 mph
For swing speeds of 100 mph to 120 mph
Unless you swing around 105 mph, it’s unrealistic to think that you can carry the ball 250 yards in the air on a windless day at sea level without special circumstances. It’s these special circumstances that golfers tend to recall and focus on when it pertains to their distance output. While this type of vanity driving distance is great for your ego, it is detrimental to your psyche to expect such unrealistic distances to occur.
If you are truly unhappy with your driving distance output, you can see what’s needed to hit the ball farther. The good news is that most golfers do not maximize the distance they can hit their driver for the current speed because of two reasons:
- Off-center contact, which decreases ball speed.
- An angle of attack (usually too much downward, or negative) that creates less-than-ideal launch conditions.
I hate breaking the bad news to my students that they are not driving the ball as far as they think they are, but in golf, knowledge is power. Know what you actually do so you can know what’s possible for your game in the future.
Note: For golfers who live in areas of the world where the courses tend to be softer, it is often better to follow the “Carry Optimizer” charts from Trackman below, which show the launch conditions that will maximize a golfer’s carry distance. Their the best route to the most distance on fairways where the ball does not roll very much.
For swing speeds of 75 mph to 95 mph
For swing speeds of 100 mph to 120 mph
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
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Steve
Oct 13, 2019 at 2:20 am
I’ve been in and out the game since 1981,I hit drives in the Australian long drive championships in 1990 and 1991 311m,314 ms,I was no’1 qualifyier both yrs, I used a borrowed demo driver (Taylor made steel shaft,) from the local pro shop.I was 78kgs,but fairly fit,My swing speed (108-110)wasn’t as fast as some of the bruts who thought they could hit it,It’s technique,strong left side of body and great timing.I’m 55 now ,made a comeback 12mths ago after 16yrs without picking a club up,new technology has made it easy for everyone to hit it long,I’m now very unfit,been pensioned off,I’m no where near as strong as I should be yet with 103-106 mph speed I’m still hitting it bout 245 255 m on fly,yer,timing ,and a descent swing speed ,with these new balls and clubs,long distant hits are possible.TIMING..
Jared
Jul 6, 2019 at 4:36 pm
I just wanted to clear up a few things about launch monitors and sims that confuse a lot of golfers. The biggest thing is that “Total Distance” means nothing regardless of what monitor is being used.
Ball speed, Carry distance, and spin are the only things that matter and they are also the stats that Trackman is more accurate with than any other launch monitor. It’s more accurate because instead of guessing with calculations it tracks the ball during the entire flight all the way to the ground.
I think most people are surprised by Trackman carry numbers because they have used indoor sims and/or Foresight launch monitors. Almost all indoor sims notoriously inflate speed and carry numbers (as well as draw bias). Foresight is more accurate than most sims but it still calculates carry instead of measuring it and is almost always slightly inflated compared to Trackman.
The other confusing variable here is that different launch monitors and sims measure club head speed differently. For example Trackman measures the center of mass of the club while Foresight measures the fastest part of the club (usually the toe of the club as it is closing through the shot). Most of the time Trackman and Foresight will measure identical ball speed numbers with Foresight having significantly (5-6mph) higher club head speed. For this reason golfers who hit on Foresight or indoor sims think they are swinging faster than they actually are.
Summary:
Ball speed is king and is also the most accurate stat to compare between most launch monitors. Your ball speed is THE limiting factor on how far you hit it. You will not be carrying it over 250yds consistently with ball speed less than 155mph. You will not be hitting it as far as most pros if your ball speed is less than 170mph. Sounds simple but very few amateurs have ball speeds over 150mph.
Dmac
Feb 11, 2016 at 11:00 am
I play a golf simulator regularly in the winter. I have a swing speed ( on Avg ) of 97 MPH. The carry distance is always around 235-240 yrds… Don’t care about roll-out as I only want to know what I actually fly the ball. I read articles like this and wonder if people really do believe thier own hype. The said trackman numbers don’t meet what I see on a regular basis at the sim. If you can hit it consistantly to or past the average of pros then I am guessing you are in the wrong line of work. Everyone thinks they hit it farther then they actually do, lol.
stephenf
Jun 6, 2015 at 8:40 pm
Really, really useful. Thanks. I’m looking at the measurements and they’re almost spot-on with on-course experience (at 107-112 mph, somewhat less if I’m in control mode) — the distances based on slight upswing or dead-level impact are right there. That’s not true at all with many of the charts and monitors I’ve seen, which often put me and other plus-handicappers at distances like 210 carry / 240 total, when the average on-course observations (I’m talking about long-term averages under varying conditions, not best-ever with 15-mph trailing wind, downhill, etc.) are much further than that (50-60 yards or more).
Definitely saving for future use. Thanks.
Breakfastballs
Jun 1, 2015 at 12:54 am
There’s one key aspect that is always overlooked in these conversations. Its NOT about clubhead speed. Its about clubhead acceleration. The more you accelerate through the ball, the further it goes. Newton’s second law is Force = Mass x Acceleration (not speed). The simple fact is that if 2 drives are hit at swing speeds of 100 MPH, the one that accelerates more will go further. I think the golf industry thinks physics is boring since they ignore this concept mostly. This golf industry term “smash factor” (Newton cringing) is an attempt to explain the “phenomenon” of why some swings impart a higher level of force on a golf ball than others. Its called acceleration and its not all that difficult to understand. If more golfers were taught this, I think they could learn to hit it a little further.
MHendon
Jun 3, 2015 at 11:43 am
Hmmmm interesting, so I think what you are implying is two golf clubs of equal mass swung on the same plane, striking the ball square and dead center both making impact at a club speed of 100mph will get different results if one is still speeding up at impact while the other is slowing down at impact. You may be right but I would assume the difference would be minimal since the ball is only in contact with the face for a fraction of a second.
stephenf
Jun 6, 2015 at 8:41 pm
I’d like to see the test results myself. I was about to post exactly what you posted.
Jack
Jun 16, 2015 at 2:21 am
The main difference would be that since the ball doesn’t reflect off instantaneously, it does matter if it’s accelerating or decelerating into the ball. I don’t know by how much, but that should make a difference.
Dan
Jul 8, 2019 at 1:49 pm
Sorry buddy, this just isn’t true. Not even in the slightest.
You can’t just debunk smash factor as if efficiency isn’t a thing.
As another user posted, the acceleration is irrelevant as the ball spends so little time on the face. I suspect you’re just trying to justify the discrepancy between your distance claims and your club head speed. Classic WRX.
Ol deadeye
May 26, 2015 at 8:56 am
Ok. I will finally reveal my secret to increasing driver distance. Any driver, any swing speed, any AOA. Add easy 40 yards. I did this eight years ago when I hit 65. Just move up one set of tees. Works every time.
Shawn
Jun 9, 2015 at 11:47 pm
Or move to Wyoming…we play in Laramie around the end of August (7,200 feet elevation, no humidity, 85 degrees) and you wouldn’t believe how easy it is to hit the ball a long ways!
Mad-Mex
May 25, 2015 at 12:50 am
Nice article, BUT, once again, how about REAL measurements! you know, hit it, measure it ?!?!?
How about this, Trac-Man “calculations” followed with REAL measure numbers ?!?!
Come on TOM , I CHALLANGE YOU to be a innovator. Measure ONLY carry and disclaim the roll.
Bar
May 21, 2015 at 9:02 am
On the roll out thing, I was watching the Tour players at Riviera last year and noticed that they had a monitor on one of the holes just as Hunter Mahan drove off. According to the monitor he carried the ball 245 and it ran out at 309. I live in Ireland where we get backspin with our drives 11 months of the year so I suppose it’s subjective.
Jim Maron
May 21, 2015 at 8:00 am
Here’s the problem I have with the launch monitors…when I did a TaylorMade fitting/demo day at Golftec my average numbers were 113MPH, spin 2600, ball speed 167, carry 275, distance 311. Which seems to jibe with these numbers.
But here’s my problem…That would rank me 2nd on the PGA Tour in distance. And I know better. If I was to play with those guys they would hit it way by me.
These machines seem to exaggerate distance in my opinion.
MHendon
May 23, 2015 at 1:33 am
Well Jim my club head speed and ball speed is about the same as yours which means we both swing about avg for the PGA tour. The 275 carry the launch monitor gave you is about what I see on the golf course. The roll however is exagerated. I was just as the Well Fargo in Charlotte last week and most of the pro’s drivers were getting next to no roll unless they where a real low ball hitter. I can tell you I’ve played a few courses that the pro’s play and my drives are in the same spot as most of those guys. Only the bombers like Rory, DJ, Bubba etc. are much longer than me. Point being the launch monitor gave you pretty accurate carry distance but add about 10 for roll and you’ll be about where you really would be on most lush golf courses.
Golfgirlrobin
May 20, 2015 at 4:12 pm
Men exaggerating length; there’s a shocker.
paul
May 20, 2015 at 5:50 pm
thanks “golfgirlrobin” you just gave me a good laugh.
E McCall
May 20, 2015 at 3:57 pm
These days with most golfers having a laser or GPS device 99% of golfers not knowing how far they hit the ball seems high. I usually laser measure a drive or two each round and check in at around 280 yards total distance on well struck drives and 250-260 on lesser drives. I guess most may not care, but knowing your distances to me is an integral part of course management, and an important part of the game.
Pablo
May 20, 2015 at 2:51 pm
Once I start golfing more this season, I might get a lesson to work on my driver swing. I actually haven’t had a driver in the bag for years due to cost, but I’ve demoed several in stores and always have too low launch and too high spin for a low-mid 100 mph swing, I can only presume due to a negative AoA. I didn’t always have this issue, but before I get fit for a driver I want to make sure my driver swing is solid!
Jeff Smith
May 20, 2015 at 2:02 pm
Lots of clowns play golf and think they are good. ….clowns have taken to golf
MasterGeezer
May 20, 2015 at 1:51 pm
Adjustable lofts on drivers . . . what an improvement! The fairways were I play give up maybe a foot of roll no matter what descent angle or spin rate for 6 months a year. And then summer comes and its time to LOFT DOWN bwaaa haaaa haaaa for some roll out. All with a twist of a wrench.
Tess
May 20, 2015 at 10:42 am
Agree with Ryan. I’ve had a – A o A and subsequent high backspin forever and that results in very poor roll-out. My carry distances are similar to my buddies but they get past me with roll. Dammit. lol
Regis
May 20, 2015 at 9:47 am
Many years ago I got my first Skycaddie. It had the Mark the ball feature which allowed you to measure the exact distance of your shots. It was an eye opener. That trap on 4 that we thought required 220 yards of carry to cover really only required about 190. Ooops that means that our 240 yard drives are really closer to 210. And it hasn’t gotten better with age. That’s why it always surprises me the number of people who claim to hit it over 250. I play a lot of golf and I just don’t seem to meet them. Great article. Thanks
other paul
May 20, 2015 at 1:37 am
I think its funny when people complain about the big roll out numbers. Anyone who lives on the coast is upset. Everyone who lives on the prairie doesn’t mind them. The ground can get dry and hard. I played in Vancouver in January and my ball averaged under 10′ of roll. Now I easily get 30-40 yards back on the prairies with our dry fairways.
Martin
May 19, 2015 at 5:23 pm
I am not a Trackman expert, but the machines say I swing around 90mph with a driver and my drivers carry between 200 and 220 as measured by my gps and our supersoft fairways where I live.
We had two glorious weeks in the past two years where the course was dry enough for me to try for and hit two par fives in 2.
James
May 19, 2015 at 4:17 pm
I don’t think these trackman number look right. Those launch angles are stupid low…
I have data from a foresight monitor that has my average ball speed 155, launch 14.4, backspin 1832, carry 280, total 308….but from these trackman number it says the FARTHEST i can hit it at 155 ball speed is a 250-260 carry?? I know from the course that this is not true
MHendon
May 23, 2015 at 12:18 pm
Brother I hate to break it to you but the foresight is wrong if it’s telling you you’re carrying it 280 with a 155 ball speed. The 250 to 260 would be about right.
Mat
May 19, 2015 at 1:44 pm
Tom, those charts are not optimized. 0, +5, they each have raising carries. I don’t care what 0 or 5 are; am I better with 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8? When is high too high?
We could really use data that matches swing speed with Dynamic Loft, and then we can assess driver Dyn loft – loft to get AoA (right?) and approximate where we should be. For example, if my driver is 105, then what should my Launch Angle be optimally? 14? 15? 19? As such, this chart actually never goes “too far”, so I can’t even extrapolate an optimum DL.
A
May 20, 2015 at 3:21 pm
That’s because this chart has been cited over and over since 2010, and has never been updated to fill the gaps. Has Trackman not improved on the information, or at least created more detailed charts in the last 5 years than these ones, and the oft-cited PGA Tour Average Driver swing speed of 113mph, with carry distances that follow for each club? Really? That’s all trackman’s got in the distance-charts-graphics game?
kenny
May 19, 2015 at 1:13 pm
The roll out distances are irrelevant as we all experience different NORMAL conditions
Jeffcb
May 19, 2015 at 9:57 am
Man I’d love to get a tour roll at my course. A 10yd roll out for me ain’t much but thankfully I play at 8000ft so i get some added air time.
MHendon
May 19, 2015 at 2:58 pm
8000ft, where the heck do you play?
Double Mocha Man
May 20, 2015 at 9:56 am
Probably one of the ski resorts in Colorado.
trc
May 21, 2015 at 11:45 am
With cb in his name, probably Crested Butte, CO.
Greg V
May 19, 2015 at 9:15 am
Some of the cheaper measuring devices for swing speed really inflate that number. I have one that costs around $100 and I can get my swing speed almost to 100 on that. Put me on Trackman or Flightscope and I am down around 90 at best.
The use of the cheaper devices might be why some think that they hit it farther than they do.
Jonny B
May 19, 2015 at 8:03 am
I figure that for each beer I drink I gain about 5 yards off the tee. Until I reach the 6th beer, then it decreases about 10 yards from that point on.
Dick Kusleika
May 20, 2015 at 9:57 am
Finally. Somebody who understands golf.
MHendon
May 23, 2015 at 12:21 pm
If your screen name hadn’t been Jonny B I would have sworn you where my golf buddy Rick. lol
dapadre
May 19, 2015 at 6:08 am
Shouldnt the Ball speed be the same for each category ( ie 100 mph in the Total Optimizir shows 146/148/149), otherwise the smash factor is not constant?
Apart from that, numbers look spot on. Golf in the Netherlands, see level, my swing speed hovers around 104-108, so 105 numbers ( avg carry 240/245 ish, total around 270) are my numbers exactly.
other paul
May 19, 2015 at 6:32 pm
Attack angle affects smash factor. If you hit down on it you have lower ball speed then if you hit through and up more. I think…
MHendon
May 23, 2015 at 12:24 pm
I believe that only effects spin. Smash factor is more a relation of ball speed to club head speed. Basically the more on the sweet spot you hit it the better your smash factor.
mark3
May 19, 2015 at 4:18 am
All this is fairly obvious without Trackman. You could stand there and hit drives and just watch the flight. For every swing speed there is an optimum arc of flight, whether you have Trackman or not, it doesn’t matter too much. Also, accuracy comes into the equation. If I hit up too much it causes a pull hook. There’s always a pay off. I think what most players these days need are two driving clubs. It’s as important as the multiple wedge thing. I’ve carried a 2006 Ping Rapture 3 wood for years… 14* and 230cc, and 43 1/2″…, and long as my driver sometimes, and hits more fairways. I think it’s partly due to a more downward attack.
Large chris
May 19, 2015 at 8:44 am
I don’t think it’s obvious without Trackman…. There are not many driving ranges where you can gauge with any accuracy your driver carry distance.
Joe Golfer
May 19, 2015 at 3:03 am
Glad to finally read that those “roll” distances are calculated using PGA Tour type fairways (not in one of Tom Stickney’s forum responses).
Many of us don’t get to play those types of faiways.
They are like a living room carpet compared to what many of us play, so it is no wonder that the rollout is so incredible.
Hence, that lower chart optimizing carry would probably be better for those of us playing Kentucky Bluegrass turf rather than Bent grass fairways.
MHendon
May 19, 2015 at 3:03 pm
Ive been to enough PGA tour events to know they dont usually get anywhere near that kind of roll so I dont know there getting that from
Scott
May 20, 2015 at 12:00 pm
I’ve been to enough PGA tour event to know that they get way more roll than that. So, I do not know where they are getting that from 🙂
MHendon
May 21, 2015 at 1:30 am
More roll than 40 to 50 yds? Not at the tournaments I’ve been to. East lake in Atlanta where they play the tour championship, Quail hollow in charlotte, and the course they play for the greater greensboro open. Maybe our courses play softer her in the south.
Derek from Hong Kong
May 19, 2015 at 1:32 am
I wouldn’t say these numbers are surprising but I was disappointed when I measured my own swing on a Flightscope recently. Swing speeds on a driver was between 95-100mph, 1.4 smash factor, 1900-2400 rpm, carry around 230 and total between 250-260 yrds.
I thought I’d get a bit more carry based on the above, but guess it’s enough length to work with given that I’d rarely have to hit anything more than a 5 irons into the par 4 greens on my course.
Tom and Dennis, would love to hear your thoughts on what I can do to improve my distance. Have been consistently in the gym the last few months and having people give me dirty looks when I smash a ceiling light and dented a trash can with my wayward medicine ball throws (this really happened). Thanks.
Tom Stickney
May 19, 2015 at 12:05 am
David– the roll is calculated on Pga Tour fairways. If I were you I’d focus on hitting the ball a touch lower than your max carry traj and the roll will take care of itself.
gvogel
May 18, 2015 at 10:43 pm
How far can I actually hit my driver? Not very far, but I am working on it.
I used to be able to carry it 220; now, probably only 205 or so. Carry distance is the real test for me.
Heck, downwind I can get it out there almost 250. But, I don’t have much trouble with down wind holes. It is the holes into the wind where I need to focus.
Dennis Clark
May 18, 2015 at 10:08 pm
When a guy in your group hits one into the woods, start looking about 50 back from where he thought he hit it.
Jamie
May 18, 2015 at 9:35 pm
Look at the top 5 carry distance drives for a PGA tournament….many times the top 5 drives for carry distance will not be on the list for longest drive…which means that some weeks those guys get 50+ yards of roll out
moses
May 18, 2015 at 6:37 pm
I wish I could get 50 yards of roll.
Jang Hyung-sun
May 18, 2015 at 6:00 pm
Easy way to hit far is buy old Bridgestone j33r and put in a Crazy Black Tour 75 shaft. 290-320 yard for even girly-man like me no workout just on lady friend. Lol
Jafar
May 21, 2015 at 10:10 am
lol… best comment on here.
David
May 18, 2015 at 5:52 pm
This same article AGAIN. Where do these absolutely ridiculous roll-out distances come from? It always undermines this article when it’s reposted on the site.
MHendon
May 18, 2015 at 4:50 pm
Ok so this has nothing to do with this article but I found it very interesting thought you might to Tom. I was at the Wells Fargo this past saturday got there around 11 and left a little after 4. As I was walking to the course I stopped by the driving range and watched some of the pro’s hitting. My buddy noticed Padrig Harrington and pointed him out to me. He appeared to be intentionally hitting fat shots of about 30 yards over and over again. I mean he was digging a trench. When We where leaving about 5 hours latter he was still there doing the same thing. I thought damn he must have had an early tee time and then was very frustrated with his round. Turned out he hadn’t even made the cut but was still there on saturday working on something, what I have know idea.
Brian
May 18, 2015 at 8:54 pm
maybe he will go home when he stops drop kicking drives? Crazy Irishman.
Ryan
May 18, 2015 at 4:48 pm
Those launch angles in the top chart are extremely low! You’re obviously going to lose a ton of carry distance because you’re not getting the ball off the ground. Am I missing something here?
chad ryan
May 18, 2015 at 6:54 pm
Really good post. I recently had a driver fitting and found that I was losing distance because my attack angle had changed in the last year. I went from 2 degrees up to 1 degree downward attack angle with my driver (mostly due to ball position). This information is why trackman is such an awesome training tool.
Cheech
May 18, 2015 at 7:05 pm
The top chart maximizes total distance using roll on a perfect ideal fairway. The bottom charts are what you want to look at to maximize carry.
Ryan
May 19, 2015 at 9:00 am
Yes but you’re not getting anywhere near your max carry if your launch angle is only 7 degrees for example. Your launch angle should be somewhere around 11-14. At only half of that launch, all I’m saying is that you’re losing a ton of carry distance.
Dylan
May 19, 2015 at 11:20 am
You have to realize thats at a -5 AOA.. hitting down that aggressively you’d need a 14+* driver to get those optimal launch conditions which isnt the point of this test. it’s to show realistic maximum carry not ideal maximum carry.
Ryan
May 19, 2015 at 3:16 pm
I agree but you can still have a negative attack angle and launch the ball high. I don’t know if this test was done with just a standard 9.5 and he calculated the numbers that way. The point I’m trying to make is that if you get properly fit, you should be able to make the distance gains you want. The biggest robber of distance is the spin rate at 3600+. There is no way you’re getting 20 yards of roll with that spin rate.