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
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
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” on RG.org 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.