WHAT IS YOUR DRIVER DISTANCE?
Across all age and handicap brackets, the average driver distance remains just shy of 200 yards.
The USGA recommends for players with an average tee shot distance of 200-yards, they should play courses between 5200 and 5400 yards.
The USGA recommends for players with an average tee shot distance of 225-yards, they should play courses between 5800 and 6000 yards.
In general, golfers are not playing many long courses, but many golfers are still playing courses that are too long given their median driver distance.
“You probably need to move up a tee box.”
If your drives do not go past 200 yards, why are you playing par fours at 400 yards+ or even par threes at over 200 yards. You should be playing par fours at a range of 360-380 yards. Therefore, you stand a good chance of hitting the green with your second shot, using a fairway wood, a hybrid, or even an iron. Park your ego in the trunk, and play where you belong. Have more fun!
PROOF IS IN THE STATS
Golfers are hitting the ball too far. Or are they?
Leveraging the Arccos database, which includes 516,000,000+ tracked shots, the data tells a compelling, if not contradictory, story.
Amateur golfers are NOT hitting the ball too far in their driver distance
24.0% of Arccos players have a median driving distance of 199-yards or SHORTER
3.9% of Arccos players have a median driving distance of 270-yards or longer
1.5% of Arccos players have a median driving distance of 280-yards or longer
.5% of Arccos players have a median driving distance of 290-yards or longer
3% of all rounds are played at 6900 yards or longer
8% of all rounds are played at 6700 yards or longer.
47% of “regulation 18-hole courses” in the USA have at least one tee box at 6700+
Players that have a median distance with driver of 200 to 219 yards play 47% of their rounds over 6200 yards.
Altitude helps longer players more than shorter players.
Gain at sea level to 5000+ feet is 13 to 30 yards
If you play at various altitudes, it’s important to understand the role of trajectory and spin to maximize distance. Or put differently, the ideal combination of launch and spin in San Diego, CA (sea level) likely isn’t the same as in Denver, CO (5,280 ft).
The topic of distance is multi-faceted, and it’s clear the ruling bodies both acknowledge and struggle with this reality. But perhaps the most glaring juxtaposition is that of amateur and professional golfers. Your weekend foursome isn’t the reason courses are adding length or posting scores that appear to make iconic venues obsolete.
On Wednesday, March 16th 2022 golf’s governing bodies (USGA and R&A) sent an official notice to equipment manufacturers regarding “changes that address the long-term cycle of consistent hitting increases in hitting distances.” The specifics of that memo provide plenty of fodder for future debate, but the entire topic is predicated on a single premise, are golfers hitting the ball too far?
Many golfers are still playing courses that are too long given their median driver distance.
“You probably need to move up a tee box.”
