swing speed lpga tour

Golf Swing Speed Chart: Averages By Age, Skill, and More

Swing speed charts can tell you the average speeds by age, skill, gender, and more. You can also compare how club head speeds compare to distance.

As a PGA-certified golf coach, I know I am not alone in being a numbers and statistics geek. Many of my students are hungry to compare their numbers with their favorite pro golfers using charts, graphs, and other visual representations.

Many swing speed charts exist today. Some break down clubhead and ball speed by a golfer’s handicap, gender, age, years playing, and many other areas. What many may find surprising by some of the data is that most golfers do not swing as fast as they think nor hit the ball as far as they claim to.

My goal in this article is to share all of the latest information and statistics regarding swing speed in golf. I’ll also share other related information, such as the distance at which golfers hit the ball. Other information relevant to this topic will be shared as well.

Here is a breakdown of what you can find if you read on:

• Average Swing Speed By Age and Gender
• Average Swing Speed By Handicap
• Average PGA TOUR Club Head Speeds and Distances
• PGA TOUR Average Club Head Speeds and Carry Distance Per Club
• Average LPGA TOUR Club Head Speeds and Distances
• LPGA TOUR Average Club Head Speeds and Carry Distance Per Club
• The Fastest Swingers In Golf

Tips To Improve Your Swing Speed

So get ready, and make sure to buckle up. Things are going to get fast!

Average Swing Speed Chart By Age and Gender

Average swing speed chart by handicap, pga tour fastest 10 driver swing speed averages.

• PGA TOUR Slowest 10 Driver Swing Speed Averages

Fast Swing Speed Does Not Always Equal Longer Drives

Swing speed and driving distance matters, but you can win without them, pga tour average clubhead speed and carry distance per club, lpga tour fastest 10 driver distance averages, lpga tour average clubhead speed and carry distance per club, the fastest swing speeds in golf, traditional tips for getting faster swing speeds, non-traditional tips for getting faster swing speeds, what is the mach 3 speed training system, final thoughts.

*Estimates due to a lack of participants in this age and gender group

** The data in the chart was compiled from a Titleist Performance Institute  (TPI) study conducted in 2019.

Club head swing speed contributes to the distance a golfer can hit a golf ball. Countless factors contribute to how fast a golfer can swing, such as age, flexibility, strength, gender, and the efficiency of their swing mechanics.

The first factor I wanted to chart concerning swing speed is age and gender. The following chart represents the average swing speeds with a driver for several different age groups and by male and female golfers within them.

Age significantly affects how much clubhead speed a golfer can produce on average.  Here is the main observation about swing speed versus age and gender:

• As you age, swing speed generally gets slower

However, as you can see from the chart, age does not necessarily have to slow you down completely. Some golfers in the 50 – 59 and 60+ age groups can still swing significantly fast. It all depends on how flexible someone can stay as they age.

Check this out: What Are the Golf Club Distances for Each Club? (Charts for All Skill Levels)

*Data from PGATour.com  as of 7/9/23  

**Data from PGATour.com  as of 7/9/23

Average swing speeds by handicap data from TrackMan

Let’s look at average swing speeds by handicap level for male golfers.

A golfer’s playing ability and how efficiently they swings the club also directly impact how fast their swing speed is. When golfers understand how the swing is supposed to work and can execute those fundamentals correctly, the result is a much more efficient swing. That efficient swing will lead to an increase in swing speed.

Read on: What Driver Loft Should You Use? (Full Chart Based On Swing Speed)

Average PGA TOUR Club Head Speeds

PGA TOUR professionals are among the best golfers in the world, so many golfers look to them as guides to playing the game correctly.

Note: Even though these speeds happened on a specific date in 2024, they’re still applicable today since swing speeds don’t rise significantly over time.

*Compiled through Rocket Mortgage Classic, 7/2/23

• Tour Pro Golfer Average Swing Speed – 115.24        
• Tour Pro Golfer Average Driving Distance – 299.40

PGA TOUR Slowest  10 Driver Swing Speed Averages

*All data from PGATour.com

**Compiled through Rocket Mortgage Classic, 7/2/23

As you may have noticed, some of the PGA TOUR pros in the top 20 in swing speed with the driver are outside the top 20 in average driver distance. This is because of a stat called Smash Factor, which measures the efficiency of a swing.

Smash Factor  is calculated by dividing the ball speed by the clubhead speed. Additionally, where the ball comes in contact with the clubface matters quite a bit as well.

Here are some examples of players with fast swing speeds who are outside the top 20 in driving distance.

Of those short knockers in the bottom 10 on the PGA TOUR this season in swing speed, and many of whom are very near the bottom in driving distance, all but two have a PGA TOUR victory on their resume.

*Data compiled from TrackMan’s 2017 PGA TOUR Data Points

I use data from TrackMan all the time with my students as a reference for what peak performance stats look like.

Above, I have pulled out the club head speed and carry distances for each club, on average, on the PGA TOUR.

TrackMan notes that these AVERAGE stats from 2017 have mostly stayed the same over the last six years.  The top players on the PGA TOUR have gotten faster and carry the ball longer, but, on average, the chart above still holds close to today’s average.

Average LPGA TOUR Club Head Speeds

The LPGA does not keep data on swing speed. However, the average swing speed with the driver hovers around 95 mph, per TrackMan. As we noticed in the statistics above for the PGA TOUR, there is somewhat of a correlation between swing speed and driver distance, but not necessarily always.

The current top drivers on the LPGA Tour shake out as follows:

Driving Distance Averages from LPGATour.com

Swing Speed Estimates Via TrackMan

Data compiled through 7/9/23

As noted previously, TrackMan is a go-to source for swing and club data for many coaches and players. I use data from TrackMan with my students all the time. For my female students, as well as slower-swinging male students, one of my go-to charts is TrackMan’s 2017 LPGA TOUR Data Points .

Compiled data from TrackMan

As noted previously, TrackMan notes that these AVERAGE stats from 2017 have mostly stayed the same over the last six years. The top players on the LPGA TOUR have gotten faster and carry the ball longer, but, on average, the chart above still holds close to today’s average.

In 2012, Ryan Winther set the world record for swing speed at 167 mph, and that swing produced a ball speed of 225 mph.

Recent long-drive phenom, Kyle Berkshire, has come close to Winther’s record, recording a swing speed of 160. Berkshire does however have the highest ball speed ever recorded at 236.8 mph… Say What?!?

More from Golf Span: The 10 Best Drivers for Slow Swing Speed

Swing speed and distance have become one of the most talked about topics in the game over recent years. It seems that everyone in golf has a need for speed! There is no denying that swing speed is a hot topic in golf.

Golfers are always looking for tips and tricks to improve their swing speed. I will break down my tips for you in two different ways. The first is the more traditional ways we, as instructors and coaches, point students toward when working on improving their swing speed.

The second will come from my friend, Michael Romatowski, founder and creator of the revolutionary Mach 3 Golf Speed Training System. Mike’s system is really helping 1,000’s of golfers get faster with their swing.

Some of the more traditional tips for golfers to help them increase their swing speed include the following:

• Train Your Body to Get Faster-  If you can increase your flexibility and mobility, reaching faster swing speeds will be more realistic. How a golfer moves their body, in terms of how much they can rotate their hips and upper torso, will play a big part in their production of swing speed. Getting yourself into the habit of stretching your body regularly will help your ability to swing faster.
• Equipment can make a difference- Having the right equipment for you can make a big difference in your ability to swing faster. Some of the critical things you need to consider in terms of equipment include:
• The overall weight of the club-  The lighter the club, the faster you can swing it. That is straight-up science, folks.
• The type of shaft you use-  The shaft matters in golf. From the length, to the flex, and where the kick-point is, all of these things equate to your ability to swing at your maximum speed.
• The head of the club-  Golf equipment technology has made massive gains over the last two decades. The clubheads on today’s drivers can offer maximum forgiveness and create a “trampoline effect” with the ball coming off the face. Test different drivers, and you may be surprised at what gains you can make by simply having the right club.

I have recently become a massive fan of a speed training program called the Mack 3 Golf Speed Training System . It was developed by Michael Romatowski. Mike is a multi-certified personal trainer, golf fitness expert, and post-rehab exercise specialist. I have spent a lot of time talking with Mike recently; he was a recent guest on my Quite Please Golf Podcast. You can listen to that episode here.

Mach 3 is a year-round speed training protocol that has produced an average gain in clubhead speed for program participants of 11.5 miles per hour. The tools used in Mach 3 are dynamic and unique, allowing golfers to experience the sensation of “Speed Out in Front,” which is the hallmark of Mach 3.

Some of the critical points of Mach 3 that I like include:

• It’s Open To All –  The Mach 3 program is for golfers of all ages, genders, and playing abilities.
• It’s Fun & Safe –  Workouts are fun, non-exhausting, safe, and athletic in nature.
• It’s Accessible to All –  Speed training workouts can be held indoors or outdoors.
• It’s Optimized –  Train for golf without “bulking up” and using natural golf body motions.

The overarching theme of Mach 3 is the “Speed out in front” concept. “Speed out in front” means that a golfer needs to become much more target-oriented when swinging. Anything after impact and up to the end of your swing is “out in front.”

Because the golf swing is such a fast movement, taking roughly only 1.25 seconds, it is essential to think in your mind to be a few steps ahead. Golfers often think of the ball and impact with the ball as the finish line when, in reality, it is only the mid-way point. If you focus on the ball as the ultimate goal, you will move slower into it at impact.

Mach 3 trains golfers to think of the finish line of the swing as being the top of your finish. You become hyper-focused on the target, the finish of the swing, and getting all of your energy, momentum, and speed “out in front” and past the point where the ball is at impact…well past it.

Mach 3 will help any and all golfers that give this concept a try. As mentioned earlier, program participants’ average gain in clubhead speed is around 11.5 miles per hour. That is significant!

If you’re a golfer seeking to improve your game, understanding the insights a golf swing speed chart can provide is invaluable. These charts break down swing speeds by various factors such as age, gender, and skill level, offering a wealth of data that helps golfers understand where they stand. My extensive experience as a golf coach has shown me that these statistics are crucial for those aiming to improve their performance. Surprisingly, many golfers discover they don’t swing as fast or hit as far as they initially thought.

The charts reveal that factors like age, gender, and skill level profoundly impact your swing speed and, subsequently, your driving distance. However, it’s important to note that age doesn’t necessarily have to slow you down. Many golfers in the 50 – 59 and 60+ age brackets can still generate impressive swing speeds, particularly if they maintain good flexibility and employ proper swing mechanics.

To boost your swing speed, you can rely on tried-and-true methods and cutting-edge techniques. On the traditional side, improving your body’s flexibility and selecting the right equipment can make a significant difference. For instance, lighter clubs and the right shaft type can notably increase your swing speed. On the innovative front, training systems like the Mach 3 Golf Speed Training System have helped thousands of golfers achieve faster swings by focusing on functional training tailored to golf performance.

To wrap up, a golf swing speed chart is an essential tool for anyone serious about upgrading their golf game. Combining this data with top tips for improving your swing speed can set you on the path to becoming a more formidable golfer. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to fine-tune your skills, a strategic approach backed by sound data can help you reach new heights in your golf career. Stay tuned for the latest updates and trends in golf statistics and training techniques.

More from me on Golf Span: How to Increase Swing Speed: 10 Tips

Brendon Elliott

Brendon is Class A PGA Professional and founded Little Linksters, LLC, and its nonprofit arm, the Little Linksters Association for Junior Golf Development. He won 25+ prestigious industry honors, including the 2017 PGA National Youth Player Development Award. He graduated from the PGA of America Management Program and has a handicap index of 7.8.

He has played golf for over 40 years and currently plays twice a month at the Eagle Dunes Golf Club near Sorrento, Florida. He loves Srixon clubs and plays a ZX5 driver with Z 585 irons. He's written over 60 articles on GolfSpan and specializes in sharing tips to improve your golf game. You can connect with Brendon at  LinkedIn , X , IG , FB , his website , or [email protected] .

• Best score : 69
• Favorite driver : Srixon ZX5
• Favorite ball : Srixon Z Star
• Favorite food at the turn : Turkey and cheese on white
• Brendon Elliott https://www.golfspan.com/author/brendon-elliott Bombs Away: The Longest Drives in Golf History
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• Brendon Elliott https://www.golfspan.com/author/brendon-elliott Masters Ticket Prices in 2024: What I Pay as a PGA Pro

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Swing Speed and Distance Chart for Every Club

Find out exactly where your swings speeds with each club stack up

• DESCRIPTION Golf driving range with distances measured
• SOURCE Bildagentur Zoonar GmbH
• PERMISSION Shutterstock license

The more data we collect about our golf games, and the games of the best players out there, the more we realize how important distance is. No matter what the club manufacturers tell you, the best way to increase your distance is to increase your club head speed. Here’s a club head speed chart that shows you swing speeds for every club from every type of player, from PGA and LPGA tour players, to high-handicap amateur men and women.

Whether you are embarking on a swing speed mission, or you’re simply seeking some context to see how your swing speed with a certain club stacks up, this chart shows average club head speeds for each type of player.

Tour Player Swing Speed and Distance Chart

Here are the average swing speeds of PGA Tour and LPGA Tour players with each full-swing club, along with their average carry distances, in yards, for each club. This data comes directly from Trackman , which captures dozens of metrics from countless professional and amateur golfers every day.

What Is the Average Distance With Each Golf Club?

Amateur Golf Swing Speed Chart by Gender and Handicap

Trackman measures and publishes actual swing speed data for tour players with every full swing club. Additionally, Trackman has published driver swing speed data for amateur men and women by their handicap range. Given that the handicap index of the average male golfer is around 14.5, Trackman used that as one of its handicap benchmarks, in addition to a category that Trackman calls the “Bogey Golfer.”

Using Trackman’s measured swing speeds for amateur and professional golfers, we can estimate the average swing speed with each club for amateur golfers, both men and women, by handicap.

Combining Trackman’s measured data and these estimations, here is the club head speed chart for amateur golfers.

8 Clubhead Speed Drills to Help You Hit More Bombs

Male Amateur: Average Club Head Speed Chart

Over the years, we’ve collected a ton of data from professional and amateur golfers alike. With access to this data, we can match actual average distances with each club for each type of player with their swing speeds.

Here is the average club head speed chart, with actual and estimated swing speeds, paired with actual average distances from male amateur golfers, according to data provided by Shot Scope, an industry leader in on-course distance measuring devices and stat-tracking. Distances are in yards and are adjusted to remove outlier shots.

Bogey Golfer Official Handicap and Stats

Female Amateur: Average Club Head Speed Chart

While we don’t have big data on the average distance female amateur players hit each club, we can still give you solid estimates on how fast they swing each club. Here’s the swing speed chart for female amateur golfers, broken down by handicap.

How Far LPGA Tour Players Hit Every Club In The Bag

The latest Trackman data reveals the average distances and speeds from shots hit on the LPGA Tour

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LPGA Tour players have embraced new equipment technology and become physically stronger, allowing them to carry greater distances and hit longer shots with each club in the bag.

Back in the 1990s, power hitters like Dame Laura Davies stood out from the crowd and in 1992 when the LPGA first started collecting driving distance stats, Davies’ 258.87 yards was 20 yards longer than the next longest hitter, Juli Inkster. 

To put this into context, in today’s modern era, Germany’s Polly Mack leads the 2023 LPGA average driving distance at 281.75 yards, and players such as Lexi Thompson , Nelly Korda and Emily Pedersen have the ability to consistently bomb their drives around 280 yards. Of course, there have been so many advancements in technology, but Davies’ driving distance in her heyday would now rank 65th on the list.

Over the last 5-10 years, most LPGA Tour players have seen their distances creep up. For example, in 2013 Spain’s Carlota Ciganda was driving the ball an average distance of 255 yards, but fast forward to 2023 and she’s gained over 10 yards with an average of 267 yards. 

In 10 years, Carlota Ciganda has gained over 10 yards in driving distance

Six-time LPGA winner Celine Boutier is not one of the longest hitters but compared to when she joined the LPGA Tour in 2017 and drove the ball on average 235 yards, she’s upped that distance to 252 yards.

The latest Trackman data shows that LPGA Tour players carry their drives 218 yards with a clubhead speed of 94 mph, which encourages a ball speed of 140 mph and a maximum height of 25 yards off the ground. 

By comparison, PGA Tour players carry the ball 275 yards off the tee with a clubhead speed of around 113 mph, a ball speed of 167 mph, which flies to a height of 32 yards. 

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As for female amateur golfers, and according to the latest Arccos data , on average they drive the ball 177 yards, which almost equates to the same carry distance of a female tour player’s 7-wood, which is 174 yards.

A 4-iron is Charley Hull's favourite club, but this is unusual in the women's game and it's interesting that the Trackman data does not include hybrids, which is nowadays a popular alternative to a long iron. 

There is minimal difference in the carry distance between a 7-wood at 174 yards and 4-iron at 169 yards, but then the data shows consistent gapping of around 10 yards from a 5-iron at 161 yards down through the rest of the set to a PW, which these women carry around 107 yards. 

HOW FAR LPGA TOUR PLAYERS HIT EVERY CLUB IN THE BAG

Data: Trackman, 2022

Alison Root has over 25 years experience working in media and events, predominantly dedicated to golf, in particular the women’s game. Until 2020, for over a decade Alison edited Women & Golf magazine and website, and is now the full-time Women's Editor for Golf Monthly. Alison is a respected and leading voice in the women's game, overseeing content that communicates to active golfers from grassroots through to the professional scene, and developing collaborative relationships to widen Golf Monthly's female audience across all platforms to elevate women's golf to a new level. She is a 16-handicap golfer (should be better) and despite having had the fantastic opportunity to play some of the best golf courses around the world, Kingsbarns in Scotland is her favourite.

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• Average Golf Swing Speed Chart

by Swing Man Golf Staff | Apr 23, 2024 | Average Golf Swing Speeds Chart

NOTE: This article is updated annually after the conclusion of each PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour and World Long Driver Championship season once all the data becomes available.

When it comes to hitting the ball farther, a lot of golfers realize that technique is important. In recent years, the larger golfing public is also beginning to recognize the importance of getting custom fit for their driver in order to maximize driving distance and their overall average golf swing speed.

However, there’s another way to get more distance that many golfers, even tour players, don’t even know realize is possible or, if they do, they haven’t really gleaned on to what the big keys are to get drastic and rapid gains…swing speed training. Now, I’ll talk about swing speed training and how you can increase your swing speed later on down the page, but to start, let’s simply get started discussing swing speed in general.

First of all, how important is your average golf swing speed?

It’s very important.

Simply put, the more swing speed you have, the farther you’ll hit the ball.

Take a look at this 2017 chart of the average swing speeds for various categories of golfers.

As I’m sure you can imagine, the World Championship Record for club head speed of 157 mph by Mitch Grassing in 2017 would hit the ball much farther than if he had the swing speeds of the PGA TOUR or LPGA TOUR players, who in turn would hit the ball much farther than amateurs with their given swing speeds.

But guess what?

Not only does more swing speed help you hit the ball farther, research shows there is a direct correlation between your driving distance (and club head speed) and handicap (and thus scoring).

You can see this in 2017-2019 Arccos data published by MyGolfSpy in 2020 that shows the difference in driving distance by handicap group.

Average Driving Distance By Handicap

https://www.SwingManGolf.com

Trackman® research also shows that there is a direct correlation between your club head speed and your handicap (and thus scoring).

How Fast Is An Amateur’s Average Golf Swing Speed?

Regarding male amateurs, since 2005, the United States Golf Association (USGA) reports that the average handicap has been between 14 and 15. Golf Handicap and Information Network (GHIN) shows similar numbers of 15.3 handicap in 2003 and 14.3 handicap in 2012.

For these average male golfers, Trackman® statistics report the average club head speed at this 14-15-handicap level is about 93.4 mph…yielding an average total distance of 214 yards per drive. That makes the average male amateur driving efficiency to be 2.29 yards per mph of club head speed.

We estimate the average amateur women run in the region of 78 mph and 167-yard drives. Some women we’ve seen are in the mid to high 40s.

How Fast Is A Tour Player’s Average Golf Swing Speed?

Since 2007, the PGA TOUR has been tracking golf swing speeds of all of its players, also using Trackman®.

As you can see at the end of the 2022-2023 PGA TOUR season, the tour average runs about 115.80 mph and they hit about 299.9 yards/drive, which means their driving efficiency is about 2.61 yards/drive. This is much better than the average 14-15 –handicap golfer who comes in at 2.29 yards/drive. If you think about it, this makes sense because professionals hit the ball more consistently around the sweet spot.

Tom Stickney has done some impact testing for GolfWRX. Here’s what a tour player’s striking pattern looked like after about 10 shots.

Compare that to the impact dispersion after only 5 shots from the 15-handicap golfer he tested.

As you can see, striking the ball consistently solid will help get you more distance out of your club head speed and improve your driving efficiency. If the average amateur had the same 2.61 yards/mph driving efficiency as the average PGA TOUR player, he would average 245 yards/drive instead of only 214 yards/drive.

That means the average amateur could pick up over 30 yards simply from more consistent strikes.

2022-2023 PGA TOUR Player Swing Speed Chart – The Slowest Swingers

Anyway, here is a selection of the swing speeds for the 2021-2022 season for some of the slowest PGA TOUR Players. These guys are definitely at a disadvantage on tour speed-wise.

If only they knew it didn’t have to be that way!

2022-2023 PGA TOUR Player Swing Speed Chart – The Average Swingers

Next are the guys who are considered to be in the middle of the pack as far as swing speed goes on the PGA TOUR. These guys aren’t hurting for speed, but they could definitely use more.

2022-2023 PGA TOUR Player Swing Speed Chart – The Fast Swingers

Lastly are the guys with the fastest speeds. These guys definitely swing fast by PGA TOUR standards. But as we’ll see in a moment, they are actually still quite slow relative to the competitors in the World Long Drive Championships.

Interestingly, the 2020-2021 season was the first time on the PGA TOUR that a player averaged over 130 mph.

Bryson DeChambeau made a lot of news during COVID-19 by putting on an estimated 40 pounds of fat and muscle weight to gain that swing speed. It worked, but as I wrote about over at GOLFWRX , you don’t need to put on that much weight to gain that much speed. In fact, you can put on more speed in less time without putting on anywhere near that kind of weight.

That’s part of what we do here at Swing Man Golf with what’s available in All-Access .

START NOW WITH ALL-ACCESS

2008 European Tour Player Swing Speed Chart

At the moment, the European Tour (now the DP World Tour) doesn’t post average club head speeds for the tour. However, we did come across a document from a single event in 2008 containing the swing speed of each player in the field. We’re not sure which hole or event these were measured with using Flightscope, but the numbers were interesting.

Here are several notable players.

The event average was 111 mph, which is more or less what we saw on the PGA TOUR in the same year.

In 2023, the median player on the DP World Tour averaged 301.08 off the tee. If we assume that they have the same efficiency of PGA TOUR players at 2.62 yards/drive, that would put their 2022 average swing speed at 114.92. That increase from 111 to 115 correlates similarly to the increase that the PGA TOUR made over the same time period since 2008.

Wilco Nienaber led the DP World’s Tour’s driving distance category at 332.10 yards/drive. If we assume his driving efficiency is also 2.61 yard/mph like the PGA TOUR average, that would put Wilco’s on-course average swing speed at 127.24 mph.

For purposes of our swing speed data research, would you mind telling us a little about yourself?

We will keep this information private. We’ll also send you some free follow-up info via email, which you can easily opt-out of at the bottom of the message if you decide it’s not for you.

How fast are LPGA Tour players?

A Trackman chart I have from 2011 shows that LPGA tour players averaged 246 yards/drive with 139 mph ball speed. Assuming 1.5 smash factor, that’s 2.66 yards/mph, far more efficient than the PGA TOUR’s 2.61 yards/mph. That seemed about right as the LPGA Tour mean driving distance as reported by the tour in 2011 was 248.02 yard/drive.

In 2023, the LPGA tour mean was 256.75 yards/drive. Somehow, driving distance Is about 9 yards farther now. Have club head speeds gone up? Is equipment fitting better? Have the players become more efficient? Are course conditions different? I don’t know exactly what is causing the difference, but something has changed.

When Annika Sorenstam was invited to play in the PGA TOUR’s 2003 Bank of America Colonial tournament, she averaged almost 270 yards/drive that year. The PGA TOUR average that year was 285.9 yards/drive and Annika was long enough to be ahead of the PGA TOUR’s 189th ranked Corey Pavin at 268.9 yards/drive and Loren Roberts at 265.9 yards/drive. She nearly made the cut and even beat some of the men in the field. It would have been interesting to know how well she would have done had she been even just a few mph faster with her swing speed…which is certainly doable.

The shortest player on the PGA TOUR in 2023 was Brian Stuard at 271.5 yards/dive. There were 10 LPGA players over that mark…Mel Reid, Madalene Sagstrom, Emily Kristine Pederson, Yuka Saso, Bailey Tardy, Maria Fassi, Yan Liu, Bianca Danganan, Xiaowen Yin, and Polly Mack.

However, only two PGA TOUR players were under 280.0, David Lingmerth at 278.5 and Brian Stuard. Going by David Lingmerth, only Polly Mack was long enough to be on the PGA TOUR distance-wise.

Polly Mack is conceivably as fast as some male professional golfers. However, her 2023 scoring average of 72.30 from the much shorter tees of the LPGA would not be good enough to match the 70.49 scoring average of the 125th ranked player (the highest ranked player to still retain full playing privileges) on the PGA TOUR, who also play from farther distances. She has the distance…she just has other gaps in her game.

2023 LPGA Swing Speed Chart

Since we have to make some guesses about LPGA Tour swing speed data, here is what LPGA Tour numbers might look like assuming both the 2011 reported Trackman efficiency of 2.66 yards/mph versus 2.73 yard/mph, which assumes no increase in club head speed but factoring in the increased 2023 tour driving distance mean of 256.75 yards/drive.

It’s our belief that LPGA Tour players could actually be competitive on men’s professional tours provided they work on getting faster through a swing speed training like we have here at Swing Man Golf through All-Access.

How fast are the swing speeds at the World Long Drive Championships?

That means that a typical long driver is over 20 mph faster than the average PGA TOUR player from that period…and over 10 mph faster than some of the tour’s fastest swingers like Cameron Champ, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, etc.

Historically, no player on the PGA TOUR would stand a chance of winning (or even being competitive) at the World Long Drive Championships…not until 2021 when Bryson DeChambeau was invited to compete at the 2021 PLDA World Championships and finished in the Final 8.

The event was a limited field event due to COVID-19. However, Bryson’s fastest ball speed during competition that I recall seeing was 219 mph, which would put his club head speed on that swing at 146 mph.

In 2022, Bryson finished 2nd.

As we’ll see below, that’s fast enough to win the entire World Long Drive Championships.

He also added more fat and muscle weight and worked far harder than necessary to increase his swing speed. That’s a story I already wrote about for GolfWRX.com .

Let’s look at how fast a typical Final-8 long driver can historically swing.

Swing Speed Chart for the World Long Drive Championships – Final-8 Competitor

Swing speed chart for the final-8 competitors world long drive championships.

Here are some average speeds of a few individual Final-8 competitors.

Realistically, to win the World Long Drive Championships, you have historically needed to be swinging in the mid-140s. The average champion was about 146 mph based on 7 champions from 2009-2017.

A champion long driver would easily drive it 50 yards past a guy like Bubba Watson. In fact, this actually happened in Hawaii in 2011 ahead of the PGA TOUR event when Jamie Sadlowski hit drives at Kapalua in Maui against Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, and Robert Garrigus. It wasn’t even close.

Occasionally, you’d see guys get in to the Final-8 at the World Championships that average in the 130s. Typically when that happened, they were better fit for their equipment, they were more mentally strong, they took better advantage of wind conditions, and things like that. As you can see, it was very difficult to win swinging in the 130s, though.

If memory serves, Carl Wolter won the 2011 World Championships in the high 130s. That year there were very strong tail winds and Carl presumably hit a better wind ball (usually higher and with more spin) than two other champions he beat head-to-head, Jamie Sadlowski and Joe Miller…both of whom have swung 150 mph in competition.

Unfortunately, full data since then isn’t available in the same way due to inconsistencies in who was owning and hosting the world championships (Ex. Long Drivers of America, Comcast, PLDA, GF Sports and Entertainment)r, but the various winners of those years since (2017 – Justin James, 2018 – Maurice Allen, 2019 Kyle Berkshire, 2020 – No World Championship, 2021 – Kyle Berkshire, 2022 – Martin Borgmeier, 2023 Kyle Berkshire) have all achieved speeds over 150 mph at the World Championships.

However, as mentioned, long drive swing speed seem to be trending upwards.

In 2023, World Long Drive reported a World Long Drive Championship group average ball speed for the Final 16 of 215.7 mph, with Kyle Berkshire at the top with 226.2 mph. Assuming 1.5 smash factor, that’d be averaging 143.8 mph and 150.8 mph of swing speed, respectively.

Also, through 2023, in training, 8 hitters had broken the 230-mph ball speed mark, when the previous record mark had been 227 mph for years, with 3 over 240 mph. To get 230 mph ball speed, you need at least 153 mph swing speed. To break 240 mph, it’s a minimum of 160 mph.

As far as I know, Sam Attanasio has the current ball speed training swing at 243.0 mph, which would necessitate at least 162 mph of club head speed. Seb Waddell has a training swing on a Trackman® at 169.6 mph swing speed.

Let me know if these get broken and I can update what is here.

At the Senior (Over 45 years old) level, in 2012 a Senior division Final-8 competitor averaged 131 mph with a peak of 137 mph. Two-time Senior World Champion “Fast” Eddie Fernandes (2018 & 2022) has previously achieved 156 mph of club head speed and 228 mph of ball speed.

Even the “old” guys can bomb it past any PGA TOUR player.

So, as you can see, the more swing speed you have, in general the farther you will drive the ball…and as I’ve shown, more distance also makes it easier to shoot lower scores.

Can you Increase Your Average Golf Swing Speed?

Aside from improving your technique and getting fit for your equipment, despite what many golfers (even pros like Tiger) believe, yes, you can actually train to increase your swing speed…at any age!

Just consider a long drive guy like Bobby Wilson. At the age of 53, he could swing over 12 mph faster than the PGA TOUR’s “long hitting” Bubba Watson.

Also note that just because you are fit does not mean you are fast. Camilo Villegas was arguably more “fit” than John Daly, but John could swing faster. Granted, some of this is due to John’s technique, equipment, etc…but the point is that although fitness certainly has its place in golf and life, for distance and application towards becoming a better player…it’s more about being fast than fit.

Swing Man Golf Helps You Increase Your Average Golf Swing Speed!

Rapidly and drastically unleash your power and play consistently with a steady and reliable game with Swing Man Golfs All-Access …featuring effective and easy-to-understand world class golf instruction paired with our expertise in long drive and our pioneering golf fitness swing speed training programs for amateurs and pros alike.

Certification is also available for motivated PGA pros and fitness trainers.

We’ve got junior golfers from 12 years old to men on up in to their 80s with handicaps ranging from pro to 30+ who add an average of 12-16 mph (30-40 yards) of driver swing speed in their first month of basic training. Believe it or not, we’ve even had several golfers who were willing to do the work that gained over 30 and 40 mph (that’s not a typo) over the course of a few months.

One of these golfers was 58 years old!

Recent Posts

• How to Increase Swing Speed: Five Exercises for More Power
• The Swing Speed Radar is Back!
• Swing Man Golf wins 2023 Golf Fitness Association of America Award for 3rd Straight Year
• 2023 PGA TOUR Club Head Speed Rankings

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New Data Shows We're Not Hitting It Farther

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The so-called "distance explosion" that has the USGA in a tizzy? Yeah, that might be happening on tour, but it ain't happening to you. New data on average golfers, including more than 10 million drives gathered by Arccos, the GPS-based stat-tracking app , paints a slightly stagnant picture about driving distance for the paying public. Even though golf's ruling bodies are alarmed by the 2.5-yard increase in average driving distance this past year on the PGA Tour, some amateur-golfer distance numbers haven't moved that much in two decades, and many are hitting it shorter than they used to. Here's our exclusive report on what the numbers say everyday golfers are doing wrong and why—and, frankly, what can be done about it. Of course, the stats are a little discouraging, but the prospects are game-changing. It just takes the right technology and understanding.

AVERAGE GOLFERS MIGHT BE GETTING SHORTER Distance is down the past four years, according to Arccos research. Looking at full-year data only, it's down 0.6 yards from 2015-'17. If you include 2018, distance has dropped to 217.1 yards, 3.5 yards less than in 2015. One bright spot: Better players (0-5-handicap) saw a 2.4-yard gain from 2015-'18. All other handicap groups lost five to seven yards.

GOOD PLAYERS HIT IT FARTHER ... DUH The best everyday players hit it longer than the worst. In the Arccos study, 0-5-handicaps average 239 yards, and high-handicappers average 201. The math suggests high-handicappers should play from tees at least 500 yards shorter than the tees played by low-handicappers.

EXPERIENCE IS GOOD, JUST NOT FOR DISTANCE Average golfers lose yardage faster the older they get. By Arccos tracking, players in their 70s are 46 yards shorter than those in their 20s. That data suggests we lose an average of seven yards per decade from our 20s to our 50s but twice that much per decade from our 50s to our 70s. Still, that trend is changing if you look at PGA Tour Champions data. Hale Irwin hits it farther today (253.6) at age 72 than he did in 1980, when he was 35 (250.2).

SPEED KEYS DISTANCE (BALL SPEED, THAT IS) The average male amateur's swing speed is 93.4 miles per hour, according to research by TrackMan, for an average distance of 214 yards. Using TrackMan's "optimal" distance, the average golfer's potential is 255 yards at that same swing speed. How? By hitting the ball more solidly, or what's known as upping your "smash factor." Smash factor is the ratio between the speed of the ball as it leaves the clubface and your swing speed. Generally, 1.5 is an ideal smash factor, but the average golfer's smash factor is only about 1.42, TrackMan says. If an average golfer could achieve a smash factor of 1.5 (by solid, center hits), that would increase ball speed by 8 miles per hour and reduce spin by about 30 percent. Add a higher launch angle (at least 2 degrees by making contact on the upswing), and TrackMan says the average golfer could add 41 yards to his or her drive.

YOU NEED TO HIT IT MORE LIKE AN LPGA PLAYER Everybody knows average male golfers aren't as skilled as PGA Tour pros, but when it comes to driving efficiency, PGA Tour pros are worse than LPGA Tour players. Because PGA Tour players typically hit the center of the face, they average 2.58 yards per mph of swing speed, according to TrackMan. Everyday golfers average only 2.29, according to research by Jaacob Bowden at Swing Man Golf. If they improved to just 2.40, average golfers' drives would increase by 10 yards. Bowden says LPGA Tour players swing at roughly the same speed as average male golfers (93.9 mph), but because they are even more efficient at center strikes than PGA Tour players, they average 2.64 yards per mph for an average of 248 yards off the tee. That's more than 30 yards longer than everyday male golfers.

SWING SLOWER, HIT IT LONGER Swing speed isn't everything, especially for average golfers. You can swing slightly slower—but much more efficiently—and you'll be in a new distance zip code. Data gathered by Foresight Sports simulation software found that swinging 2-mph slower can still lead to 20 more yards, provided that you reduce ball spin, increase your launch angle and hit the ball more squarely in the center of the face.

USGA AMATEUR DISTANCE STUDY: SLOW GROWTH It's a limited study, but in the USGA's 2017 Distance Report, an annual test of average golfers conducted at various clubs in the United Kingdom showed that the average distance increased from 200 yards in 1996 to 208 yards in 2017. But it was down nine yards from 2005. Unlike Arccos data, in this research only the higher-handicap group (13 and over) showed significant improvement. That group saw an average driving distance increase of about 17 yards. Meanwhile, in the same study, the best players gained only two yards in the past two decades. A small, somewhat irregular sample, but sure makes it seem like those hitting it the best aren't gaining as much as those hitting it all over the face.

YOU'RE PLAYING FROM THE WRONG TEES Driver, 7-iron makes for a solid par 4, just not the length you're thinking. Arccos research shows that the everyday golfer 7-iron distance is 145 yards. Combine that with Arccos' average golfer driver distance, and you get a 365-yard hole, or about a football field shorter than how a PGA Tour player might play those same two clubs.

GAME-CHANGERS: TECHNOLOGY AND FITTING Dozens of studies show the benefits of getting the right new equipment. Here are two: National clubfitting chain Club Champion studied average golfers who tried the latest equipment. The results: 78 percent benefited from using the latest drivers, gaining 11 yards. A Golf Digest robot test conducted by Golf Laboratories revealed that the latest models on average are six yards better (and more on off-center hits) than drivers from only four years ago.

RELATED: Are average golfers gaining distance? New study says not by a long shot

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Driving-distance quest comes up short on LPGA Tour compared with PGA Tour, and for good reason

• Author: Adam Stanley

At the recent KPMG Women’s PGA Championship , former world No. 1 Lydia Ko talked about using the COVID-19 break to work on her fitness and put on a little muscle.

But don’t think she was entering Bryson DeChambeau territory.

“I am a one-protein-shake-a-day person,” Ko said with a smile. 

While Ko, a major champion herself, said what DeChambeau did in winning last month’s U.S. Open was “pretty incredible,” she wasn’t quite sure whether his approach was one she’d be following, too.

In his total body transformation, DeChambeau has inspired many of his contemporaries to chase swing speed, but it hasn’t quite become what the women of the LPGA Tour are doing – yet, at least.

DeChambeau has seven top-10 finishes since June, when the PGA Tour returned from a three-month COVID-19 break, including two victories – one his first major. His feats prompted many of the game’s top players to begin taking to social media to post their “gains.”

Fitness and strength-building long have been part of the regimen for top golfers on the LPGA Tour , as well. A quick browse of the Instagram accounts for Lexi Thompson, Nelly Korda and Ko, who posts photos from the gym, yoga studio, and recently the tennis court and rock-climbing center, confirms it. But we’re unlikely to see any golfer on the LPGA Tour do the Bryson bulk-up.

“With females … just tightening the core and getting core strength is a huge deal for them,” said Leah Miller, an assistant professional at Interlachen Country Club in Winter Park, Fla. “I see a lot of ladies doing yoga and barre and building up that core strength to generate speed and get distance.”

Tristan Mullally, Golf Canada’s national women’s team head coach, says the women’s game is moving in the same direction as the men’s in terms of distance and speed. The average swing speed of an LPGA Tour member a decade ago is now the minimum expectation for one of Canada’s junior-team members, he said.  

Mullally expects the average swing speed on the LPGA Tour – it’s 94 mph, according to TrackMan data, compared with 114 on the PGA Tour – to exceed 100 mph in the next few years.

“Longer hitters in the female game have potentially more to gain than their male counterparts as rough and overall length play a bigger factor,” he said.

However, there is less of a bomb-and-gouge attitude on the LPGA Tour for now. And, Miller said, it doesn’t sound as if female golfers are keen to go the route taken by DeChambeau, who added 40 pounds of muscle, to build strength.  

“The females I teach are always wanting more distance …, but it’s hard to tell ladies to bulk up 20-40 pounds,” she said with a laugh.

South Korea’s Sei Young Kim, who put on a DeChambeau-like clinic at the KPMG Women’s PGA to win by five shots, averaged just 266 yards off the tee (that’s still a good 20 yards longer than a low-handicap male amateur, according to the USGA Distance Insights report ). That put her near her season-long average of 266.83 yards, which ranks 13th in LPGA driving distance . It’s not short, relative to her colleagues, but it’s 20 yards shorter than tour leader Bianca Pagdanganan, a rookie from the Philippines, who averages 286.21 yards per drive.

Pagdanganan, who notched her first top 10 as a professional at the Women’s PGA, is one of only three LPGA members averaging more than 280 yards off the tee.

Pagdanganan said at the KPMG Women’s PGA that she has not tried to follow DeChambeau’s approach to gain distance.

“I kind of just rip it,” Pagdanganan told Golf.com at Aronimink Golf Club near Philadelphia. “I try not to think about it too much. I just try to hit it hard.”

Though none of the three longest-driving women on the LPGA – Pagdanganan, Mexico’s Maria Fassi (282.12) and the Netherlands’ Anne van Dam (281.63) – has won on the LPGA Tour, hitting it farther than opponents always will be regarded as an asset in golf.

Three LPGA players rank among the top 10 in driving distance and also among the top 10 in the Rolex Rankings : Nelly Korda, Brooke Henderson and Lexi Thompson. That fact parallels the PGA Tour, on which three players ranked among the top 10 in driving distance and the Official World Golf Ranking : DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson.

But there’s a big difference on the accuracy side.

Webb Simpson was the only golfer ranked in the top 20 on the PGA Tour in driving accuracy during the 2019-20 season and also in the top 10 in the world. On the LPGA Tour, three of the top 10 in the world – including No. 1 Jin Young Ko – count themselves among the top 10 in accuracy, as well.

“[Length] is an advantage out there, but it’s not all about distance,” Pagdanganan said. “You’ve got to have everything intact. There’s still a lot of things to work on.”

So, while DeChambeau attempts to change the men’s game with a physical transformation, the top women on the LPGA Tour are taking a more balanced approach to getting better. 

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How to Maximize your golf swing speed for maximum performance

How Do I Increase Golf Swing Speed?

In the world of golf, where precision and power coexist, one crucial element stands out—your golf swing speed. Golf swing speed can take your game to new distances, no pun intended.

We’ll explain the details of golf swing speed and how understanding it can be a game-changer for beginner and seasoned golfers.

As an avid golfer, swing speed is a fascinating, ever-changing topic. With new developments in golf club and golf ball technology, distance is always a topic of interest in golf. So, how can maximum golf swing speeds be achieved?

Golf swing speed can be increased by continuously working on strength and conditioning, swing mechanics, and correctly fitting golf clubs.  However, we must understand what swing is before increasing our swing speeds.

Table of Contents

Understanding golf swing speed, what is golf swing speed.

In its simplest form, golf swing speed measures how fast your clubhead moves during the swing. It’s a fundamental metric that can significantly impact your performance on the course. To put it in perspective, it’s like the RPMs of your golf game. The greater the RPM, the faster your vehicle goes.

Like a vehicle, the greater the clubhead speed, the greater the ball speed. Higher ball speed leads to greater carry distance. Also, like a vehicle, club head speed is measured in miles per hour (mph). For instance, the average swing speed of a male amateur golfer of all ages is 94 mph. Conversely, the average swing speed for PGA tour players is 115.20 mph.

Factors Influencing Golf Swing Speed

Your clubhead speed isn’t static; several vital factors, such as age, strength, and technique, influence it. Swing speeds, particularly driver swing speed, resemble a bell curve. As a junior golfer, the average speed will be lower. As you become an adult in your 20s and 30s, your average swing speeds are at their highest. As you get older, the swing speeds begin to decline over time slowly. Below are some (certainly not all) factors affecting average swing speed.

Body Strength and Fitness

Your body plays a pivotal role in generating speed. A solid and fit body can generate more power, translating into higher swing speeds. Today’s Golfers place a strong emphasis on physical fitness. One of the first professional golfers to do such was Tiger Woods.

Tiger changed the landscape for physical fitness and playing golf. Tiger started a trend in fitness that has only grown and has branched off into other avenues specifically for golfing fitness, such as TPI, Joey D Golf, and many others. These programs offer swing speed training and have a proven speed training system for the average golfer and the PGA tour player.

Strength and fitness are essential in golf today; PGA tournaments now have workout trailers for players to work out at each event. Engaging in golf-specific fitness routines and speed training can help you maximize your potential.

Swing Technique

Your technique is another major determinant of your swing speed. Proper mechanics and grip strength can help you optimize your speed while maintaining control and accuracy. Think of it as the finesse behind the force. How you move your body and handle your golf club during a swing directly impacts the speed at which the clubhead travels through the air and makes contact with the ball.

Every aspect of your swing plays a role in determining your swing speed. A balanced and coordinated swing and proper weight transfer generate more speed. How your hips open up and use the ground as a power force plays significant roles in club speed.

It’s not just about raw power but finesse, timing, and technique, all coming together for a faster swing speed.

Flexibility

Flexibility is often underestimated in golf. Golf flexibility might sound like doing yoga on the fairway, but it’s essential. A supple body allows for a more extensive range of motion, enabling you to generate higher clubhead speed.

See, flexibility is how easily your body can move and stretch. And when it comes to golf swing speed, being flexible is like having hidden power.

When your body can move freely and your muscles aren’t tight, it helps you swing the golf club faster. Think of it like a rubber band – it won’t stretch very far if it’s too stiff. But an excellent, stretchy rubber band can go a long way. So, stretching and keeping your body flexible can help you swing the club faster and hit the golf ball farther.

Age can be a big player in your golf club swing speed. As we grow older, our bodies change, affecting how fast we swing that club. When we’re young, like in our 20s and 30s, our bodies are usually more flexible and energetic. That means we can swing the club faster and hit the golf ball longer distances. But as we get older, like in our 50s and beyond, our muscles might weaken, and our joints might not move as quickly. Our swing speed might slow down.

But here’s the cool part – age isn’t the only thing that matters. You can keep your swing speed up by staying active and exercising to keep your muscles and joints in good shape. So, while age can play a role in golf swing speed, you can stay in the game by staying fit and enjoying golf for many years to come!

Importance of Golf Swing Speed

Go lf swing speed is like the turbo boost button for your golf game. It’s all about how fast you can swing your club when teeing off. Another critical topic is the ever-growing list of the most used golf terms. Why is this important? Let’s explore three exciting reasons:

Increased Distance

One of the most noticeable benefits of a higher golf swing speed is increased distance off the tee.

Imagine your golf ball as a rocket and your swing speed as the rocket’s engine. The faster the engine, the farther the missile goes. Well, the same principle applies to golf. When you swing faster, the ball travels longer distances.

Studies show that for every 1 mile per hour (mph) increase in your swing speed, you can gain up to 2.5 yards in distance. That means you could gain ten extra yards if you add four mph to your swing! Want to see how your swing speed stacks up?

Improved Accuracy

You might think swinging faster means losing control, but that’s not always true. Picture a race car driver. They can go super fast yet stay on track. In golf, the right swing speed can boost your accuracy.

Contrary to popular opinion, a higher swing speed can also improve accuracy. When you have better control over your speed and technique, you can place the ball precisely where you want it.

When you control your swing speed and technique, you can place the ball exactly where you want it. It’s like aiming a sand wedge from 100 yards instead of three wood from 250 yards.

Club Selection

Choosing the right club is like picking the right tool for a job. You wouldn’t use a hammer to screw in a lightbulb, would you? Well, the same goes for golf clubs. Your swing speed determines which club you should use.

Here’s a simple rule: the faster your swing, the more distance you can cover. So, if you’re a speedster, you might need clubs that can handle the distance. But if you’re more of a steady cruiser, different clubs might suit you better. To simplify, golf club distance charts can guide you in choosing the right club for your swing speed.

Golf swing speed is your secret weapon for success on the golf course. It can make your shots fly farther, land more accurately, and help you pick the perfect club for each situation.

Golf swing speed is the secret that can transform your golf game from ordinary to extraordinary. We’ll explore the tools and techniques to help you increase club head speed.

How to Measure Your Golf Swing Speed

Using a launch monitor.

Launch Monitors are like magic machines for golfers. They’re devices that precisely measure your clubhead speed and other numerical metrics. A launch monitor can be used inside or outside, providing immediate, real-time data when you hit the ball.

Statistical data, which we often use, can significantly benefit the average golfer and the PGA tour player. Launch monitors can also use shot tracer technology, thus providing instantaneous video feedback of your swing. 

Here’s how you can use them:

• Find a Launch Monitor : You can usually find one at your local golf course or practice range. Some popular brands include TrackMan, FlightScope, and GCQuad. Other popular brands that you can personally purchase and are more budget-friendly include the Rapsodo Mobile Launch Monitor, Garmin Approach, and the Swing Caddie SC4. I use the Rapsodo Mobile Launch Monitor .

Set Up : Turn on the device, position yourself in the designated area, and calibrate the launch monitor. Set up is easy and takes only a couple of minutes.

Swing Away : Take your best swing; the launch monitor will do the rest. It’ll measure your swing speed and provide other valuable data, like ball speed, launch angle, and smash factor.

Our recommendation for a starting launch monitor is the Rapsodo Mobile Launch Monitor.

At Swingcrafters, we highly recommend the use of a launch monitor. It will help new golfers understand how far they hit each club in the bag while permitting seasoned players to fine-tune their game. 

Golf Simulators

Indoor golf simulators have gained significant popularity in recent years, offering golf enthusiasts a unique and convenient way to practice their game regardless of weather conditions or location.

They are pretty expensive and do take up a decent amount of room in your basement or outdoor space. However, they are worth the price as they will improve your club head speed and golf game overall.

Below are some of the advantages and disadvantages of golf simulators. 

• Accessibility- Can play day or night, snow or rain
• Controlled and comfortable Environment
• Versatility and access to golf courses you Could never play
• Valuable statistical data on every shot.
• You can make data-based improvements to your game
• Provides launch angle, spin rates, carry distance, total distance, attack angles, etc.

Disadvantages

• High cost (Low Budget $3,000 to $5,000)
• Only partially replicates playing an actual golf course
• Lack of authenticity
• Takes up a decent amount of space

Golf Swing Speed Charts

The following charts provide numerical data that has been collected over the years. Data was collected from the PGA Tour , Trackman Golf , and Par4Success.

The charts demonstrate various swing speeds by handicap, age, and PGA Tour swing speed statistics at the professional level.

Golf Swing Speed Chart By Age

The chart below shows the average swing speed by age.

Statistical Data Provided By Par4Success.com

Golf Swing Speed Chart By Handicap

The chart below demonstrates the average male and female amateur golfer’s swing speed based on their handicap. To learn more about a handicap, check out our article on handicaps in golf.

PGA Tour Swing Speed Chart By Tour Average

The chart below tracks the average PGA tour swing speed over the last 17 seasons. As you can see by the chart, there has been a nearly three-mile-per-hour increase in the average PGA tour player’s swing speed.

The latest average for the 2022/2023 season was a whopping 115.20 MPH.

Average Driving Distance and PGA Tour Average Distance

The following chart provides statistical data showing the correlation between club head speed and driver carry distance. The second chart will demonstrate the average PGA Tour driving distance in yards over the last twenty years.

Average Driver Carry Distance By Swing Speed

This chart shows the relation of swing speed to total carry distance in yards with a driver.

PGA Tour Average Driving Distance

This chart demonstrates the PGA Tour average driving distance over the last twenty years.

Tips for Increasing Golf Swing Speed

Now that we know what swing speed is and what the average golf swing speed is, these are the three tips that will have you achieving maximum speed in your swing and greater driving distance.

Strength and Conditioning

You don’t have to be a bodybuilder to improve your swing speed. Simple exercise and flexibility movements can make a big difference. Some of our favorites are:

Lunges With Rotation

Single Leg Deadlift

Squat with Medicine Ball Rotations

Medicine Ball Sit-Up Rotation

Stretching/Flexibility

Shoulder Stretch

Standing Forward Bend

Standing Quad Stretch

Hip Flexor and Psoas Stretch

Hip and Lower Back Stretch

These are just a few of the exercises and movements our team uses frequently in the gym. For more workouts and programs, check out  Joey D Golf  or  TPI .

Swing Mechanics and Golf Instruction

Your swing technique matters more than you might think. Proper swing mechanics and hand position at impact play a significant role in speed within the golf swing. Your swing must be at the highest speed before impact when you hit the ball. This will directly impact the carry distances of all clubs in your golf bag. 

Below are ways to improve your average golf swing speed. 

And here is another great video

Golf instruction is a surefire way to improve your average club head speed. Working with a PGA Golf Professional will help you obtain more swing speed, and with proper speed training, you will swing faster in no time. Driver distance will improve as well as your driving efficiency. Many golfers take lessons, but rarely do you see a golfer taking lessons to get more speed, regardless of skill level. 

Create your personal swing speed chart to track your progress in increasing your average club head speed.

Custom Club Fitting

Getting properly fit golf clubs is crucial for increasing speed and overall performance on the golf course. One of the main reasons for this importance lies in the relationship between club specifications and the golfer’s unique biomechanics. 

An adequately certified club fitter takes this into account.

Golfer’s height

Wrist-to-floor measurement

Swing Tempo

When these factors align with the club’s length, shaft, shaft flex, and clubhead design, it optimizes the golfer’s ability to generate maximum clubhead speed. 

According to True Spec Golf , the shaft flex you need is based on your clubhead speed. Here is a quick breakdown:

• X-stiff  – This is the range where most high-level players fall. If you’re swinging the driver above 105 mph, it might be time to get some X-stiff shafts in your set.
• Stiff  – If you’re between 97 and 104 mph with the driver, you need a stiff flex. 
• Regular  – This is where most recreational golfers fall. Regular flex will be best for you if you’re between 84 and 96 mph.
• Senior  – Slower swingers fall into this category. Between 72 and 83 mph signifies you need to be hitting senior flex. 
• Ladies  – Not all women’s golfers fall into this category. This range will be for anyone with a swing speed slower than 72 mph.

A club that is too long or stiff can hinder a golfer’s swing, reducing power and control. Conversely, a club that is too short or flexible can lose distance and accuracy. Therefore, club fitting is crucial in unlocking a golfer’s full potential and achieving more incredible club head speeds.

Additionally, properly fit clubs can enhance a golfer’s confidence and consistency on the course. When a golfer has trust in their equipment, they are more likely to make an aggressive and controlled swing, which can translate into increased clubhead speed.

The right club length and shaft flex can also help with shot dispersion, reducing the likelihood of wayward shots and penalties. 

As swing speed increases with a well-fit club, so does the potential for greater distance off the tee and better approaches to the green. Ultimately, getting correctly fit clubs is not just about swing speed but improving overall performance, making the game more enjoyable, and helping golfers reach their full potential.

Golf Swing Speed Conclusion

Golf swing speed is your newfound secret weapon for shortening the course. More club head speed will increase carry distance, accuracy, and performance. Now that you can measure and enhance your club head speeds, it’s time to see how your average swing speeds improve.

Track the average distance your ball goes with each club. Over time, and with continued practice on the driving range improving your speed training, you can create your personal swing speed chart and track your improvement over time.

Remember, golf is a journey, and increasing your average swing speed is one of the exciting stops. Watching your average driving distance improve will boost your confidence and lower your scores. Having shorter shots into the green increases the chances of getting closer to the hole, leading to better scores and more fun.

Instruction

How do lpga tour players hit their drives so straight.

As a teacher, I have had the privilege of coaching both men and women golfers through the decades, and I’ve found that there are both similarities and significant differences in the approach to teaching golf to each gender.

When coaching male golfers, I often need to keep tabs on the amount of strain used in the swing, especially with the driver. On a scale of 1-10, the strain level used should be around 3-4 to get a velocity and compression of 7-8. Think about it as your second serve in tennis. Tom Watson was an expert at this. 

When I ask my new male students to rate their level of strain, they often answer 8-10… and that is after I describe 10 as a separated rib (which, by the way, you see more often than you would think on the professional tours). Using this level of strain is the equivalent of flooring a race car on a wet track; there is a red line there for a reason! It’s the same with your body; you need to be aware of your limits.  

Because men generally have more muscular density than women, they can take a golf club and yank it around like a big dog with a rag doll. This is generally n ot the case for women. They respond to the weight of the golf club and flow with it, rather than against it. As a result they develop better timing and rhythm in their swings, which leads to them hitting more fairways.

Like a lumber jack with a heavy axe, all golfers should learn to use the weight of the golf club to deliver the blow. Watch the video above to learn more.

You CAN Handle the Truth: The Importance of Measurable Data in the Golf Swing

What Happened to The Dan Plan?

Shawn Clement is the new Director of Development at the Royal Quebec Golf Academy in Quebec City, Canada and a class A PGA teaching professional. Shawn was a 2011 and 2015 Ontario PGA Teacher of the Year nominee while Directing at the Richmond Hill Golf Learning Centre. He was also voted in the top 10 (tied with Martin Hall at No. 9) as most sought after teacher on the internet in 2016 with 83 000 subscribers on YouTube and 36 millions natural views. Shawn has been writing for numerous publications since 2001 including Golf Tips Magazine and Score Golf Magazine. He also appeared of the Golf Channel’s Academy Live in July 2001 with Jerry Foltz and Mike Ritz. Shawn Clement has the distinction of being one of the only professionals fit by Ping’s Tour fitting centre where he was fitted with left and right handed clubs including 2 drivers with 115 plus miles per hour and 300 plus yard drives from both sides.

17 Comments

Mar 18, 2017 at 3:41 am

Shawn, thank you very much for the Driver lesson. I’m looking forward to the long iron/fwy lesson. I’m a ~10 hp golfer and hit my mid and long irons decent, but struggle with fairway woods from the turf. I’d really like to see a lesson on fwy’s from the turf. Thank you.

Mar 16, 2017 at 8:37 pm

With no disrespect at ALL to the women on the LPGA tour, they are sharp and incredibly talented and could beat most everyone from any tee box…but the reason the women hit it straighter is because they swing way slower. Its simple math. Who has the potential to hit it more crooked, the 22 year old who carries it 330, or the 75 year old who nukes his driver 200? Clearly the latter. Also, next time you go to a tough golf course play it from three tees up from the tips. 99% of courses lose their intimidation factor off the tee box when your tees are so forward. You are closer to the fairway, don’t have gorse or valleys to carry, and it’s just a more comfortable shot to hit. So yeah….when you’re swinging your driver at 95 MPH it’s pretty hard to put too much gnarly side spin or block / pull it off the planet. Plus the tee boxes are relatively stress free from a mental stand point. Again, the women on the LPGA tour are incredibly talented, and once off the tee box it squares up with with the guys. But it goes without saying that they play an easier game off the tee box.

Mar 17, 2017 at 1:27 pm

The LPGA tournaments are not played from three tees up as you say – they typically play 6,800 yard tracks which will be akin to longer courses than you play in the monthly medal. This week in China at Mission Hills it’s 7,300 yards and they’re still shooting 65s.

The rationale about women’s golf at the elite level is misunderstood (my daughter is 16 years old and plays off +3 and carries her drives 255 on the fly…270 with run-out most typically yet averages 67 around a 6,100 ladies course /6,990 men’s course). Like all elite ladies/girls she thinks her way around and uses the right clubs to yardages which she knows like a pro. She can beat me (and I’m off +1 handicap) playing off level from the men’s tips more often than I beat her.

Amateur men (that’s not the elite variety but you and your mates) typically try to emulate Dustin or Rory as it’s all about swagger. You’ll think you hit your irons farther than you actually do and you don’t course-manage very well at all. It’s quite simple really, it’s not all about distance. My nephew is 20 years younger than me and averages 320 yards off the tee with driver (with a 3 handicap) but despite being 40 yards past me most times never wins even when in receipt of 5 shots. Why? Because he tries to power his irons and rarely hits better than 40% GIR…I manage 70% GIR and therein lies the difference. Wake up and realise it’s not all about distance off the tee or hitting your 56* wedge 140 yards.

Andrew Cooper

Mar 18, 2017 at 12:16 pm

Trackman tour data: LPGA average driver carry distance 218 yards v PGA Tour average 275 yards. Swing speed averages LPGA 94mph and PGA Tour 113mph. LPGA courses set up on average between 6200 and 6600 yards.

Dale Doback

Mar 18, 2017 at 2:55 pm

The ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills had several tee boxes forward of where I had to play a golf channel am tour event at 6400 yards. It was a phenomenal event but the course was setup around 6500 yards for a MAJOR. If you are correct Ian Muir, which I know for a fact you are not and if the LPGA played a course at 7300 yards Inbee Park would need 3 shots to reach every par 4 since she carries the ball around 210 yards. Thats awesome your Daughter can drive it 260 yards that will put her near top in distance on the LPGA and still dead last on the PGA Tour and Senior PGA tour. LPGA players are more accurate because they are about 60 yards shorter on average. You can hit the ball much further offline and still hit fairway the shorter you hit it. http://blog.trackmangolf.com/trackman-average-tour-stats/

Mar 20, 2017 at 9:17 am

Stopped reading after you talked about the yardages they play from, not even close. Please don’t think that what the card says is what they play, even more so in wet weather where the Ladies get no roll. Then you’ll see some events played at or below 6300 yards. Typically sub 6500, and even when they announce 6500, its usually below that.

Mar 16, 2017 at 7:34 pm

Want to hit it straight???? Straight back, straight through.

Mar 16, 2017 at 6:25 pm

Rubbish. PGA tour clubhead speed stats show average and max clubhead speed within a few mph of each other. Gotta go after it to generate speed. Swinging easy is a bandaid for other swing flaws. Additionally with less distance you’ll pick up phony accuracy due to the geometry of a shot. The same percentage offline miss at 250 in the first cut is in the trees at 310.

Patricknorm

Mar 16, 2017 at 7:36 pm

I don’t think you understood what the writer said. There is a point of diminishing return when swinging a golf club, specifically a driver. Most pros will tell you they swing at about 80% because they want to be under control. Occasionally they swing harder but nothing near 100%. That’s reckless , especially if this is the way you earn income. Besides, if pros swung at or near 100% all the time their careers would be very short because of injuries or….too many missed cuts. Watching the Arnold Palmer Invitation today, Frank Nobilo pointed out that Brandt Snedeker was hooking the ball too much because he was swinging too hard. Like I said before, there is a point of diminishing return. That was what the author was trying to say.

Shawn Clement

Mar 18, 2017 at 2:02 am

Awesome Patrick! Exactly what I meant!! Thank you!

Bobby Bigshlawng

Mar 20, 2017 at 5:14 am

Whenever I have a driver in my hand I am going after it…when I do connect and hit a bomb..it makes me feel like I have a big Johnson

Mar 16, 2017 at 4:05 pm

This method of creating speed works for you because you’re about 7 feet tall with a 10-foot wingspan. How about for those of us with short limbs and height?

Mar 17, 2017 at 6:47 am

Swing wild. That old saying of “You gotta lose control to gain control”.

Mar 19, 2017 at 10:45 pm

Lol; dude, I am only 6 feet 10! ????

Mar 16, 2017 at 2:57 pm

The point matches up to experience. Speed and accuracy are at a nexus. Try hammering a nail. If you want to hit the nail dead center on the head with the middle of the hammer, the slower you swing the hammer the more accurate.

Next, try hitting the nail with as fast as swing as possible. The chance of controlling swing path and therefore accuracy will diminish. For one thing, you’ll have to grip the hammer more firmly the faster you swing to compensate for centrifugal force pulling the club out of your hand.

Tighter grip means tighter forearms and bigger muscle groups taking over. These are strength muscles and not fine motor skill muscles. This all translates into less control of swing path and face to path which factor into where the club face meets the ball. The latter are what determines accuracy to target.

Course management involves knowing what your maximum driver distance off the tee is with enough accuracy to have a decent line into the layup or the green. My bet is that most casual golfers would do better on par 5s hitting 3w, 6i, 7i, W and two putting for bogey than Driver, two shots out of the trees, 3w, 7i, W and two putt for a triple.

Mar 16, 2017 at 1:45 pm

I’m not sold on the assumption. You need to measure “straightness” by degrees off line with similar swing speeds. If I hit it 230 off the tee and am 5 degrees offline, (which is 20 yards from center), and I “straighter” than if I hit it 330 off the tee and 4 degrees offline, which is 23 yards from center?

Obviously if you hit it farther, it will go more offline with the same degrees of inaccuracy.

Mar 16, 2017 at 12:23 pm

It seems that the women with higher swing speeds have the same issue of being a bit more inaccurate. Might be something to be said about new equipment and slower swing speeds to go along with their tempo and rhythm

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Clement: laid-off or perfect fade across-the-line or perfect draw.

Some call the image on the left laid off, but if you are hitting a fade, this could be a perfect backswing for it! Same for across the line for a draw! Stop racking your brain with perceived mistakes and simply match backswing to shot shape!

The Wedge Guy: The easiest-to-learn golf basic

My golf learning began with this simple fact – if you don’t have a fundamentally sound hold on the golf club, it is practically impossible for your body to execute a fundamentally sound golf swing. I’m still a big believer that the golf swing is much easier to execute if you begin with the proper hold on the club.

As you might imagine, I come into contact with hundreds of golfers of all skill levels. And it is very rare to see a good player with a bad hold on the golf club. There are some exceptions, for sure, but they are very few and very far between, and they typically have beat so many balls with their poor grip that they’ve found a way to work around it.

The reality of biophysics is that the body moves only in certain ways – and the particulars of the way you hold the golf club can totally prevent a sound swing motion that allows the club to release properly through the impact zone. The wonderful thing is that anyone can learn how to put a fundamentally sound hold on the golf club, and you can practice it anywhere your hands are not otherwise engaged, like watching TV or just sitting and relaxing.

Whether you prefer an overlap, interlock or full-finger (not baseball!) grip on the club, the same fundamentals apply.  Here are the major grip faults I see most often, in the order of the frequency:

Mis-aligned hands

By this I mean that the palms of the two hands are not parallel to each other. Too many golfers have a weak left hand and strong right, or vice versa. The easiest way to learn how to hold the club with your palms aligned properly is to grip a plain wooden ruler or yardstick. It forces the hands to align properly and shows you how that feels. If you grip and re-grip a yardstick several times, then grip a club, you’ll see that the learning curve is almost immediate.

The position of the grip in the upper/left hand

I also observe many golfers who have the butt of the grip too far into the heel pad of the upper hand (the left hand for right-handed players). It’s amazing how much easier it is to release the club through the ball if even 1/4-1/2″ of the butt is beyond the left heel pad. Try this yourself to see what I mean.  Swing the club freely with just your left hand and notice the difference in its release from when you hold it at the end of the grip, versus gripping down even a half inch.

To help you really understand how this works, go to the range and hit shots with your five-iron gripped down a full inch to make the club the same length as your seven-iron. You will probably see an amazing shot shape difference, and likely not see as much distance loss as you would expect.

Too much lower (right) hand on the club

It seems like almost all golfers of 8-10 handicap or higher have the club too far into the palm of the lower hand, because that feels “good” if you are trying to control the path of the clubhead to the ball. But the golf swing is not an effort to hit at the ball – it is a swing of the club. The proper hold on the club has the grip underneath the pad at the base of the fingers. This will likely feel “weak” to you — like you cannot control the club like that. EXACTLY. You should not be trying to control the club with your lower/master hand.

Gripping too tightly

Nearly all golfers hold the club too tightly, which tenses up the forearms and prevents a proper release of the club through impact. In order for the club to move back and through properly, you must feel that the club is controlled by the last three fingers of the upper hand, and the middle two fingers of the lower hand. If you engage your thumbs and forefingers in “holding” the club, the result will almost always be a grip that is too tight. Try this for yourself. Hold the club in your upper hand only, and squeeze firmly with just the last three fingers, with the forefinger and thumb off the club entirely. You have good control, but your forearms are not tense. Then begin to squeeze down with your thumb and forefinger and observe the tensing of the entire forearm. This is the way we are made, so the key to preventing tenseness in the arms is to hold the club very lightly with the “pinchers” — the thumbs and forefingers.

So, those are what I believe are the four fundamentals of a good grip. Anyone can learn them in their home or office very quickly. There is no easier way to improve your ball striking consistency and add distance than giving more attention to the way you hold the golf club.

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TrackMan Average Tour Stats

Tour stats include:

Club Speed, Attack Angle, Ball Speed, Smash Factor, Launch Angle, Spin Rate, Max Height, Land Angle and Carry.

TrackMan Average Stats Taken From The PGA TOUR

TrackMan LPGA Tour Average Stats

80 comments

So the average male Tour pro hits down on the ball slightly with the driver? Should attack angle vary with clubhead speed?

The attack angle for the pros varies on woods, but it’s more or less negative when it comes to hybrids and irons. For the average player, the attack angle on drivers varies and in general so should the ball that is hit from the ground always have a negative attack angle in order to get a better margin of error for the impact.

However, in order to get the longest carry possible, the ball should launch high with low spin. The optimal numbers are individual based on club speed – and that type of flight can easier be achieved if the spin loft is low together with a high dynamic loft. The more the attack angle is negative, then the higher the spin loft gets => the attack angle should be closer to 0 if anything IF the goal is to carry as long as possible.

But generally, the attack angle for irons should be from -2 – -5 for almost all players, but for drivers you can hit it further with a positive attack angle, no matter the club speed.

Niklas Bergdahl Support Manager EMEA & Asia

Can you send me the optimal numbers across the board that players and coaches should be looking for in lessons and trackman sessions

Strangely enough, with a driver you can achieve a carry of 300 vs 275 with the same clubhead speed of 113. Adam Young tries to get people to convert to this method. Attack angle = +8 degrees Launch angle = 19 degrees Backspin = 2,000 Smash Factor= 1.5

Hi. I can only confirm. I achieve those positive angles and l can carry the driver (9 degr loft) 245 yards with a club speed of 95mph. Rollout is average 20 yards.

No, it is 3° and that means the clubhead is movin upwards. – is downwards.

You are reading the LPGA (ladies) numbers Tim. The PGA (men) average is -1.3.

Looks like the average LPGA players trackman swing speed is more or less the same as an average 10 hcp male player. Though the ladies are a lot more skilled in hitting it on the right angles and in the right spot on the clubface. Would an average 10 hcp male player have a advantage or disadvantege using graphite shafts?

Harry, any player of any handicap can benefit from graphite shafts. More often than not, the memory in most players’ minds from graphite stems from a very long time ago when graphite was ONLY graphite. It was whippy, and not very accurate. Material advances and composite technology have nearly rendered steel obsolete. I say nearly, mind you. There are a number of outstanding graphite shafts out there that are super stable and responsive, enabling a lighter club and longer distance without sacrificing accuracy. Fujikura makes some really nice iron shafts that fuse both steel and graphite technologies called MCI. In fact, i have Fuji PRO 95i shafts in my irons and my iron game is better now than it ever was with steel. I’m a 3.5 index and relatively strong but it allows me to play all out without getting tired on the back 9 from heavy clubs. Being a club builder, i can tell you that in golf equipment there’s a trade-off in everything. wether it’s length, weight, or feel so your advantage or disadvantage is dependent on how precisely you build your piece of equipment.

Hey Chris thanks for the info below i find it very interesting. Curious do you have those same shafts in your wedges or do you have steel in your wedges? I played SteelFiber i95 shafts last year in all my irons including wedges. I liked them in my irons but i felt like it hurt my game in wedges. Do you have any thoughts on this? Thanks

Agreed. Shallow your angle of attack to match the LPGA players.

I have had a number of sessions on a Trackman, (the latest on Aug 22, 2015, at “Modern Golf” in Mississauga On.). My clubhead speed and distances are about the same as LPGA averages. I was doing wedge work, and see that for a pitching wedge, (48°), my angle of attack -about 7.5° – is n=much higher than LPGA average. My accuracy is good, (only 3 0f 19 shots more that 20′ away, and all when the face angle was over 4° closed). I’m thinking that I should weaken my left hand a bit, (it’s a little strong on pitch shots), and play the ball farther forward- 2″ ahead of centre. Am I on the right track, or will these changes introduce new problems?

I’m 74 years old, and am a long-time PGA of Canada member. Thanks for any feedback…. love Trackman outings.

I would recommend that you visit one of our certified coaches, he/she would be able to help you and find what numbers are best for you.

See our TrackMan Locator here.

I don’t disagree with these stats but I do it;s kinda weird. 87 miles mph with an 8 iron should produce 177 yards of carry not 160 that’s a lot of mph. Iv’e seen high school kids hit 9 iron 165 and they don’t swing 100 mph with a 9 iron. When I swing hard I hit my 8 iron 155 and my legit radar read 72 mph so logic would dictate at 88 mph you would get more like 180 yards carry again that’s a lot of mph.

Remember that’s a carry number not total distance. Also since the pros produce significant more back spin, their ball flight is higher, landing angle loftier producing minimum roll whereas your total distance might be benefiting from maximum roll. One more thing to check would be launch angle where you might be hitting a low ball flight to maximize distance which in my opinion is “cheating.”

The PGA Tour 8-iron goes 160 in the air for a couple of reasons. One, they usually hit weaker lofts than high school players (like I) do. Secondly, they spin their 8-iron at 7998 RPM to stop the ball on fast greens. I believe this is the combination that makes the 8-iron go so much shorter.

I’ve hit thousands of balls on Foresight simulators, and what I’ve found is that backspin significantly influences carry distance. Holding club head speed constant, greater backspin reduces carry distance on all clubs.

For mid-irons, I’d estimate that you lose roughly 5-7 yards of carry per 1,000 RPM in additional backspin. And with the driver it’s easily 10+ yards of carry lost per 1,000 RPM.

This explains why poorly struck balls will often fly as far, if not further, than a well-hit shot. The key to backspin is crispness of contact – a poorly struck shot simply won’t spin as much. Unless the impact is absolutely terrible, the lack of backspin on poorly struck shots will cause those balls to carry further than a well-struck ball. So if you’re flying balls over the green with your irons, the culprit could be too little backspin caused by poor contact, cheap balls, a dirty club face, etc.

I think this is also the key reason why fades don’t carry as far as draws. It’s not that a draw swing is any faster/more powerful – it’s simply that fades have more backspin due to the impact geometry/physics involved with that swing.

Now I may be wrong on some of this, so I’d love to get a true expert’s take.

One thing I forgot to add to my comment above is that you need a minimum of backspin on all golf shots just to get the ball up in the air. That may be 1,500 RPM for woods and maybe 3,000 for irons.

My point is that increasing backspin beyond this base level will generally reduce carry. For example, I can guarantee that increasing the backspin on your 7 iron from 5k to 7.5k will reduce your carry with that club, even if your swinging faster at 7.5k.

I totally disagree with your premise. Draws carrying further than fades? That makes no sense.

Bare in mind tour players play with proper golf clubs which are weak lofted so the people you see hitting a 9 iron further than tour average 8 it’s probably because that 9 iron is closer to a 7 iron loft

Spin determines weather you hit a draw or fade so logic would dictate distance will also be effected. In my experience draws do tend to be further for 2 reasons and both have to do with spin. With a draw you will usually get more roll out as well as flight because of the decrease in spin. This is especially true with a driver.

Depends what clubs you are using. There can be as much as 7 degrees of variation between a ‘standard’ loft on a 7 iron. If you’re playing the Callaway Mavrik irons, you’ll get 27 degrees of loft on a 7 iron. If you’re playing the Callaway Apex Pro then its 34 degrees. That’s a two club difference.

I was custom fit recently for the Apex 21’s and currently play Apex MBs. With the MBs my 7 iron has 34 degrees of loft and flies 165yds with 89mph average club head speed. Same swing with the Apex 21s (30 degrees of loft) flies between 177 – 180 yds. Big difference.

Larry , I would highly recommend you see Mark Evershed . Buy him lunch and get the answers your looking for .

Hi guys this was a recent session with a cobra 3 wood 16 deg loft.my question is my launch angle seems a little low ,interested in your thoughts .thanks Shot # Club Club Speed (mph) Ball Speed (mph) Smash Factor Launch Angle (degrees) Direction Back Spin (rpm) Carry Distance (yards) Total Distance (yards) 1 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 2 3 Wood 98 148 1.51 9.10 Straight 4096.00 223.00 240.00 3 3 Wood 94 142 1.51 9.10 Straight 3904.00 213.00 230.00 4 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 5 3 Wood 96 145 1.51 9.10 Straight 4000.00 219.00 236.00 6 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 7 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 8 3 Wood 93 141 1.52 8.80 Straight 3826.00 212.00 229.00 9 3 Wood 92 129 1.40 12.40 Straight 4138.00 190.00 207.00 10 3 Wood 94 142 1.51 9.10 Straight 3904.00 213.00 230.00 11 3 Wood 94 142 1.51 9.10 Straight 3904.00 213.00 230.00 12 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 13 3 Wood 96 145 1.51 9.10 Straight 4000.00 219.00 236.00 14 3 Wood 93 140 1.51 9.10 Straight 3856.00 210.00 227.00 15 3 Wood 96 146 1.52 8.80 Straight 3970.00 220.00 237.00 16 3 Wood 92 140 1.52 8.80 Straight 3778.00 210.00 227.00 17 3 Wood 95 144 1.52 8.80 Straight 3922.00 216.00 233.00 18 3 Wood 96 145 1.51 9.10 Straight 4000.00 219.00 236.00 19 3 Wood 94 142 1.51 9.10 Straight 3904.00 213.00 230.00 20 3 Wood 91 137 1.51 9.10 Straight 3760.00 204.00 221.00 21 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 22 3 Wood 95 144 1.52 8.80 Straight 3922.00 216.00 233.00 23 3 Wood 95 144 1.52 8.80 Straight 3922.00 216.00 233.00 24 3 Wood 96 146 1.52 8.80 Straight 3970.00 220.00 237.00 25 3 Wood 96 146 1.52 8.80 Straight 3970.00 220.00 237.00 26 3 Wood 96 145 1.51 9.10 Straight 4000.00 219.00 236.00 27 3 Wood 94 137 1.46 10.60 Straight 4054.00 204.00 221.00 28 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 29 3 Wood 98 142 1.45 10.90 Straight 4276.00 213.00 230.00

What kind of balls were you using?

Brent. This was at a driving range with srixon range balls

Ok the one number that really stood out to me was the smash factor. Usually anything above a 1.50 indicates something is illegal. There’s a reason not even the PGA tour players aren’t averaging 1.50 off the tee. Other than that your numbers look good.

Brent what about the launch angle

Yes the launch is a little on the low side. But seeing how you’re still getting decent distance I wouldn’t worry too much about how it’s coming out. But try hitting down on the ball more to get it up in the air faster.

I frequently get above 1.5 on trackman with longer irons and my woods (I have raised this with your tech teams already). This is because your machine measures club speed just before impact and doesn’t detect acceleration through impact

Trackman doesn’t detect acceleration through impact on solidly struck shots so you can post smash factors above 1.5. It’s best to just rely on ball speed with Trackman

Brent in one of your comments you said my smash factor was high ,had a session last night at range and some of my smash factors were 1.53 is this something to try and change and if so how do I change it

Like you had said you were using range balls correct? If so the smash factor will be a little off since they aren’t a legal tournament ball. What the smash factor (as explained to me by the Carolinas PGA rules committee chairman) is, is a measurement of how well the ball comes off the face. There’s a specific calculation for it but I’m not positive of it and anything over a 1.50 usually is a tell tale sign that either the club or ball is illegal. What I would recommend doing is using the ball you would normally play a round with and get some readings off that ball.

I read not long ago that Rory Mcilroy had a smash factor of 1.53 as well . If Willie can hit it 380 the way Rory does, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Larry. I’m 55 years old 280 is my distance not 380 Like Rory

Ball speed divided by club head speed is smash factor

I’m currently doing my university project on green-side bunker shots, I was wondering if you have any shot data for a short bunker shot or flop shot? Thanks.

Sorry but we do not have any official data we can share, but it would be interesting to see your final research :)

Blair, My assumption would be that the cleaner a ball is picked out of a bunker the more spin it will have and vice versa. The more sand you use to move the ball the less spin.

Do you have TrackMan data for AoA and DL for greenside bunker shots?

Sorry we do not have any official bunker shot data.

In looking at the tour pro stats for men – the max height reading for all clubs is about 30 plus or minus 2. I am trying to understand how/why are the heights the same for all clubs? My assumption would be the more lofted the club the greater the height! Is 30ish the optimum figure for best distance? Because in my last stats my longest 9.5 degree driver shot was max height of 56!

Is there any data available from the Senior tour?

We do not have any official charts for the Senior Tour. But you can login on mytrackman.com and use the combine section and filter, to show only Senior Tour players.

Thanks Christian!

what month/year is this data from?

Is there any data on typical club path for a tour pro?

Can you please post stats for average path, club face, and face to path numbers for PGA tour?

Could you please post average path, club face, and face to path numbers for several top Tour Players?

Before all the hype about hitting up on the ball came about, I hit down on a driver anywhere from -2 to -4 degrees and swung 1-2 degrees left.

Once I started to try and swing up on it. I lost direction big time. An easy swing for me is 112, swinging hard at it I can get it up to 123. Does Trackman recommend those that have higher swing speeds to hit down on it for straighter direction?

There is no physics logic backing up that hitting up on the ball will give a decrease in accuracy. However to go from hitting down to hitting up you have made some changes to your impact obviously. The way you made the changes could well be the problem as this could have affected your impact location, swing path, clubface and the way you release the club

Can pga tour players carry the ball 293 yards.

A Question: Were some data change on this site? I ask because I’m quite sure to have read other data for the men’s driver trajectory. Am I wrong or can someone confirm this?

kindly zorro

Is my impression right, that the data for the men driver were changed from

[Daten alt: 112mph 165mph 11,2° 2685 31y 39° 269y] to [Daten neu: 113mph 167mph 10,9° 2686 32y 38° 275y] ?

Why did TM do that?

For the tour pro stats – mainly carry distance, launch angle and spin rate for the driver, you have the averages, could you supply the max and min (filtered for outliers)? I am going to run an experiment with Trackman at my golf academy and need a starting range for each item. The tour max and min range is a starting point versus having to create this from scratch.

Anyone know where I can find raw data of clubhead speed? It is for a College project. Thanks!

You know what would be great to see – average miss from target – left and right – for each club. Of course short and long from target matter as well, but solid contact isn’t really my issue – left and right misses is my challenge

I’m about a half club off of PGA Tour average distance wise. Technically I’m a 1 handicap, but more like 4 or 5 when the tourney pressure is on. I know from playing with better players the difference between me and them is pretty much how much more accurate they are from a left and right perspective.

You can find all this info from Mark Broadie. He has tracked all the shots on the us tour for years and also written a book Every Shot Counts about it

I have been playing Golf for less than 19 months. I must admit I was damn tired of the same Golf Lesson producing varying results with inconsistent instruction(s) which seemed contradictory to the previous lesson. I take Golf perhaps a little more serious than others and my “approach” to this game may be viewed as extreme due to my focus on Fitness/Strength Training combined with my Yoga and Nutritional regimen.

That notwithstanding I would like to formally THANK the Trackman Developers and Support Staff for FINALLY producing a “Standardized” curriculum eliminating the traditional random quick fixes and circumventing the often inconsistent and contradictory methods being taught today.

I currently own a Trackman 4 and although I DO NOT wish to teach, I am Certified as an Operator and successful in obtaining my Professional Level 1 & 2 Certifications and shortly will be submitting my Thesis to be considered for review. These Certifications have greatly assisted me in understanding Flight/Ball dynamics and greatly assists my Coach and I in our 4-5 hour daily Putting-Wedge-Iron-Wood and Driver Sessions providing the data necessary to produce a more consistent and …. I have a hard time with this next word…… F U N game. (There I said the word “fun” in the same sentence as “Golf.” I’m so proud of myself!!!

Seriously, I simply CANNOT thank Nathan Meyer for coming to my hometown and demonstrating the enormous benefit(s) of purchasing the Trackman 4 product.

Kym Fontana [email protected]

It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know you! Your work ethic, attitude, and kindness are all things that I can look up to. very excited for 2017 and I am looking forward to seeing you again soon!

-Nathan Meyer [email protected]

Are there numbers posted for an average 5 HCP player or 10 HCP player similar to the charts above for the ave tour player?

What is the #1 PGA Tour player in “Carry Distance” average carry distance??

I understand this data is pretty old, released soon after the time when trackman first came out. I’m sure things have changed since then. Any update?

Actually, we haven’t seen any huge changes over the past years, it’s more about roundings. For example, Avg. Club Speed for a driver: 2014: 113.0 mph 2015: 113.3 mph 2016: 112.9 mph And it’s pretty much similar with the other numbers.

We do have a graphical updated version of the Tour Stats here.

Not really. Lee Westwood was interviewed recently and advised that apart from his driver he hits everything else almost the exact same he has his entire career.

I’m looking for PGA tour averages for dynamic loft for different clubs. Does anyone have this data to share? Thanks!

Are there tour averages for club path?

Are all these stats full swings? Example: Would the avg tour pro hit a 6-iron further, if he turns fully and tries to hit it as far as possible (with a natural movement like on a driver – not with an unnatural swing that creates most possible power, but result in very unconsistent ball flight)?

Currently I practice indoors because of the winter. I do my practice with Trackman and I carry my 7 iron about 177-180 yards and total distance of 188-192 yards with my TaylorMade PSi irons. Lots of my shots with the 7 iron has a smash factor of 1.50-1.51.

This is a example of one of my shots with 7 iron.

Club speed: 80.2 | AoA: 1.3 | Ball speed: 120.5 | Carry: 164 meter | Total: 176 meter | Dyn Loft: 19.6 | Smash Factor: 1.50

Is that normal number for a 7 iron with a that club speed?

Averages are useful, but knowing them would be more useful if we knew the median and mode, as well as the range.

Hello, Are there updated PGA Tour Trackman stats?

On Trackman this week using 7i I noticed the spin rate I had was well below that of a pro by nearly 3,000 rpm but similar club speed and attack angle. How can I get my spin rate up?

It can vary a lot due to the ball and clubs you are using. For example driving range balls are normally very hard and will have much lower spinrates than a quality ball like a Titleist pro v1. Modern day irons are also built to higher the lauch angle and lower the spinrate so that the average golfer will achieve more distance

It would be great to know the average loft for each club, especially the irons!. I think 21-24-27-30-34-38-42-46 (3-Pw) are reasonable specs. What do you guys think?

What loft are the irons? A modern 7i is now 30°

Is this still the original data from 2015 or has it been updated?

I’d be very curious to see if the how the average attack angle has changed over this time in the PGA.

Please update this data from over the years of more testing.

Do you have any numbers on tour averages numbers on dynamic loft and spin loft?

I am a 2 handicapper and I hit my driver 280 yards on an average. What is the attack angle with driver of the best players on the pga tour?

these yardages are no doubt well below reality.

6 iron only 183yds carry? Most high handicappers hit it equally far.

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Golf Club Distance Chart

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This golf club distance chart will help provide you with a guide to how far you should hit your golf clubs. You’ll also be able to tell what level you’re at compared to the pros and how increasing your swing speed will impact your yardage.

Table of Contents

Golf Club Distance Chart by Swing Speed

This table from Trackman shows the average distance for golf clubs based on the swing speed of a driver. Of course, your distances will vary based on how well you’re striking the ball, but this cheat sheet should give you a good idea of how far you can expect your clubs to go when hit well.

Note that these are carry numbers. So you might expect from 0-10 yards of extra distance depending on the club, how it’s struck, and where it lands.

Printable Golf Club Distance Chart

If you’d like to print this chart out, click on the image below or download this golf club distance chart pdf .

Average Swing Speed by Player Type

Here are the average swing speeds by type of player. These numbers vary widely, especially among amateurs, but they can give you an idea of where you stand among your peers.

Average Swing Speed by Handicap

The distance you can hit your clubs directly correlates with your potential handicap. Of course, your actual handicap number will vary based on all the factors of your game, but these are the expected averages for males and females.

Average Driver Distance by Age

The table below shows the average driving distance by age. Your actual numbers will vary based on your fitness and skill. As people age, they tend to lose fast twitch muscle fiber and flexibility unless they’re actively working to maintain them.

How to Find Your Driver Swing Speed

There are several ways to find your swing speed to place yourself on this chart.

The simplest way is to get the yardage for one of your clubs, such as the driver, and match that yardage to the chart. You should find one of the columns closely matches your yardages. Ensure you’re tracking average yardage and not your best drive to get accurate numbers.

Here are several other ways:

• Use a golf simulator to get an accurate swing speed number. A device like a Trackman or a Skytrak should be able to provide you with this data. If you don’t have a simulator, you may be able to find somewhere nearby where you can rent time in a simulator bay.
• Use a launch monitor like the PRGR (around $200), which accurately measures speed.

How to Make Your Own Club Distance Card

To make your own club distance card, you’ll need to start by measuring each club’s carry and/or total distance. There are several ways to get this data:

• A golf simulator (you can rent simulator time if you don’t have access)
• A launch monitor (such as the PRGR mentioned above)
• A golf tracker (such as the Arccos Caddie )
• A range finder and some time at the driving range (this approach is less precise and takes extra effort)

Choose which data is most helpful. For example, carry distances are useful for hitting a green or ensuring you can get over trouble, and the total distance helps you know your range. You can also track distances for partial swings (like a 1/4, 1/2, or 3/4 wedge).

After you’ve gathered all the numbers, there are several ways you can use them to make your club choices easier on the course:

• Paper – the most basic way is to write them down on some note paper; you can use the templates below for an idea of what to write down.
• Phone – you can save these numbers as a note or document for reference if your phone is easily accessible during your golf round. Apps like the Arccos Caddie (mentioned above) will also track this for you.
• Print Out – we’ve included some sample templates below to give you ideas on how to design a card.

Once you have your distance card, you can laminate and carry it, put it in a scorecard holder, attach it to your bag with a bag tag holder , or tape it to your push cart.

You should expect to hit a 7-iron between 130 and 160 yards. Each iron should vary by about 8 to 10 yards (e.g., if your 7 goes 150, your 8 should go around 140). This will change depending on your swing speed, which is related to your technique, flexibility, fitness, and height.

An average male swings the driver at 94 mph, traveling around 240 yards. However, most amateurs don’t hit the ball perfectly, so this will often fall short of this potential yardage when mishit. A PGA Tour player hits the driver an average of 295 yards (some are much longer, like DeChambeau at 320 yds). An LPGA player drives the ball around 240 yards in total.

In 2021 Kyle Berkshire hit a ball speed of 233.4 mph with a swing speed of 153.3 mph. His swing speeds have been slightly higher, but ball speed ultimately factors most into the distance.

• https://blog.trackmangolf.com/club-speed/
• https://blog.trackmangolf.com/trackman-average-tour-stats/

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Kyle J. Larson

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JOHN T. HARTMANN

Last check, my golf swing speed has been around 98 to 100mph. So as a reference I hit my 7-Iron about 165yds on average, pitching wedge would be 130 to 140yds and driver 230 to 260yds depending upon contact and degree of flight. I can handle tee spots up to 6700 to 6800yds. However, my wife thinks I should “play-up” because my scores are “mid 90’s on challenging course, but my issues have always been the short game, not distance. What do you suggest?

Regarding John Hartmann’s comment….play the tees where you have the most fun. If all your buddies are playing from the same tees as you maybe you want to just keep playing those same tees with your friends. Most of us are just playing for fun. Play where you have the most fun but if I were you I’d at least give it a try moving up. 6800 yards is a lot of golf course for weekend golfers. Who knows, you might have more fun making lower scores from closer tees.

Yeah, play whichever tees you like, but like SS said 6800 is probably a lot if you’re not hitting a driver at least 260+… if you take a look at the par 3 distances, and shots you may have to hit into greens on a 2nd or third shot (after subtracting your avg driver distance) it’ll help you figure out what to play. I’m going to have a lot more fun hitting irons into a green and having some birdie chances then if I’m always trying to crank a fairway wood in and missing or having long putts.

I’m 80 years old and hit my driver pretty consistently 200-210. Since moving to the up tees I have had so much more fun. Now it’s driver and a medium iron rather than driver, fairway wood, pitching wedge. Having a chance to make some birdies makes all the difference in enjoyment for me.

Analytics 101

Here is the average swing speed for each skill level of golfer.

Swing speed, also referred to as clubhead speed, is a term you hear pretty often as golfer.

It refers to how fast the clubhead is travelling at impact with the golf ball..

Being able to record this data can help guide your golf swing training and measure your improvement. It can also be useful to see how you stack up against golfers of a similar ability. If you are lacking speed compared with similar handicappers, it might be a sign to focus on this area of your swing.

It will perhaps not surprise you to learn that lower handicap golfers tend to have a faster swing speed. After all, the quicker you can swing the golf club, the greater distance potential you have.

When discussing swing speed, it is worth keeping in mind that ball speed is an equally important statistic in distance . Want to hit longer drives? Find out your 'smash factor' first. This is ball speed divided by clubhead speed. You want this number to be as close to 1.5 as possible. As a guide, PGA Tour players average 1.49. Single figure handicap golfers should be aiming to average above 1.45.

That being said, a faster swing speed will give you a better opportunity for more distance. It is one of the major reasons why modern PGA Tour golfers spend so much time in the gym. Good technique is obviously vital, but strength and mobility play more of a role here than in any other area of your game.

The Bryson DeChambeau Effect

The body transformation of Bryson DeChambeau has been well documented over the last few years and he is an excellent example of how putting in the work off the golf course can impact your driving distance.

By bulking up in the gym and making adjustments to his golf swing, he transformed his driver clubhead speed from 118 mph to a staggering 132 mph in just a couple of years. Perhaps most impressive was his maximum speed of 138.39 mph during the 2021 season. For a PGA Tour golfer, not a specialist long driver, that is serious speed.

To highlight the importance of swing speed and driving distance, let's look at DeChambeau again. He led the PGA Tour in strokes gained off-the-tee in 2021 and had the fourth-best overall scoring average. This is despite having only the 178th best driving accuracy.

We are not suggesting you need to add on 30 pounds like DeChambeau. There are plenty of simple drills and exercises that can help give your swing speed a boost.

Swing Speed Benchmarks

It is worth noting that as a general rule of thumb, every additional 1mph of clubhead speed equates to roughly 2.5 yards more driver distance. That is assuming additional factors, such as strike and weather conditions, are equal.

The point remains though. If you can improve your clubhead speed by 10 mph, and hit the ball exactly the same, you could add 25 yards to your drives.

Here at Graff, we're developing the most accurate and affordable at-home golf simulator. Read more on our homepage.

Swing speed vs handicap.

The trend between swing speed and handicap is fairly self-explanatory. Hitting the golf ball farther allows you to hit shorter approach shots to the green. Less club into the green equals better accuracy. Ergo, lower scores.

Research conducted by Trackman a few years ago showed that the average driver swing speed for average male golfers was 93.4 mph. Approximately 45 percent of golfers tested averaged between 91-100 mph swing speeds. If you fall within this category, it is safe to say you are around average. The average male handicap is approximately 14, so if you fall within this speed bracket your handicap most likely ranges anywhere from 6 to 20.

Scratch golfers and top amateurs will be looking to get their driver swing speed over 105 mph.

Comparatively, the average clubhead speed on the PGA Tour for the 2021 season was 114.2 mph. The vast majority of PGA Tour golfers sit between 110-125mph.

On the LPGA Tour the average driver swing speed is approximately 94 mph. For the average female golfer there is less research available, but from experience it is typically around 65-70 mph.

Swing Speed vs Age

Low handicap equals quicker swing speed. High handicap equals slower swing speed. Overall, that is probably true the majority of the time. But, it is not always that simple.

There are always some noticeable outliers to this rule. These exceptions are typically down to age. Young or old.

Athletic golfers can posses lots of power but lack basic swing fundamentals and have minimal control. This could relate to any golfer aged between 16-50 that would be considered above average for physical fitness.

The opposite can be true for junior or senior golfers. Juniors might be extremely talented but not yet have a fully developed physique. Seniors can have years of experience and skill, yet diminishing strength as they age. This could be true for any golfers aged under 16 or over 50. The younger or older, respectively, either side of these brackets, the slower the swing speed is likely to be.

Final Thoughts

Having the ability to measure your swing speed and understanding the impact of it changing is important for golfers as they look to improve their overall game. Equally, it is important to note that swinging faster is not the only way to hit the golf ball farther.

Are you already around average for your skill level? If so, swinging over 10 mph faster might be a difficult challenge without large changes to your swing technique or physique. Instead, you want to combine improvements in speed with better strike efficiency.

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How Golf Distance Charts Can Help You Understand Your Skill Level And More

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Sometimes known as yardage charts, golf distance charts are a handy tool for any golfer hoping to improve their game. They show the average distance that can be hit with each club depending on which skill level is using it.

Golf is a science, composed of angles and power, meaning it’s easy to get lost in all the numbers. Which is why we have compiled all the numbers for you so that you can easily find the information you need.

Below you will find all the distance charts you will need depending on your age, gender, and your skill level. One thing to remember is that all of these charts show averages. As the saying goes, your mileage may vary!

Most good players develop their own distance chart to understand exactly how far each of their own clubs will travel.

Always remember, distance is only one aspect of golf. Plenty of long hitters can’t score well and many shorter hitters still play scratch golf despite their lack of distance.

Here is a rough guide on how to figure out what your skill level is.

• Beginner : Self explanatory, usually people who are within their first few months of playing
• Average golfer : 16-24 handicap
• Good golfer : 8-16 handicap
• Excellent golfer : below 8 handicap

A ‘ handicap ’ is the number of strokes a player is expected to make over par.

Related article: The Ultimate Guide To Average Golf Handicaps

Beginner Golfers

When starting out golfing it can be a bit overwhelming. New golfers all start with different skills and natural talents or physical traits. For example, junior, women, and senior players may not be able to hit the ball as far as young adult men.

This chart gives you a good idea of the distances a beginning player could be hitting the ball, and it may help you choose what club to use if you aren’t sure.

Average Golfers

This chart shows the average distance for male golfers.

Female Golfers

Female golfers tend to hit shorter distances than male golfers, but don’t be disheartened by these numbers. It is shown that female golfers are more accurate than their male counterparts.

There are also the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour averages to compare.

Senior Golfers

Golf is inclusive for all ages and there is no point in which you can’t improve. For comparison there are also the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) TOUR Champions averages.

Swing Speed

The Trackman system or something similar is a great tool for tracking your swing speed. It is always good to track your speed as that is the main determiner of your distance.

This chart goes up to 150 mph but it is unlikely you will need those numbers. For reference the average swing speed in PGA Tour is around 115 mph.

All these distances are in yards.

Ball Speed To Distance

This chart can be used to determine different driver ball speeds.

Driver Swing Speed

As previously stated, swing speed is the main factor in how far your ball goes. The more speed you put into your swing the more power you will gather. If you’re looking to improve your overall game this chart is a good place to start.

Smash Factor

Smash factor is a relatively new golfing term but it can help immensely once you understand how to utilize it. The way you calculate it is by dividing your ball speed by your club speed.

The higher the smash factory the better the transfer of energy from your golf club. The ideal smash factor is 1.5.

Other Factors To Consider

As well as smash factor the loft of a golf club plays a part in how far you can hit a ball. The more loft a club has the less distance it will go. But what is loft ? A loft is the angle created between the club face and the ground.

For comparison a driver will have a loft between 8 and 13 degrees. While a pitching wedge will have a loft from 45 degrees to 47.

You can calculate numbers all day but sometimes there are factors in play that you just can’t control, mainly weather. The optimal weather for a round of golf is a warm wind-less day. On a cold day your ball won’t go as far and wind can be both a benefit and a disadvantage.

While these are all useful tools they are not strict rules to follow. Remember to have fun!

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Sparked by two huge eagles, Stephen Ames rules (again) at Mitsubishi Electric Classic

Daily Wrap Up

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So, for those who have had one, do you remember how you celebrated your 60th birthday? Stephen Ames will not soon forget his. His milestone day was marked not only with a two-decker cake at breakfast, but a nice trophy, too. Collecting them has become a new hobby.

Ames continued his torrid play of the last two seasons on the PGA TOUR Champions, making not one, but two eagles Sunday at TPC Sugarloaf and eventually pulling away to win comfortably at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship just outside Atlanta. He shot 5-under 67, finished at 14-under 202, and jumped to the top of the Charles Schwab Cup standings.

After winning two times in his first 175 starts on PGA TOUR Champions, Ames now has won in six of his last 29 starts, a stretch that began just over a year ago. Ames becomes the first PGA TOUR Champions competitor to win twice this season, having captured the Chubb Classic two months earlier.

“It was like, 'Hey, now I gave myself an opportunity (with his Saturday 64),' and I took the opportunity in hand, which is nice,” said Ames, who won by four shots over Doug Barron (bogey-free 69) and Paul Broadhurst (72). Steven Alker (71) and K.J. Choi (70) tied for fourth at 9-under.

Stephen Ames drains lengthy birdie putt to seal victory at Mitsubishi

Born in Trinidad & Tobago, a resident of Turks and Caicos and longtime holder of a Canadian passport, Ames has uncovered something in his game over the past two seasons. He always has had the elite ball-striking – it was good enough to win four times on the PGA TOUR, including a signature win at THE PLAYERS Championship in 2006. But it is his improved putting that has jettisoned him into becoming a weekly contender among the over-50 set. He delivered an exclamation point on his victory with a 35-footer for birdie at his final hole.

When the ball vanished, Ames held his arms outstretched and smiled, as if to tell the fans at TPC Sugarloaf, “Any questions?” There were none.

Sunday’s convincing triumph was the third for Ames on the property, which staged a PGA TOUR event for 11 years. Not only was Ames defending champion, but he also collected his very first Champions triumph at TPC Sugarloaf, in 2017. After a rocky opening-round 71 on Friday that included a pair of double bogeys (and another hole-out eagle) and left him six shots off the lead, Ames was in a class of his own over the weekend. Saturday, he made eight birdies in a 64 that tied the tournament scoring mark; Sunday took a bit, but heated up to turn into something special. Only one player (Tom Pernice Jr., who went out early and shot 66) would fire a lower final round.

After a somewhat slow start to his Sunday (1-under through five holes), Ames holed out his third from 82 yards for eagle at the 569-yard sixth, spinning a wedge into the hole, and was off and running. As he stood over his third shot, Ames trailed Broadhurst, the 36-hole leader, by three; when his eagle fell and Broadhurst made bogey from a poor lie in a front bunker, the two players walked to the seventh tee tied at 12-under.

Stephen Ames makes birdie on No. 14 at Mitsubishi

“I had a straight uphill putt,” Ames said. “That made the putt a little easier ... I mean, I kind of snowballed everything and obviously made the gap a little bit bigger for me to come home, just kind of cruise away at the end.”

The day’s final group had featured the Nos. 1 (Alker), 2 (Broadhurst) and 4 (Ames) players in the season’s Charles Schwab Cup standings. All three were seeking their second victory of 2024; Ames came in as defending champion, and Broadhurst won just last week in Dallas (Invited Celebrity Classic) after going winless for more than five years. He was trying to become the first Champions TOUR player to win in back-to-back weeks since Bernhard Langer in 2017.

Broadhurst, 58, was right there, too, until the par-4 12 th , where he happened to make an untimely double. He was hole-high in two shots at the difficult 433-yard par 4, but his slick downhill chip picked up too much speed past the hole and tumbled off the far edge of the green. He chipped again, missed the bogey putt, and made 6, a huge setback.

Minutes later, Ames stepped to the tee at the 310-yard 13th and ripped a perfect driver that bounced perfectly just short of the green and ran 20 feet past the hole. He would make the uphill putt for eagle-2, stretching out to 14-under. Alker also drove the green at 13 and made a clutch 9-footer for birdie, but now was two back. Ames quickly added a birdie at 14 with a 12-footer that stayed on the left edge and tumbled in, and his lead had widened to three.

Ames would leave a small opening when he dropped shots at Nos. 15 and 16 after short misses, but Alker, the 2022 Player of the Year on Champions, failed to capitalize. Bogey-free through his first 14 holes, Alker uncharacteristically made three consecutive bogeys starting at 15. He also hit his approach into a fronting pond at 18, but managed to save par.

Why the sudden surge for Ames? Several factors. He credits the hard work he has done with Canadian coach Shauheen Nakhjavani over the past six years. Having overcome a shoulder injury, Ames keeps himself in terrific physical shape, hitting the gym four to five times a week. He stays mentally sharp after reuniting with psychologist Alan Fine, with whom Ames worked a decade ago on the PGA TOUR, climbing as high as 17th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

All the work, mainly what he has done with Nakhjavani, has allowed him to be much more consistent.

“We've worked on the same thing, somewhat the same things, and we keep refining it and getting it better where I feel a lot more comfortable when I'm playing golf, which I do right now,” he said. “I feel a lot more comfortable, pick my shot, pick my aim and just hit it. It's nice. It's just letting go, a lot easier to let go right now for me.”

At 60, Ames is a renewed, happy and rejuvenated man. As Ames approached the 18th green, the fans at TPC Sugarloaf serenaded with “Happy Birthday,” Ames playfully directing the chorus by waving his arms. He would have been pleased to two-putt from 35 feet, but hey, it was his birthday, after all, and his ball, carrying plenty of speed, hit the flagstick head-on and vanished.

Huge smile. It was a fitting ending for a 60 th birthday that Ames will not soon forget.