What is the average distance an amateur golf hits their driver?
CMC Golf Culture

What is the average distance an amateur golf hits their driver?

Zac Blair, professional golfer and avid golf traveler
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The average PGA Tour player hits their driver a long way, typically in the 290-yard range. The average amateur golfer, though, doesn't hit their driver that far.

How far average amateur golfers hit the golf ball with each club in their bag isn't an exact science. Every player is different, with a different swing, a different angle of attack, different swing speeds and more. Men and women hit it different distances, and golfers' average driving distance breaks down differently based on age.

We'll take you through the bag to show you average amateur golfers' distances with their driver.

These are numbers from Arccos Golf, which averaged their data out based on age group. Golfers reach their peak power in their 20s based on this data, with the average total drive (carry and roll) coming in just shy of 240 yards. Players in their teens are a little shorter, as are golfers in their 30s.

Golfers start to see a significant -- approximately 5 percent -- drop off in average driver distance in their 50s, and it carries on at 5 percent increments with each passing decade.

This data brings together male golfers of all handicap levels, however. Typically, lower-handicap players hit the ball approximately 10 percent longer than the overall average, while players who shoot in the high 70s and low 80s are just a touch longer than the average driving distance for a golfer.

Average golfer driving distances by age

  • Age 10-19: 234.2 yards
  • Age 20-29: 239.7 yards
  • Age 30-39: 233.7 yards
  • Age 40-49: 225.9 yards
  • Age 50-59: 215.4 yards
  • Age 60-69: 204.5 yards
  • Age 70 and up: 190.4 yards

About the author

Ryan Ballengee

Ryan Ballengee is founder and editor of Golf News Net. He has been writing and broadcasting about golf for nearly 20 years. Ballengee lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his family. He is currently a +2.6 USGA handicap, and he has covered dozens of major championships and professional golf tournaments. He likes writing about golf and making it more accessible by answering the complex questions fans have about the pro game or who want to understand how to play golf better.

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