Written by Michael VanDerLaan
In the golf world today, speed is king. Despite many attempts to dodge the “distance debate”, it is clear from watching any golf broadcast, listening to any golf conversation, or looking at almost any product on the golf market that the driver golf ball speed and carry distance is a hot topic. There has always been a massive love affair with speed and power in the game, and by now, it has grown to nearly a frenzy.
With the advances in launch monitor technology, everyone has new numbers and data points to track and discuss. As we’ve learned more and more about the physics of the game, it’s not just yardage that measures a golfer now. The major numbers used by professionals and their coaches are:
- Carry yardage
- Smash factor
- Club speed
- Ball speed
- Hand speed
- Ground forces
- Unleashing kinetic chains
The driver ball speed is now broadcast on almost every single tee shot that we see on television. Everyone is talking about it, from PGA Tour professionals to world long drive competitors to weekend warriors. Who’s breaking 200 in practice? Who hit 190 in competition? What is my ball speed? Is it good enough? What’s a good ball speed, and is it possible to have too much?
Let’s take a look at these questions, and more, as we break down everything you need to know about driver ball speeds and how to give the numbers some meaning as far as they relate to professional and weekend golfers alike.
Ball Speed To Distance Averages
Different demographic groups and handicap levels maintain different average driving distances. These differences stem from different physical capabilities, swing mechanics, and overall experience in the game.
Male Average
According to numbers from Trackman and the USGA, the average male golfer carries a handicap somewhere around 15-16, swings the driver 93 mph, produces a 132 mph ball speed that results in approximately a 205-225 yard total drive, depending on roll out.
It should be noted that not only do average players swing it slower, but they are a long way from getting the most out of that 93 mph. According to Trackman’s data set, if that 93 mph swing were a pure strike with the appropriate launch angle and spin, it could travel as far as 255 yards. So the average golfer is leaving 30 yards on the table without even swinging faster (more on this later).
Male 5 Handicap Average
The average 5 handicap male golfer has a swing speed in the low 100s, a ball speed in the 140s, which results in a total drive approaching 240 yards.
These golfers are more efficient with their strike, but still not as optimal as the pros, and have significantly more speed than the average male.
Female Average
The data is less robust for the average female golfer, but Foresight Sports estimates around a 78 mph swing on average, with a ball speed of 111 mph producing a shot that travels 150-160 yards, but again they are leaving a lot on the table. With a perfect strike and launch this swing speed could produce a drive up to 30 yards farther, just like their male counterparts.
The good news is that there are differences between men's and women's golf clubs that are specifically intended to help women get the most out of their game, too!
Female 5 Handicap Average
The average 5 handicap female golfer is going to bump that ball speed number up to 125 with a swing speed around 85-90 mph. This will produce drives that travel close to 200 yards.
Scratch Golfer Average
A scratch male golfer is typically producing ball speeds close to 150-160 mph from a swing that approaches 105-110 mph, at least on average. This produces drives of about 260 yards.
PGA Tour Average
The PGA TOUR average ball speed in 2023 is 172 mph from a swing of 115 mph producing a total drive of about 290 yards. These are their numbers measured in competitive tournaments when dealing with pressure, fatigue, etc. and much more outlandish numbers can be produced by the longer drivers or guys just messing around in practice or speed training.
Long Drivers
The very longest drivers on the PGA TOUR can produce ball speeds up to 190 mph in competition off of swings that break 125 mph, carrying the ball over 300 yards in the air and generating 330+ yards of total distance.
In the competitive long drive scene, golfers routinely swing the club over 130 mph, produce ball speeds over 200 mph, and hit drives over 350 yards. The current world records are roughly 170 mph swing speed and 240 mph ball speed (which would carry a golf ball over 400 yards).
What Is Ball Speed?
Ball speed is quite simply how fast the ball is traveling as soon as it leaves the club face. It will be traveling much slower by the time it reaches its destination. It is typically captured by a radar or high-speed photo device placed near the ball or tee box.
What Factors Influence Ball Speed?
Ball speed is mainly determined by the speed of the club at the moment of impact (swing speed) and the quality of the strike (smash factor). It should be noted that two players with equal ball speed can hit the ball different distances due to other factors such as spin rate, angle of attack, and the amount of hook or slice on a shot.
Club Head Speed
This is basically how fast you can swing the club. As you can imagine, achieving increased ball speed requires faster driver swing speed, but you also need a good strike in order to transfer that speed to the ball.
You can increase your club head speed through the use of training aids like the Orange Whip!
Length Of Club
One of the most important factors in club head speed is the length of the club. Naturally, each club in the set gets a longer shaft, and long drivers and even some PGA Tour pros have experimented with drivers up to 48 inches in length, but in 2022 a rule was passed that allows tournament organizers to limit the length to 46 inches and this was adopted by all high-level tournaments.
Each extra inch on the driver could add one or two miles per hour to your swing speed, which is huge at the highest levels. The extra length also makes it harder to make consistently solid contact with the golf ball.
Weight Of Club
All else being equal, lighter clubs swing faster. This is undeniable as per the laws of physics, and is absolutely true when using robots or machines to test golf clubs.
However, humans are not robots, and we react and respond very differently sometimes based on our perception of what we are swinging. A club with a little more weight can help some golfers move better in the transition from the backswing to the downswing. Because of that some people actually can swing a slightly heavier club faster than they can swing a lighter club.
Similar to other components of a driver, weight can vary between brands. Finding the right weight and size driver that feels the best for you can be a simple matter of trial and error!
Quality Of Impact (Smash Factor)
The ratio of club head speed to ball speed is known as smash factor, and is a very relevant metric to understanding any conversation about club speed, ball speed, and distance. With legal clubs and balls, the maximum smash factor is 1.5. Most elite drivers of the golf ball keep their smash factor very close to this number, while pure strikes with higher-lofted clubs will produce lower and lower smash factors (more indirect contact and spin/height).
Modern Drivers
Modern drivers and materials push the limits of how responsive a driver face can be, and the PGA TOUR has even instituted limits and programs to check and measure drivers of golfers to see how often manufacturing tolerances or wear-and-tear actually push drivers outside of the limitations of the rules.
Some of the best drivers currently on the market include the Titleist TSR line, Cobra Aerojet, and Callaway Paradym.
Face Thickness
Without getting too scientific, the thinner the face of a driver, the more it can have a kind of spring or trampoline effect, increasing the smash factor.
The PGA TOUR checks players’ drivers by measuring an attribute they call COR or coefficient of restitution, a technical term for how “hot” a driver face is. It is even possible for drivers to become illegal and “too hot” over time as the face wears thinner.
MOI (Moment Of Inertia)
MOI comes into play since the rules of golf cap the ability of manufacturers to increase smash factor. The big area of research has been to make the smash factor stay high for strikes that are farther and farther away from the center of the club face. We often call this "forgiveness".
The physics of what happens when a driver hits a ball off-center at 120 miles per hour or more are extremely complex and can produce some counterintuitive results. By using higher-MOI drivers that do not deflect off-line as easily on off-center strikes, golfers can more comfortably swing harder rely on the driver to keep the ball in play.
Golf Ball
The other not-to-be-forgotten component of ball speed is the golf ball! Anyone who has been to a practice facility with “range rocks” or bee