Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you play smarter, better golf.
Driving distance can be a delicate subject in some corners of the golf world. Some argue that distance has gotten out of control and guardrails need to be implemented to slow the trend. Others say that this worry is much ado about nothing and that longer drives are actually good for the game.
No matter where you land on this spectrum, one thing is certain: hitting the ball longer makes the game much easier. You get the idea: When you hit less club into greens, the number of birdies you make is sure to go up, and with more birdies on the card, your scores will be lower.
So pros and amateurs are searching for any way they can increase their driving distance. But how successful have they been in this pursuit? Thanks to Arccos’ latest Annual Driving Distance report, we can see exactly how far recreational players are hitting their drives — and how this number has changed over the years.
How far golfers hit driver
Arccos’ shot-tracking system has amassed over a billion data points from an assortment of golfers of all skill levels. This is not only useful on the micro level to help amateur golfer improve, but it can also tell us a lot about the game in the macro sense. One such insight comes from their Annual Driving Distance report.
According to this year’s report, the average men’s golfer — across all handicaps — drives the ball 224.1 yards, which is actually 0.6 yards less than they did a year ago. For women, that number is 175.7 yards, which is 0.5 yards less than the year prior. This is the second consecutive year that driving distance has decreased in the recreational game, although over the course of eight years Arccos has tracked this data, the number has remained relatively flat.
While it’s true that pro golfers get longer and longer every year, the same cannot be said for the recreational game. That’s good news for you because it represents an opportunity. So get in the gym or start speed training: If you do, you’re sure to pick up gains over your playing competitors.
