I’m the head golf instructor at Tell Me More Golf, and in this article, I’ll cover the average driver distances for a wide range of golfers.

The driver is the longest hitting golf club in the bag, because it has the longest shaft and lowest loft. However, golfers hit their drivers very different distances since so many factors impact ball speed. 

How Far Does the Average Person Hit a Driver?

The average male golfer hits a driver around 220 yards. The average female hits it a bit shorter at around 170 yards. However, as with all golf clubs, the distance you will experience is very personal as there are many factors involved, including clubhead speed, smash factor, and launch angle.

Driver Distance Chart 

	Average Women	Male Beginners	Average Men	Advanced Men	Professional Golfers
Driver Distance:	170 yards	170 yards	220 yards	275 yards	300+ yards

This chart shows how far the average woman, male beginner, average man, advanced man, and professional golfer hit a driver. 

These averages are very rough though, so don’t over-compare yourself. For example, many male high handicappers hit a driver over 275 yards, and many single-digit handicaps hit a driver less than 200 yards.

 

Driver Average Club Head Speed

The average clubhead speed for a male golfer hitting a driver is around 80-90 mph. The average female golfer’s driver clubhead speed is significantly slower at a little over 70 mph. 

Tour Pros hit their driver over 110 mph, with LPGA golfers hitting it around 95 mph.

Long drivers, who are the fastest hitters in golf, often have a driver clubhead speed of over 140 mph, which is extremely fast. 

Tips On Hitting a Driver for Distance

If you want to increase the distance you hit your driver, there are mainly two things to work on: clubhead speed and hitting up on the golf ball.

Clubhead Speed 

Improving your swing speed, and more specifically clubhead speed, is usually the best way to increase your distance with any golf club. The best way to improve clubhead speed is to make your swing more effective, get stronger, and simply get used to swinging faster.

However, you should never sacrifice good contact for speed. 

Hitting Up on the Golf Ball

Hitting up on the golf ball is crucial for hitting your longest drives. It’s possible to hit down on the ball and hit it a long way, but it’s not optimal. Hitting up on the ball means having a positive angle of attack, which reduces spin and raises the apex. 

To get better at this, we recommend placing something like a headcover a couple of inches left of the ball, and hitting over it when you swing. 

When Should I Use a Driver?

The driver is almost always used from the tee on par 4s or par 5s. This is because it’s necessary to hit it off a tee, which is only allowed on the tee box. When you should use it depends on what yardage you want into the green and how long the hole is. 

Driver Degrees of Loft

The most common loft on a driver is 10.5 degrees. It’s also normal to loft between 8 and 12 degrees, but some drivers go even lower or higher. Higher loft typically means a higher launch with more spin, which is great for many beginners and high handicappers, but advanced golfers often want the opposite. 

TellMeMoreGolf.com – Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good driver distance? 

Frankly, we don’t think there is such a thing as a good driver distance. Instead, it’s crucial to play the right tees for your yardage. 

However, we would consider a 220+ yard drive for men to be quite good, and over 170 yards is great for females. We say this because they’re better than average and allow for good positions on the golf course. 

What’s the average distance with a driver?

The average distance for a male golfer is around 220 yards. The average for female golfers is around 170 yards. 

What percentage of golfers can drive 300 yards?

While it’s hard to say exactly what percentage of golfers drive the golf ball over 300 yards, a rough number is around 3%. 

Is a 280 yard driver shot good?

Golfers who hit their driver 280 yards are definitely advanced and have all the distance they need to obtain a scratch handicap. So yes, a 280 yard driver shot is very good.  

Conclusion:

The driver is the longest hitting club in golf, but how far you hit it depends on many factors. The average driving distance for a male golfer is around 220 yards, and for females it’s around 170 yards. But with that said, the range is very wide, and you shouldn’t get too distracted by how far you hit the golf ball. Keep the ball in the center for better scoring!