How Far Do Amateur Golfers Really Hit Their Drives?

We amateurs tend to over-inflate the driving distances we hit a golf ball. Mostly, because we focus onto our best drive ever and rationalize its the norm rather than our occasional perfect launch.

Well, the USGA filed a report on true distances to bolster claims the golf ball is not going too far. And those findings may throw a wet blanket on our wishful thinking.

Golf.com’s Josh Berhow posts the findings. Brace yourself before reading it.

According to the data collected and analyzed, the average driving distance for male amateur club golfers in 2017 was 208.1 yards. (This number was 200 yards in 1996.) Players with a handicap of 6 or better averaged 236 yards off the tee, handicaps of 6-12 averaged 212 yards, 13-20 handicaps averaged 198 yards and 21 handicaps and higher averaged 188 yards (89 percent of the total shots were hit with a driver).

The average driving distance of a sample of amateur male golfers in the UK was measured to be 208 yards in 2016. This represents an increase of 8 yards over 21 years. Driver usage has increased amongst these players over this timeframe, particularly for the highest handicap golfers. An equivalent average driving distance for female average golfers between 2013 and 2017 was 146 yards.

Here’s how we compare with the various pro tour driving distances.

You can read the entire 24-page report here.