In this age of ultra-long hitters and ever-increasing technology among the golf-equipment sector, the distances and speeds in the professional game continue to go one way - up.
It is not quite the same among the amateur population, however, with Arccos data via the USGA and R&A in March 2022 revealing that the average male golfer - with a handicap - hits their total drive around 215 yards, a number that has remained relatively consistent over the past five years. Meanwhile, in the women's game, the average total-driving distance for players of all abilities is just shy of 148 yards.
But the latest numbers released by Trackman show that PGA Tour professionals are sending it a long way past that, as you would expect. The average carry distance for a PGA Tour pro with a driver in hand during 2023 was 282 yards.
Their club speed was usually around 115mph with a driver and the resulting ball speed averages 171mph, reaching a max height of just 35 yards off the ground.
Despite a 33-yard drop-off between driver and 3-wood, in regard to carry, PGA Tour players are still averaging 249 yards carry with the latter and bettering the average distance your leading amateur can manage with the big dog.
From 3-wood down, between 5-13 yards of carry was lost as you move through the bag. PGA Tour players typically hit a 5-wood 236 yards in 2023, while - surprisingly - the number dropped to just 231 with a hybrid.
The numbers between the two aforementioned clubs are particularly interesting to take a closer look at, with players generating 106mph club speed with a 5-wood and 102mph with a hybrid. The angle of attack was almost identical, and the smash factor for both clubs was exactly the same at 1.47 out of 1.5.
Ball speed differed by 7mph (156mph - 5w/149mph Hy) but the spin rate difference was much more noticeable at 4322rpm for the 5-wood and 4587rpm for the hybrid. Ultimately, though, the total carry resulted in just a 5mph drop off for the shorter club.
Moving into the irons, PGA Tour players averaged 218mph carry with a 3-iron (100mph CHS/145mph BS) and 199mph with a 5-iron (96mph CHS/135mph BS), and as the club becomes shorter - predictably - so do the numbers.
When looking at the 7-iron, the total carry distance on the PGA Tour was 176 yards thanks to 92mph club speed and 123mph ball speed. PGA Tour players struck their shortest club - the pitching wedge - around 142 yards (carry) in 2023, according to the Trackman data.
Updated PGA Tour Averages released by @TrackManGolf It’s been a while since they have released updated CHS, distances, AOA, launch angles etcBookmark for future reference and see how you compare 👊🏼 pic.twitter.com/iyySMw41xZMay 2, 2024
HOW FAR DO PGA TOUR PLAYERS HIT EVERY CLUB IN THE BAG?
Data: Trackman, 2024
