Kyle Berkshire is the biggest hitter in the game. Period. He is a three-time world long-drive champion - having claimed the titles in 2019, 2021, and 2023, respectively - and can smash a ball almost 600 yards (in favorable conditions).
Part of the reason the American is able to gain such extraordinary distance is down to his blink-and-you-will-miss-it ball speed. Having owned the world ball-speed record previously with a jaw-dropping effort of 233.4mph, Berkshire twice bested that with goes of 236.2mph and then 241.6mph - the latter of which was set in October 2023.
The 27-year-old - originally from Crofton, Maryland - played golf for his high-school team before switching his attention to focus on power-hitting from 2017.
Berkshire reached the semi-finals of the Volvik World Long Drive Championship in 2017 before bagging his first world long-drive victory at the WinStar Midwest Slam in 2018. The first of his three World Long Drive Championship wins did not arrive until 2019, though, when Berkshire beat Tim Burke in the final in Thackerville, Oklahoma.
Later speaking to GolfTV in 2020, Berkshire revealed his stock yardages throughout the bag - from driver all the way down to 60-degree wedge. And keep in mind, these were his stock yardages, not the absolutely maximum he was capable of. Given the advancement in technology and a likely development in his own body, a few more yards could well be tacked on today.
Starting with driver, Berkshire claimed his usual distance was 360 yards - almost 100 yards longer than the average PGA Tour player rips it off the tee. Omitting any woods or hybrids - which PGA Tour players average between 225 and 243 carry - the Crofton-born ball-smoker labelled his 3-iron at 315 yards.
We asked World Long Drive champ, @KyleBerkshire, how far he hits each club.Here's what he said. pic.twitter.com/p8T14yi6n1November 4, 2020
Between 4-iron and 7-iron, the distances dropped by 20 yards per club, and Berkshire's 8-iron is said to carry 205 yards - not much further than the average amateur male's total distance with a driver.
Berkshire said he could hit the remaining clubs in his bag between 190 yards (pitching wedge) and 115 yards (60 degree), with his 50-degree carrying 150 yards and his 54-degree sailing 135 yards through the air.
