Deep impact

The anatomy of a perfect drive, and what you’d need to do to hit one.

The next time someone tells you you hit it like a girl, don’t rise to it; they’re probably right. According to Trackman, the average male golfer delivers the driver to the ball at 93mph – exactly the same as the typical LPGA pro. The longest tour pros get up to around 125mph and World Long Drive champ Joe Miller reaches a scarcely credible 150. Given the range of speeds here, it won’t surprise you to learn that there is not one set of driver impact conditions that work optimally for all. But the launch monitor-derived data detailed here will help you get closer to your own distance potential. If you’re still in any doubt, book a session on Flightscope, GC2 or Trackman; all three have features that let anyone understand what they need to change to reach max power.