As we age, our swing velocity declines and we hope golf expertise improves sufficient to sluggish that inevitable decline. Does this occur to the professionals as nicely?
PGA Tour: High 10 longest drivers and their ages
The PGA Tour options a number of the longest hitters in golf. Aldrich Potgieter is a brand new PGA Tour participant in 2025 however he’s led the Korn Ferry Tour in driving distance as nicely. He’s younger however is aware of the right way to get the ball on the market.
| Rank | Participant | Avg Distance (yds) | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aldrich Potgieter | 323.9 | 20 |
| 2 | Niklas Norgaard | 320.0 | 32 |
| 3 | Rory McIlroy | 319.3 | 36 |
| 4 | Min Woo Lee | 316.2 | 26 |
| 5 | Michael Thorbjornsen | 316.0 | 23 |
| 6 | Kurt Kitayama | 314.7 | 32 |
| 7 | Jesper Svensson | 314.6 | 29 |
| 8 | Rasmus Højgaard | 314.0 | 24 |
| 9 | Alejandro Tosti | 313.6 | 28 |
| 9 | Gary Woodland | 313.6 | 40 |
Champions Tour: High 10 longest drivers and their ages
Even on the Champions Tour, gamers keep spectacular driving distances. Stewart Cink and Padraig Harrington common over 300 yards per drive.
| Rank | Participant | Avg Distance (yds) | Age |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stewart Cink | 303.7 | 51 |
| 2 | Padraig Harrington | 300.1 | 53 |
| 3 | Cameron Percy | 297.6 | 51 |
| 4 | Brendan Jones | 295.4 | 50 |
| 5 | Ricardo Gonzalez | 293.3 | 55 |
| 6 | Retief Goosen | 291.8 | 56 |
| 7 | Ernie Els | 291.5 | 55 |
| 8 | Greg Chalmers | 290.7 | 51 |
| 9 | Brian Homosexual | 290.6 | 53 |
| 9 | Kenny Perry | 290.6 | 64 |
Beginner golfers: Driving distance by age
Amateurs may not hit PGA Tour-level distances however developments in distance discount with age are evident. We requested Shot Scope for some age-specific driving distance numbers. Listed below are these efficiency averages. (Excessive and low outliers eliminated)
| Age | Efficiency Avg Distance (yds) |
|---|---|
| 20 | 254 |
| 30 | 256 |
| 40 | 252 |
| 50 | 243 |
| 60 | 230 |
How a lot driving distance do golfers lose as they age?
Listed below are the precise proportion drops noticed between age teams of novice gamers in line with the Shot Scope data.
- From 30 to 40: 1.6% lower
- From 40 to 50: 3.6% lower
- From 50 to 60: 5.3% lower
After we take a look at professionals, the hole between the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour driving distance can also be noticeable. The typical of the highest 10 drivers on the PGA Tour is roughly 316.6 yards. On the Champions Tour, it’s about 294.5.
This represents roughly a seven-percent lower as gamers transition from their late 20s and 30s to their 50s and past.
There’s some excellent news relating to expertise. Again in 2005, Stewart Cink averaged 285.5 yards off the tee. A number of years in the past, he peaked at round 306 yards. Now, at age 51, he’s nonetheless averaging over 303 yards—solely a slight drop from his peak. The underside line: should you’re a golfer over 50 and haven’t updated your driver shortly, it could be time to check some newer fashions. You might see actual features.
Recap: Distance declines for everybody
Shedding distance with age appears to be inevitable. For amateurs, the hot button is going to be specializing in the standard of the strike. Even while you become older, should you can hit the ball within the heart of the face, it’s going to assist you to mitigate the potential lack of distance. Advances in expertise and sensible changes to your swing may help offset a few of this decline.
The submit Driving Distance Declines With Age — How It Plays Out From PGA Tour To Champions Tour appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
