By Kian O’Donnell, PGA
Driving distance probably isn’t the first thing that people think of when it comes to lowering their scores. However, hitting the ball farther off the tee may be the key to unlocking your potential on the golf course.
Let’s take a look at the world golf rankings in 2024. If you look at the top 10 players in the world, eight out of them hit their driver an average of 300 yards or more.
2024 World Golf Ranking – 2023 Average Distance w/Driver – 2023 Victories
1. Scottie Scheffler – 303.8 yards – 7 wins
2. Xander Schauffele – 308.6 yards – 2 wins
3. Rory McIlroy -320.2 yards – 2 wins
4. Collin Morikawa – 296 yards – 0 wins
5. Ludvig Aberg – 310.5 yards – 0 wins
6. Wyndham Clark – 314 yards – 1 win
7. Hideki Matsuyama – 299.8 yards – 2 wins
8. Victor Hovland – 305.1 yards – 0 wins
9. Patrick Cantlay – 302.7 yards – 0 wins
10. Bryson DeChambeau – 338.3 yards – 1 win
Now let’s take a look at the total number of victories of our top 10 players – 15 total wins among our top 10 players throughout the year. In 2024 there were a total of 39 tournaments on the PGA Tour from January to September, so the top 10 players won roughly 38 percent of tournaments throughout the year. Of the 39 tournaments, 29 of them were won by players who averaged over 300 yards with their driver. That’s a whopping 74 percent of the tournaments in the 2024 season. All 39 tournaments were won by players who averaged 291 yards or more.
If you haven’t been convinced that driving distance matters, of the top 100 golfers in the world 97 of them hit the ball an average of 290 yards or more. There is an undeniable correlation between driving distance and success on the PGA Tour.
Alright, so we’ve established that hitting the ball a long way directly impacts how you score. And if you think about it, hitting an 8- or a 9-iron into every green versus a 5- or a 6-iron will likely render more greens in regulation and a better score.
So what can you do to hit the ball farther?
Well, first you need to look at your flexibility and mobility. A full turn in the backswing is a 90-degree turn. 45 degrees from your hips and 45 degrees from your torso. If you are restricted in either upper or lower body mobility, it will likely lead to a lack of speed in the swing, not to mention a breakdown within your swing with one or more swing flaws.
Another factor that impacts your distance is how stable you are. You need to be able to load into your trail leg on the backswing and transfer your weight to your lead leg in the downswing. Without stability, it will be very difficult to load into either leg effectively, resulting in inefficient movement patterns that don’t give you much distance. Moving your body through the kinematic sequence is imperative to hitting the ball far.
The sequence goes as follows: on the backswing, your arms move first, your torso second and your hips last. On the downswing your hips should fire first, your torso second, your arms third and lastly the clubhead just before impact. Without this sequence, you’ll lose a lot of potential distance in your golf game.
Lastly, you need to hit the weights and work on strength and speed for the golf swing. You may be flexible, stable and have an efficient golf swing, but without strength and power, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to lower your scores.
If you play golf, and you’re not currently world number one, you probably want to be a better player. Hitting the ball farther makes a difference on tour, and it makes a difference for you too! Seek out an expert and get into the gym to work on your mobility, stability, sequencing, strength and speed. If you’re looking to improve your game, this could give you the edge that you’re looking for to help improve your distance and take your game to the next level.
Kian O’Donnell is a PGA of America Golf Fitness Coach at Seattle Golf Fitness in Mercer Island, Washington.
