How Far Do You Have To Drive The Golf Ball To Be Considered A 'Long Hitter'?
I asked the Golf Monthly team for their views on what constitutes a 'long hitter', and the results were interesting...
Like it or not, us golfers are obsessed with distance. Whether we're trying to outdrive our playing partners for bragging rights or simply looking to shoot lower scores, it's a huge part of the sport.
Every year the best golf drivers promise more ball speed and courses all over the world are continuing to add length, so it's a very handy skill to have.
But what constitutes a 'long hitter?' It's a question that is impossible to answer, but it's something we all love to debate.
A long hitter in the men's professional game is well into the 300-yard range in terms of driving distance, with the PGA Tour average now over 305. Aldrich Potgieter leads the way this season with a mammoth 330.4 yards.
It's very different in the grassroots game, though, with Shot Scope data showing the average male scratch golfer hits the ball 285 yards from the tee, with a 20-handicapper at 225 yards.
Driving Distance Average 2026
Driving Distance data from Shot Scope users (yards)
Driving Distance Average
| Product | Value |
|---|---|
| Scratch Golfer | 285 |
| 5-handicapper | 261 |
| 10-handicapper | 259 |
| 15-handicapper | 236 |
| 20-handicapper | 225 |
| 25-handicapper | 204 |
So, how far do we think a golfer needs to be able to hit the ball to be classed as a 'long hitter'? I asked the Golf Monthly team of regular and dedicated golfers, who have a wide range of handicaps, for their views...
And be sure to let us know your take in the comments section below.
I would say achieving a driving distance of 290 yards or above in total distance and in normal ground conditions with no wind would class you as a long hitter.
The average driving distance for a scratch golfer, according to Shot Scope data, is 285 yards – so you should be on your way to lower scores too.
On the plus side, at 290 yards you wouldn't be last on the PGA Tour for driving distance, you'd slot in at 156th out of 159 players!
If you can hit a 250-yard drive in winter and are capable of the odd 300-yard drive in summer, I think you're a long hitter.
So, boiling that down, I think you need to be able to carry the ball somewhere in the region of 240 yards to be considered a big hitter.
Another way of looking at it is whether you can reach some par 5s in two during the spring and autumn (with baked summer fairways, average-length hitters can reach some par 5s in two).
If you can find the putting surface in two on a, say, 475-yard par 5 in October or March, you're a big hitter in my book.
For me, 260 yards of carry would constitute a long hitter at club level. Carry being the operative word as many people don't necessarily understand the concept of carry versus total.
At tour level, you need to be able to carry the ball over 300 yards to be considered a long-hitter now I would say.
Sam De'Ath (+4 hcp): "Agree with Joe here, 260 carry I would consider long in club golf. I would say 290+ in elite amateur golf is long and 300/310 in the pro game is long through the air."
Handicap: 8
I think with most golfers these days overestimating how far they actually hit the golf ball, I actually think a long hitter is someone who can carry the ball 250 yards.
To get to this number you need to have a certain level of athleticism, flexibility, power and obviously timing, which is why I would argue most amateur players don't hit it this far, despite saying they do.
My perspective on what it takes to be considered a long hitter is perhaps a little warped as a high-handicapper who is chuffed with anything over 200 yards, but I would say that 250 makes you fairly long.
Having said that, I reckon I could push 250 if I went after it, but the chances of it staying on the planet are slim.
Direction is also important to factor into this decision, so let's say 240 down the middle is good in my books.
I would consider myself a long hitter (although certain colleagues would laugh at me for saying that) as someone who can carry their driver over 240 yards with a good strike, which can get out to around 300 in the summer sometimes if there's a helping wind and a nice, firm fairway.
Compared to my dad and some older friends I play with, I definitely am a long hitter.
But then I play with some lower-handicap golfers who hit it 20-30 yards by me comfortably, so I guess it all depends on who you play with.
A 75-year-old man might be classed as a long hitter if he averages 200 yards off the tee, for example.
The average 20-handicapper hits their drive 225 yards and I think that's probably a decent benchmark. If you're consistently longer than that, then I think you can class yourself as a decent-length hitter. A long hitter, probably more like 250+.
This is a very subjective one as generally you'll hit it further the lower your handicap – although I do know a scratch golfer who doesn't hit it too far past even a high handicapper like me, while there's also a few mid handicappers who can really send it but just haven't got any kind of consistency or accuracy.
The disparity between good drives and bad drives is also more extreme the higher up in handicap you go, but even in averages I'd still have my definition of a long hitter staggered along handicap lines, with anyone in double figures who can get it out to about 240-250 carry off the tee being a big hitter for me.
If you're single figures I'd add on another 10-20 yards to that to distinguish yourself as a longer hitter – while anyone higher than a 15 handicap would take around 250 yards average total driving distance all day long.
What do you think? And how far do you hit your drives? Join the conversation below...