What Is The Average Driver Length On PGA Tour? (Everything To Know)

 

Golfers on the PGA Tour are known for hitting drives that all amateurs are envious of.

With the length these players can get, golf just seems a bit easier.

Although there are still plenty of putts to make, hitting the ball that much closer to the hole is going to naturally make lower scores easier to obtain.

One strategy that many amateur players have is that they will try and use the same or similar golf equipment as the professionals.

By using similar golf equipment, golfers will be able to try and essentially copy what the professionals do.

If you have always wondered about the average driver length on the PGA Tour, we have you covered.

 

Average Driver Length On The PGA Tour

 

The average driver length on the PGA Tour is 45 inches.

Golfers who purchase a stock driver off the shelf of their local golf warehouse are also going to find that the club is 45 inches long.

This is the standard length for a driver, and most professionals find that it works well for them.

We all know that the science of golf tells us that the longer the club, the further you will be able to hit the ball.

However, for the professionals and amateurs alike, there is a fine line between a club being long and a club being uncontrollable.

The longer a golf club is, the further you can technically hit it.

However, as the length of the golf club increases, a golfer’s ability to hit the ball straight decreases.

The relationship is very clear, and as golfers start to increase their club length, they have a harder time controlling everything.

Have you ever wondered why it is so much easier to hit your pitching wedge straight than to hit your driver straight?

The length of the club has a great deal to do with it.

Even though professional golfers have swing speeds and strengths that we are not used to seeing at our local golf courses, 45 inches is about where they draw the line.

Ensuring that the accuracy is in place is really where the players make their money.

Although they want to be able to hit the ball 330 yards, it is more important to hit the ball straight.

Golfers who can keep their ball in the fairway have a better chance of hitting their next shot closer to the pin.

Let’s answer a few other questions that come up about the lengths of clubs and what the pros are keeping in their bags.

 

Should I Play With A 45-Inch Driver?

 

As golfers get more and more involved with custom fitting, we often see questions start to come up about the proper length of irons.

People tend to put a lot of weight into their irons being properly fit for their game.

Next, golfers are always concerned about the putter length and whether or not it makes sense for their game.

One of the last things a golfer tends to worry about is driver length.

For the most part, golfers will pick a driver off the shelf and put it in their bag.

However, the length of the player in comparison to the length of the driver is a consideration that should be made.

Golfers who can hit the ball a long way with a stock driver should probably leave things alone.

However, if you have been struggling with your driver recently, you may want to make sure it is properly fitted to your game.

If you were to go in for a complete golf club fitting, you would find that the driver length is a very important factor to be fitted for.

The proper driver length can help ensure that you can hit the ball straight and consistently.

If you are shorter than 5’11”, chances are you may want to look into a fitting for your driver.

Most of the clubs that are sold are going to be right around 45 inches in length.

This is the perfect length for a golfer who is between 5’9” and 6’0”.

However, if you fall outside this range, you may want to look into a custom fitted driver.

Truthfully, players who are a little shorter than this can typically learn to turn the driver over and still hit a great shot.

In addition, golfers who are a little taller typically don’t want to add too much length to the driver.

If you add too much length, you will lose some control, and that likely won’t be worth it.

Even though the recommended range is really just a few inches, it is actually quite a bit wider than this.

Still, if you feel as though you can’t hit your driver straight or it won’t release properly, it could be because of the length of your club.

The bottom line is that most golfers are going to be just fine using the 45-inch club.

If you are currently playing great golf with your driver, you do not want to mess with it.

Let this be as it could very likely cause you more problems if you start messing around with something that doesn’t need to be fixed.

When you are having issues with your clubs, you should start researching what it takes to get your game to the next level.

Chances are club fitting is going to play a role in it.

 

Can I Cut My Driver Down Or Extend It?

 

If you have found that you need to change the length of the driver that you are currently playing with, you may be tempted to do it yourself.

If you talk to a local club fitter, they will likely tell you that this process may be a bit more complicated than you think.

It’s important to remember that golf club fitting can get very technical and detailed.

Certainly, not many average golfers are capable of understanding the balancing act involved with cutting down and extending golf clubs.

If you have no experience working on golf clubs, it likely makes sense to have a professional look at the club and fix it up for you.

Having a driver cut down or extended should not be that expensive.

The real expense comes if you need to replace the shaft in the driver.

If you don’t handle the cutting down or extending process correctly, you could end up needing to replace the shaft anyway.

Drivers are made with graphite shafts that are quite expensive and fragile.

When you need to change the length of the shaft, you must remove the grip, measure the shaft, cut it down, and then replace the grip.

The problem is that if you don’t have the right tools, you can split the graphite when you cut it.

Not to mention the club needs to be in an adequately protected vise because, otherwise, the club can slip and move around and cause more issues.

In addition, it can be a good idea to get a second opinion about the length to which you plan on cutting your driver.

If you choose something a bit too long or too short, you could end up making the game of golf harder on yourself.

 

Should I Shorten The Length Of My Driver?

 

Have you seen the increase in popularity of the golf clubs that are all one length?

The one-length golf clubs tend to get people more excited about the game because they are so much more consistent.

When you use a one-length golf club, all of the irons are the same length as the seven iron.

This means that every time you set up to hit your shot, you will be set up almost precisely the same way.

With all of the variables involved in golf, it certainly helps to take something like ball position and width of stance out of the equation.

The most exciting thing about the one-length golf clubs is that players are not losing distance with the longer irons.

Even though the club is shorter than standard, the distance is still just about the same.

You will find that this has brought up the idea and concept of players shortening their drivers.

The idea would be to better control the shot because the length of the driver is much easier to manage.

In theory, this would make quite a bit of sense.

However, in reality, the construction of the driver and the way it works really make it so that you can’t get the distance you want with a shorter driver.

Of course, as players age or if their swing speeds are very slow, the shorter driver can be a solution.

However, for the most part, players find that shortening the driver does not help the results of the golf drive, and it is better to learn how to release the club properly.

 

Tips For Hitting A Longer Driver

 

If your club is a bit too long for you, there are a few things you can do to hit the ball just a bit straighter.

Here are our favorite ways to help get everything you can out of the driver.

 

1. Work On Strength

The stronger you get, the easier it is to hit the ball straight and far.

If you can work on increasing your strength, you should not have too much trouble getting the longer golf driver to travel further.

If you take examples from Bryson DeChambeau this year, we all saw that strength in golf does make a difference.

 

2. Pause At The Top

Sometimes with a longer golf club in your hand, it makes sense to feel a more prolonged pause at the top of the swing.

The pause allows the entire swing to start to fall into place without you having to do all that much.

The pause allows players to have a better tempo and to get the swing on track without feeling as though they are trying to control such a long club.

The pause at the top is a simple method that you could implement today.

Practice it on the range a few times and then head out on the course.

 

3. Don’t Stop At The Ball

When you swing a driver, you must get through the ball.

When you hit an iron shot, you can swing down and through it and make contact towards the bottom of your swing.

However, with the driver, you will hit the ball on your upswing.

If you start slowing down near the ball and trying to adjust how you make contact, you won’t hit the shot well.

You need to swing through entirely and get the ball headed down the fairway.

Always think about getting to your full finish and swinging through the ball.

 

4. Proper Setup

Lastly, you must have the proper setup.

When you are standing the proper distance from the ball, you will give yourself room to swing the driver through properly.

Even if the club is long for you, ensure that you have all the distance you need to rotate yourself through the shot properly.