How Far Does Nelly Korda Hit Her Driver?

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 2 February 2024

Standing out as one of the tallest and most athletic golfers on the LPGA Tour, Nelly Korda is renowned for her seemingly effortless yet powerful swing.

Since turning professional in 2016, 25-year old Korda’s consistent ability to drive the ball long off the tee places her among other big hitters like Lexi Thompson, Madelene Sagstrom and Maria Fassi.

Korda won her 9th LPGA title at the 2024 Drive On Championship with an average driving distance of 260.19 yards, which is similar to the distance she drove the ball in 2017 at 260.71 yards.

Between 2019 and 2022, Korda’s average driving distance has hovered around 270 yards, and her longest hitting year was 2022, when she averaged 272.28 yards off the tee to rank 10th on the LPGA Tour. Her highest ranking was 4th in 2020 at 271.96 yards, which was over 10 yards shorter than Filipino Bianca Pagdanganan’s average driving distance of 283.071 yards.

Korda can boom the ball off the tee, but her driving accuracy doesn’t rank as highly as her average driving distances. To date in 2024, her driving accuracy stands at 76.79% and ranks 30th, which is not too dissimilar to the accuracy she achieved in 2023 at 73.84%, ranking her in 63rd position at the end of the season.

In comparison, America’s Kristen Gillman and Rose Zhang rank 1 and 2 respectively to date with an impressive rating of 92.9% and 89.3% for driving accuracy.

Nelly Korda's Average Driving Distance

2017 - 260.71
2018 - 263.85
2019 - 270.05
2020 - 271.96
2021 - 275.12
2022 - 272.28
2023 - 268.98

What Is Nelly Korda's Ball Speed?

With an average swing speed of 95 mph, Korda produces a ball speed of around 140mph.

To put this in context, the average swing speed of a female 15 handicapper is 79mph with a ball speed of 111mph. For a 5 handicapper, the average swing speed is 90mph with a ball speed of 125mph.

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Alison Root has over 25 years experience working in media and events, predominantly dedicated to golf, in particular the women’s game. Until 2020, for over a decade Alison edited Women & Golf magazine and website, and is now the full-time Women's Editor for Golf Monthly. Alison is a respected and leading voice in the women's game, overseeing content that communicates to active golfers from grassroots through to the professional scene, and developing collaborative relationships to widen Golf Monthly's female audience across all platforms to elevate women's golf to a new level. She is a 16-handicap golfer (should be better) and despite having had the fantastic opportunity to play some of the best golf courses around the world, Kingsbarns in Scotland is her favourite.

Nelly Korda's Average Driving Distance

What Is Nelly Korda's Ball Speed?

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