Revealed... The Distance You Need To Hit The Golf Ball To Outdrive 99.7% Of Male Amateurs

We all want to be the longest driver in our weekend four-ball, but only a select few can hit the ball far enough to be considered the longest amateurs. Here's that data that proves it...

Man driving a golf ball and a bar chart representing driving distance increasing
How far do you need to drive it to be longer than 99.7% of male amateurs?
(Image credit: Getty Images)

As golfers, we find ourselves in the constant pursuit of increased distance off the tee. You might have spent time having lessons on how to create the optimal launch angle for your driver, or perhaps your athletic posture and powerful swing gives you the natural ability to step up and crush it. Either way, we can't help but compare ourselves to others.

There are few better feelings than being the longest driver in your social group, but are you in the top 1% for distance off the tee? Thanks to the latest Arccos data, we can go even deeper than that and reveal how far you need to drive the golf ball in order to be longer than 99.7% of male amateurs...

Arccos data suggests that if you have a median driving distance of 284 yards, you are longer than 99.7% of male amateur golfers. Let's not pretend that number isn't enormous, but if you want to be included in the top 0.3% you need to be one of the best drivers around.

Golf driver behind ball on a tee peg

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Interestingly, not only would that figure put you in the upper-echelons of the amateur golf driving world, but it would also make you 4 yards longer than the average tour pro off the tee. Let that sink in for a moment.

For most golfers those figures might seem unattainable, but it's clear that there is a correlation between your driving distance and your handicap.

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Interested in discovering insights on your own game from Golf Monthly's data partner? Check out the Arccos website.

Driving distance by handicap – how do the numbers compare?

It will comes as no surprise that driving distance tends to increase as your handicap decreases. We know that increasing your distance off the tee is great tool to help you shoot lower scores, but how many of those precious extra yards do you need to gain?

Driving distance by handicap chart on a golf background

How much of an impact does driving distance have on your handicap?

(Image credit: Future)

According to the data, a scratch golfer drives the ball around 259 yards on average, whereas a 20-handicapper drives the ball around 213 yards. The trend is quite stable as you move through, increasing from 222 yards for a 15-handicapper to 233 yards for a 10-handicapper, and finally to 245 for a 5-handicapper.

Only 1.6% of amateur male golfers have an average driving distance of over 280 yards, so if that isn't you then the pursuit for longer tee shots continues. See you on the driving range.

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Barry Plummer
Staff Writer

Driven by a deep passion for golf and a commitment to helping others improve their game, Barry Plummer leads the instruction section across Golf Monthly's print and digital platforms. Drawing upon his own experience and in close collaboration with the prestigious Golf Monthly Top 50 Coaches, he provides actionable and expert-backed advice to help amateur golfers improve their game and achieve lower scores. As an active member of Sand Moor Golf Club in Leeds, he maintains a practical, on-course understanding of the challenges faced by golfers. His commitment to providing evidence-based advice, combined with his continuous involvement in the golfing community, establishes him as a trusted and authoritative voice in golf instruction.

Barry is currently playing:

Driver: Benross Delta XT Driver

Hybrid: TaylorMade Stealth 4 Hybrid

Irons: Benross Delta XT 5-PW

Wedges: TaylorMade RAC 60, Callaway Jaws MD5 54

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour