New World Ball Speed Record Set By Former Professional Long-Drive Champion

Kyle Berkshire breaks the world ball speed record

Kyle Berkshire has broken his own world ball speed record

(Image credit: Instagram @kyleberkshire)

published 3 October 2023

Kyle Berkshire has a string of speed and distance-related records to his name, and he has just added a new one, beating his own TrackMan world ball speed record that he set less than a year ago.

Last December, the American delivered an incredible ball speed of 236.2mph (which beat his other previous record of 233.4mph). Clearly not one to rest on his laurels, though, the 26-year-old has now added over 5mph more to that, with an outrageous 241.6mph!

In a video posted on his Instagram page, Berkshire is shown lining up his shot before his ferocious swing does the rest, to cheering from the ecstatic onlookers, no doubt aware they’d just witnessed a first.

A post shared by Kyle Berkshire (@kyleberkshire)
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For context, the average ball speed on the PGA Tour this season stands at 172.95mph, with Cameron Champ currently out in front, averaging a relatively paltry 190.74 mph.

Incredibly, Berkshire’s achievement was even more impressive than it looks on the video, because, as he explained in an accompanying message, it was the first time in months he’d attempted a serious speed session and he got over the magic 240mph four times!

He wrote: “Man it feels AWESOME to finally join the 240 mph club! This was my first serious speed session in a couple months so I was super pumped to crack 240 mph 4 times during the session, topping out at 241.6 mph”

So, what now for Berkshire? A chance to step back and reflect on a record that is unlikely to be threatened by anyone anytime soon? Not a bit of it. He continued: “Happy to hit this number but I definitely want to push things higher for worlds! Excited to see how much further I can ramp things up before we head out to Atlanta.”

That’s the World Long Drive Championship, taking place between 18 and 22 October in the Georgia capital, where Berkshire – who is no stranger to a 400mph+ drive – will be hoping to add to the three titles he picked up between 2019 and 2021.

Considering the frightening ball speed he's just managed, it would be hard to bet against him achieving it.

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories.

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game.

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course.

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.

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