Driver distance by swing speed
Driver carry rises about 2.7 yards for every 1 mph of club head speed on the published tour table: 199 yards of carry at 85 mph, 226 yards at 95, 253 yards at 105, and 275 yards at the tour average of 113 mph. Total distance adds the roll of a fairway landing.
The chart
Carry is ball speed multiplied by the yards each mile per hour of ball speed is worth for a driver, and ball speed is club head speed multiplied by smash factor. The table below runs the published tour anchor down through the speeds amateurs actually swing at, with smash easing slightly at lower speeds because strike quality tends to follow speed.
Driver carry and total by club head speed
| Club head speed | Smash factor | Ball speed | Carry | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 70 mph | 1.39 | 97 mph | 160 yards | 173 yards |
| 75 mph | 1.40 | 105 mph | 173 yards | 187 yards |
| 80 mph | 1.41 | 113 mph | 186 yards | 201 yards |
| 85 mph | 1.42 | 121 mph | 199 yards | 215 yards |
| 90 mph | 1.43 | 129 mph | 212 yards | 229 yards |
| 95 mph | 1.44 | 137 mph | 226 yards | 244 yards |
| 100 mph | 1.45 | 145 mph | 239 yards | 258 yards |
| 105 mph | 1.46 | 153 mph | 253 yards | 273 yards |
| 110 mph | 1.47 | 162 mph | 267 yards | 288 yards |
| 115 mph | 1.48 | 170 mph | 280 yards | 302 yards |
| 120 mph | 1.48 | 177 mph | 292 yards | 315 yards |
Total assumes a fairway landing with normal roll. Carry is the number to plan with whenever the ball has to clear something.
What 10 mph is worth
Between 85 and 105 mph the model adds 54 yards of carry, or about 2.7 yards per mile per hour. On a 420 yard par 4 that is the difference between a 205 yard approach and a 147 yard approach, and on the published fairway table the shorter approach is worth 0.29 of a stroke before the iron is struck.
Speed is worth strokes only when the ball stays in play. From the same 420 yard tee a drive into the rough at 155 yards is priced 0.25 of a stroke worse than one in the fairway at 155, which is roughly what fifteen yards of carry buys. A longer drive that misses the fairway has usually given its gain back.
Measure your own speed
A launch monitor session gives you club head speed, ball speed and carry for every swing, which is a better input than any table. Import the session into PinFlag and the carry that stands behind every driver decision on the course is yours, labeled Measured, rather than a model’s.
In PinFlag
On the tee, PinFlag prices any target with your own driver dispersion around the aim and the lie read from the course map, so speed, spread and the hole are priced together rather than as a yardage alone. Shot Cloud draws your real drives around the target.
Frequently asked questions
How far does a 100 mph driver swing carry?
How many yards is 1 mph of swing speed worth?
What swing speed do you need to carry 250 yards?
Is carry or total the number to use off the tee?
Which golf app does this on the course?
Related
Sources
- PGA TOUR statistics
- Golf simulator and launch monitor, Wikipedia
- How PinFlag calculates strokes gained
Every figure on this page is computed from the published baselines, the same ones PinFlag prices your shots with. The scope of the figures: The figures are the published tour ball speed and carry anchor scaled by club head speed, with smash factor easing at lower speeds; a launch monitor session replaces them with your own.
Get PinFlag for iPhone
PinFlag shows you this number on the course, for the shot in front of you, before you swing: any target priced with your own dispersion and the lie read from the course map, your real shots drawn on the hole, and two taps to log. Golfer is $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with a 14-day trial on the annual plan through the App Store.