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Can a new driver really add distance?

Author

Emily Ross

Published Jan 07, 2026

Distance. Newer drivers have newer technology that helps give golfers more distance but it depends on the year it was made in terms of drastic differences in length. A 20 year-old driver will have less distance than a new driver. Ball speed and driver faces are two factors that have changed over time.

Does a new driver really make a difference?

A new golf driver in your bag can make a significant difference in your golf game. Golf drivers are continually improving from year to year. If you have a driver in your golf bag that is several years old, chances are the technology could use an upgrade.

Does Driver affect distance?

Participants in our tests achieved more distance when they used drivers with less than 10 degrees of loft. In fact, swings often got the most distance with driver lofts at 9 degrees or less.

How much distance can a driver fitting add?

While this is dependent upon the technology of your current driver and how well it is fit for you, rarely will you see less than 10 yards of gained distance. The average distance gained with a driver fitting is about 17 yards. However, in several cases I have seen increases of 30+ yards, including a 55 yard gain.

Is getting fit for a driver worth it?

If you can only afford to get custom fit for one club, your driver is a solid choice. To begin you'll want to get your putter fit for sure, as it will be used to hit at least 40% of your total shots in most rounds.

43 related questions found

How much does a driver fitting cost?

If you want to get an individual club fitted (driver, wood, irons, wedges, putter), it'll cost you somewhere around $100 each. So, if you wanted to get your irons and wedges fitted, here is what you'd spend: All irons: $100. All wedges: $100.

Why have I lost distance with my driver?

One potential cause of lost distance is striking the ball with the wrong part of the club face. Even if you make a good swing otherwise, you can lose a significant amount of distance simply be striking the ball somewhere other than the sweet spot.

Why can't I hit my driver far?

One reason you might not be hitting the ball very far is that you have too high of a spin rate with your driver and irons. An easy way to spot this is watching how high your shots go in the air. Golf shots that get hit with high back spin rates tend to climb higher into the air.

How do I hit my driver farther?

How to hit a driver farther?

  1. Tee the ball higher.
  2. Move the ball closer to your lead foot (just inside the heel)
  3. Lower your trail shoulder so your spine angle is pointing to the sky a little more.

How often should you replace your driver?

For most golfers, you'll want to replace your driver every five years. Golf drivers do not wear out as easily as they did even 15 years ago. If you treat your driver well, there's no reason it cannot last multiple seasons. And yes, that even goes for golfers that play frequently.

Do golf clubs lose distance over time?

Do golf drivers lose distance over time? Unless the club head has been damaged, golf drivers are unlikely to lose distance over time. The club would need to be used thousands and thousands of times before it began to suffer from metal fatigue, which, even for professional players, is rare.

What is the life of a golf driver?

A driver has about a five-year lifespan. For those who play golf often, drivers will likely have less than a five-year lifespan. Sadly, the lifespan of drivers isn't quite as long as that of irons.

Why can I only hit my driver 200 yards?

Hitting a Golf ball over 200 yards is a swing physics problem, the better your technique the less power you need to hit the ball far. The average player uses their arms to swing instead of their body, the base of your swing should be the rotation of the shoulders in the backswing and the legs and hips in the downswing.

How far should you hit a 7 iron?

A standard amateur golfer can hit a 7 iron from 128 yards to 158 yards. The lower range will be for women and senior golfers. To hit the ball over 150 yards in total distance with a 7 iron club, an amateur golfer will have to have a good swing and be physically fit.

How far does Tiger Woods hit a 7 iron?

Club Averages

His long irons (2- to 4-iron) range from 250 to 200 yards. His middle irons (5, 6, 7) range from 208 to 172 yards. His 8-iron travels 158 yards, and 9-iron flies 142.

Why does my 3 wood go as far as my driver?

1. Players who hit their 3- or 5-wood as far or longer than their driver are typically using too little loft with the driver for their clubhead speed. You know, it's a funny thing with the driver and its loft compared to the other clubs in the bag.

Does tee height affect driving distance?

Does Tee Height Effect Driver Distance? The height of your tee effects your swing path into impact, especially with the driver. This, in turn, will have an influence on the spin that the ball will have on it. Teeing the ball up can help vastly reduce the spin on your drives and so increase distance.

Do soft golf balls go further?

Do Softer Golf Balls Go Further? As a general rule, soft low compression golf balls will travel further when you hit your driver and irons. With your wedges, soft and firm golf balls should travel the same distance.

Do you get more distance with a stiff shaft?

If the shaft flex is too stiff, your average distance will remain low. If you are struggling with a slice, it is highly likely you are using stiff club shafts. By figuring out the most common type of shot you are playing, it becomes easier to know whether you need a softer shaft.

Can a golf tee add distance?

According to Gene Parente, founder of Golf Laboratories and the foremost robot-testing expert in the golf industry, certain golfers can actually pick up 2-4 yards of distance just by using different tees.

Can I get my current driver fitted?

It is possible to custom fit almost any existing golf club a player uses. Grip, loft and lie changes are the most common but the complexity and cost of retro-fitting a golfer's current clubs increases as more changes are made, making the case for simply getting new clubs stronger.

Is 100 mph a good swing speed?

Well, more than 40 percent of golfers measured swing the club between 91 and 100 mph, according to the same data. The overall average is 93.4 mph, so if you're hovering around there, you should feel pretty proud of yourself. A swing speed in the 90s puts you right around average.

How long does a driver fitting take?

A thorough driver fitting session should last around an hour, and typically takes at least 60 balls to dial in the right head and shaft combo. That's a lot of physical and mental stress packed into an hour, and it's more stress for golfers who decide to get fit for other clubs on the same day.

What percentage of golfers can hit 300 yards?

Distribution Of Driving Distances

Only 4% of golfers drive the ball over 300 yards. The second highest percentage of golfers drive the ball between 225 and 249 on average.