Long drive explained

Long drive is a sport where players compete to hit or drive a golf ball the farthest. Top long drivers compete professionally in events and exhibitions.

Distance

Professional long drivers can average over 356yd in competition,[1] compared with 305yd averages from the top PGA Tour drivers[2] and 225yd for an average amateur.[3] Some shots in competitions surpass 400yd.[4]

The world record recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest drive in a competition is 515yd by 64-year-old Mike Austin in 1974 at the US Senior National Open Qualifier with a 43.5" steel shafted persimmon wood driver.[5] The record distance achieved in the European Long Drive Championship is 473yd by Allen Doyle in September 2005.[6] The record distance achieved in the South African Long Drive Championship is 506yd by Nico Grobbelaar in September 2012.

Fast swingers can swing their club heads at over 150mph, well beyond the 93mph average for an amateur. Competitors train for strength, flexibility, and speed and often perform corporate exhibitions for money, exhibiting a variety of trick shots. Ball speeds are nearly double that of an average golfer (220 mph).

Jason Zuback is perhaps the best known competitor in long drive. He is one of six people to win multiple World Long Drive Championships, with four consecutive wins from 1996 to 1999 and a fifth win in 2006; the other multiple champions are Sean Fister (1995, 2001, and 2005), Jamie Sadlowski (2008 and 2009), Joe Miller (2010 and 2016), Tim Burke (2013 and 2015) and Kyle Berkshire (2019 and 2021).

Equipment

Long drive clubs, which are always drivers, differ in several ways from consumer clubs. Until the recent club length limitation rules, the shafts were much longer than a normal 451NaN1 shaft, sometimes exceeding 551NaN1. In 2005, a 501NaN1 limitation was introduced (measured vertically). Long drive shafts differ from standard shafts. The main difference is greater stiffness, as a flexible shaft will lag in an inconsistent manner, causing a loss of control. These shafts are almost always made of graphite, which is lighter than steel. In order to be stiff, a shaft is usually heavier and stronger than consumer clubs. The 'kick point' or 'bend point' is also higher for a lower trajectory relative to the swing, while shaft have a lower torque, meaning that long drive clubs will not twist as much, allowing the club-head to stay straighter. In November 2016, to align them with the standard rules of golf, the World Long Drive Association further-reduced the length limitation to 48inches—the maximum length allowed by the USGA.[7] [8]

Club-heads usually approach the 460 cubic centimeter limit, rarely below 400 cc. They must stay within the coefficient of restitution (COR) limit of 0.83, which measures how a ball hits off the surface. Most club-heads only approach the COR in the center of the club, so technology has allowed more area of the club to possess a COR of above 0.80. Thus, mishits are less affected by the newer clubheads. The loft of a long drive club is also much lower than a consumer club, sometimes around 4 or 5 degrees, as opposed to 10.5 degrees for an amateur's driver. The reason for lower lofted driver heads is to greatly reduce back spin. Too much back spin causes the ball to balloon or climb, creating a steep landing angle which does not allow the ball roll out. A flatter landing angle is desired to get the most out of the ball's forward velocity and energy.

Many competitions require golfers to use a specification ball for the tournament. The specific design characteristics of this ball include a dimple design that helps to maintain lower spin rates and a ball compression of 110. The average ball compression in golf varies from the mid-70s to the upper 80s.

Notable long drivers

References

https://www.golfdigest.com/story/can-kyle-berkshire-world-long-drive-champ-make-it-to-pga-tour

Notes and References

  1. http://www.longdrivers.com/2011WLDCResults/2011OpenR8-13.html Re/Max World Long Drive Championships 2011, Rounds 8-13
  2. Web site: PGA Tour Driving Distance . PGA Tour . 15 January 2014.
  3. http://www.golfdigest.com/story/how-far-do-average-golfers-really-hit-it-new-distance-data-will-surprise-you How far do average golfers really hit it? New distance data will surprise you
  4. http://www.longdrivers.com/2011WLDCResults/2011OpenFinals.html Re/Max World Long Drive Championships 2011, Finals
  5. Hudson, Alex (10 December 2010) Why has the longest golf drive record not been broken? BBC Click, Retrieved 8 December 2011
  6. http://blog.remax.co.za/news/records-smashed-at-the-remax-world-long-drive-event/ Grobbelaar, Nico - Records Smashed! (3 September 2012)
  7. News: Thinking about a longer driver shaft? The USGA could be shutting the door on that. Stachura. Mike. Golf Digest. 2018-04-25. en.
  8. Web site: World Long Drive Association Announces Rule Change . 18 November 2016. World Long Drive. 6 June 2017.
  9. News: The Longest Golfers on Earth. 30 January 2015. www.longdrivers.com. 2014. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150505073443/https://www.longdrivers.com/sites/default/files/documents/2014_mesquite_final.pdf. 5 May 2015.
  10. The Boom Boom Drivers of America . . Josh . Sens . January 17, 2007 .
  11. News: Fister, Shinnick win world long drive championship titles . . . October 26, 2005 . February 9, 2011.
  12. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=0F51A9078437B701&p_docnum=1 "Monte Scheinblum Shines When He's Hitting Off the Tee"
  13. News: Zuback back on top of Long Drive world . . October 30, 2006 . February 9, 2011.
  14. Driving force; Jason Zuback is the biggest hitter golf has ever seen. He also answers to one of sport's most fitting nicknames: Golfzilla . . May 2008 . Joe . Wuebben . February 10, 2011.
  15. Web site: RE/MAX WORLD LONG DRIVE CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS 1995 TO DATE | Long Drivers of America . 2016-10-17 . 2016-10-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161018204522/https://www.longdrivers.com/news/remax-world-long-drive-championship-results-1995-date-0 . dead .
  16. Web site: Q: How far can a woman hit a golf ball? (A: Farther than you.). TravelGolf.com. 6 June 2017.
  17. Web site: Archived copy . 2016-10-17 . 2016-10-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161018232408/https://buildlongdrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Long-Drive-Past-Champions-Archive_Nov-2015-UpdateV2.pdf . dead .
  18. Web site: SMT Golf puts record-setting DB Plus driver in hands of regular golfers. vivians-blogs.blogspot.co.nz. 10 September 2013. 6 June 2017.

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