Drive
A drive is the opening shot played from the tee box on a golf hole, usually struck with a driver to send the ball as far down the fairway as possible. It is most often the longest shot a golfer hits during a round.
What is a drive in golf?
A drive is the first stroke played on a hole, hit from the tee box with the goal of covering as much ground as possible toward the green. Most drives are played with a club called a driver, which is the longest club in a golfer’s bag. The word comes from the idea of “driving” the ball forward, and the shot is also commonly called a tee shot, though those terms are not perfectly interchangeable (more on that below).
Drives are used almost exclusively on par 4s and par 5s, where the hole is long enough that maximum distance off the tee gives a real scoring advantage. On the 2024 PGA Tour, 96.8% of drives on measured driving holes were hit with a driver, according to the USGA’s annual Distance Report. The further a player can move the ball from the tee, the shorter and easier the next shot to the green becomes, which is why driving distance and accuracy are tracked as core performance stats at every level of the game.
A drive doesn’t determine the score on its own, but a good one shapes the rest of the hole. A poor one can send the ball into the rough, a bunker, water, or out of bounds, often costing a stroke before the player has hit a second shot.
How a drive works
The driver is engineered for one job: maximum distance off the tee. The clubhead is the largest of any club, with a USGA legal limit of 460 cubic centimeters in volume, and the shaft is the longest, typically 44 to 46 inches. The clubface has little loft, usually between 8 and 12 degrees, which produces a low, penetrating ball flight that maximizes roll once the ball lands.
The ball is placed on a small peg called a tee, raising it above the ground so the clubface can strike it on the upswing rather than the descending strike used with irons. That combination of long shaft, big head, and low loft generates the high clubhead speed and ball speed that produce a drive’s distance. The trade-off is control: the same length and speed that create distance also make the driver one of the harder clubs to keep on a straight line, which is why driving accuracy is tracked alongside distance.
Drive vs. tee shot vs. driver
These three terms are often used interchangeably, but they describe different things. The table breaks them apart.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Drive | The shot itself, played from the tee box with the aim of maximum distance, almost always with a driver |
| Tee shot | Any shot played from the tee box, including iron or hybrid shots on shorter holes |
| Driver | The club used to hit a drive, also called a 1-wood |
Every drive is a tee shot, but not every tee shot is a drive. On a par 3, where the green is within reach in one shot, players typically tee off with an iron or hybrid rather than a driver. That stroke is a tee shot, but most golfers and broadcasters wouldn’t call it a drive. The word “drive” implies the intention to hit the ball a long way, which is why it almost always refers to the swing on a par 4 or par 5.
How far is an average drive?
Driving distance varies a lot. The biggest single factor at any level is swing speed, with the quality of contact between clubface and ball running a close second behind it. The numbers below show where different groups land on average.
| Group | Average drive distance |
|---|---|
| PGA Tour player (2024) | ~295–300 yards |
| Cameron Champ (2024 PGA Tour leader) | 322.8 yards |
| Amateur male golfer (all handicaps) | ~215–225 yards |
| Amateur male, 5-handicap | ~240 yards |
| Amateur male, 25+ handicap | ~175–180 yards |
| Amateur female golfer | ~150 yards |
The PGA Tour figures come from the USGA’s 2024 Distance Report, which also notes that the mean ball speed of the fastest 10 PGA Tour players reached 185.3 mph in 2024, up from 179.5 mph in 2007. Amateur figures come from Arccos and Shot Scope datasets covering millions of recorded drives, and from the USGA/R&A Distance Insights work. Shot Scope’s distribution data show that nearly 70% of amateur men hit their driver under 250 yards, with the largest single group landing in the 200–224 yard range.
The world record for the longest competitive drive recognized by Guinness is 515 yards, set by Rob Tinkler in 2025 at Burstead Golf Club, according to the Wikipedia entry citing Guinness records. Long drive specialists such as Mike Dobbyn have hit balls farther than 550 yards in long drive competitions, where the format and conditions are designed to maximize distance.
When a player doesn’t hit a drive
Players don’t reach for the driver on every tee. On par 3s, the goal is to land on the green in one shot, so the club choice depends on the distance and is usually an iron or hybrid. On short par 4s, drivable doglegs, or holes with tight landing areas bordered by hazards, a player may choose a 3-wood, hybrid, or even a long iron (sometimes called a driving iron) to prioritize accuracy over distance.
The R&A’s analysis of amateur play found that driver usage among club golfers rose from 73% of measured tee shots in 1996 to 87% in 2018, with the biggest increase among higher-handicap players. Even so, the choice to leave the driver in the bag is a normal part of course management, and many tour pros do it on holes where putting the ball in play matters more than gaining 30 extra yards.
Related Golf Terms
- Clubhead speed — The speed of the clubhead at impact, the single biggest factor in distance.
- Dress code — Rules about appropriate clothing on a golf course.
- Downhill lie — When the ball is on a slope with the target lower than the player’s feet.
- Downswing — The part of the swing from the top of the backswing down to impact.
- Draw — A controlled shot that curves slightly from right to left for a right-handed golfer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called a drive?
The term comes from the idea of “driving” the ball forward with force, distinguishing the powerful tee shot from the more controlled iron and wedge shots that follow.
Is a drive the same as a tee shot?
Not exactly. A drive is a specific kind of tee shot, played with a driver and aimed at maximum distance. A tee shot is any stroke played from the tee box, including iron shots on par 3s.
Do you have to use a driver to hit a drive?
By the strictest definition, yes: a drive implies the use of a driver. In casual conversation, players sometimes use “drive” loosely for any tee shot on a par 4 or par 5, even when the club is a 3-wood or hybrid.
What’s a good drive distance for a beginner?
A beginner who makes solid contact will often hit drives between 150 and 200 yards. According to USGA/R&A data, amateur men with handicaps of 21 and over average around 177 yards.
What is the longest drive ever recorded?
The Guinness-recognized record is 515 yards, set by Rob Tinkler in 2025. In long drive competition, Mike Dobbyn has hit a 551-yard drive, though that figure sits outside Guinness’s recognized criteria.
Sources
- USGA. “2024 Distance Report.” Accessed May 2026.
- PGA Tour. “Off The Tee: Driving Distance.” Accessed May 2026.
- R&A. “Analysis of Amateur Driving Data 1996 to 2018.” Accessed May 2026.
- Shot Scope. “Distribution of Driving Distances 2022.” Accessed May 2026.
- Golf Digest. “The average driving distances for every golf handicap.” Accessed May 2026.
- Wikipedia. “Drive (golf).” Accessed May 2026.
