There’s constant media hype around the driving distances that we see tour players hitting the ball, but what about the average club golfer? These distances are much more modest, although when you compare stats from last year on how far the average female club golfer hits their drive, improvement is impressive.
Driving distances have been gradually increasing over time due to the continuous improvements in golf equipment technology, custom-fitting and technique. Or so we are told.
Ask the women I play golf with week-in, week-out about what they need and they still complain about their lack of distance. So are advertised distance gains just a load of manufacturer hype? We consulted the leading data capture specialists Shot Scope for the statistical facts.
Shot Scope gathers the data from rounds measured by hundreds of thousands of amateur golfers around the world, male and female, young and old. They break down driving distance averages by handicap level, separating their findings into six bands that are staggered in five-shot increments.
According to their 2026 findings, women definitely are hitting the ball further than they ever have before. The average driving distance for a female handicap golfer is 185 yards which is eight yards longer than last year (177 yards).
Not surprisingly, there’s a direct correlation between driving distance and handicap. The longer the hitter, the lower their handicap. Among the scratch or better golfers and 1-5 handicappers, they average 237 and 222 yards off the tee respectively.
Driving Distance Average 2026 (Female)
Driving distance data from Shot Scope users (yards)
Average Driving Distance
Scratch golfer2375-handicap22210-handicap20415-handicap18520-handicap17425-handicap16730-handicap152075150225300
| Product | Value |
|---|---|
| Scratch golfer | 237 |
| 5-handicap | 222 |
| 10-handicap | 204 |
| 15-handicap | 185 |
| 20-handicap | 174 |
| 25-handicap | 167 |
| 30-handicap | 152 |
The longest hitter on the LPGA Tour is Julia Ramirez, who averages 288 yards off the tee. In fact, the majority of the best women in the world all hit it more than 30 yards further than the lowest club handicapper with the big stick, including Charley Hull (266 yards) and world number one Nelly Korda (273 yards).
Distance steadily drops as the handicap level increases for female golfers, with those women playing off a handicap of 25+ hitting the ball an average total distance of 167 yards. Therefore it goes without saying that improving your length off the tee is an efficient way to shoot lower scores and cut your handicap.
Nevertheless some women still feel trapped in a short hitting cycle, believing that the possibility of huge distance gains claimed by manufacturers are beyond them.
I was among the sceptics who believed that I’d reached a plateau in my distance capabilities until I went for a club custom fit a few months ago. Now I know that it is possible to add 5, 10 or even 20 yards or more to your length off the tee through a combination of improving your swing technique (specially speed training) and investing in a modern driver that’s built bespoke with the right loft and a specialist shaft for you.
My PXG custom fit experience saw me gain an incredible 15 yards in distance off the tee, cranking my driving average up to 240 yards. I can vouch for the transformational effect of modern equipment - it’s amazing what can be achieved if you simply invest in one of the best women's drivers.
