Is Your Driver Swing Speed Any Good? The Fast & Slow Guide

Driver swing speed has become almost as important to golfers as their actual driving distances.

And with good reason – because the data is clear that the increased distances that come from higher driver club speeds, directly impact scoring.

Lower handicap players consistently produce higher driver swing speeds so it is natural therefore that amateurs want to know if theirs is ‘good’, average, fast or considered slow.

So let’s start with the answer for both men and women based on comprehensive data from Trackman, one of the leaders in golf launch monitor technology:

• For male amateur golfers, a driver swing speed over 94 mph is a ‘good’ swing speed as it is above average.
• A fast driver club speed is over 100 mph while under 85 mph is considered slow.
• Female golfers averaging over 70 mph have a ‘good’ swing speed, with 80+ mph considered ‘fast’

Understanding how far you should hit your driver based on your swing speed is a vital part of the modern game so to say to some golfers that their club speed is average or even slow can trigger some interesting reactions.

So let’s dive more into what constitutes ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ driver swing speeds for both men and women – including on the PGA and LPGA Tours – backed by real data.

What is a good Driver swing Speed? What The Numbers Show For Men

While each golfer’s swing is as unique to them as their own fingerprints, players often consider at a basic level how they compare against the ‘average’.

And thanks to extensive Trackman data, we have clear information on how driver swing speeds – or club speed as it also called – vary across male golfers.

Based on these numbers we can therefore conclude:

• A ‘fast’ driver swing speed is over 100 mph and puts a golfer in the top 22% of average amateur male golfers
• Any driver club speed over 94 mph is a ‘good’ speed as it is above average
• A driver swing speed of less than 85 mph puts players in the bottom 17% of male golfers and is considered ‘slow’.

When Golfing Focus looked at average driver swingspeeds broken down by age and handicap the relationship between club speed and playing ability is evidently clear.

And given Trackman lists 5 handicappers as having an average swing speed of 101 mph, and scratch or better golfers club speeds of 110mph it is again obvious that lower handicapped players produce ‘fast’ swing speeds on average.

Higher handicappers of 25+ by comparison with their driver swing speeds of between 60 to 80 mph will always on average be classed among the ‘slow’.

Each 1 mph increase in driver swing speed can add up to 3 yards of distance

Trackman

For all golfers however the opportunities to increase or at least maintain their swing speed have never been more numerous and by increasing upper body and core strength, improving posture, or alternatively simply getting fitted for the correct clubs players can aim to increase the potential distance they can drive the ball.

Further given these averages include everyone from the world-long driving champion to senior golfers comparing yourself to the average of all male golfers is maybe not the most useful.

Knowing what represents a ‘good’ driver swing speed for you depends of course on several factors.

What one golfer considers to be a respectable club speed can be very different from what another player thinks so check out our detailed look into how your driver club speed stacks up against your handicap and age group peers.

Benchmarking a Good Driver Swing Speed for Women

Women golfers naturally don’t generate the same driver swing speeds as men because of the fact that with their comparatively less upper body power they tend to swing slower, especially on the downswing.

So what constitutes a ‘good’ driver swing speed for women needs to be assessed differently.

Titleist estimates only that women golfers swing speeds are over 20% slower than men and unfortunately Trackman does not provide comparable club speed distribution information for female amateurs.

But based on our analysis of the average driver swingspeeds for women combined with the USGA’s handicapping statistics here’s what can be considered fast and slow:

• A ‘fast’ driver swing speed is 80 mph and over based on this being representative of a 15 handicapper who is in the top 20% of female amateur golfers
• Any driver club speed over 70 mph is a ‘good’ speed as it is above average
• Driver swing speeds of less than 65 mph are considered ‘slow’ for women amateurs with this speed estimated to put players in the bottom 26% of women golfers.

While these speeds are much lower than in the men’s game the good news for women golfers is that the progression of driver swing speeds among female players of different abilities is more gentle.

As a result a smaller improvement in driver swing speed for women golfers has the potential to make much more of a difference to their driving distances and then their scorecards!

The Pro Perspective – Pro vs. Amateur Driver Club Speeds

When we then look at how amateur golfers’ swing speeds compare to the pros the differences are striking but also reveal some fascinating insights.

For the men’s game the current PGA Tour average driver club head speed is 115 mph and Golfing Focus recently discovered has increased steadily over the years.

In terms of fast on slow driver club head speeds on Tour therefore:

• A ‘fast’ driver club speed on the PGA Tour is over 119.5 mph puts and puts players in the top 20th percentile on Tour
• Notable ‘fast’ swinging pros include Rory McIlroy (123.6 mph), Xander Schauffele (123 mph) as well as LIV golfers Bryson DeChambeau (132.25 mph) and Brooks Koepka (120.6 mph)
• The ‘good’ driver swing speed group includes those with above average speeds of 115 mph such as Ludvig Åberg (119.3 mph), Scottie Scheffler (119.2 mph) and Jordan Speith (117.6 mph).
• ‘Slow’ swinging PGA Tour pros in the bottom 20%, including Brian Harman (110.4 mph) and Matt Kuchar (108 mph), produce driver club speeds of less than 112.8 mph.

At the top of the women’s game the driver swing speeds are lower but impressive nonetheless:

• A ‘good’ driver swing speed on the LPGA Tour is over 96 mph based on the average
• ‘Fast’ women pro club driver club speeds by comparison are 100 mph and over with speeds of 93 mph and less considered slow on the LPGA Tour
• The longest hitter on the LPGA Tour, Bianca Pagdanganan, records speeds approaching 110 mph with Nelly Korda averaging around 101 mph.

And in case anyone is wondering what the driver world club speed record is. It was set in November 2024 by Sam Attanasio and measured an incredible 172.5 mph!

Before You Go …

Driver swing speed is the key factor for determining a golfer’s ‘potential’ distance.

So check out how far you ‘should’ be hitting the ball with your driver club speed in our next article.

How Far Should Your Driver Swingspeed Go? 60 To 120 Mph Guide

Or to see what your driver distance should be based on the ball speed you generate check out this post.

How Far Should Your Ball Speed Go? 100mph All the Way to 210mph!

Other great posts related to this topic:

• How Far Should You Hit a Driver? FULL GUIDE By Age, Handicap etc.
• A Look At What Is A ‘Good’ Drive, What’s Bad And What’s Average
• The Complete Guide To How Far Should A Woman Hit A Driver
• Breaking Down The Average Driver Swing Speed For Women
• The FULL Guide To What Is a Good Ball Speed For A Driver (By Handicap + Age)
• What Should Your Driver Attack Angle Be? Try Not to Be Negative
• Why Don’t Your Drives Go Far? Slow and Steady Loses the Race
• What Determines Driver Distance? Skill Triumphs Over All!
• 10 Ways to Get More Distance off The Tee With & Without Speed!
• Ideal Spin Rate and Launch Angle for Driver? That’s Personal!
• What Should Your Driver Attack Angle Be? Try Not to Be Negative
• How Much Does Driver Loft Affect Distance? Loft is Dynamic Too!
• Where is the Sweet Spot on the Driver Face? Take the High Road
• How Far Does a 3 Wood vs 5 Wood Go? Tee and Approach Shots!
• How Far Should I Hit My Hybrids? 2 vs 3 vs 4 Hybrid Distances
• How Far Should I Hit My Irons? By Handicap, Age & Swingspeed
• How Far Should You Hit Your Wedges? Be Sure to Fill the Gaps!
• Going The Distance? How Far Should Beginners Hit A Golf Ball?
• Do All Golf Balls Go the Same Distance? Physics First
• Are Driving Range Distances Accurate? Golf Balls are a Problem
• What is Considered a Long Golf Course? The Long and Short of It