Long drive

Long drive is a competitive sport where success is derived by hitting a golf ball the farthest by driving. A small but dedicated talent base of golfers populate the world of Long-Drive, with the top talent competing professionally in various events and exhibitions.

Professional long drivers can average over 355 yards (320 m) in competition, compared with 305 yard (274 m) averages from the top PGA Tour drivers and 225 yards (201 m) for an average amateur. Some shots in competitions surpass 400 yards (366 m). The world record recognized by Guinness Records as the longest drive in a competition is 516 yards (472 m) by 64-year-old Mike Austin in 1974 at the US Senior National Open Qualifier with a 43.5" steel shafted persimmon wood driver. The record distance achieved in The RE/MAX European Long Drive Championship is 473 yards (433m) by Allen Doyle in September 2005. The record distance achieved in The RE/MAX South African Long Drive Championship is 506 yards (462.9m) by Nico Grobbelaar in September 2012. Fast swingers can swing their club heads at over 150 mph (245 km/h), well beyond the 85 mph (140 km/h) average for an amateur. They 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).

There are several well-known names in long drive. Jason Zuback is perhaps the most famous, being one of three people to win multiple RE/MAX World Long Drive Championships, with four consecutive wins from 1996–99 and a win in 2006. Sean "The Beast" Fister is another, winning in 1995, 2001, and 2005. Jamie Sadlowski had back to back wins in 2008–09. The Golf Channel is currently the owner of the Long Drivers of America organization.

Long drive clubs, which are always drivers, are different in many ways from consumer clubs. Until the recent club length limitation rules, the shafts were much longer than a normal 45 in (114.3 cm) shaft, sometimes exceeding 55 in (139.7 cm). In 2005, 50 in (127.0 cm) limitation was introduced (measured vertically).

In November, 2016, the World Long Drive Association (WLDA) announced a rule change as it relates to club length that went into effect immediately for all WLDA sanctioned events. The new rule states that all clubs used in competition must conform with the USGA® Rules of Golf (Appendix II, 1c), which limits club length to a maximum of 48 in (120 cm). The rule is upheld by the WLDA at all sanctioned events through the use of a CLUBLENGTH™ Ruler Measuring Tool that conforms to the USGA® method for measuring club length.

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