How Many Yards Are You Leaving Behind? Get fit and find out.

We Put Golfers To The Test

Every golfer wants more distance. That part is easy.

The harder question is: how much distance are you already leaving in the behind?  

To find out, we ran a Driver Distance Challenge across Austad’s Golf stores. Golfers brought in their current driver, went through a fitting with an Austad’s fitter, and compared the numbers against a properly fit driver setup.  

No magic tricks. No “swing like a tour pro” nonsense. Just real golfers, real fittings and real launch monitor data.  

The results? Let’s just say a lot of golfers walked in thinking they needed a better swing and walked out realizing they needed a better setup.  

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How the Driver Distance Challenge Worked

The process was simple, practical and built around the same question golfers ask every day:

"Can a better-fit driver actually help me increase golf distance?" 

Here's how we tested it.

Step 1: Bring in Your Current Driver

Golfers started by hitting their own driver. This gave our fitters a baseline for distance, launch, spin, ball speed, dispersion and strike location.  

Step 2: Go Through a Fitting with an Austad’s Certified Fitter

Next, each golfer worked with an Austad's Master Fitter to test different driver heads, lofts, shafts and settings.

This is where the good stuff happens. A proper Austad’s club fitting​ is not just about handing you the newest driver and saying, “Yep, that one goes far.” It is about matching the club to your swing so the ball launches better, spins properly and finds more playable distance.  

Step 3: Compare the Results

After the fitting, we compared each golfer's current driver performance against the optimized setup.

That gave us a clear look at how much distance golfers were gaining through golf club fitting for distance.  

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The Numbers: How Much Distance Did Golfers Gain?

127 fittings were conducted in 2024 at Austad's Golf stores and here's what we found:

That average gain of 23.9 yards is not just a little extra pop. That can be the difference between hitting a 7-iron instead of a hybrid, carrying a bunker, reaching a par 5 in two or finally getting past your buddy who keeps bringing it up on the tee box.

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What Surprised Us Most

We expected golfers to gain distance. That is the whole point of a driver fitting​.

What really stood out was where those yards came from. 

A  lot of golfers walked in assuming their distance problem was all about swing speed. They thought they needed to swing harder, get stronger or make a major swing change to hit it farther.  

In reality, many of the biggest gains came from better launch conditions, better shaft fit, improved strike location and driver settings that actually matched the golfer’s swing.

Here's what surprised us most.

Mid-High Handicappers Gained the Most

One of the biggest takeaways from the challenge was that mid- and high-handicap golfers had the most distance hiding in their current setup.  

Golfers with handicaps of 12 or higher gained an average of 34.7 yards after going through a driver fitting with an Austad’s certified fitter.  

That is not a small bump. That is a full club — sometimes two clubs — less into the green. It can mean carrying hazards you used to lay up short of, reaching par 5s you used to play as three-shot holes and giving yourself much better approach shots all round long.  

Why did this group gain the most?

Because many mid-high handicappers are playing drivers that are not optimized for their swing. Some are using drivers with too little loft. Some are playing shafts that are too heavy, too light or the wrong profile. Others are fighting spin numbers that are way too high or launch conditions that are way too low.  

The good news? You do not need a scratch-player swing to benefit from an Austad’s club fitting. In fact, if your swing is still developing or your contact pattern moves around the face, the right driver setup can be even more important.

Many Golfers Were in the Wrong Loft

Loft was one of the biggest “aha” moments of the entire challenge. A lot of golfers think lower loft equals more distance. That sounds logical, right? Less loft, more roll, longer drives.   

For many players, a driver with too little loft produces a launch angle that is too low. The ball comes off flat, does not stay in the air long enough and loses carry distance. Other players create too much spin with the wrong loft or head setup, causing the ball to climb, stall and drop short.   

The right loft helps create the ideal launch window for your swing speed, attack angle and strike location.

And here is where fitting matters: the number printed on the sole of the club is only part of the equation. A 10.5° driver from one model may launch differently than a 10.5° driver from another. Adjustable hosels, center of gravity placement, face angle and how you deliver the club all affect real-world launch.  

During the Driver Distance Challenge, many golfers did not need to swing harder. They needed a driver that launched the ball better.  

That  is exactly why golf club fitting for distance can be so eye-opening. You are not guessing at loft. You are testing it with real data.  

Most Were Using the Wrong Shaft

The club shaft conversation surprised a lot of golfers, too.

Many players came in thinking shaft fitting was just about flex: regular, stiff, senior, extra stiff. But flex is only one piece of the puzzle.  

The right shaft can affect timing, launch, spin, face control and strike consistency. Shaft weight, bend profile, torque and feel all influence how the club moves during the swing  

A golfer might have the “correct” flex on paper but still be in the wrong shaft. For example:

That is why two golfers with the same swing speed may need completely different shafts.

A good driver fitting does not simply ask, “What flex do you play?” It looks at how the shaft performs with your actual swing. That includes your tempo, transition, release pattern, strike location and ball flight.  

When the shaft fits, golfers often see more than just added distance. They see better rhythm, tighter dispersion and more confidence standing over the ball.  

Swing Speed Wasn’t Everything

Yes, golf swing speed and distance are connected. Faster club speed can create more potential distance. But speed alone does not guarantee distance.    

If your driver setup is not helping you convert that speed into ball speed, launch and carry, you may be leaving yards behind. We saw plenty of golfers with decent speed who were not getting the distance they should have been getting.  

Why? Because  their launch conditions were off.  

Some were launching it too low. Some were spinning it too much. Some were missing the center of the face. Some had a driver head and shaft combination that made it harder to deliver the club consistently.

Think of swing speed like horsepower. Your driver setup is the system that transfers that power to the golf ball. If the fit is off, you are not getting full value from the speed you already have.  

That is one of the most important lessons from the challenge: you do not always need more speed to hit it farther. Sometimes you need better efficiency.  

Better launch. Better spin. Better strike. Better fit.  

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Five Things Every Golfer Should Know About Driver Distance

No sales pitch here. Just useful stuff we saw over and over again during the Driver Distance Challenge.

1. Driver Technology Has Changed Dramatically

Modern drivers are built to be faster, more forgiving and more adjustable than ever. Face technology, carbon construction, movable weighting, aerodynamic shaping and improved fitting systems have all changed what is possible off the tee.  

If your driver is several generations old, you may be missing out on ball speed, forgiveness and adjustability that could help you hit it farther and straighter.

That  does not mean every golfer automatically needs the newest driver. It does mean your current driver should be tested against newer options to see what the data says.  

2. Loft Matters More Than Flex

A lot of golfers obsess over shaft flex.  Flex matters, but loft can have an even bigger impact on distance.   

The wrong loft can make a good swing look inefficient. The right loft can help produce a stronger launch window, better carry and more consistent total distance.

During a fitting, your fitter will look at launch angle, spin rate, peak height, descent angle and carry distance to find the loft that gives you the best results.  

3. Strike Location Matters

You can have plenty of speed and still lose distance if you are missing the center of the face.

Strike location affects ball speed, launch, spin and direction. A strike high on the face may launch differently than one low on the face. A heel strike can add unwanted spin and curve. A toe strike can change direction and distance.  

The best driver for you is not always the one with the fastest single shot. It is the one that helps you create better strikes more often.  

4. The Right Shaft Changes Launch

The shaft can influence timing, delivery, launch and spin.

A shaft that is too heavy may make it hard to generate speed. A shaft that is too light may hurt control. A profile that does not match your transition can make it harder to square the face consistently.  

Austad's certified fitters test shaft options to help match your swing speed, tempo and delivery pattern.  

5. You Don’t Need a Tour Swing

This might be the best news of the whole challenge.

You do not need to swing 115 mph. You do not need to hit up on it like a long-drive competitor. You do not need to rebuild your swing from scratch.  

Plenty of everyday golfers gained serious distance because the club finally matched the player.

That is the beauty of fitting. It meets you where your game is right now.

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Driver Distance Isn’t Just About Speed

When golfers search for ways to increase golf distance, they usually think first about swing speed.  That makes sense. More speed can create more distance potential.  

But our challenge showed that many golfers were not fully using the speed they already had.

Golf Swing Speed and Distance: What Really Matters

To maximize driver distance, you need the right combination of:

Think of swing speed like horsepower. The driver fitting is the transmission. If the setup is wrong, the power does not transfer efficiently.

When the setup is right, you can get more distance without swinging harder.  

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What an Austad's Driver Fitting Looks At

A great driver fitting is not guesswork. It is a combination launch monitor data, fitter experience and real golfer feedback. 

During an Austad's club fitting, your fitter may evaluate​:

The goal is not just to chase the longest shot of the day. The goal is to find a driver setup that gives you more distance you can actually use on the golf course.  

Because 20 extra yards into the trees is not exactly the dream.  

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Head to Austad's and Discover How Many Yards You're Leaving Behind

You do not have to guess whether your driver is costing you distance.  

Bring your current driver to Austad's, work with a certified fitter, and compare it against a properly fit setup. You will see the numbers for yourself: launch, spin, carry, total distance, and dispersion.

Maybe you gain a few yards. Maybe you gain a bunch. Either way, you will leave knowing exactly what your driver is doing for your game.

Book your Austad’s club fitting today and find out how many yards you’re leaving behind.  

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