I’ve just read about Kyle Berkshire hitting a ball that travelled nearly 580 yards in 2023. The long drive champions of today are the longest hitters of all time and nobody in the history of the game could compete with them.
They train specifically to get more power in their swings rather than to shoot low scores on the golf course. Although, most are highly capable of doing that too.
For the purposes of this article, which is going to involve a good amount of speculation and artistic license anyway, I’m going to exclude the long drive specialists. I’m going to focus on those who have hit the ball huge distances in elite level tournament golf.
It’s extremely difficult to make comparisons between different generations in sport. There are so many variables to consider. It’s always going to involve a high level of conjecture. But it’s fun to have a go, so let’s have a go…
When it comes to golf and long driving, you must think firstly of the equipment available – it’s changed beyond belief over the last 100 years. Then you have to think of the technique the top players of each age employed (it has evolved over the decades and is now as good as it’s ever been.)
Then you have agronomy, and the improving surfaces players have contended over. Finally, and this is a big one, you have fitness. Today’s players rely on the gym and health foods, players of the early 20th century relied on booze and ciggies.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Today’s top players hit the ball further than any who have gone before. The stats demonstrate that. Currently, Aldrich Potgieter leads driving distance on the PGA Tour with an average of 326 yards. Rory McIlroy is well up there each season. He topped the stats in 2022/23, also with 326 yards.
Bryson DeChambeau is another who demonstrates how the modern pro can shift it further than those of previous generations.
These players use all the factors listed above to hit the ball incredible distances – Technique, equipment, agronomy and fitness.
Right, so the longest hitters of all time (at a top competitive pro level) are basically, Bryson, Rory and a few other mega-bombers currently hammering it around the top circuits.
But what if we took the biggest bombers of every generation, beamed them to 2025, gave them modern…
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