Is distance or accuracy more important when choosing your next golf driver?
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Short and accurate, or long and wayward? Data from 400 PGA Tour pros reveal all.
Each new season brings with it a shiny cohort of the latest tech-infused golf drivers, pledging monster distance with uncompromising forgiveness.
The class of 2025 is no different.
How do you decide on the best golf driver for your game when they all promise the same thing?
It’s not easy. Hence why we endeavor at Today’s Golfer to provide you with the most informed buying advice based on independent testing and expert interpretation.
And while incremental advances in design and engineering processes are undoubtedly edging golfers toward that holy grail of an unmatched blend of distance and forgiveness, for the most part, we have to make a call on what matters most to our games.
Maybe, like me, you are stuck between a bit of a rock and hard place when trying to weigh up which one to go after. I could definitely use an extra 10 yards off-the-tee, but I can’t pretend I hit enough fairways to wholly commit the pursuit of length either.
It’s well documented that professional golf is getting longer, so long in fact that the golf ball is being rolled back from 2028. But does this mean longer players are gaining more strokes off-the-tee than more accurate pros?
So before embarking on a 12-week swing speed training programme with the longest low-spin driver I can get my hands on – let’s turn to the data. And yes, I’m fully aware of the ludicrousness of a 13 handicapper making decisions based on what the world’s best do…but I’m doing it regardless!
Is distance really king?
This was the question asked and answered by the stattos at DataGolf who mapped the driving distance (DD) and accuracy (DA) of 400 PGA Tour pros against their respective off-the-tee skill set.
The larger green circles above are the ones to focus on here, as they represent the pros who are gaining the most shots off-the-tee. Unsurprisingly, the majority of these players are clustered in either the ‘long and inaccurate’ or ‘long and accurate’ quadrants.
In fact, for those players boasting DD’s 10 yards above average, it’s unlikely they will lose strokes off-the-tee throughout a season. Conversely, if a player is below average in driving distance, the data suggests it’s going to be tough to gain strokes unless they are hitting approximately 5% or more fairways per round than the field.
The exchange rate between distance and accuracy amounts to approximately 10 extra yards for 1 extra fairway.
As for the top drivers in the world, only Bryson DeChambeau (big green dot at -3% DA, +23 yds DD) was considered to be inaccurate, with other notable stars including Rory McIlroy, Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, and Ludvig Aberg all sitting above the field average for accuracy.
Collin Morikawa was the only top 15 player in the world rankings to be slightly below average for DD at -1 yd. However, the two-time major winner sits +10% above the field for DA.
The take home message…
Well, for tour pros at least, the evidence would point to ‘controlled power’ as being the kingmaker as opposed to raw unadulterated distance.
For those players sitting around the field average for DD, then there may be value in trying to squeeze out every last yard, providing it’s not at the expense of hitting significantly less fairways.
And while these findings are unlikely to translate perfectly to the average weekend warrior, the moral of the story doesn’t seem unreasonable to extrapolate down the food chain.
Of course, the number one bang for your buck will always be to book some lessons with your club pro. But if you are overdue a new big stick, then here’s our pick of the drivers that delivered the best balance of controlled distance when we put them to the test…
Everything you need from a driver
Here it is! The Best Overall driver of 2025 is the Titleist GT3! There are some very impressive stats to go along with the understated but beautiful looks, but what we really love is the consistency. GT3 came second for ball speed and carry distance, but with 1mph of ball speed and only 3.1 yards of carry deviation, we also saw through-the-roof predictability. That is seriously impressive from Titleist.
What our tester says:
You can’t deny how good this driver is. I’m not a massive fan of a gloss finish, as we’ve talked about, but it’s got great appeal across the board. I’d be quite happy playing this club.
You can read our full review of the Titleist GT3 Driver here
Key drivers test data:
Ball Speed 165.7 mph | Carry 292.8 yards | Spin (Total) 2,378 rpm | Launch Angle 13.0º | Height 38.9 yards | Descent Angle 41.6º | L-R Dispersion 25.2 yards
Pros
- The Best Overall Driver of 2025
- 2nd Highest Ball Speed and Carry
- 11th Tightest Dispersion
- Impressive consistency
Cons
- Alignment Aid isn't as strong as other models
| RRP | $649.00 / £579.00 + $849.00 / £749.00 (Premium) |
| Lofts | 8° / 9° / 10° / 11º (RH/LH) |
| Head Size | 460cc |
| Lie | 58.5° |
| Standard Shaft Length | 45.5” |
| Stock Shaft Options | Project X Denali Red / Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Blue / Project X HZRDUS Black 5th Gen / Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Black |
| Premium Upcharge Shafts | Graphite Design Tour AD-VF / Tour AD-DI / Tour AD-UB |
| Stock Grips | Titleist Universal 360 Grip |
- Proprietary Matrix Polymer material
- Thermoform Process Crown
- Split Mass Internal Technology
- Improved Aerodynamics
- Enhanced SpeedRing VFT
- Tour-Inspired Graphics
A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one
The silver medal winner in our overall driver of the year category, and we’re just as pleasantly surprised as you are! We’ll tell you who isn’t surprised though, and that’s Wilson's R&D team. Having been on the rise across several club categories these last few years, the Dynapwr Carbon finished 1st and 2nd for carry within the Core models category in its front and rear settings, respectively.
What our tester says:
The Carbon, like the LS, frames really nicely behind the ball but the performance is just so impressive compared to what you maybe expect from a Wilson product. They’re challenging the biggest brands this year.
You can read our full review of the Wilson Dynapwr Carbon Driver here
Key drivers test data:
Ball Speed 165.3 mph | Carry 284.8 yards | Spin (Total) 2,682 rpm | Launch Angle 11.7º | Height 37.4 yards | Descent Angle 42.3º | L-R Dispersion 16.1 yards
Pros
- Winner of the Best Core Driver of 2025
- Clean sweep of Best Core Distance and Best Core Accuracy
- Movable Weight System
- Best Headcover of 2025
Cons
- Graphics and looks have produced mixed reactions
| RRP | $549.99 / £480.00 |
| Lofts | 8° / 9° / 10.5° / 10.5° Lite |
| Head Size | 460cc |
| Lie | 57.0° |
| Standard Shaft Length | 45.75” |
| Stock Shaft Options | Fujikura Ventus TR Blue | (10.5° Lite) UST Helium NCT 4 Lightweight |
| Stock Grip | Lamkin Crossline 360 Black |
- Tour-inspired
- Sound engineered
- PKR-360
- Open Hosel Construction
- Full Adjustability
Continued excellence from one of the biggest names in golf
Fitter's Choice and Bronze Best Overall Driver of 2025
The Elyte driver has been unlucky in this year’s driver test! If it weren’t for one other model, Elyte would’ve taken a clean sweep of the Core model category, and deservedly so. It’s consistent, and powerful, and we think it’s a driver that will work for a huge variety of golfers.
What our tester says:
The finish on the crown of this driver is superb. From the face, it’s fast and feels forgiving if I do mishit the club. Callaway have been making great drivers for a while now, and this shows why they are market leaders.
You can read our full review of the Callaway Elyte Driver here
Key drivers test data:
Ball Speed 165.3 mph | Carry 283.3 yards | Spin (Total) 2,692 rpm | Launch Angle 11.4º | Height 35.7 yards | Descent Angle 40.8º | L-R Dispersion 26.1 yards
Pros
- Bronze position in Best Overall Driver of 2025
- Fitter's Choice Award
- Silver place in all Best Core awards
Cons
- Spin was higher than the mean average during testing
| RRP | $599.99 / £569 |
| Lofts | 9º (RH/LH), 10.5º (RH/LH), 12º (RH) |
| Head Size | 460cc |
| Lie | 57º |
| Stock Shaft Length | 45.75" |
| Stock Shaft Options | True Temper Project X Denali Charcoal 50g and 60g; Mitsubishi Chemical Vanquish PL 40G |
| Stock Grip | Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 |
- Enhanced Aerodynamics
- Elyte Speed Modeling
- Thermoforged Carbon Crown
- Ai10X Face Design
- Draw and Fade Adjustability
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Is distance or accuracy more important off-the-tee on the PGA Tour?
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The importance of distance versus accuracy off-the-tee on the PGA Tour (from DataGolf).
