Pro Long Drive
The most comprehensive online resource for the sport of long drive on the planet!
Pro Long Drive is your premier source for Long Drive news, information and products around the world. We serve you with the latest LD sport news, tour schedules, player profiles & rankings, tour events and results. If you want to learn about history of long drive and the men & women that forged the path and built the sport, we have compiled the most complete collection of long drive information & memorabilia including photos, videos, articles and stories for you to enjoy. This site is designed for professional and amateur long drive players, coaches, manufactures and tours to promote their products and brands. Visitors will get an up-close and personal look at the growing sport of long drive and how it works. Prolongdrive.com features an online store that has the largest selection of Long Drive products and services in the world. If you want to get started in long drive, we have a step by step beginners guide on how it works, what it cost and what it takes to compete in the sport.
Hitting the Golf Ball Farther Off the Tee
Amateur and pro golfers alike always want to hit the ball longer off the tee. In fact, every “Sunday golfer” that ever hit a bucket of balls at the driving range has likely witnessed some amateur violently swinging his or her way through a pile of range balls. Unfortunately, what they envision in their mind at address seldom, if ever, results in a towering drive off the tee box. That’s because they lack the physical conditioning, mental discipline, and pro long drive equipment needed to convert one big swing into massive yardage that also allows the ball to land in the fairway. Longest drives off the tee were first contested during tournament events, and usually on a designated par-5 hole. Today, both amateurs and professions compete in their own long drive events around the globe.
So, how do you hit the golf ball long and keep it inbounds? According to pro long drive professionals, who are capable of regularly hitting the ball over 400 yards with a ball speed in excess of 225 mph, flexibility, technique, and form are important components in generating huge amounts of thrust. Where most golfers think about hitting the ball harder at address, professional long drive competitors say they focus on swinging the club faster. After all, it is a 150-mph club head speed and an explosive upward motion that allows them to consistently hit the ball long and between the sticks. Nonetheless, you have to remember, these are world class athletes who have the mental discipline and physical skills to tee-it-up in front of packed grandstands with only three minutes to hit six balls and move on to the next round.
Mike Austin's 515-Yard Blast at Seniors Open
Although legends of the sport like Mike Austin , who in the mid-1970s hit a drive 515 yards while playing in the U.S. National Seniors Open at Winterwood Golf Course using a persimmon head driver with an 43.5” extra-stiff steel shaft, today’s amateur and professional long drive competitors rely on the latest golf technology. A competitive long drive shaft is longer (up to 48 inches or 120 cm), stiffer in flex and usually made of lighter-than-steel graphite. The bend point (or kick point) is usually higher up and today’s shaft has a lower torque to reduce twisting, which allows for better control of the clubhead. A long drive clubhead usually approaches the USGA maximum of 460 cubic centimeters with a high-technology design that reduces the chance of mishits off the face. Contrary to rumors, long drive competitors do not use juiced balls and must hit the golf ball provided by the event’s sanctioning body.
If you are an avid golfer, you know the feeling of driving the ball off the tee box toward the horizon and watching it climb. But, imagine yourself hitting the golf ball the length of four football fields or more. At pro long drive events, that is not an uncommon sight. So, what does it take to consistently uncork a drive like that. “Athleticism is what makes the sport of long drive so amazing,” says Gerry James. “It takes a good eye to sink a long putt, but it is pure athleticism that allows these elite athletes to hit the ball long.” James is a two-time Long Drivers of America world champion, who was a competitive body builder before becoming a PGA professional and world long drive competitor. Since then, he has focused his attention on developing golf instruction videos and training aids, as well as staging exhibitions nationwide. James has trained Davis Love II, Len Mattiace, and the 2018 Pro Long Drive champion Justin James.
Pro Long Drive Your Source for... the New Normal
Whether you are interested in hitting the ball farther or just want to keep up with the latest news, bookmark the Pro Long Drive website as your source for information, schedules, and professional long drive products. From the history of the sport to the latest player profiles and rankings, PLD will keep you informed about professional schedules for men, women, and masters classes. Whether you are looking for your path into the sport or simply want to know more about the technology behind the latest pro long drive equipment, we are your number one source of information. Moreover, our website is loaded with links that can put you up close and personal with pioneers of the sport or the current world championship points leaders. We also have a unique online store that features the largest selection of long drive equipment, training aids, golf apparel, and long drive fitness videos. If you don’t see what you’re looking for? Use this website’s contact form for a prompt response.