Long drive

[4] The world record recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest drive in a competition is 515 yards (471 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.

[5] The record distance achieved in the European Long Drive Championship is 473 yards (433 m) by Allen Doyle in September 2005.

[6] The record distance achieved in the South African Long Drive Championship is 506 yards (463 m) by Nico Grobbelaar in September 2012.

The main difference is greater stiffness, as a flexible shaft will lag in an inconsistent manner, causing a loss of control.

They must stay within the coefficient of restitution (COR) limit of 0.83, which measures how a ball hits off the surface.

The reason for lower lofted driver heads is to greatly reduce back spin.