Latest news with #Arccos
USA Today
13-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How far do club players really hit their drives, new Odyssey and PXG putters
How far do club players really hit their drives, new Odyssey and PXG putters A just-release report from Arccos reveals how far golfers at different ages and handicaps hit their tee shots, plus new putters from Odyssey and PXG While there are still plenty of excellent golfers on the PGA Tour who opt to use a traditional heel-toe weighted blade putter, a growing number of the game's top players are finding success with mallets. The top 10 players on the Official World Golf Rankings are expected to be in contention on Sunday at the PGA Championship, and seven of them -- Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele, Justin Thomas, Russell Henley, Sepp Straka and Shane Lowry -- use a mallet putter of one style or another. Heading into this week's PGA Championship, Sam Burns is ranked No. 35 in the world, but he is also ranked No. 1 on the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Putting and he's a mallet guy. So is the golfer ranked No. 2 in Strokes Gained: Putting, Sam Ryder, and No. 3, Jacob Bridgeman, and No. 4, Brandt Snedeker. The player ranked No. 5, Nico Echavarria .... mallet guy. Decades ago, there was a stigma surrounding mallet putters. The thought process was that golfers who needed to use a mallet were just bad putters and not good enough to play a blade, but today, the golfers who earn a living by shooting low scores have come to understand that the added size of mallets makes it easier to get effective alignment systems on them. The added size of a mallet putter can make it more stable and more forgiving on mis-hit putts, and with a wide variety of hosel configurations and styles, today's mallets can be suitable for golfers who make a straight stroke, an arced stroke or a severely-arced stroke. If you are in the market for a new putter this season, the best way to find the model that can benefit your putting stroke the most is to work with a good custom fitter and be sure the club is cut to the ideal length and bent to your ideal lie angle. Putters come in a variety of lengths -- typically 33, 34, and 35 inches -- and the lie angle of most putters can be adjusted easily. There are several new models from brands like Bettinardi, Cobra, L.A.B., Odyssey, Ping, PXG, Scotty Cameron, TaylorMade, Tour Edge, and Wilson. There was a time when a standard iron set that recreational golfers bought was comprised of eight clubs, a 3-iron through pitching wedge, but the 3-iron is gone from nearly every set made for weekend players and even elite golfers rarely carry that club these days. I'm not sure that blade putters will ever go the way of the 3-iron, but the benefits of modern mallet putters are very hard to ignore.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
How far do amateurs really drive the ball? Arccos analyzes 6.5 million shots to find out
Think you're hitting the ball farther off the tee than you did a few years ago? Odds are, you're not – and you're not alone. The trend of elite male golfers gaining distance over the past few decades was concerning enough to the United States Golf Association and the R&A that they announced in 2023 a plan to change how golf balls are tested starting in 2028 — essentially mandating balls that won't fly as far. But at the club level, distance is not a problem. In fact, according to a report released this week by Arccos Golf, nothing much has changed when it comes to distance for recreational players. Arccos makes a shot-tracking system that collects performance data through small tags that screw into the ends of a player's clubs and sync with a smartphone app. By pairing club usage with GPS and course maps, Arccos can determine how far shots travel, identify tendencies, and provide extensive on-course insights. Its database now includes more than 1 billion tracked shots by golfers around the world. After analyzing more than 6.5 million driver swings on par 4s and par 5s from more than 25,000 golfers during the 2024 season, Arccos published its annual report on amateur driving performance. Some of the results were expected — but others may surprise you. Here are five takeaways from the 2025 Arccos Driving Distance Report. Advancements in club fitting, swing instruction, and fitness science should, in theory, help players hit it longer. But the average driving distance for men has barely changed in recent years. According to Arccos, men averaged 224.0 yards in 2018 and 224.7 yards in 2024. The numbers don't factor in carry distance versus rollout, course conditions or weather, but the average has remained within a tight range — between 222.2 and 225.0 yards — since 2018. For women, the trend was slightly negative: average distance dropped from 179.2 yards in 2018 to 176.2 yards in 2024. Arccos divided players into seven age groups: 15–19, then each decade through age 70 and older. As expected, distance steadily declined with age across all handicap levels. Men between 15 and 19 averaged 241.6 yards off the tee, the longest of any age group. That figure dropped to 208.6 yards for men in their 60s and 190.5 for men in their 70s. But accuracy improved with age. Men in their 70s hit 56.5 percent of fairways, compared with just 39.0 percent for men in their 20s. For women, the pattern held. Players in their 20s averaged 201.1 yards, while those in their 60s averaged 158.4 yards. However, women in their 60s hit 62.2 percent of fairways — 17.1 percentage points more than those in their 20s (45.1 percent). In short: distance fades with age, but accuracy improves. This might seem obvious, but the data underscores the point. The best recreational golfers are not only longer off the tee — they're more accurate too. Male golfers with a 0–4.9 handicap averaged 250.0 yards and hit 49.3 percent of fairways. Those with a 30-plus handicap averaged 184.9 yards and hit 40.6 percent of fairways. That's a 65-yard difference and nearly a 9-point gap in accuracy. The women's data told a similar story — up to a point. Golfers in the 0–4.9 handicap group averaged 213.9 yards, compared with 140.5 yards for 30-plus handicaps — a difference of 73.4 yards. But accuracy didn't vary much. The best players hit 56.5 percent of fairways, while the least accurate group (15.0–19.9 handicaps) hit 54.7 percent. So, for women, driving accuracy doesn't appear to correlate strongly with handicap. Arccos also analyzed 'wayward' drives — defined as tee shots that result in either a penalty (e.g., out of bounds, lost ball, hazard) or force a recovery shot (like a punch-out). Male golfers with a 0–4.9 handicap hit penalty drives just 4.4 percent of the time and needed to hit recovery shots only 7.6 percent of the time. That's a total of 12.0 percent wayward shots. But for higher-handicap players, the numbers climb sharply. Golfers with a 25.0–29.9 handicap had 38.2 percent of their drives result in either penalties or recovery shots. And for 30-plus handicaps, more than 45 percent of tee shots were classified as wayward. Men hit the ball farther than women in every age group, but they also retain more of their distance over time. According to Arccos, men in their 20s averaged 265.7 yards off the tee, while those in their 60s averaged 229.5 yards. That's a loss of 36.2 yards — or 13.6 percent. Women, by comparison, dropped from 201.1 yards in their 20s to 158.4 yards in their 60s — a 42.7-yard loss, or 21.2 percent. Group 20s Avg. Distance 60s Avg. Distance Yards Lost Percentage Loss Men 265.7 229.5 36.2 13.6 Women 201.1 158.4 42.7 21.2 So not only do women lose more yards over the years, they lose a larger percentage of their original distance, according to the Arccos data. This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Arccos driving distance report no change in yards for club golfers
USA Today
10-05-2025
- Automotive
- USA Today
How far do amateurs really drive the ball? Arccos analyzes 6.5 million shots to find out
AI-assisted summary Average driving distance for amateur male golfers has remained relatively consistent over recent years. While driving distance decreases with age, accuracy tends to improve for both men and women. Higher handicap golfers experience significantly more wayward drives, requiring penalty or recovery shots. Women lose a larger percentage of their driving distance with age compared to men. Think you're hitting the ball farther off the tee than you did a few years ago? Odds are, you're not – and you're not alone. The trend of elite male golfers gaining distance over the past few decades was concerning enough to the United States Golf Association and the R&A that they announced in 2023 a plan to change how golf balls are tested starting in 2028 — essentially mandating balls that won't fly as far. But at the club level, distance is not a problem. In fact, according to a report released this week by Arccos Golf, nothing much has changed when it comes to distance for recreational players. Arccos makes a shot-tracking system that collects performance data through small tags that screw into the ends of a player's clubs and sync with a smartphone app. By pairing club usage with GPS and course maps, Arccos can determine how far shots travel, identify tendencies, and provide extensive on-course insights. Its database now includes more than 1 billion tracked shots by golfers around the world. After analyzing more than 6.5 million driver swings on par 4s and par 5s from more than 25,000 golfers during the 2024 season, Arccos published its annual report on amateur driving performance. Some of the results were expected — but others may surprise you. Here are five takeaways from the 2025 Arccos Driving Distance Report. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle 1. You're probably not hitting the ball farther than you did five years ago Advancements in club fitting, swing instruction, and fitness science should, in theory, help players hit it longer. But the average driving distance for men has barely changed in recent years. According to Arccos, men averaged 224.0 yards in 2018 and 224.7 yards in 2024. The numbers don't factor in carry distance versus rollout, course conditions or weather, but the average has remained within a tight range — between 222.2 and 225.0 yards — since 2018. For women, the trend was slightly negative: average distance dropped from 179.2 yards in 2018 to 176.2 yards in 2024. 2. With age, golfers get shorter — but straighter Arccos divided players into seven age groups: 15–19, then each decade through age 70 and older. As expected, distance steadily declined with age across all handicap levels. Men between 15 and 19 averaged 241.6 yards off the tee, the longest of any age group. That figure dropped to 208.6 yards for men in their 60s and 190.5 for men in their 70s. But accuracy improved with age. Men in their 70s hit 56.5 percent of fairways, compared with just 39.0 percent for men in their 20s. For women, the pattern held. Players in their 20s averaged 201.1 yards, while those in their 60s averaged 158.4 yards. However, women in their 60s hit 62.2 percent of fairways — 17.1 percentage points more than those in their 20s (45.1 percent). In short: distance fades with age, but accuracy improves. 3. Low-handicap golfers are both the longest and the straightest This might seem obvious, but the data underscores the point. The best recreational golfers are not only longer off the tee — they're more accurate too. Male golfers with a 0–4.9 handicap averaged 250.0 yards and hit 49.3 percent of fairways. Those with a 30-plus handicap averaged 184.9 yards and hit 40.6 percent of fairways. That's a 65-yard difference and nearly a 9-point gap in accuracy. The women's data told a similar story — up to a point. Golfers in the 0–4.9 handicap group averaged 213.9 yards, compared with 140.5 yards for 30-plus handicaps — a difference of 73.4 yards. But accuracy didn't vary much. The best players hit 56.5 percent of fairways, while the least accurate group (15.0–19.9 handicaps) hit 54.7 percent. So, for women, driving accuracy doesn't appear to correlate strongly with handicap. 4. High-handicap golfers hit more truly bad drives Arccos also analyzed 'wayward' drives — defined as tee shots that result in either a penalty (e.g., out of bounds, lost ball, hazard) or force a recovery shot (like a punch-out). Male golfers with a 0–4.9 handicap hit penalty drives just 4.4 percent of the time and needed to hit recovery shots only 7.6 percent of the time. That's a total of 12.0 percent wayward shots. But for higher-handicap players, the numbers climb sharply. Golfers with a 25.0–29.9 handicap had 38.2 percent of their drives result in either penalties or recovery shots. And for 30-plus handicaps, more than 45 percent of tee shots were classified as wayward. 5. Compared with men, women lose more distance with age Men hit the ball farther than women in every age group, but they also retain more of their distance over time. According to Arccos, men in their 20s averaged 265.7 yards off the tee, while those in their 60s averaged 229.5 yards. That's a loss of 36.2 yards — or 13.6 percent. Women, by comparison, dropped from 201.1 yards in their 20s to 158.4 yards in their 60s — a 42.7-yard loss, or 21.2 percent. Group 20s Avg. Distance 60s Avg. Distance Yards Lost Percentage Loss Men 265.7 229.5 36.2 13.6 Women 201.1 158.4 42.7 21.2 So not only do women lose more yards over the years, they lose a larger percentage of their original distance, according to the Arccos data.
Forbes
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Do You Hit Your Tee Shots Longer Than Your Peers? Now You Can See.
Arccos tracks your tee shots with these clever sensors Apparently aging does inhibit our ability to hit a golf ball. This week, Arccos – the company that makes intelligent grip sensors for golf clubs – released its 7th Annual Driving Distance Report. In case you don't already know, Arccos records shot data from every golfer using its sensors – including distance, location, dispersion, etc. And because users – and there are a lot of them – provide their age and gender when they sign up, the company is able to amass super useful data about on-course tendencies. Captured in real time and verified using precise criteria, this data provides a transparent view of how amateur golfers perform off the tee. This report, for instance, compares more than 4 million rounds of male and female golfers' driving distance by age and handicap collected in 2024, to every year since 2018. The full Arccos dataset now includes over 1.2 billion shots across 22 million rounds played in 160+ countries. To ensure consistency and comparability, the analysis focuses exclusively on driver tee shots hit on par 4 and par 5 holes, according to Arccos, capturing total yardage (carry distance plus rollout) without normalization for conditions such as weather, turf or elevation. First off, despite their age or ability, men overall averaged 224 yards in 2018 and 224.7 yards in 2024. So we appear to be getting slightly longer. And women averaged 179.2 yards in 2018 and 176.2 yards in 2024. So it appears as if they are getting shorter. But I argue that this only means that more newbies are taking up the game, ever since the pandemic. And since these golfers are inexperienced, they're not hitting the ball long yet. And because they're eager to improve, they put Arccos sensors in their driver grips. So of course we're going to appear as if we are not getting longer off the tee. In reality, there are probably just more less-experienced players being included in this dataset – which of course skews the numbers. Low-handicap men (0 to 4.9) were both the longest and most accurate off the tee, averaging 250 yards and hitting 49.3% of fairways. In contrast, high-handicap men (30+) averaged 184.9 yards and found the fairway only 40.6% of the time. As for age, guys aged 15 to 19 averaged 241.6 yards (the longest age group) which was 51.1 yards longer than those in their 70s (the shortest group). And my personal driving numbers – and distance fall-off through the years – are consistent with the data. Another factor that struck me is that manufacturers push the longer-and-straighter message with their new drivers every year. So shouldn't we all be hitting tee shots longer, regardless of our handicap and age? But if one sign is encouraging to me, it's that I am slightly longer and more accurate than most people in my age group. But I'm also realistic in that I know that on any given day and in any type of weather, course condition and even altitude my numbers can change on a dime. One thing is for certain in these numbers: Older players are significantly more accurate off the tee. That's most likely because without crushing the ball, there's less of a right or left variation of ball flight. Or that they're just more experienced. Either way, it also explains why older people we play with often hit the ball straight and score better than us. Maybe we should all be striving for accuracy, as opposed to crushing our drives. But kudos to the people at Arccos for starting the conversation.
Forbes
02-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Arccos Teams With Titleist To Offer Golf Shot-Tracking And Insights
Arccos has added Titleist to its growing lineup of equipment partners, giving one of the game's most engaged golfer communities access to free performance-tracking smart sensors as well as a mix of data-driven insights, special offers and other benefits. The global collaboration between Arccos and Titleist will focus initially on bringing new analytics, content and special offers to Team Titleist golfers, with the intent to help them make smarter decisions, improve faster, and shoot lower scores. 'The partnership with Arccos expands our commitment to excellence by delivering A.I.-powered game tracking and data-driven strategy at the highest level,' said Mike Lowe, Vice President, Titleist Brand Management & Communications. 'We're excited to learn from Arccos' data set and expertise to enable our consumer insights, product innovation, and fitting teams to enhance the relationship with our brand fans.' Arccos now counts partnerships with a handful of the biggest club manufacturers in the industry, as Titleist joins Cobra PUMA Golf, PING, Srixon-Cleveland, and TaylorMade. The Official Game Tracker of the PGA TOUR, Arccos counts professional golfers such as Matthew Fitzpatrick and Edoardo Molinari among its ambassadors and advocates. But the technology platform also has gained a massive following among recreational golfers, with hundreds of thousands of users playing more than 22 million rounds with the system across 162 countries. Arccos has tracked more than 1.2 billion on-course shots. The partnership with Titleist presents an opportunity for Arccos to bring game tracking to millions of other dedicated golfers worldwide. Members of Team Titleist, the game's largest and most engaged equipment loyalty program, can claim their free sensors and a complimentary trial online. 'Together, we'll harness golf richest data set alongside the expertise of elite players and world-class engineers to deliver groundbreaking insights,' said Arccos Executive Vice President and Head of Partnerships Tom Williams. 'This collaboration will empower Titleist players to understand their game like never before and discover new ways to unlock their peak performance.' Among Arccos' recent innovations is its Link Pro shot-tracking wearable, which – like the standard shot-tracking technology -- is permitted for use under the Rules of Golf. The company's new A.I. Caddie, which is launching soon, features proprietary course strategy algorithms to provide Arccos users with a precise, personalized, A.I.-driven strategy for every shot they take on any course in the world.
