WATCH: DJ Hits Nicklaus' Persimmon Driver 290 Yards

How far would modern players hit it with persimmon drivers? This might give you an idea...

DJ Hits Nicklaus' Persimmon Driver

How far would modern players hit it with persimmon drivers? This might give you an idea...

WATCH: DJ Hits Nicklaus' Persimmon Driver 290 Yards

World number one Dustin Johnson is one of the longest hitters in the game, consistently averaging above 310 yards off the tee on the PGA Tour.

He hits his modern day driver anywhere between 300 and 350 yards depending on conditions, but how far would he hit a persimmon driver?

Well now we know.

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DJ was practising at the Bears Club in Florida ahead of the Dell Technologies Championship when Jack Nicklaus gave him one of his old drivers and a 1 iron to hit.

DJ hit the persimmon 290 yards, although do remember that he was likely hitting a modern day golf ball.

With a ball the same age as the driver he was hitting, it would go more like 250 yards.

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He also hit Nicklaus' old 1 iron 230 yards, again with a modern day ball but still that is impressive hitting.

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DJ made use of his length at Kapalua

Rickie Fowler was shown hitting a persimmon driver in 2017 in a video from his coach Claude Harmon and appeared to have similar numbers to DJ.

Rickie hit it 274 yards in the air with run out to 292 yards. He was, like DJ, hitting a modern day ball.

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Claude Harmon III also posted a video of Brooks Koepka hitting the persimmon driver in 2017 and he was a lot longer than Fowler and DJ.

The three-time major winner is without doubt one of the longest hitting pros on Tour and carried the persimmon driver 284 for a total distance of 306 yards.

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Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV