Light distance is entirely judged by heat. I use 2-150 Watt HPS Lights, so I can have my lights very close to the tops. With a 600 Watt HPS, you will need more distance than me, BUT, if you can control your heat above the plants, you can move your light closer, which will be excellent for bud production.
Placing fans at your canopy level (which I do), helps really well with heat distribution. Also making sure you have good roof ventilation above your lights will keep your temps, down. I have a Sativa growing in my closet right now that is almost 5 feet tall, and the bud towers get very close to my lights, with no problems to my plants. In fact, the closer they get, the fatter the buds are.