If you are new to golf, you are bound to have asked yourself how far you should be hitting the ball in terms of the average golf club distance. The answer to this can vary, depending on where you look as it can depend based on some various factors. However, this guide will bring you what numbers you should look for.
This is because the range that you should hit a golf ball depends on so many factors, the most common ones are which club you use, which balls you use, the conditions of play (soft or hard fairway?), and other personal individual factors such as your age, gender, co-ordination & athleticism, as well as your swing speed and how well you can connect with the ball. If you get everything perfect you may even be able to hit the ball 300 yards like a professional one day.
We will demonstrate exactly what kind of range you can expect to hit, but first, we will explain why there is such a wide variation in distance. We will also provide a yardage table so that you can see the expected yardages for each golf club in the bag.
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What Are The Average Distances For Each Golf Club?
The average distances with each golf club will vary for each club and based on a golfer’s ability. For example, a PGA professional can hit a driver around 300 yards whereas an average amateur male will drive the ball around 230 yards. Additionally, other golf clubs such as irons and wedges will have a much lower typical yardage.
If there is one thing that we want you to take away from reading this article, it is that there is no ‘wrong’ average distances. It is important to know where your game is at and your own skill level so that you know your own range. Too many golfers focus on how far you think that your ball should go instead.
Take this; for example, many PGA pros could hit a shot that would travel upwards of 300 yards with their driver. This is largely because they have been training all of their lives. Distance has been improving in recent years and has started to cause concern for the game at professional level, so much so that it led to a Distance Insights Report (USGA).
LPGA pros may frequently hit their shots at average driving distances of around the 250-yard mark. However, more realistically an amateur golfer who only plays golf for fun may only reach the 200-yard target at a push.
So the lesson to be learned here is not to compare yourself with pros, or even the semi-pros for that matter and take your own needs to into consideration as expected yardages can vary from player to player based on many factors.
Sure you may both have a quality driver such as the TaylorMade SIM but there is more to it than just the choice of golf clubs.
Comparing your golf game to others is a huge mistake and can add unneeded pressure to your game which curbs any development potential.
Summary: Don’t expect your game to mirror that of a professional golfers or golfers with a lower handicap initially. It is great to know the averages however it is more important to learn what you can do to increase your yardages.
Understanding Your Game
The quickest way to get a fair idea as to what works best for you is to simply find your local driving range. When you hit some balls you will be able to get a good idea of how far you hit each golf club.
This will help you decide whether you identify as a long hitter or a short hitter. Additionally, you will learn how far you are striking the ball with certain clubs and be able to really target improvement spots for your game. This will help you to know when to use what golf club on a golf course.
You may even want to invest in a golf swing monitor so that you can track and measure some of the data behind your game. To really take it a step further as well you may look into getting your golf clubs fitted which you can find out more about here.
However, it is still important to benchmark yourself against other players which is why you can check out the average golf club distance chart below and get an idea of where your game stands.
Comparing Golf Clubs By Type (Drivers, Fairway Woods, Hybrids, Irons, Wedges)
Different golf club types have different average distances.
The driver is the longest club in your bag and as such has the potential to go the longest whereas wedges (especially the lob wedge) are the shortest golf clubs with more loft, which makes them easier to hit but go a shorter distance.
Woods and irons fit in between the driver and wedges in terms of average distance and are great clubs for either teeing off or for longer distance approach shots into the green.
Average Golf Club Distances Chart
| Golf Club | Men’s Average Distances | Women’s Average Distances |
| Driver | 230 yards | 200 yards |
| 3-wood | 210 yards | 180 yards |
| 2-iron/ 4- hybrid | 190 yards | 170 yards |
| 3-iron/ 5- hybrid | 180 yards | 160 yards |
| 4-iron | 170 yards | 150 yards |
| 5-iron | 160 yards | 140 yards |
| 6-iron | 150 yards | 130 yards |
| 7-iron | 140 yards | 120 yards |
| 8-iron | 130 yards | 110 yards |
| 9-iron | 120 yards | 100 yards |
| Pitching wedge | 110 yards | 90 yards |
| Sand wedge | 90 yards | 80 yards |
| Lob wedge | 65 yards | 60 yards |
As you can see in the above chart, our average golf club distance chart highlights distances/yardages from the driver all the way to the different wedge distances in golf.
Which Factors Affect Golf Club Yardages?
When it comes to differences in the average distance that you hit the ball in golf as an average golfer there are several factors that need to be considered. These factors can significantly impact what the averages may be in a specific set of circumstances. Below we highlight some of the key ones.
Does Gender Affect Distance?
You may have noticed before that there are differences in the distance between a male golfer and a female golfer.
This is primarily due to women having a lower average swing speed than male golfers. This also means that it is essential to choose the right clubs for your own specific gender as it will help you to improve performance. For example if you are a woman then it is important to choose specific golf clubs for women if you are a female as these are tailored to the specific needs of female golfers.
Does Swing Speed Affect Distance?
Yes. the club head speed that you generate will have a direct impact on how far the golf ball travels.
The faster the swing speed the further the carry distance (as long as you also have good technique that is!).
Does Weather Affect Distance?
Other factors which should be taken into consideration are the weather. The weather can directly influence the distance that a ball travels. For example, in windy conditions, the wind can carry the ball further, or it can reduce the length significantly by blowing against the direction of travel.
Do Good Golf Clubs Make A Big Difference?
Different golf gear can perform in different ways when it comes to finding the average distance that you are striking the ball. For example you may not be using a recommended driver loft for aiding your distance improvement. By getting the right loft angle for you and choosing a distance driver, you will be able to add yards off the tee. Alternatively you might not be using something that is aiding your swing speed. With a faster swing speed you will be able to increase your carry distance of your clubs
A set of the best beginner clubs may perform different than a set of the best senior clubs. If you don’t buy your different golf clubs according to your own abilities and size you probably won’t hit your shots to it’s maximum distance.
Does Height Affect Typical Golf Distances?
Height in itself shouldn’t affect how far you hit your shots. However, it is essential that you choose golf clubs that are the ideal size based on your height. This will allow you to have sound positioning and alignment.
The best way to get started would be to measure your golf clubs length to decide if they are too large or too short for you. If it is that you are taller then you may be better suited to specific tall golf club sets.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do You Measure Golf Club Distances?
Utilizing a tool such as a launch monitor is a great way to discover your typical yardage and get accurate distances for any particular club. Simply take it to the driving range and measure your carry distances by club type as well as other game improvement data such as your swing speed.
How Do You Remember Golf Club distances?
To remember your golf club distances it is best to go to the practice range and hit shots with each golf club. Once you know your expected distance per club you can write them down to keep the information handy during a round on the golf course.
Which Golf Club Has The Widest Range Of Distances?
A driver will typically have the widest range of distances as it is a golf club that has the potential to travel the furthest. However, it is also possible to lose distance easily with improper technique.
Rounding Up
In conclusion, you can take the information from our average golf club distance guide and read as many blogs or articles on the subject as you wish, but you will still need to put work into choosing the right golf clubs for you as well as working on key game improvement areas such as increasing your swing speed with the golf club in hand.
It is also worth keeping a record of your distance with each golf club that you carry in your bag once you are playing regularly as nothing comes close to the ability to actually gather the distance numbers that you hit, and then use those around you as a reference guide.
Equipment can also play a key part in distances. From choosing your clubs to having the same said for choosing the best drivers and also choosing the best golf balls to complement your own distance game when things such as golf ball compression come into play.
Average distances have come to the forefront of golf in recent years thanks to players such as Bryson Dechambeau (GolfWeek) and it is always a recipe for success so it is well worth investing in your distance game.
