Quick Reference Chart:
| Senior | Average | Low Handicap | Tour Pro | |
| Driver Swing Speed | 91 and Below | 91-101 | 102-112 | 113-123 |
| Driver Distance | 210 and Below | 210-235 | 235-275 | 275-300 |
| 3 Wood Distance | 200 | 220 | 230 | 243 |
| Hybrid Distance | 190 | 205 | 215 | 225 |
| 4 iron Distance | 170 | 185 | 195 | 203 |
| 5 iron Distance | 160 | 175 | 185 | 194 |
| 6 iron Distance | 150 | 163 | 173 | 183 |
| 7 iron Distance | 140 | 153 | 163 | 172 |
| 8 iron Distance | 130 | 143 | 153 | 160 |
| 9 iron Distance | 120 | 131 | 141 | 148 |
| PW Distance | 110 | 121 | 131 | 136 |
| SW Distance | 90 | 100 | 110 | 120 |
| LW Distance | 70 | 80 | 90 | 105 |
If you are new to the game of golf, you may have asked the question how far should I hit my golf clubs. You may have played with more advanced golfers and notice how they make a big deal over whether a par 3 is playing 150 or 155 yards and you are standing there wondering why it really matters. We are here to help you answer this key question and others related to distance and speed.
Knowing how far each of your club travel in the air and creating your own personal chart will help you hit better approach shots and give you a better chance to shoot lower scores. Below we will lay out a plan for you to create this chart.
So how far should I hit my golf clubs? To be honest, this will vary and is impacted by three major factors, these include your ability to swing the club at certain speeds, the quality of your ball to club contact and the spin that your angle of attack produces. The golf distance chart below will help you figure out where you could be.
Golf Distance Charts – Irons distance and woods
There is a high correlation between swing speed and the average score of golfers. Of course there are outliers on either side and you will see the golfer with a high swing speed that has a terrible short game or the senior golfer with a low swing speed with an incredible short game. Below we break our chart down by seniors, average, low single digit handicap and tour pro.
One thing you will notice about the chart, is that people don’t hit the ball as far as they think. If you asked most serious golfers how far PGA Tour pros average with the driver, you would probably hear 300, but the truth is that the overall average on the PGA Tour with the driver is 275 yards.
Now of course, there are golfers that average over 300 on tour and those that average less hit the occasional 300 yard drive, but of all the drives measured, 275 is the current average. Even looking at the carry distance with irons, it isn’t as high as one might think.
How Speed, Contact and Spin Impact Distance
Speed is the number one factor in how far your shot will travel. Generally speaking, the golfer that swings their driver around 100 miles per hour can expect to hit their driver around 240 yards, this is assuming solid contact and an average amount of spin.
Golfers with a higher speed swing are able to hit their drivers further, which result in shorter approach distance, which then results in a closer proximity to the pin, which then results in more putts made. This is all based on shot analytics and the data that we are fortunate enough to have. Without distance over 100 miles per hour, it would be difficult to shoot par or better on a course that is 6300 yards or longer. While many people could benefit from practicing their short game, there is a great benefit in picking up additional swing speed.
Here at golfjourney365 we have tried different methods to increasing swing speed. The two that we believe in are the SuperSpeed System and the SwingMan System. I have now experienced a 4-5 mph swing speed gain about 8 weeks into the training with SuperSpeed system.
SuperSpeed Golf – Read our Full Review
Gain 30-40 yards in 30 Days – Swing Man Golf
The Impact of Spin Rate
One club that is greatly impacted by the spin rate produced by your swing and club is the driver. Ideally, your spin rate should be 2,000-3,000 RPMs. Once that number starts getting higher you are losing distance. Spin rate is impacted by the angle of attack and centeredness of your hit. The typically advise for lower swing speeds is to launch the driver higher.
For the higher speed the angle of attack is frequently more close to level to help control the direction. We would recommend buying a driver that is adjustable and spending time measuring your numbers on a launch monitor and finding the right matchups for you. The Callaway Ezoic Flash is an impressive driver. Check current price on amazon, here.
How to Measure Your Swing Speed
We would recommend the SuperSpeed System for training and then of course making sure you can monitor your progress by using a simple swing speed radar – Check Amazon for Current Price. This will give you a baseline before you begin your training.
You can carry this radar in your bag and take it with you to the course or the driving range. It can also be utilized in your backyard as you do not need to hit a ball or if it helps you practice better you can even use a wiffle ball with the speed radar. You want to be able to understand your swing speed with different clubs and to monitor your progress.
Another option is to find a driving range or local PGA teaching pro that utilizes something like the trackman or other products on the market to measure swing speed. I also am fortunate enough to have a SkyTrak System with my golf simulator setup in my garage. This provides ball speed, which it then converts to club speed. I find it very similar to the measurements on my swing speed radar that I use my SuperSpeed Training Clubs.
To read more about building your own golf simulator, the total cost might be a good surprise, check out our 15 plus post on golf simulators below:
Golf Simulator – Frequently Asked Questions – Over 15 Posts
Dial in Your Distances
I would recommend creating your own distance chart with each of the clubs in your bag. Having an idea within a 5 yard range of what your clubs typically travel will help you manage your game better and take advantage of your well struck shots.
There is nothing worse than striking an 8 iron solid only to find out that it went too far or you didn’t have enough club and you are in the bunker short of the green. You need to gain this knowledge to help you shoot better scores. I would recommend working with your local pro or heading to finding space somewhere at a driving range or golf course to do your measurements if you don’t have access to a launch monitor. Hit 5 shots with each club and track your distances.
Average the 5 shots to give you the general distance that you hit each club. Once you get more advanced or if you have access to a launch monitor find your distance with the full swing, a three quarters swing and a two thirds swing. This will also help you better manage your game and control those shots that aren’t quite a full swing.
Variation in Distances of Clubs
There is a great variation for different levels of golfers and the clubs that the golfers use. There are three different types of irons that are sold in the golf market that will impact distance as well with irons. There are the blade golf irons used by the tour pros and very good golfers and on the other extreme the cavity back iron to help those that struggle to get the ball in the air.
Between these two extremes you have the irons used by golfers with a handicap typically between 3 and 12. I think for those golfers that don’t play often or are new to the game that the cavity back is a great option and should be utilized. Don’t let your ego get in the way. We love the Callaway Great Big Bertha’s as an option.
High Tech Options – Arccos Caddie
You can also utilize artificial intelligence and thousands of data points to not only measure your distance and know precisely how far you hit each club, but also study other data points that can give you insight for areas of improvement needed and also areas of strength. The Arccos system utilizes “smart” sensors to help collect data points. These work along with an app to give you all the information you need about your swing and your distances. Check current price on Amazon.
Hybrid Options
Hybrids provide a great option for those that lack swing speed or for those that have now reached 60 plus and are losing distance each year. For most women and all juniors hybrids are a necessity if you are looking to perform at your highest level and enjoy the game.
LPGA touring pros are quite impressive with their hybrids and shoot some amazing scores. As your driver speed hits 100 or higher you can reduce the number of hybrids, it there is still a high chance you will want at least one hybrid. For a complete hybrid overview, check out the list linked below.
How Hybrids Can Help Your Game
And Finally…
Golf is an amazing game, enjoyed by so many. The reality is when we hit better shots and make more putts the game is even more enjoyable. Knowing the distance each of your clubs travels will help you greatly. Check out our charts and then get out and perform your own measurements. Create a little chart that you can use on the course to help you understand your distance. Stick to the plan in the course and see your scores come down!
We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.