How Far Should You Hit A Driving Iron?

Written by Todd in Online Golf Instruction

Gone are the days of golfers carrying a rather traditional setup most common in the past of a driver, 3 wood, 3-pw, sw and a putter.

Now golfers have plenty of options!

And that is a good thing!

Depending on your swing speed and other important factors, there might be a great new option to add to your bag.

For example, many golfers now use hybrids and/or driving irons in their bag.  The hybrids and driving iron provide an alternative to the traditional long iron or the fairway wood.

Both the long iron and the hybrid are designed with a high level of forgiveness to help the golfer not only hit the ball straighter but to be able to launch it higher.

But, many golfers are left with questions about where these clubs might fit into their bag.  Most of this confusion comes from how far these clubs might travel.

How Far Should You Hit A Driving Iron?

While a professional golfer might hit their driving iron 230-250 yards, the average amateur might only hit it 180-210 with the elite amateur hitting the driving iron between 210-250 yards.  The total distance will be most significantly impacted by the swing speed and quality of contact.

Most driving irons come in a 2 or 3.

What will impact how far the driving iron flies?

  • Swing Speed
  • Quality of Contact (Ball Speed)
  • Launch Angle
  • Spin Rate

Swing Speed

This is the most important of the four factors above.  Even with great contact, the perfect launch angle and an optimum spin rate the golfer will struggle to get quality distance with all clubs without enough swing speed.  Swing speed is king and it is worth training for. 

The game of golf has changed drastically over the past decade with more and more clarity coming from the study of analytics involved in the game today.  We know now that the shorter distance to the hole on the approach shot, the closer the proximity to the pin will be on average. 

Over time, if a golfer is hitting more approach shots from 120 yards vs 150 yards, they will hit the ball closer on average.  This will result in more make-able birdie putts, more greens hit in regulation and confidence will build over time.

Quality of Contact (Ball Speed)

While swing speed is obviously vital, the difference between a swing speed of 100 miles per hour with center face contact vs 102 with a shot off the toe or heel is also significant.  The golfer has to find the perfect balance between swinging fast and hitting the center of the face. 

The swing at 100mph on  the center of the face will fly further than the 102mph on the toe.  Golfers should train for speed and then work on finding a comfortable, yet fast swing on the golf course.

A launch monitor a great tool to help you dial everything in. Read below for more great info!

Launch Angle

If a golfer launches the ball too high or too low, they are going to lose distance.  While there will be time to hit the ball high or low, on a rather calm day (not much wind) the golfer will want a more optimum launch angle. 

The launch angle is impacted by angle of attack and the gofler should work to be able to control the different ball flights that they need.  The driving iron is a perfect club for when the conditions are difficult.  The golfer might want to keep one under the wind on one shot and then launch it high on the next tee shot (depending on the wind).

Spin Rate

Most golfers do not understand the total impact that spin rate has.  Did you know that a shot with a 100mph swing with a spin rate of 2700rpm vs 4700rpm could mean 20 extra yards at the 2700rpm level?  Spin rate can be impacted by the shaft in the club and the angle of attack. 

Testing out different golf shafts on a launch monitor is important to ensure you have the right equipment in your bag!  If you have ever hit the shot that seems to fly forever, chances are you had a quality spin rate (lower). 

And if you hit a shot that ballooned and didn’t seem to go very far, chances are you spin rate was too high!

Next Steps: Test Your Driving Iron Out on a Launch Monitor

My number one recommendation for all four of these categories is to get a device like the Skytrak Launch Monitor, which can provide immediate feedback on every shot you hit during your practice sessions.  This helps the golfer make adjustments in the swing or the equipment he or she is using.

Check out the price of a Skytrak Launch Monitor here!

I highly recommend the Skytrak Launch Monitor.  There are two other quality options at a similar price point linked below.

Here are the top 3 Launch Monitor options to check out:

The data you can get after every shot includes the following:

  • Ball and Club Speed
  • Carry and Total Distance
  • Spin Rate
  • Spin Axis
  • Launch Angle

In addition to this key information you will also see a shot tracer to help you control your clubface and swing path and develop a stock shot to finally play the consistent golf you seek!  

What is the most important part of the golf swing?

Want lower scores…gain more distance with all of your clubs!

How To Hit Your Driving Iron Further?

The number one tip is to swing faster.  How do you accomplish this?  Through training!  

What is the best training option?  SuperSpeed Golf!  The three speed sticks that come with the purchase of the SuperSpeed System have a club that is 20% lighter, 10% lighter and 5% heavier.  The protocols are simple to follow and take 15-30 minutes per training session and you train every other day.  

Golfers can expect to see a 5-8% increase as early as the first session and the speed will become more permanent after about 30 days of training.  Stick with the training for a continued increase in swing speed, which will come at about a 1-2 miles per hour increase every several months.  The thought process or science behind this approach is known as overspeed training.  

Driving Iron vs Driver

The idea is that you are training both your mind and your body to swing faster than you normally do.  The mind and body start to adapt to this new speed as the mind builds confidence in doing this safely and the body trains to move faster.

The SuperSpeed System will help you experience additional speed through every club in the bag and you will soon find yourself hitting the ball further, hitting the ball closer and making more putts. 

The analytics are pretty clear in golf!  The further you hit your driver, the shorter approach shot you have left.  The shorter approach shot, results in a closer proximity to the pin on average.  With the final outcome being more made putts because you are putting putts closer to the hole.  The make percentage on the PGA tour from 8 feet is significantly better than 15 feet.  The bottom line is that you need shorter putts to make more putts and this starts on the tee by hitting your driver further!

Check current price on SuperSpeed Golf, here!

I have added 12-15 miles per hour to my driver swing with the SuperSpeed system.

Final Thoughts: Have Fun!

Whether you are trying to score better through improving the short game or gaining extra distance, make sure you have fun on your journey!  The exciting news that golfers can gain distance is a game changer for many.  We have seen some of the golfers as they reach 50 actually dive into speed training and improve their driver distance!

Wish you hit the ball further?  Here are two great resources:

My Secret To Golf Improvement

Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently.  About four years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage.  I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.

This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer.  I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day.  I can practice or play rounds of golf.  I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.

It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.

Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:

Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better

What does this mean for you?  I believe in the following recipe to get better:

1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor.  Here are some options:

Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:

2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed.  Here are some options:

Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:

3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier.  Here is a series on breaking through:

We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.

4 – Practice Frequently

Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system?  It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:

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