The average amateur will carry their 8 iron around 145 yards with the elite players in the 150s and the weakest players hitting their 8 iron only 110-125 yards.
Dialing in the distances from 150 yards and in is rather important in the game of golf.
As green complexes become more and more difficult with bunkering and shelving created, golfers must be able to control their distances with their 7, 8, 9 irons and their wedges.
While every golfers wants to hit their irons far, the key really is to have a quality idea of what different swings will produce different shots.
Are you the type of golfer that can hit a 80%, 90% or 100% shot with your 8 iron and other short clubs? Or are you the golfer that is always going 100% at the shot?
Obviously, if a golfer is hitting a pitching wedge from 125 instead of a 7 iron, they have an advantage. So there really is a two part equation to hitting quality shots related to distances with your short irons and your wedges.
- We want the golfer to have enough distance and height to hold a green and reduce their dispersion on the shot.
- We also want golfers to have a shot distance chart to help them select the right club and shot to maximize their ability to hit and hold the green.
One of the quickest ways to better scores is to hit more greens in regulation. The two steps above (gaining distance and knowing your distances) are something every golfer can do regardless of age or ability level.
Did You Know?
https://blog.trackmangolf.com/trackman-average-tour-stats/
The average PGA Tour 9 iron flies a total of 160 yards as a result of an 87 mile per hour swing that produces a ball speed of 115 mph with a spin rate in the 7990s RPM.
The average LPGA Tour 9 iron flies a total of 130 yards as a result of an 74 mile per hour swing that produces a ball speed of 100 mph with a spin rate in the 7490s RPM.
The key for all golfers, including amateurs, is to be able to fly the ball the distance you need to. Hitting an 8 iron 155 one time and then only 145 the next time while trying to fly it 155 is a road to disaster.
How Far Should You Hit An 8 Iron?
My Journey: My favorite iron in the bag is an 8 iron. I find myself hitting many 8 irons into my golf simulator and playing a variety of shots. When I get in the 153-160 range on the golf course, the 8 iron is a great option. I love a solid 8 iron that has a nice baby draw on it as it falls towards the hole. I would recommend learning to love the 8 iron, learn to hit it solid and develop a stock shot! When you can control your low point and the curve of the golf ball, you are ahead of a high percentage of amateur golfers! Get to work!
Quick Recap:
- Average Amateur – 145 yards
- Elite Amateur – 155 yards
- High Handicap Amateur – 110-125 yards
- PGA Tour Player – 160 Yards
- LPGA Tour Player – 130
Complete Posts: How To Hit An 8 Iron!
The good news is that the LPGA Tour players are able to play well below par even with reduced distances. If you play from the right tees, you can score as well once you can dial in your distances. Keeping the ball in play off the tee, hitting the ball around the green on approach shots and then getting down in 2 shots is a great formula to quickly approach the 70s with your score and eventually shoot par.
Key #1: Increasing Your Swing Speed
The number one recommendation for a golfer trying to gain additional swing speed is to utilize a system like SuperSpeed Golf and train with overspeed 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.
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!
Key #2: Dialing In Your Distance With Your Short Irons and Wedges
I would recommend learning several swings with the shorter clubs in your bag that control a variety of distances. These different shots might include:
- 100% swing
- 90% Swing
- 80% Swing
If you build out a distance chart for each of these swing speeds or lengths, the golfer can have a go to chart to determine what swing they need to make to hit the ball the distance they need to. The sand wedge will differ from the longer clubs as it is a club that demands the golfer to hit it a variety of distances, sometimes as much as a 40 yard range.
Here is a chart I made for all of my wedges:
| Club | Carry Distance (100%) | 90% | 80% |
| 8 Iron | 153 | 144 | 135 |
| 9 Iron | 142 | 133 | 121 |
| P Club | 130 | 123 | 115 |
| Pitching Wedge | 118 | 110 | 102 |
| SW Club | 105 | 97 | 91 |
| LW Club | 90 | 82 | 74 |
The good news is that you no longer need to complete this chart creation at a driving range by walking off the distance. Instead, you can utilize a launch monitor like a Skytrak Launch Monitor to establish the average you carry each club with a variety of swings.
How can you create your own chart?
BEST OPTION: I would highly recommend a launch monitor!
These portable devices can be used at the driving range, golf course or set up in your home net or golf simulator. These devices are game changers not only on being able to map your bag and know your distances, but they also provide quality feedback after on every shot and provide the following information:
- Carry Distance
- Spin Rate
- Launch Angle
- Spin Axis
- Total Distance
- Ball Speed
This information will help you map your bag, decide on which clubs are best for your game, develop a stock shot and much more. I love using my SkyTrak 365 days a year in my golf simulator setup.
The process for mapping your bag can looking something like this:
- Hit 5 shots with each club in your bag.
- Log the carry distance and total distance for each shot.
- Eliminate any outlier numbers (poor hits or low spin rates).
- Take the average and create a map of your bag.
If you visit any PGA Tour event you will see plenty of golfers utilizing their launch monitors. While most can’t afford a Trackman, there are some very affordable options in the 500-2000 dollar range. I own the SkyTrak and think the world of it.
Here are the top 3 options to check out:
Key #3: Awareness of Other Key Numbers
There are four major parts that impact distance:
- Swing Speed
- Ball Speed
- Spin Rate
- Launch Angle
We have discussed swing speed above and how to increase your swing speed (highly recommended). Ball speed is another good measure because your swing speed and ball speed should be somewhat in line. If you aren’t producing the ball speed you might expect from certain swing speeds, chances are you aren’t hitting the center of the clubface. If this is the case, you will want to work on hitting the center of the clubface to take advantage of your new distance.
As far as spin rate is concerned, if you are spinning the ball in the 9,000RPM to 10,000RPM with an 8 iron, you are losing distance. This can be a result of poor equipment, a bad golf ball for your swing speed, or your angle of attack. The best thing to do is to get on a launch monitor and get a reading on your spin rate. Too much spin =’s a loss of distance.
The launch angle of a shot will impact the total distance as well. Too much or too little launch angle and you will lose carry distance. Once again, dialing in your optimum numbers through using a launch monitor. I use the Skytrak and it has helped me maximize my distance as well as dial in my distance through the shot charts I have created above.
Related Posts – Dial in Your Distance on Your Other Clubs as well!
- How Far Should You Hit A Driving Iron?
- How Far Should You Hit A 3 Wood?
- How Far Should You Hit A 5 Wood?
- How Far Should You Hit A 4 Iron?
- How Far Should You Hit A 7 Iron?
- How Far Should You Hit A 9 Iron?
- How Far Should You Hit A 3 Hybrid?
- How Far Should You Hit A Sand Wedge?
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:
- Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator?
- What is the Best Golf Simulator?
- Golf Simulator Accessories?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
- Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
- Why Build A Golf Simulator?
- What Space is Needed?
- Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
- How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
- Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.