Average Distances - How Far Do You Hit Each Club? (And Don't Lie!)

[natureboy]

@natureboy, where's that from?

The average distances based on average score for a 'typical course' of 6500 yards is from Broadie simulation data. The recommended tee distance is from a curve I made using the USGA tee it forward recommendations. The Avg Score and drive distance averages are correlated. The 'Tee It Forward' distances are there only for reference as a bit of a 'check' to see if you may be playing too long a course. The average score and USGA recommended tees is not correlated.

Interesting, but nowhere near accurate for me. Though I readily admit I used to inaccurately go by course yardage markers to determine how far I typically hit my shots, currently I use Game Golf and have found my "average drive" was shown to be 274 with a high recorded of 309. No doubt or denying that I've had several bad drives *snap hook/hit tree and knocked down*, but if my drive goes less than at minimum 240 then I either hit a supremely bad shot or the weather is horrible.

Nice average distance! The 75% 'Good Drive' stat is not your 'best drive' but the lower bound of the top quartile of all drives or at least a 'fair sample'.

You may either be too inaccurate with your power or other parts of your game may be weaker relative to your driving - or you play a more penal / tighter than average course with a lot of costly trouble. Both distance and accuracy matter for lower average score. They are 'baseline' averages reflecting a confidence interval like Broadie's Std Deviation of Degrees Offline from Tee and 75% Driving Distance, which he demonstrated track quite well with Avg Score / HCP. There is always variance and many individual outlying player averages - the amount of variance from the baseline average typically widens with higher HCP.

I'm curious too because it makes absolutely no sense.  The "USGA recommended tees," and driving distance rows are trying to indicate that each column is a similar golfer.  Well, that's not even remotely accurate.  You can even see above ... a guy who averages 80 on a 75 rated course has a handicap in the 2's and a guy who averages 80 on a 68 rated course is a 10.

So, the conclusion of the table is that a 2 handicap and a 10 handicap who both average 80 on completely different courses have the same average driving distance and should play from the same tees is, well, ridiculous.

Another conclusion you can make from the table:

If you are struggling with driving distance, then all you have to do is move from a hard course to an easier course and magically your drive average will jump by 10-15 yards.

Sorry, I rushed the post and dropped some helpful labels. See the response to mvmac above. The USGA tees are there only as a personal check-in vs. what is recommended for your likely tee distance. The average score on a 'typical course' of 6500 yards is what is correlated with HCP and driving distance.

The table is showing that if you have an average score of 'x' on different course ratings (3 shown to indicate a range) with a 'typical' layout then you likely will have a HCP around 'x' and your average drive and 75% drive distance will likely be around 'x'. Obviously there are always individual player outliers with high skill in one area lowering average score or low skill in another area raising average score. The Broadie data is describing the 'typical' golfer at that average score on a 'typical' course. The data is relevant to multi-round (the more the better) stat averages, not individual rounds.

Maybe that's a bare minimum requirement? Let's say if your approach game and short game are as good in proportion to your driving, maybe you could have the potential to break par on good days?

It's not a requirement - there are many ways to get to arrive at an average score low or high, but it is a statistically correlated average reflecting a confidence level for a data set of many golfers at that HCP / Avg score. If you have a lower than typical driving distance for your average score then it means another part of your game is excellent relative to your HCP peers or vice versa.

[WatchOutLeft]

Winds + moisture on fairway + slopes + ability to hit fairways = driving distance on any given hole

As someone who lives in the mountains this is the biggest factor in how far my drives go. I have played some flat courses while visiting family out of state and my average drive was about 230. It was a beautiful thing watching the actual flight of my ball, then the ball rolling down the fairway. On my home course I am either playing downhill where my ball looks like it is going into orbit compared to the ground and then takes a huge bounce when it lands. Uphill holes my drives look extremely low, slams into the side of an uphill slope, and stops dead. If I slice one on an uphill hole the ball shoots straight sideways and often rolls back a bit. My averages for all my clubs are just about useless. I have to kind of keep averages on each hole. The most downhill hole drops about 50 yards in elevation over 360 yards. The following hole rises about 60 yards in elevation over 270 yards. It can be frustrating to hit a 260 yard drive followed by a 190 yard one. Or sail the green from 150 yards with an 8 iron on one hole and then come up just short of the green from 150 with a 5 iron the next hole.

[RolfeDawg88]

Since I updated my bag my distances have changed. My iron distances have gone back to what they were after putting the Mp68's in my bag.

Driver - 280

3 Wood - 260

2 Utility - 230(Can push it to 250ish off the tee)

3 iron - 210

4 iron - 200

5 iron -190

6 iron - 180

7 iron - 170

8 iron - 155

9 iron - 140

PW - 125

50° - 115

56° - 100

60° - 85

I can add push each club 5 extra yards but these are my perfect distances for each. I don't know why the distances are 15 yards apart from 8 iron down but it seems to work out for me. Although, from 8 iron down it's a little easier to control it if I do have to add a little extra power to the shot.

[Jeremie Boop]

Nice average distance! The 75% 'Good Drive' stat is not your 'best drive' but the lower bound of the top quartile of all drives or at least a 'fair sample'.

You may either be too inaccurate with your power or other parts of your game may be weaker relative to your driving - or you play a more penal / tighter than average course with a lot of costly trouble. Both distance and accuracy matter for lower average score. They are 'baseline' averages reflecting a confidence interval like Broadie's Std Deviation of Degrees Offline from Tee and 75% Driving Distance, which he demonstrated track quite well with Avg Score / HCP. There is always variance and many individual outlying player averages - the amount of variance from the baseline average typically widens with higher HCP.

My handicap is so high mostly due to losing shots off the tee. If I don't ob I typically end up par/bogey on most holes. So yes, it's to do with being inaccurate. I know I'm fairly atypical when it comes to my length in relation to my handicap. Sad thing is, my biggest issue is flipping which causes loss of distance in addition to inaccuracy issues...

[ryan772]

60°-70 54°-100 52°-120 P-135 9-155 8-170 7-180 3 wood-210 Driver-240

[testerdahl]

60°-70 54°-100 52°-120 P-135 9-155 8-170 7-180 3 wood-210 Driver-240

That is a BIG jump between the PW and 9-iron. Am I missing something? Are they the same brand, are the lofts quite a bit different, etc...?

[HawkNballs]

I think he skipped a club. I hit my PW 135 and my 8 iron 155ish.

[HawkNballs]

With those numbers... He should be hitting his driver 275ish. 3 wood 240-250ish.

[phillyk]

I think he skipped a club. I hit my PW 135 and my 8 iron 155ish.

Its not too insane.  I play most of my wedges with 3/4 swings instead of full swings to get more accuracy.  So i have the same jump between my PW and 9iron as ryan772.

[HawkNballs]

I would avoid 145 yard par 3s. ;).

[phillyk]

I would avoid 145 yard par 3s. ;).

Nah its just a easy 3/4 9iron or so. Gotta have all the distances in between to keep it near scratch golf. ;)

[HawkNballs]

I'm not saying he's a liar... I honestly thought he skipped a club. I try not to play with gaps like that. I actually had my 54* changed to 55 to fit perfectly between my 60 and 50. Ha! Anyone close to scratch is doing just fine!

[danL]

With my updated swing mechanics I've gained some yards, but not many on the driver where I really need it. Carry distances Driver 245yd 3 wood 230yd 3 hybrid 220yd 3 Iron 215yd 4 Iron 200yd 5 Iron 190yd 6 Iron 180yd 7 Iron 170yd 8 Iron 160yd 9 Iron 145yd PW 135yd GW 120yd SW 110yd According to my iron distances my driver should be much farther but I just can't keep it out there consistently. Sure I'll hit a 290-300yd drive once a round or so, but average about 255-260 even after its bounced and rolled. Oh well, the longer distances in irons help me make up for it and score every now and then.

[Jeremie Boop]

With my updated swing mechanics I've gained some yards, but not many on the driver where I really need it.

Carry distances

Driver 245yd

3 wood 230yd

3 hybrid 220yd

3 Iron 215yd

4 Iron 200yd

5 Iron 190yd

6 Iron 180yd

7 Iron 170yd

8 Iron 160yd

9 Iron 145yd

PW 135yd

GW 120yd

SW 110yd

According to my iron distances my driver should be much farther but I just can't keep it out there consistently. Sure I'll hit a 290-300yd drive once a round or so, but average about 255-260 even after its bounced and rolled. Oh well, the longer distances in irons help me make up for it and score every now and then.

I was going to say, all your distances are very very close to mine except I don't carry a 3 wood, my hybrid is a 2 hybrid, and I don't have a 3 iron. Even so, at 245 off the tee most courses will have you with a mid iron to wedge in your hand on par 4s with those distances anyway.

[ryan772]

Well honestly my pitching wedge with a "full swing" goes about 145, but i rarely do that. I control it beat from 130 out. Im using taylor made speed blades. And i know i cant figure out why i cant drive the ball farther. I was driving the ball around 265 with an occasional 285-300 drive, but with a horrible slice. I dont slice it nearly as much but hardly any distance. Plus my driver is a p.o.s. I have only been playing about a year, and i bought the speed blades but cant afford a new driver. Im using cleveland wedges.

[saevel25]

Well honestly my pitching wedge with a "full swing" goes about 145, but i rarely do that. I control it beat from 130 out. Im using taylor made speed blades. And i know i cant figure out why i cant drive the ball farther. I was driving the ball around 265 with an occasional 285-300 drive, but with a horrible slice.

This is your key right here. It is your swing that is the issue.

There are a few good threads on this forum about how to drive the ball better.

Hope you fix that driver. You should be driving it in the 285-290 range consistently if you hit your PW 145.

[ryan772]

Ill check it out. It is frustrating. I got paired with 3 older gentlemen around 60ishn and they consistently outdrove me. I didnt lose a ball all round and shot a best round for me 84, but being a 25 yr old man it was frustrating. But like i said ive only been playing for a year so i was just excited with my score.

[newtogolf]

Thanks to some lessons and core workouts I've added at least 20 yards to each of my clubs since last year;

Driver - 240 - still working on AOA

3W - 220 - 230

3H - 210

4H - 190-200

5I - 175

6I - 165

7I - 155

8I - 145

9I  - 135

PW - 125

AW - 115

SW - 105

LW - 95