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

[Grinde6]

I am trying to increase my swing speed.  You had some nice gains in swing speed, what type of training were you doing?  Thanks.

Some of it had to do with changing up my swing a bit I'm sure, but I think a lot of it had to do with my workout regimen (or at least I keep telling myself that so I keep at it).  I started out doing a combination of the T-25 workout DVD and paired it with the Joey D Golf home workout as well...good money spent.  Went through 2 rounds of each one of those during this last fall.  T-25 built muscles I didn't know were there and lost fat in the process, and Joey D builds golf specific muscles that will help with the swing and fatigue.  After those I started back up at the gym and I do upper body MWF, and legs T-TH.  Upper body I'm working on back, chest, shoulders...Lower body working on glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves...and doing about 10-15 mins of core everyday situps, leg lifts, plank, etc., and about 30 mins of cardio on the elliptical.  Have lost about 25 lbs in the process with noticeable gains in the legs, chest and back area...

[SMOOTH1]

Some of it had to do with changing up my swing a bit I'm sure, but I think a lot of it had to do with my workout regimen (or at least I keep telling myself that so I keep at it).  I started out doing a combination of the T-25 workout DVD and paired it with the Joey D Golf home workout as well...good money spent.  Went through 2 rounds of each one of those during this last fall.  T-25 built muscles I didn't know were there and lost fat in the process, and Joey D builds golf specific muscles that will help with the swing and fatigue.  After those I started back up at the gym and I do upper body MWF, and legs T-TH.  Upper body I'm working on back, chest, shoulders...Lower body working on glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves...and doing about 10-15 mins of core everyday situps, leg lifts, plank, etc., and about 30 mins of cardio on the elliptical.  Have lost about 25 lbs in the process with noticeable gains in the legs, chest and back area...

CONGRATS on the weight loss and strength gains and thanks for the inspiration.

[Darouls]

I agree most golfers don't hit the driver over 200 yards

[djfajt71]

Driver: 225
3 Hybrid: 195
4 Hybrid: 175

5 Hybrid: 155-160
6I: 145
7I: 135
8I: 125
9I: 115
PW: 100-110
GW: 85-95

SW: 75-85

LW: 60-70

[MotoGolfer250]

I agree most golfers don't hit the driver over 200 yards

I disagree with that. I would argue the average drive of most golfers is between 200 and 250

[RandyBobbitt]

Based on the people I've played with, I think that 225-250 is about right for single-digit handicappers. But when you get into double digit handicaps, especially over the age of 60, I think the 150-200 figure is more realistic.

Just my .02 worth.

[saevel25]

Based on the people I've played with, I think that 225-250 is about right for single-digit handicappers. But when you get into double digit handicaps, especially over the age of 60, I think the 150-200 figure is more realistic.

Just my .02 worth.

Clubhead speed for a single digit handicap player starts at about 95 MPH on average. That is about a 230 yard carry on distance. I would say 230+ for carry distance.

I don't care about total distance that can vary as much as 50 yards depending on course conditions.

[MotoGolfer250]

Based on the people I've played with, I think that 225-250 is about right for single-digit handicappers. But when you get into double digit handicaps, especially over the age of 60, I think the 150-200 figure is more realistic. Just my .02 worth.

I think a single digit handicap player should have no problem hitting driver 230 to 270. I think double digit handicap players are closer to the 190 to 230 mark. I'm also talking about your average, probably 30 year old male.

[WatchOutLeft]

So here are the distances I've compiled through 8 rounds using the Swing By Swing and GameGolf apps.

Driver: 207 (I pretty much leave this one in the bag for multiple reasons)

3 Wood: 220 (one of the reasons I leave the driver in the bag)

7 Wood: 205

3 iron: 182 (need to replace with a 3 hybrid

4 iron: 180 (no reason to hit my 3 iron when I hit my 4 iron as far)

5 iron: 169

6 iron: 156

7 iron: don't hit it because when I got my hand me down clubs it came with a replacement 7 iron that has wrong length and lie

8 iron: 141

9 iron: 129

PW: 118

56 degree: 81

So all in all I carry 2 clubs that are completely useless to me (driver and 3 iron), I need a 3 hybrid and a couple wedges to get better gaps, and a seven iron that matches my irons would be nice.

I am planning on getting a new set (maybe from gigagolf) with SW, GW, PW-5 and 4 and 3 hybrids. Probably keep my 3 wood and 7 wood and maybe get a new driver. For whatever reason I have never been able to hit any driver, be they mine or playing partners'.

[Crim]

I can't remember if I've posted this yet, but I've gained 15 to 20 yards on just my driver in the past two weeks via positioning the ball more forward in my stance. Everything else has stayed the same.

Driver: 220-230, (If I need a tee shot around 200, I'll play the ball back and slice it in there)

5w: 180, (my 5w goes just as far as my 3w, because of better ball flight and contact)

Hybrid: 170

5i: 160

6i: 150

7i: 140

8i: 130

9i: 120

PW: 110

SW: 95

LW: 60

Standard ball flight at the moment is high fade.

[jfmario20]

My controlled distances on average with forged clubs is low I guess, but I'm more consistent i know these are high numbers, but its the truth.  Im not trying to be arrogant but I am 6'4" with a 36in vertical I'm athletic and flexible I'm similar build to Dustin Johnson.  The reason why my handicap is high is because I am not accurate with my wedges and irons, I think because I have to change my posture so much with smaller clubs cause of my height. I don't know but Im trying to dial it back and score better.

average   (max everything i got)

Driver:     275         310

3 wood:   250         280

5 iron:      215        230

7 iron:      193         210

8 iron:      170         190

Pitch:       135         151

52 degree 110         130

Driver: Nike Covert limited edition  X Stiff

3-Wood: Callaway XR  Stiff

3-Hybrid: Nike Covert Stiff

Irons: Nike Pro combo Stiff 1in longer

52 Wedge: Nike  x groove

56 Wedge: Cleveland 588 RTX

60 Wedge: Cleveland 588 RTX

Putter: Odyssey mallet

[guywoof]

I play with a large group, all of us ex jocks and some of us as tall as you. I know the problem. First, don't know where you play but if it's in the north your handicap isn't all that bad. We post all our scores and some days pros would be shooting in the 100's due to weather and mud and crusty rough. I sometimes think the whole handicap system should be looked at.  You might have your lofts weakened by a pro shop.......on your scoring clubs....and add some kind of wedge that will help. A couple of us have gone to the Azinger type of 3/4 swing and that helps a lot.

[SteveH]

After taking some lessons and working on a better swing path since the start of April, I have actually lost distance on most of my clubs. For example, my 7 iron I now hit around 150 instead of 175 and my 9 iron now goes 120-125 vs 140-150 last year. I am hoping to get the distance back as the new swing becomes more ingrained. My instructor told me I was using too much arms and shoulders, my path was out to in and my hands were too far ahead at address. My divots have straightened by a large amount and the ball striking is getting a lot better but the distance just isn't there now.

[flopster]

The way I would look at averages is to take the median within one standard deviation. This gets rid of the anomalies like your tops, duck hooks, shanks, and the few times you bomb it, and gives you a more statistically valid average club distance. For example that shot I hit into the woods on 16 with my 3W would count, but the provisional I topped and rolled 30 yds into 6" tall rough would not. Another one that would not count would be the 3W I bombed on the 402 yd par 5 that left me at the 150 yd marker because I do not as a rule hit a 3W 250 yds.

And who wants to throw away a perfectly struck shot?

[pecos24]

When my copy of LSW gets here and I learn how to map my shot zones I hope I will have these distances a little more dialed in.  I don't use my 4I or 5I very often so those distances are best guesses as well as my new 3 wood.  Everything else should be pretty close.

Driver - 215 ( driver distances really fluctuating this year... 200 - 240)

3W - 220? (new club in my bag this year and I have not hit it very consistent)

5W - 195-200

7W - 185-190

4I - 180-185

5I - 170-175

6I - 165

7I - 150

8I - 140

9I  - 130-135

PW - 115-120

AW - 100-105

SW - 90-95

[natureboy]

After taking some lessons and working on a better swing path since the start of April, I have actually lost distance on most of my clubs. For example, my 7 iron I now hit around 150 instead of 175 and my 9 iron now goes 120-125 vs 140-150 last year. I am hoping to get the distance back as the new swing becomes more ingrained. My instructor told me I was using too much arms and shoulders, my path was out to in and my hands were too far ahead at address. My divots have straightened by a large amount and the ball striking is getting a lot better but the distance just isn't there now.

Were you unhappy with your accuracy or shot height (low trajectory making it harder to hold firm greens) with your prior swing? If you took two or three clubs more to a target with the new swing / shot shape, would it be more likely to hold the green or stay close to the landing point than your prior swing? I hit my irons 'short' for my driver distance and my 7-iron distance is/was similar to yours, but the apex is very high and the roll-out is minimal so I'm okay with it. The wedges and short irons may be a bit too high, though, so I am working to lower their trajectory a touch.

If you have a sharply downward attack angle (may be more likely with hands well ahead at address) a slightly left pointing divot wasn't necessarily a fault. See video below (from :44). Too much of a good thing (de-lofting) may be counter-productive for a stock shot unless you play in strong winds all the time.

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@jfmario20 : How do you have a 2.5 club gap between your PW and 52*? Are you hitting the PW full and the 52* like a distance wedge, or are the lofts like 8*-10* apart?

[SteveH]

I wasn't particularly unhappy with my shot height but, when asked where I missed my approach shots, it occurred to me that I missed most of them to the right. The instructor showed me where I was coming OTT and we worked on correcting this to an inside-out swing path. I had a square setup, with lots of shoulder turn, just had to bring my hands back to centre and stand a little further from the ball to allow my hands more room to clear my hips on the downswing and adjust the path of the shaft on the downswing.  I really struggled with the inside to out path and it took me a couple of lessons and lots of practice to get it. The divots tell the story with the swing path so by practicing to a target using alignment rods, I have been able to get this corrected. I have a bad habit of being very quick, which tends to revert everything back that I am currently working on. I have been playing for 6 years and using this incorrect path for 6 years, so getting the new path ingrained is taking some ongoing effort. I presently have a fade with irons and driver, whereas my hybrid, 3w and 5w tend to miss left. I am working on this nearly every day and I am seeing some recovery in distance already. I can tell that I am using more legs and torso in the swing now which is eventually going to yield overall improvement.

[Crim]

I wasn't particularly unhappy with my shot height but, when asked where I missed my approach shots, it occurred to me that I missed most of them to the right. The instructor showed me where I was coming OTT and we worked on correcting this to an inside-out swing path. I had a square setup, with lots of shoulder turn, just had to bring my hands back to centre and stand a little further from the ball to allow my hands more room to clear my hips on the downswing and adjust the path of the shaft on the downswing.  I really struggled with the inside to out path and it took me a couple of lessons and lots of practice to get it. The divots tell the story with the swing path so by practicing to a target using alignment rods, I have been able to get this corrected. I have a bad habit of being very quick, which tends to revert everything back that I am currently working on. I have been playing for 6 years and using this incorrect path for 6 years, so getting the new path ingrained is taking some ongoing effort. I presently have a fade with irons and driver, whereas my hybrid, 3w and 5w tend to miss left. I am working on this nearly every day and I am seeing some recovery in distance already. I can tell that I am using more legs and torso in the swing now which is eventually going to yield overall improvement.

This sounds exactly like me, and I suppose a lot of other people. I get very quick which tends to get a little too "armsy" which brings me OTT sometimes. I fade everything 6 iron to driver. 7iron to SW is usually pretty straight, and I can work the ball a little bit both ways if I have to. Those longer clubs really bring out the negative idiosyncrasies for me.