Golf Club Distances (Metres)
If you know how far you can hit your golf clubs, then you are much more likely to land where you expect. This is particularly important when approaching the green, five yards can make the difference between a great shot and being in the bunker. Knowing how far you can hit your clubs can save you numerous strokes over 18 holes.
Golf club distance depends on many factors including what kind of clubs you are using and your swing speed. You need to keep the weather conditions in mind, if you are hitting into a gale your ball will not go nearly as far.
According to independent sources, PGA pros hit their drivers ranging from 256 to 293 metres on average. LPGA pros hit 210 to 247 metres on average . Amateurs usually average between 174 to 187 metres with their drivers.
The rest of this article will tell you how to work out the distance you hit each club. If you just want to increase the distance you hit your driver, then please click here.
How to work out Club Distances
The best way is to go a driving range which has distance markers, and work through your clubs hitting ten balls with each club. After you hit ten balls with a particular club, look at the pattern of where the balls lie, choose a ball that is in the middle of the pattern and write down that distance. Do this for each club.
A quicker way is to use our custom club distance calculator. It is fun to use, just click here to try it. Alternatively you can view our table of indicative club distances set out below.
Golf Club Distance Chart
All these are rough estimation of the clubs used to hit the ball. It varies depending on such factors as your sex, height, and fitness level. It also depends on your ball type, swing speed, and of course, how well you actually hit the ball. Below is a table of average club distances for different categories of players.
Golf Distances are calculated in metres based on average amateur male and female players ranging from short, mid, and long hitters, with the different types of clubs listed. The distances are total distances. This page has information on the carry distances.
|
Club |
Loft (degrees) |
Distance for men (metres) |
Distance for women (metres) |
|
Driver |
8 - 13 |
183-210-229 |
119-147-183 |
|
2-wood |
12 - 15 |
175-201-219 |
114-141-175 |
|
3-wood |
12 - 17 |
172-197-214 |
111-138-172 |
|
4-wood |
15 - 19 |
160-183-199 |
104-128-160 |
|
5-wood |
19 - 21 |
156-178-194 |
101-125-156 |
|
6-wood |
21 - 23 |
148-169-184 |
96-119-148 |
|
7-wood |
23 - 25 |
140-160-174 |
91-112-140 |
|
8-wood |
25 - 27 |
132-151-164 |
85-106-132 |
|
9-wood |
26 - 28 |
120-137-150 |
78-96-120 |
|
1-iron |
15 - 18 |
162-197-221 |
99-127-162 |
|
2-iron |
18 - 20 |
147-178-200 |
90-116-147 |
|
3-iron |
21 - 24 |
136-165-185 |
83-107-136 |
|
4-iron |
25 - 28 |
128-155-175 |
78-101-128 |
|
5-iron |
28 - 32 |
121-146-165 |
73-95-121 |
|
6-iron |
32 - 36 |
113-137-154 |
69-89-113 |
|
7-iron |
36 - 40 |
106-128-144 |
64-83-106 |
|
8-iron |
40 - 44 |
98-119-134 |
60-77-98 |
|
9-iron |
45 - 48 |
87-105-118 |
53-68-87 |
|
Pitching wedge |
48 - 52 |
79-96-108 |
48-62-79 |
|
Gap wedge |
52 - 54 |
72-87-98 |
44-56-72 |
|
Sand wedge |
54 - 58 |
60-73-82 |
37-47-60 |
|
Lob wedge |
58 - 62 |
53-64-72 |
32-42-53 |
Different Clubs
There are different types of golf clubs used in order to hit the right distance on the golf course. The main types used in the game of golf are: putters, wedges, woods and irons. The clubs vary according to the club length, lie angle and loft.
Putters
Putters are are not graduated by distance. To understand how to control putting distance, see these putting tips.
Woods
A driver can be used to hit a ball about 150 yards for a beginner, 220 yards for an average player, and over 300 yards for a professional.
Irons
A 9 iron will be able to hit a 80 to 90 yards for a beginner, 125-135 yards in case of an average player and 145 yards for a professional.
Hybrids
A hybrid will travel about the same distances as its iron equivalent. For example, when hybrid 3 will hit about the same distance as a well hit 3 iron. However, the average golfer will tend to hit hybrids more consistently than a low iron, and so the average distance gained by a hybrid might be about five yards longer than the equivalent iron.
Wedges
The pitching wedge will be hitting the ball for beginners it should be 60 to 90 yards, 100-125 yards for an average players and 115-135 yards for professionals. The sand wedge distance is 40 to 60, 90-100 and 100-110 yards as per the categories mentioned above. You can use these wedges to hit out of bunkers. To learn more about the bunker distances for these clubs, visit our bunker distances page. We also have tips for chipping distances and pitching distances.
Free GPS Distances to the green
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Why do some golfers yards for distance?
The usage of yards or meters in golf largely stems from the different systems of measurement utilized around the world, primarily the imperial system (which uses yards) and the metric system (which uses meters).
The imperial system is predominantly used in the United States, and as a result, golf courses in the U.S. are measured in yards. Many of the earliest and most famous golf courses are located in the U.S., and the golfing traditions and standards established there, including the use of yards, have a strong influence globally. Some other countries, like the UK, also use yards for golf, despite otherwise using the metric system. This is largely due to tradition and the historical influence of Scottish golf where the game originated.
On the other hand, most other countries around the world use the metric system, which measures distance in meters. Countries such as those in continental Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America measure golf course distances in meters, aligning with their overall use of the metric system in daily life. Metric measurements are typically seen as simpler and more standardized than the imperial system, leading to its widespread adoption. Therefore, the choice between yards and meters in golf doesn't have a direct impact on the gameplay itself but is more a reflection of the larger systems of measurement in use in each country. It's also worth noting that professional golfers are usually adept at understanding distances in both yards and meters due to the international nature of major tournaments.Penalty Drop Distances
Find out how what a clubs length distance means with our Penalty Drop Distances article.
