pga tour average from 160 yards

Instruction

Pros v. amateurs: shots from 100 yards and 150 yards.

I read a great article on a golf blog recently about what distance people think they hit their drivers versus how far they actually do, and it made me think… what is the reality of the 100- and 150-yard shots for the average player? How does this compare to a Tour Professional hitting from the same distance, with the same target, under the same conditions?

So I enlisted the help of a buddy of mine, William McGirt, who finished 85 th on the 2014 PGA Tour’s Money List making just over $1.25 million (Hey, William, can you throw me a few bones, pards!?).

For the test, I asked three golfers to hit 100- and 150-yard shots, then charted their CARRY distance results. I know this is a very small sampling of players, but I just wanted to show you the basic idea of what I see on a daily basis with amateur golfers.

Below is the Trackman Analysis of the four players:

William McGirt, PGA Tour Player
Tom Stickney, Teaching Professional/Scratch Player
John, 10-Handicap
Howard, 15-Handicap

William McGirt (100.6, 98.6, and 103.6 yards)

The Tour Player was much more consistent with his average shot at 100.9 yards, and his “big miss” was only off 3.6 yards. This puts William next to the hole and on the correct tier more often than not, unless he gets unlucky or spins the ball too much once it lands.

Tom Stickney (100.0, 101.2, and 94.2 yards)

The teaching professional did fine, but his “big miss” was off 5.8 yards. This is what we tend to see with the single-digit players. They can hit all the shots, however, their consistency lacks when compared to the Tour Professional.

Howard (93.5, 104.3, and 100.2 yards), and John (102.1, 102.9, and 107.7 yards)

As your handicap goes up, so will the variance of the shots hit from this distance. Both Howard and John hit the ball around 100 yards, but not consistently. Howard had an average of 99.3 yards and John had an average of 104.2 yards. But it’s not the average that is the issue here; it’s the lack of distance control with both short and long shots by both.

Howard’s shortest shot went 93.5 yards and longest went 104.4 yards, giving us a gap of 10.9 yards or 32.7 feet!

John’s shortest shot was 102.1 and his longest was 107.7 giving us a gap of 5.6 yards or 16.8 feet.

Now if the pin was always in the middle of the green, it would not be that big of an issue. But when the pins are in the front or back, which shot is going to show up? This is the difference between chipping on and having a long two putt for par.

For the single-digit player, you must not lose your focus when you have the feel. If you lose your focus, you have the big miss potentially taking away a good birdie chance. For the average player, grooving solid contact is the key. Hitting the ball solid will help you to accurately predict what shot you’ll hit and how far it will go.

Now let’s examine the 150-yard shot from each group of players.

William McGirt (151.4, 149.9, and 151.0)

As a PGA Tour Professional, you would assume that the yardages would again be perfect — and they’re close, with an average of 150.8 yards. But one thing I want to point out is how TIGHT the dispersion is from this distance. You can see his blue dots are clustered very tightly around the 150-yard target. Once again, this gives him the best chance to be around the pin with the most accuracy. Also look at what club he hit versus the other players.

Tom Stickney (151.9, 150.7, and 149.8 yards)

As a scratch player, the talent is there to hit the shots but the dispersion is not even in the same ballpark as the Tour Player. This shows us once again why I should teach golf for a living! I get strokes from the pro, but never enough.

Howard (141.5, 141.3, and 145.9 yards), and John (143.2, 151.9, and 139.6 yards)

With the handicap golfers, we saw a large difference between the shortest and longest shot. However, as the distances get longer, you will see that most players base their 150-yard shot on the one out of “X” that they hit that yardage, not their average!

Howard’s closest was 145.9, but the actual average was around 141, if you took out the last shot. John indeed hit his best one 151.9, but his other two were around 141 as well.

Now let’s look at carry vs. total yardage for these two players.

Howard’s TOTAL distance was 147.4 yards while John’s TOTAL was 152.7. And these are what most average golfers depend on — the total yardage to get the ball to the distance they want it to go. Sometimes this works, but other times it does not. I will say that it is very difficult to judge what is going to happen once the ball hits the ground and it’s best to understand your carry distances. Sadly, most amateurs do not.

So what do I want you to take from this article?

Tour Professionals carry the ball the same distance every time with the same club within reason.
Tour Professionals have tighter dispersion patterns than all of us with each club.
Single-digit players can have flashes of brilliance as it pertains to distance and dispersion control, but the “big miss” is always lurking. It could be due to a lack of focus or a swing flaw that creeps up. It’s your job to figure out what it is so you can be better in the end.
Average players are OK with shorter clubs in regard to carry distances, but once they get outside 100 yards they focus only on total distance.
Average players based their overall distances on the one perfect shot they hit out of “X” number of shots instead of the real averages.
Average players have huge swings in distance due to unsolid shots (fat and thin) that can hamper their distances.
Average players try and hit the same club as the Pros with little success. Both Howard and John needed one more club to actually carry the ball 150 yards in the air, but never did so on average.

Failure is crucial: Make your practice sessions more difficult

Dr. Gupta: The Secret To Finding YOUR GAME

Tom F. Stickney II, is a specialist in Biomechanics for Golf, Physiology, and 3d Motion Analysis. He has a degree in Exercise and Fitness and has been a Director of Instruction for almost 30 years at resorts and clubs such as- The Four Seasons Punta Mita, BIGHORN Golf Club, The Club at Cordillera, The Promontory Club, and the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. His past and present instructional awards include the following: Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher, Golf Digest Top 50 International Instructor, Golf Tips Top 25 Instructor, Best in State (Florida, Colorado, and California,) Top 20 Teachers Under 40, Best Young Teachers and many more. Tom is a Trackman University Master/Partner, a distinction held by less than 25 people in the world. Tom is TPI Certified- Level 1, Golf Level 2, Level 2- Power, and Level 2- Fitness and believes that you cannot reach your maximum potential as a player with out some focus on your physiology. You can reach him at [email protected] and he welcomes any questions you may have.

75 Comments

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Feb 12, 2015 at 4:24 pm

Let me share with you my numbers tested on TrackMan this Saturday 7 Feb 2015 and my hcp is 14:

Dispersion on 140 yards was 33 yards (min:114 – max:147) or a score of 67 on the Trackman Combine, equivalent of a 5 Hcp .

Dispersion on 160 yards was 24 yards (min: 148 – max:172) or a score of 67 on the Trackman Combine, equivalent of a 5 Hcp.

I believe that the scores of Howard and John in your example are still pretty good as the dispersion is lower than 10 yards, right ?

Feb 11, 2015 at 11:22 am

I’m missing one thing from this. How does the carry actually matter? I always hear that phrase “no photos on the scorecard.” In this case, it actually seems as if the higher handicappers understood what their rollout was, therefore they understood their carry.

Your point was they didn’t account for carry. I’m trying to square that still…

Barry Martin

Feb 4, 2015 at 12:27 pm

Great article Tom and many useful takeaways. I have only one point of contention…

The point you make about amateurs consistently under-clubbing isn’t quite the whole picture in my experience. As a a regular Joe, there is NOTHING more tragic than saying “gee, I’m going to be smart, club up, and put a nice smooth swing on this one.” You know what happens next – my tension free swing makes great contact and airmails the green by 10 yards. And on most courses I play, I am penalized FAR more harshly for being long than short.

As a mid-80s guy I hit very few perfect shots, and I’ve been burned so many times with this “Humble Long” miss I can’t tell you. It’s why I’ll keep hitting 8i from 150, even if I do it only 5 out of 10 times. With a short miss, I’ll usually have a fair chance at bogey (and a fighting chance to get up and down for par), where the longer club I am just asking for a particularly cruel double (or worse).

Kit Alexander

Jan 30, 2015 at 8:14 am

A nice read but I do have one issue. It states at the beginning that you asked the players to hit 150-yards shots and judged them on carry. This seems a little unfair, given you say the handicap players consistently under-clubbed even though their total distances were both around 150 yards. Either you asked them to carry the ball 150 yards – in which case you need to re-word the introduction to the article. Or they were asked to hit 150-yard total distances and did exactly that (more or less) but were unfairly judged on their carry distances. This may seem a bit pernickety but it’s pretty essential to the results and conclusions.

Feb 2, 2015 at 5:33 pm

no problem with the article and the test: it is accuracy test where you have specific targets. would like to pull a driver to increase your average distance? it is actually funny that you think your club 7 carry 150yrds but you can hit it only 1:3 and the rest is club shorter.

random dude

Feb 4, 2015 at 4:24 pm

Kit, what you’re referring to is IOA (Inter Observer Agreement), in that, was your data and Toms data similar. The problem is, Kit, you weren’t involved in the experiment, and there for, had no say in clearly defining what YOU though would be acceptable range for the dependent variable (the behavior, or in this case, what people hit their shots to) for the experiment. Tom could go out and do this experiment over and over and it would likely (predictability) yield very similar data, meaning this was both accurate, valid and reliable. To be fair to you, Kit, if you and Tom together conducted the experiment, then you could hash out and define a different scale for the dependent variable.

tom stickney

Jan 29, 2015 at 6:57 pm

Al– I feel you pain sir

Jan 29, 2015 at 6:55 pm

Dave and Drew…thank you for your comments

Jan 29, 2015 at 4:41 pm

you’re

Jan 28, 2015 at 8:14 pm

Try the same tests, with range balls the amateur hits most. I’m a hack, but I’ll find 2 (or more) shots I never saw in the sun with 1 or 3 yards between them. I amaze myself all the time with my consistency of terribleness. It’s a putrid swing, but I seem to duplicate it pretty close with practically no effort.

Jan 28, 2015 at 2:04 pm

Great article Tom! This motivates me to chart my own data and adjust my practice plans.

Jan 28, 2015 at 12:41 pm

Enjoyed the read, even if it basically told us what we already knew to be true. I don’t think a person can truly appreciate just HOW good Tour players are until they see it in person. As a 13 hcp, I’ve hit some shots that a TP would be happy with, but the difference is I do it about 1/100 swings… they do it about 90/100 swings. The talent gap is just incredible. I’ve played rounds with a few guys who are run-of-the-mill mini-tour grinders and they will mop the floor with a typical weekend warrior… but they’re not even CLOSE to the talent level of a PGA Tour Pro. And then think about guys in the top 10 – the Rory’s/Scotts of the world – they are worlds above the average Joe.

Jan 27, 2015 at 10:13 pm

Do you have record of what club each of them hit from each yardage ?

Jan 27, 2015 at 8:51 pm

I tend to be shorter on my carry with irons. That’s by design. As an intermediate player with an index of about 14, I play for par. My goal is fairways and greens in regulation. two putt and move on. I go for the middle of the green. Safest place to be for a chance at par. If I get it close and have a opp for birdie, so be it. Where as my regular playing partners are trying to muscle an 8 iron to a back pin from 155 yds to the middle, I will pull my 7, make a smooth move through the ball and have a much better chance at being on the green in regulation. I don’t normally play distance. I hit shots. If the distance calls for a 6 but the shot calls for a 5, I hit the 5…I have no ego. Far is fun. Scoring low is better.

Jan 29, 2015 at 4:40 pm

sounds like your not scoring that low

Jan 27, 2015 at 8:19 pm

Vintage and Scott…wish I had time to do more shots but this article was just meant to be a sampling of sorts

Scott Fawcett

Jan 28, 2015 at 6:20 pm

Tom, I certainly knew you weren’t representing it as iron clad fact. I was simply letting the other reader know that their point was likely lost due to the sample size.

Jan 27, 2015 at 5:55 pm

http://www.thecaddiecard.com Here’s a handy little tool I use to keep my distances on hand. It really works will all the different wedge distances I have…half swing, quarter swing and choke downs.

vintage1976

Jan 27, 2015 at 1:39 pm

Am I the only one who finds it interesting that the Tour guy had better dispersion from 150 than he did from 100?

I wonder when he was last fitted for his wedges?

Jan 27, 2015 at 2:04 pm

With three trials per shot I’d hardly say those results are definitive. If the results were proven to be valid it would likely be the result of 150 being “perfect 9” vs the 100 being a 3/4 56* or something.

Jan 27, 2015 at 1:00 pm

Jamie– couldn’t agree more!

Jan 27, 2015 at 12:59 pm

Super– Brandon is a great guy for sure…William is a ole good county-boy

Jan 27, 2015 at 12:09 pm

The golf course is the one place that perception is not reality

superfido25

Jan 27, 2015 at 11:12 am

Pretty interesting (but not surprising) results. Classy of William to partake in this study. My cousin is his caddy, and says he is one of the most down to earth pro’s he has ever worked for.

Jan 27, 2015 at 10:52 am

Jan 27, 2015 at 10:51 am

The– good call on how to find your yardages

Low– Both…but on the course is the real test!

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Jan 27, 2015 at 8:19 am

Awesome article. As a single digit player, you hit the nail on the head. As I get into my wedge play my yardages become more solid as was your example. You are correct again as with my 8 iron, the yardages are consistent but my dispersion becomes greater. As I get into my longer irons, both my distance and dispersion suffer a little more. I think the fact that many a times, we are left not hitting the mid to longer irons that frequently where we are as comfortable as say hitting the shorter/wedges since we tend to play them more. What I notice though in watching the tour players on television is that since they play from the tips, even though they hit it a long ways, a see more of the 6-5 iron shots being used on some holes due to the par 4’s being around 460 plus yards. Could this be a factor. I usually play the back tees and find I am around the 8 iron on in yardages. Yes I know I can practice my 6-5 and 4 iron more on the range but to actually use it in playing conditions more often is my question? What would you suggest.

Jan 27, 2015 at 9:35 am

Hit less than driver on more par 4s.

The Infidel

Jan 27, 2015 at 7:55 am

Great point, but also something easy to rectify. Whether it’s on a BYOB (bring your own balls) range, a quiet corner of the course or just a field where you can hit find a level or flat spot and hit 10 balls. Then set a mark with a GPS, I’ve got a $30 sky caddie 2.5, then walk to the middle of the cluster of 10 balls. Mark it, that’s your average distance.

With more than 10 balls you’ll inevitably form a closer dispersion pattern all things being equal. So what you’re looking for is that one number for that one time you pull the 7i from the bag.

I managed to chart my 4-PW over the course of 3 rounds on a quiet course. It’s not the TrackMan experience but “some” data is better than no data. Good luck.

Marty Griffin

Jan 26, 2015 at 11:44 pm

I had the opportunity to interview Tom and one of the things we talked about was consistency. So it was really cool to read all of these trackman data sets (I love stats). 14 hole good, that sounds about right Tom 🙂

Jan 26, 2015 at 10:21 pm

Sorry, I did not track that information, but I will tell you that the irons of McGirt are not set up stronger as are ours. I use the RSI’2 so you can find my specs on-line.

Jan 26, 2015 at 10:19 pm

Taylor- yardage finders help 100%

Chris– where there is a will there is a way…

Jan 26, 2015 at 10:18 pm

Awedge- Agree…thanks!

Kirby– both

Jan 26, 2015 at 10:17 pm

Steve– any tour player is pretty good up close, some just win more than others

Bill Belicheck

Jan 26, 2015 at 9:34 pm

Jan 26, 2015 at 9:17 pm

Imagine the difference if you had a good tour player

Jan 26, 2015 at 7:10 pm

This was a very interesting article. I went from a 7 handicap to a 2 within a few weeks after buying my first laser range finder.Tom, in your opinion was the amateurs inconsistencies due to strike or mechanics or both?

Jan 26, 2015 at 7:03 pm

Being a high handicapper, I charted every club in my bag. I know my average and that’s what I play. Helps with shot dispersion, confidence and common sense. My scores are dropping because I know (within reason) what I can hit. My game is getting better and I’m getting longer with every club. In the spring, I’ll re-chart.

Good article as always!

Jan 27, 2015 at 2:14 pm

About 6 months ago I purchased a “Swing Caddie” from Voice Caddie and have been using the averages stored in the device for each club and have dropped my HCP by minimum 3 strokes. Best $195 I ever spent.

Jan 26, 2015 at 6:25 pm

The ultimate question is not about what the results show, but how we as amateur players can get better at learning our distances? The obvious answer is “consult your PGA pro for lessons”. This is great to work on your swing and get more consistent. However, as your swing becomes more consistent how can we learn our real distances. We cannot afford a trackman or flightscope to measure each shot, driving range balls are generally limited distance which make determining distances impossible, and hanging out on a hole on your local golf course is generally frowned upon.

Jan 26, 2015 at 6:53 pm

After I got a laser for distance my club selection has become much more honed in. It’s not the slope version so there is still some guessing when it comes to big drops, but overall, I really know how far I hit my clubs through trial and error. More importantly, I figured out what distance I hit most from (150 yards), so I practice my 9 iron a lot more than other clubs. This really has lowered my score as I know when it comes to 150 I’m dancing.

Double Mocha Man

Jan 26, 2015 at 5:01 pm

Any chance of telling us what club (loft in degrees, not club number) each player hit on both the 100 and 150 yard shots???

Jan 26, 2015 at 4:38 pm

Good article thanks for the info. If you think this is useless information you’re probably not trying to improve. If you want to be better why not compare yourself to a pro? See how far you have to go to do something like shoot under par. That kind of accuracy from 150 is impressive and something to strive for. I know a lot of amateur golfers that can probably outdrive a tour pro…..i don’t know many that can stick it from 150 within 15 on avg.

number crunch

Jan 26, 2015 at 4:12 pm

I’m getting to the point where I’m going to stop watching golf broadcasts and stop digesting the nonsense written on mere mortals compared to a touring pro.

I do not cluster my 9i’s in a 2′ circle from 150y. I do not stop 100y shots within feet of the pin. I also do not book $1+ million in prize money on the tour on an annual basis.

How many times do we have to hear about how @#$%ing good these guys are at golf?

And the industry sits around and wonders why participation is on a negative slide. People who write these articles are shaming the average golfer…the guy who is on tour already knows he’s better than 99.99 percent of the world…this article just reminds the decent player that he will still never be as good as the guy on TV (or the guy teaching him for that matter).

on a positive note…the spelling looked good…keep up the good work!

Jan 26, 2015 at 3:45 pm

I’m not going to say these are useless numbers you crunched. But the results and findings seemed to be too simple and generally intuitive to most any half wit. As an 11, I can hit it 2 feet from the flag (occasionally) or I can hit it 20 yards from it (more likely). Would I have thought that kind of lame consistency from a tour player before reading this? Or even a scratch golfer? And now through your study we know that with empirical evidence to back up what we knew. Sadly it won’t do me any good tho holding a club in my hand at 150 yds out…

Jan 26, 2015 at 3:30 pm

Nice article, Tom. Can’t wait for the snow to melt here in Montana so I can get back after it!

Jan 26, 2015 at 3:22 pm

This article is a great example of the fact that Pros (a vast majority of the time and only unless the shot requires them to release the ball), hit the ball to or past the flag. Amatures so often, forget to factor in release or in some cases spin. A big part of this is knowing course conditions and how they affect (effect?) the ball. It’s all part of creating consistency.

Jan 26, 2015 at 3:08 pm

Great, Great, article!! Kevin-This is extremely useful data because of the conditions. This was done under ideal conditions, and these results are the absolute best they could hope for. On the course under “real world” conditions, with the pressure of a “not middle” pin (which is 2/3 of pin placements on an average course set up), the numbers are just going to get worse. That my friend is useful data, if they are willing to learn.

Jan 26, 2015 at 3:07 pm

Useful info. I am not as consistent as your two amateurs, let alone a pro. I love to play golf but hate to do poorly. Practice practice practice. Thanks.

Robert Cadnor

Jan 26, 2015 at 2:54 pm

Great article! Two questions. For William’s 150 yard shot, you mention “Also look at what club he hit versus the other players”.

1. Isn’t he using the same 8iron as you and Howard?

2. What were the carry/total for William and your 8irons?

Thanks for the great read. It’s interesting to see the dispersion differences.

Jan 26, 2015 at 2:15 pm

Talk about a pile of lame and useless info!

Jan 26, 2015 at 3:28 pm

How can you deem this “useless info”? It really digs into why tour pros are so good week after week after week, and leaves us with practice implications, ideas to ponder, etc.

i could say the same about your comment

Kevin Taglione

Jan 26, 2015 at 2:09 pm

This was cool test but I feel like the data is kind of un-useful. Because they were hitting on the range and same lie every time. not like a golf course. I would have more interesting to track a couple rounds of golf for these 4 players and see their GIR reg % from various yardage ranges (>100, 100-120, 120-140, ect.) Becasue most their misses from what I could see would still be on the green as long as they weren’t going at tucked pins.

Jan 26, 2015 at 1:46 pm

Mark– I did that article a few months ago, check my archives on Golfwrx and you’ll find it. Thx

Jan 26, 2015 at 1:45 pm

Golf- Yes, be mindful of how far you fly the ball, but do remember how the ball usually reacts when it hits the greens you tend to play

Jan 26, 2015 at 1:44 pm

Teaj– Glad you liked the article, take a golf vacation ASAP

Jan 26, 2015 at 1:42 pm

Jason– Agree, but at least this gives you some information to audit on your own

Jan 26, 2015 at 1:41 pm

Thanks Ryan

Jan 26, 2015 at 1:30 pm

glad to see someone breaking down small things like this. But for the guy who goes to the range to try and do this I don’t think it will reflect the correct data they are after. Your players use balls on the range that is the same ball they play with. From what I know range balls we common people use do not fly the same as the ball I play with.

Jan 26, 2015 at 1:17 pm

this makes me want to hit balls for hours to see what my carry and total distances are for each club, because you bring up a good point that all we think about is the total distance. I started doing this with wedges, finding the carry distance but why would we not do this for all of our clubs. if you have a bunker that you need to carry in front of the green on a long par 4 id like to know if I should club up and hope the ball stays on the green and not roll of the back. Oh how I am missing golf up hear in the great white north.

Jan 26, 2015 at 1:15 pm

what I take from it is to be more concious of total distance especially to pins. Often I take the right club for the distane but don’t take the roll into account – well we don’t spin it as well. Hitting it both 100 and 15o yards is key – now I see how I struggled on the 100 yards mark.

Mark Littlejohn

Jan 26, 2015 at 1:03 pm

Very interesting. It would also be interesting to see something like this done for single digit handicappers with hybrids vs 3/4 irons. Hybrids may be easier to hit and get airborne, but I suspect that the average single digit player would spray them as much or worse than they do the 3/4 irons…most hybrids have a built in draw bias. I hit my Mac 1025m 3 iron way better than my 21 degree hybrid, but I use a 17 degree Titleist 909H hybrid as a 2 iron just fine.

Ryan @Front9Back9

Jan 26, 2015 at 12:15 pm

Nice analysis. These kinds of breakdowns are cool to see

Tom Stickney

Jan 26, 2015 at 12:12 pm

Jafar- not right now…sorry

Jan 26, 2015 at 12:11 pm

Matt– no chance. I’ll be last! ????

Jan 26, 2015 at 11:50 am

Oooooo! Do drivers! DO DRIVERS! Haha!

Jan 26, 2015 at 11:40 am

I like these kinds of articles. Shows what I might be doing myself. Is there gonna be one for 150+ yards or drives?

Jan 26, 2015 at 11:30 am

Nice article, with just one ticky-tack comment. McGirt’s “big miss” on the 100yd shot would be 3.6 yards…not 1.4, correct?

Zak Kozuchowski

Jan 26, 2015 at 11:57 am

That appears to be our “big miss.” Thanks for the edit, sir.

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Mis-aligned hands

By this I mean that the palms of the two hands are not parallel to each other. Too many golfers have a weak left hand and strong right, or vice versa. The easiest way to learn how to hold the club with your palms aligned properly is to grip a plain wooden ruler or yardstick. It forces the hands to align properly and shows you how that feels. If you grip and re-grip a yardstick several times, then grip a club, you’ll see that the learning curve is almost immediate.

The position of the grip in the upper/left hand

I also observe many golfers who have the butt of the grip too far into the heel pad of the upper hand (the left hand for right-handed players). It’s amazing how much easier it is to release the club through the ball if even 1/4-1/2″ of the butt is beyond the left heel pad. Try this yourself to see what I mean. Swing the club freely with just your left hand and notice the difference in its release from when you hold it at the end of the grip, versus gripping down even a half inch.

To help you really understand how this works, go to the range and hit shots with your five-iron gripped down a full inch to make the club the same length as your seven-iron. You will probably see an amazing shot shape difference, and likely not see as much distance loss as you would expect.

Too much lower (right) hand on the club

It seems like almost all golfers of 8-10 handicap or higher have the club too far into the palm of the lower hand, because that feels “good” if you are trying to control the path of the clubhead to the ball. But the golf swing is not an effort to hit at the ball – it is a swing of the club. The proper hold on the club has the grip underneath the pad at the base of the fingers. This will likely feel “weak” to you — like you cannot control the club like that. EXACTLY. You should not be trying to control the club with your lower/master hand.

Gripping too tightly

Nearly all golfers hold the club too tightly, which tenses up the forearms and prevents a proper release of the club through impact. In order for the club to move back and through properly, you must feel that the club is controlled by the last three fingers of the upper hand, and the middle two fingers of the lower hand. If you engage your thumbs and forefingers in “holding” the club, the result will almost always be a grip that is too tight. Try this for yourself. Hold the club in your upper hand only, and squeeze firmly with just the last three fingers, with the forefinger and thumb off the club entirely. You have good control, but your forearms are not tense. Then begin to squeeze down with your thumb and forefinger and observe the tensing of the entire forearm. This is the way we are made, so the key to preventing tenseness in the arms is to hold the club very lightly with the “pinchers” — the thumbs and forefingers.

So, those are what I believe are the four fundamentals of a good grip. Anyone can learn them in their home or office very quickly. There is no easier way to improve your ball striking consistency and add distance than giving more attention to the way you hold the golf club.

Clement: Stop ripping off your swing with this drill!

Not the dreaded headcover under the armpit drill! As if your body is defective and can’t function by itself! Have you seen how incredible the human machine is with all the incredible feats of agility all kinds of athletes are accomplishing? You think your body is so defective (the good Lord is laughing his head off at you) that it needs a headcover tucked under the armpit so you can swing like T-Rex?

How a towel can fix your golf swing

This is a classic drill that has been used for decades. However, the world of marketed training aids has grown so much during that time that this simple practice has been virtually forgotten. Because why teach people how to play golf using everyday items when you can create and sell a product that reinforces the same thing? Nevertheless, I am here to give you helpful advice without running to the nearest Edwin Watts or adding something to your Amazon cart.

For the “scoring clubs,” having a solid connection between the arms and body during the swing, especially through impact, is paramount to creating long-lasting consistency. And keeping that connection throughout the swing helps rotate the shoulders more to generate more power to help you hit it farther. So, how does this drill work, and what will your game benefit from it? Well, let’s get into it.

You can use this for basic chip shots up to complete swings. I use this with every club in my bag, up to a 9 or 8-iron. It’s natural to create incrementally more separation between the arms and body as you progress up the set. So doing this with a high iron or a wood is not recommended.

While you set up to hit a ball, simply tuck the towel underneath both armpits. The length of the towel will determine how tight it will be across your chest but don’t make it so loose that it gets in the way of your vision. After both sides are tucked, make some focused swings, keeping both arms firmly connected to the body during the backswing and follow through. (Note: It’s normal to lose connection on your lead arm during your finishing pose.) When you’re ready, put a ball in the way of those swings and get to work.

Get a Better Shoulder Turn

Many of us struggle to have proper shoulder rotation in our golf swing, especially during long layoffs. Making a swing that is all arms and no shoulders is a surefire way to have less control with wedges and less distance with full swings. Notice how I can get in a similar-looking position in both 60° wedge photos. However, one is weak and uncontrollable, while the other is strong and connected. One allows me to use my larger muscles to create my swing, and one doesn’t. The follow-through is another critical point where having a good connection, as well as solid shoulder rotation, is a must. This drill is great for those who tend to have a “chicken wing” form in their lead arm, which happens when it becomes separated from the body through impact.

In full swings, getting your shoulders to rotate in your golf swing is a great way to reinforce proper weight distribution. If your swing is all arms, it’s much harder to get your weight to naturally shift to the inside part of your trail foot in the backswing. Sure, you could make the mistake of “sliding” to get weight on your back foot, but that doesn’t fix the issue. You must turn into your trial leg to generate power. Additionally, look at the difference in separation between my hands and my head in the 8-iron examples. The green picture has more separation and has my hands lower. This will help me lessen my angle of attack and make it easier to hit the inside part of the golf ball, rather than the over-the-top move that the other picture produces.

Stay Better Connected in the Backswing

When you don’t keep everything in your upper body working as one, getting to a good spot at the top of your swing is very hard to do. It would take impeccable timing along with great hand-eye coordination to hit quality shots with any sort of regularity if the arms are working separately from the body.

Notice in the red pictures of both my 60-degree wedge and 8-iron how high my hands are and the fact you can clearly see my shoulder through the gap in my arms. That has happened because the right arm, just above my elbow, has become totally disconnected from my body. That separation causes me to lift my hands as well as lose some of the extension in my left arm. This has been corrected in the green pictures by using this drill to reinforce that connection. It will also make you focus on keeping the lead arm close to your body as well. Because the moment either one loses that relationship, the towel falls.

I have been diligent this year in finding a few drills that target some of the issues that plague my golf game; either by simply forgetting fundamental things or by coming to terms with the faults that have bitten me my whole career. I have found that having a few drills to fall back on to reinforce certain feelings helps me find my game a little easier, and the “towel drill” is most definitely one of them.

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Golf Club Distances w/ Chart | Averages for Am & Pro Players

Last Updated on July 25, 2021

Distance is critical in golf. As golfers, we're always striving for more distance off the tee and consistent yardage gaps between the rest of our clubs.

In this guide, we'll break down how far amateur golfers of various skill levels and swing speeds hit each of their clubs to give you an idea of how you stack up. We've also included PGA and LPGA carry distance averages to see how you compare with the pros.

After that, we'll cover what factors affect your golf club distances and explain how to find out how far you hit each club.

Golf Club Distances Table

The table below shows how far golfers of various skill levels and swing speeds hit each club.

We've included PGA and LPGA carry distance averages of professional golfers that TrackMan gathered .

For amateur male golfers, we've split them into groups of "short," "mid," and "long" hitters. All distances refer to carry distance (distance until the ball first hits the ground) rather than total distance (carry and roll).

While TrackMan gathered extremely accurate data for LPGA and PGA carry distance averages, good data for amateurs is harder to come by.

There's a massive gap in skill-level and swing speeds among amateur golfers. Golfers of various handicaps also achieve their handicaps in a variety of ways. A 5-handicap golfer could be a super fast swinger in their athletic prime or a senior golfer who has lost distance over the years.

For our amateur short, mid, and long hitting male amateur distances, we relied on the limited available large sample data and what we've seen personally from loads of amateur golfers.

Because these yardages are for golfers of all ages, junior, middle-aged, and especially senior golfers may find themselves with distances closer to the "Short Hitting Male Amateurs" column. Most young adult to middle-aged male golfers should carry the ball to at least the "Mid-Length Male Amateurs" distances, while faster swingers of these ages can reach the distances in the "Long Male Amateurs" column.

Lastly, aside from LPGA professionals, we didn't include other female golfers in our distance table. There's even less data available for amateur female golfers than for male amateurs. We've also found a more considerable disparity in how far female recreational players hit the ball. Basically, we weren't confident we could provide any accurate/valuable information for female amateurs' distances.

What Affects Distance in Golf

There are a lot of factors that influence your golf club distances.

Club speed is the most significant factor in determining distance .

To illustrate this, look at the correlation of club head speed vs carry distance for PGA Tour players in the scatter plot below:

2020 PGA Tour Players Average Club Head Speed vs Average Carry Distance

Assuming all other things are equal, more swing speed means more energy that can be transferred from the club to the golf ball, resulting in higher ball speed. Higher ball speed means the ball will travel a further distance.

Factors like impact location on the club face, club path, spin rate, and launch angle also play a large part in how far a ball travels.

Impact Location Golf Iron and Driver Sweet Spot

An impact out of the "sweet spot" of your irons or woods will lead to a higher smash factor than strikes that are too low, too high, off the toe, or off the heel.

Smash factor is a calculation of how well you converted club speed into ball speed (Smash Factor = Ball Speed / Club Speed).

In particular, strikes out of the heel and low strikes can kill distance with the driver.

Strike Location Affect on Ball Speed, Spin Rate, and Distance

If you struggle to consistently hit the ball with or near the sweet spot of your club face, you'll have issues with the consistency of your yardages.

Spin Rate and Club Path

Spin rate plays a large role in how far you'll hit the ball and the shapes of your shots.

A lot of golfers put too much spin on the ball with their driver either because of too much club loft, poor strikes (bad impact location), or poor club face control (the direction the club face is aimed relative to your swing path).

If you feel you're hitting the ball well but should be getting a few more yards, work with a club-fitter to see if your driver has too much loft. The ideal spin rate depends on your club speed , but too much spin will cost you yards.

Slices and hooks are caused by the club face being aimed too open ( slice ) or too closed ( hook ) relative to the club path. This can lead to both too much spin and the ball's spin axis being too strongly left-to-right or right-to-left.

If your club face is open (aimed right) relative to your club path, this can both cause too much spin and will cause the ball to spin too left-to-right on its spin axis . You'll lose a lot of yards from a slice as the ball travels left-to-right rather than straight.

Launch Angle

For each club, there is an optimal amount of spin and an optimal launch angle. Launch angle is the angle of a golf ball's initial ascent relative to the ground.

Launching the ball too high or too low will cost you distance.

While launch angle problems could be due to your swing, they can also be caused by playing the wrong clubs for your swing. If you feel like you're hitting the ball too high or too low, work with a club-fitter to dial in your clubs.

Factors Out of Your Control

There are also factors out of your control that can affect distance, like temperature and altitude.

Every 10 degrees that the temperature rises can easily lead to a couple of yards of additional ball flight with a driver.

If you drive the ball 240 yards at sea level, you will carry it around 255 yards in Denver's mile high altitude.

How to Find Your Distances

If you're looking to better understand how far you hit each club, we'd recommend purchasing a launch monitor or finding a range with a launch monitor.

To get accurate distances, you'll also want to make sure that you're hitting the same golf balls you normally play on the course.

Many golf ranges have cheap, inconsistent, or even balls purposefully made not to fly as far as normal golf balls.

Your typical range ball can easily cost you 10+ yards with the driver, while a limited flight range ball can lose you 30+ yards of distance with driver compared to a premium golf ball.

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REVEALED: PGA Tour average CARRY DISTANCES - how do YOURS compare?!

How far do you hit each of your clubs? See how you compare to the average PGA Tour pro.

Ever wondered how far the average PGA Tour pro carries the ball with each of the clubs in their bag? Well you're in luck as the table below gives you the latest numbers from the circuit.

Okay, not everyone hits the ball as far as the likes of Bryson DeChambeau - who incredibly once carried a drive last season 400 yards - but the below list at least gives you a broader idea as to how far the average PGA Tour pro is carrying their golf ball in 2021.

REVEALED: PGA Tour average CARRY DISTANCES - how do YOURS compare?!

I know for one that GolfMagic Equipment Editor Alex Lodge, who plays off a low single-figure handicap, can hit the below numbers for fun - so some of you guys and girls out there may also be in the same boat.

Personally speaking, as a 14-handicap hacker, my total distances equate to the current carry distances of the average PGA Tour pro. But with a dodgy back and a few grey hairs starting to appear now, I will take that.

See how your carry numbers compare to the world's best on the PGA Tour in the table below, starting with the driver and moving down to the pitching wedge.

PGA TOUR AVERAGE CARRY DISTANCES 2021

DRIVER - 275 YARDS

3 WOOD - 243 YARDS

5 WOOD - 230 YARDS

HYBRID - 225 YARDS

3 IRON - 212 YARDS

4 IRON - 203 YARDS

5 IRON - 194 YARDS

6 IRON - 183 YARDS

7 IRON - 172 YARDS

8 IRON - 160 YARDS

9 IRON - 148 YARDS

PW - 136 YARDS

Stats: GOLFTV

How do your carry numbers compare to the averages on the PGA Tour? Come and share your thoughts over on our social media channels - Facebook, Instagram and Twitter - or head over to our YouTube channel.

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Average Golf Club Distances: Amateurs vs PGA Players

average golf club distances for amateur and pga pro golfers

The number one key to breaking 100 and golfing better is knowing the average golf club distances you can hit each of your clubs. In this guide, I’ll give a breakdown of average club distances for men and women, amateurs and PGA tour players.

I’ll also touch on other topics like:

How does swing speed effect golf club distances ?
How much does the golf ball impact distance?
How can you increase your distances for each golf club today?

Let’s start by going over the average golf club distances for each club first.

Pitching Wedge

Gap/approach wedge, average male golf club distances, average female golfer club distances, pga & lpga tour club distances, go to the driving range, use a golf gps app, use a launch monitor at home, practice makes perfect, swing speed, club head speed, smash factor, club sweet spot, wind and weather conditions, consistency, improve your swing technique, strengthen your golf muscles, upgrade your equipment, practice, practice, practice, video guides, conclusion/summary, average golf club distances by club type.

The average driving distance for an amateur is 220 yards off the tee . If you can hit further than that regularly and keep your ball in the fairway more often then not, congratulations!

A detailed breakdown on driver distance by golfer type and gender is as follows:

Average Male: 235 yards
Average Female: 180 yards
PGA Golfer: 298 yards
LPGA Golfer: 247 yards
Average Range for Men: 200-270 yards
Average Range for Women: 150-210 yards

The wide average range for both men and women is due to a number of factors, such as:

Driver Swing Speed
Driver Technology
Golf Ball Speed
Smash Factor / Quality of Strike
Experience Level

I’ll break all of that down below. But first, I’ll show you the average distances for all of the other golf clubs in your bag.

average golf club distance with a driver

The 3 wood is the second-longest club in your bag. It can be used off of the tee, fairway, or a propped up lie in the rough. Because of that, the overall average distance you can hit your 3-wood may range.

Golf’s averages are:

Average Male: 215 yards
Average Female: 155 yards
Average PGA Golfer: 278 yards
Average LPGA Golfer: 230 yards
Average Range for Men: 180-240 yards
Average Range for Women: 125-185 yards

The 5 wood has more loft compared to the 3 wood, which makes it easier to hit up into the air but lowers the distance you can get. Average distances for a 5 wood are:

Average Male: 200 yards
Average Female: 140 yards
Average PGA Golfer: 255 yards
Average LPGA Golfer: 205 yards
Average Range for Men: 160-225 yards
Average Range for Women: 110-175 yards

A lot of golf club sets include a 3 hybrid club instead of a 3 iron because it is much easier to hit. The club head on a hybrid is similar to a wood, promoting longer distance and less spin.

Average distances for a 3 hybrid are:

Average Maler: 190 yards
Average Female: 130 yards
Average PGA Golfer: 235 yards
Average LPGA Golfer: 195 yards
Average Range for Men: 160-220 yards
Average Range for Women: 100-170 yards

A 3 iron is used in similar situations as a hybrid, but you will not be able to hit it as far. Instead, you will see a slightly lower ball speed and more spin. A golf ball hit by a 3 iron will not roll as far after it lands.

Average distances for a 3 iron are:

Average Male: 185 yards
Average Female: 125 yards
Average PGA Golfer: 230 yards
Average LPGA Golfer: 190 yards
Average Range for Men: 150-210 yards
Average Range for Women: 100-160 yards

A 4 iron, like a 3 iron, can be tricky to hit because of its low loft and longer shaft length. However, it’s a key medium-to-long distance iron to hit your approach shots with. It’s a common club to use if you need to punch out of the trees or keep your ball flight low and it has a loft of 24 degrees.

The average golf distances for a 4 iron are:

Average Male: 175 yards
Average PGA Golfer: 225 yards
Average LPGA Golfer: 185 yards
Average Range for Men: 150-200 yards
Average Range for Women: 90-160 yards

A 5 iron is a very good club that can be hit by pros and beginners alike. It’s often the lowest lofted iron in a beginner set of club.

The average distances for a 5 irons are:

Average Male: 165 yards
Average Female: 115 yards
Average PGA Golfer: 215 yards
Average LPGA Golfer: 175 yards
Average Range for Men: 140-180 yards
Average Range for Women: 80-140 yards

A 6 iron is when ball spin and stopping power become more important than distance. It has a loft of 31 degrees.

The average distances for a 6 iron are:

Average Male: 155 yards
Average Female: 105 yards
Average PGA Golfer: 205 yards
Average LPGA Golfer: 165 yards
Average Range for Men: 130-170 yards
Average Range for Women: 70-130 yards

For most people, a 7 iron is the club where you add enough spin to the golf ball to erase your natural slice or fade. It has a loft of 34 degrees and it’s average distances are:

Average Male: 145 yards
Average Female: 95 yards
Average PGA Golfer: 195 yards
Average LPGA Golfer: 155 yards
Average Range for Men: 120-160 yards
Average Range for Women: 60-120 yards

An 8 iron has about 37 degrees of loft. It is mostly used as a medium-to-short approach club that allows you to get the ball close to the green.

Average distances for an 8 iron are:

Average Male: 135 yards
Average Female: 85 yards
Average PGA Golfer: 185 yards
Average LPGA Golfer: 145 yards
Average Range for Men: 110-150 yards
Average Range for Women: 55-110 yards

A 9 iron is a versatile club that you can use from further away to stick the ball close to the green. It is also a popular chipping club for “bump-and-run” style shots around the green. The 9 iron has a standard loft of 42 degrees.

The average distance for a 9 iron is:

Average Male: 120 yards
Average Female: 70 yards
Average PGA Golfer: 170 yards
Average LPGA Golfer: 130 yards
Average Range for Men: 100-140 yards
Average Range for Women: 50-100 yards

A pitching wedge is used mainly to hit pitches and chip shots around the green. For amateur golfers, the pitching wedge is the highest lofted club that can be hit reliably from all distances. The rest of the wedges in this guide as used as more niche shots at certain distances only.

The average distances for a full swing pitching wedge are:

Average Male: 110 yards
Average Female: 65 yards
Average PGA Golfer: 155 yards
Average LPGA Golfer: 115 yards
Average Range for Men: 80-130 yards
Average Range for Women: 50-85 yards

A gap or approach wedge has more loft than a pitching wedge and is used for high shots with low bounce. The name comes because it is a “gap” club between the pitching wedge and the sand wedge.

The average distances for a full swing gap wedge are:

Average Male: 90 yards
Average Female: 55 yards
Average PGA Golfer: 135 yards
Average LPGA Golfer: 105 yards
Average Range for Men: 70-115 yards
Average Range for Women: 40-80 yards

A sand wedge is used to help you get out of any bunkers you find yourself in. It has about 56 degrees of loft, which is quite a bit. A lot of beginner golfers cannot hit a good sand wedge because the amount of error is so low.

The average distances of a full swing sand wedge is:

Average Male: 80 yards
Average Female: 50 yards
Average PGA Golfer: 125 yards
Average LPGA Golfer: 100 yards
Average Range for Men: 60-110 yards
Average Range for Women: 40-75 yards

A lob wedge is the highest lofted club in a golf bag at 60 degrees. This lob wedge is used to get a huge amount of height but low distance. When hit properly, a lob wedge will produce lots of backspin.

Average Male: 70 yards
Average Female: 40 yards
Average PGA Golfer: 105 yards
Average LPGA Golfer: 80 yards
Average Range for Men: 50-90 yards
Average Range for Women: 35-60 yards

Average Golf Distance Charts

If you want a quick reference guide, the chart below shows how far the average golfer hits the ball for each club.

Using this chart, you can see how your distance for each club matches up against the average golfer.

How Do You Know Your Average Golf Club Distances?

Knowing how far you can hit each golf club is key to both breaking 100 and becoming a scratch golfer. Without knowing how far you hit each club, you are more likely to sail a ball over the green or leave it short for your next shot.

Here are some tips for figuring out your average golf club distances:

Driving ranges are the perfect spot to work on your swing and make everything more consistent. Ranges will have markers for major distance, allowing you to hit dozens of balls and really determine accurate distances for each club.

You don’t hit some irons in your bag that regularly, so the range is the perfect spot to figure out iron distances.

A golf GPS allows you to see the distance to every green and hazard on the golf course while you are playing your round. The good ones also have AutoShot detection, which track your distances on every shot. You can review your stats after the round is done and review average club distances too.

Click here to read about the Garmin Approach watches , which have AutoShot built into them. You can also read about the best golf GPS watches here.

Garmin Approach S42, GPS Golf Smartwatch, Lightweight with 1.2' Touchscreen, 42k+ Preloaded Courses, Gunmetal Ceramic Bezel and Black Silicone Band, 010-02572-10

A golf launch monitor tracks metrics about your swing, including:

Overall distance
Attack angle

It is the number one way to understand how you hit each golf club while at home. Pick up a launch monitor, such as the affordable FlightScope Mevo , and a golf hitting net , and you will be able to create your own golf club distance charts.

FlightScope Mevo - Portable Personal Launch Monitor for Golf

The ultimate way to know your average club distances is to practice. New golfers don’t hit consistent enough to truly understand how far they can hit each club. Working on your skill level first will allow you to get more accurate results.

PGA tour players know their distances because they practice day in and day out.

Click here to check out golf practice tools.

Factors That Impact Golf Club Distance

There are a lot of different components to your swing that affect the average distance you can hit each of your clubs.

Your average swing speed will have a huge impact on how far the ball travels off of your club head. A slower swing speed won’t be able to hit as far as a faster one. The average PGA player can swing about 115 miles per hours, while the average for a casual golfer is only 90 miles per hour. This is a big reason for the difference in average distance at different skill levels.

How fast your club head is travelling at impact with the golf ball determines how far the ball travels. This is correlated to swing speed, but can also be affected by other factors such as:

Club technology
Angle of impact
Wind conditions

Just like swing speed, average golfers have a tough time generating distance with a slow club head speed.

Smash Factor is the ratio between the speed of the ball when it is hit verses your swing speed. If you make direct contact with the golf ball (club head is exactly perpendicular to the ball), you will have a high smash factor and this has a huge impact on distance. If you your club is not direct to the ball, you will introduce side spin to it and you will hook or slice the ball.

It doesn’t matter how fast or hard you are swinging your club if you are not making contact with the club’s sweet spot. A normal iron will have a sweet spot on the bottom-center of the club, which is the ideal spot to make contact. Golf drivers have a bit higher sweet spot because you hit the ball off of a tee.

Making contact with the sweet spot will generate faster ball speed and that satisfying “pop” sound when you make contact.

Distance can be greatly impacted by the conditions on the course. Hitting into the wind will shorten the distance you can get. A side wind will add spin to your golf ball and steer it off path. You will increase your distance if you have a strong wind behind you. A humid day will shorten your shots because of the added air density.

Because of this, the average golf club distances you get are only a guideline. You need to take into account the conditions of the day in order to know the true distance for each shot.

Above everything else, consistency is key. You won’t be able to reliably know your exact distance unless you know that your swing is identical every time.

How Can You Increase Your Golf Club Distance?

If you want to hit the golf ball further, there are a number of things you can do.

Improving your swing technique is perhaps the most effective way to increase your golf club distance. Try these things to practice a more powerful and efficient swing:

Maintain proper posture : Stand tall with your knees slightly bent and your weight evenly distributed between your feet.
Grip the club correctly : Hold the club with a firm but relaxed grip, allowing your wrists to hinge during the swing.
Rotate your body : Focus on rotating your hips, torso, and shoulders in sync, which will generate power and speed in your swing.
Stay balanced: Keep your weight centered and avoid swaying during the swing.

Click here to read more tips on how to play golf better.

Increasing your strength, particularly in the muscles used during a golf swing, can have a significant impact on your club distance. Incorporate these exercises into your fitness routine:

Core exercises : Planks, Russian twists, and medicine ball rotations.
Lower body exercises : Squats, lunges, and deadlifts.
Upper body exercises : Push-ups, pull-ups, and seated rows.

The right equipment can make a noticeable difference in your golf club distance. Consider upgrading to:

Custom-fit clubs : Clubs tailored to your body measurements and swing can help you make better contact with the ball.
Low-compression golf balls : These balls can provide more distance, especially for golfers with slower swing speeds.
High-quality golf shoes : Shoes with proper support and traction can help you maintain balance and generate more power in your swing.

As with any skill, practice is essential to increasing your golf club distance. Spend time at the driving range working on your swing technique, and consider taking lessons from a golf professional to fine-tune your skills.

With dedication and persistence, you’ll start to see improvements in your distance and overall game.

Want to learn more? Here are some helpful videos on golf club distances that you can watch:

How Far Should the Average Golfer Hit a Driver? (By Age, Gender, Handicap + Swingspeed!)

Above, I went over the average golf club distances for each gender and golfer type. This is a guideline to help you determine and compare your own results to. In order to pinpoint how far you can hit each wood, iron, and wedge, you need to practice a lot and work on your swing.

Going to the driving range or buying your own launch monitor is the best way to start to understand your own hitting. If you have any other method that has worked well for you in the past, comment down below and let us know today.

Frequently Asked Questions About Golf Ball Distances (FAQs)

What are the average golf club distances for male amateur golfers.

For male amateur golfers, the average golf club distances tend to vary based on the club used. For example, a driver can reach between 200-230 yards, a 3-wood about 180-210 yards, a 5-iron usually covers 140-160 yards, and a 9-iron approximately 100-120 yards. Remember, these distances can significantly fluctuate depending on factors such as technique, physical strength, and weather conditions.

What is the average golf club distance for a PGA professional male golfer?

PGA professional male golfers tend to achieve significantly longer distances due to their advanced skill level and physical conditioning. Typically, a driver for a PGA pro can reach distances of 280-320 yards, a 3-wood about 240-270 yards, a 5-iron roughly 200-220 yards, and a 9-iron around 150-170 yards. Keep in mind, though, that these distances can vary based on the individual player’s style and environmental factors.

Does golf club type impact the average hitting distance?

Yes, the type of golf club has a substantial impact on the average hitting distance. Each club is designed with a specific purpose and trajectory in mind. Longer clubs like drivers and woods are designed to hit the ball further, while shorter clubs like irons and wedges provide more control and are used for shorter distances. The loft, or angle of the clubface, also plays a crucial role in determining the distance a ball can travel.

How can I increase my average golf club distances?

Improving your average golf club distances requires a blend of factors including improved swing mechanics, increased physical fitness, and often, upgraded equipment. Golf technology is continually evolving, so using up-to-date clubs can also give you an edge.

Does weather affect golf club distances?

Yes, weather plays a significant role in golf club distances. In warmer conditions, the ball can travel further as the air is less dense. Wind direction can also drastically affect your shot distance and trajectory. Understanding these variables and adjusting your game accordingly is a crucial aspect of golf strategy.

Ryan William

With over 25 years hands-on experience in the golfing world, Ryan is not just an avid golfer but a topical authority. His journey has had him delve deep into the nuances of the sport, from mastering the swing to understanding new golf technology. As an entrepreneur, Ryan is at the forefront of the latest golf trends, reviewing all new clubs, accessories, and training aids. His insights and expertise are backed by a prolific writing career, with over 1000 articles published across various platforms. Ryan's commitment is clear: to guide and inform the golf community with unparalleled knowledge and passion.

Last update on 2024-04-20 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

The Truth about Greens in Regulation

If you’re like most amateur golfers, chances are you want to hit more greens and have more birdie putts. And I’m all for that strategy. But before teaching you strategies to do that, it’s important to understand your “benchmark” of greens number based on your handicap.

Because here’s the thing, so many golfers get mad when they miss a green or only have 5-6 birdie putts per round. But depending on your handicap, that might be equal or above the average number per round.

Don’t believe me? Check out the PGA Tour averages first to better understand what’s realistic and what is a pipe dream. I’ll also help you understand your benchmark and five ways to find the putting surface more often.

Green in Regulation Definition

Before we dive in, you might be thinking… so what is a green in regulation (also abbreviated GIR) anyways?

This is a popular statistic to track for professional golfers and amateur golfers alike. Regulation means hitting in the number required (or less). You get a GIR as a regulation statistic if you hit:

A par 3 in one shot (or a hole in one).
A par 4 in two shots or less. Yes, driving the green in one counts too!
A par 5 in three shots or less.
A par 6 in four or fewer strokes. Believe it or not, but there are some golf courses with par 6’s.

Then, if you have two strokes on the green after hitting on in regulation, you’ll be making par. Or, drain the putt for a birdie or eagle.

As you will learn in this post, this statistical category is so important in shooting lower scores.

Tour Averages For Greens in Regulation

When researching this article, it’s pretty incredible to learn the PGA Tour averages for greens in regulation. Because if you’re like me, you probably think they average 70% or more, regardless of distance.

But it’s just not the case…

The Tours rank golfers based on all sorts of stats from fairways, putting, scrambling, sand saves and more.

Here’s the thing…

These are the best players in the world and yet, they still miss a lot more greens than the casual viewer might realize.

Let’s break it down by distances first.

PGA Tour Approach Shot Statistics (GIR Percentage)

This information is gathered from the PGA Tour :

200+ yards = 40% of greens. When they do hit the green from 200 plus yards, the average proximity to the hole is 54 feet from 225-250 yards. And 43 feet from the hole between 200-225 yards. For most golfers, this should be a big eye-opener. If you’re over 200 yards and hit the green, good for you because less than half of professional players do!
175-200 yards = 53% of greens. From under 200 yards, PGA Tour players hit just a little more than half of the greens and when they do, they average 34 feet from the hole.
150-175 yards = 63% of greens. From this range, players hit the green 10% more the last category, but still average 27 feet from the hole.
125-150 yards = 69% of greens. And when they do hit the green, they are still 23 feet away from the hole. This is a surprising proximity number to me since most players have a wedge or 9 iron (at most) from this range.
100-125 yards = 74 % of greens. This is another crazy stat as the pros only have a wedge of sorts from this distance and only hit the green 3 or 4 times! Not to mention, the average distance to the hole is still 20 feet.
Less than 100 yards = 81% of greens. Finally, players from short range on the course average 17 feet from the pin between 75-100 yards and 15 feet from 50-75 yards.

The GIR percentage for each distance from the pros should make even the worst golfer have a little hope. If guys on the major tours can’t get the golf ball on the green constantly, then recreational golfers won’t either. And that’s okay!

As long as you keep working on your short game and have mostly two putts on the putting green, you can score well.

Let’s break down the average green in regulation numbers for amateurs next.

Why Your GIR is Crucial to Your Score

Greg “the Shark” Norman once said, “Happiness is a long walk with a putter.” And he’s 100% right.

It’s a great feeling when you hit your ball on the green as you eye the birdie or eagle putt from the fairway. Generally speaking, when you hit the green, it should mean a lower score and as important, less stress.

Because if you miss the green, all kinds of bad things can happen. Thick rough, deep bunkers, and all kinds of other obstacles the golf Gods throw at us.

But the numbers for amateurs for average green in regulation on the course might surprise you too:

25-29 handicap = 3 greens
20-24 handicap – 3.5 greens
15-19 handicap: 5.1 greens
10-14 handicap: 6.9 greens
6-9 handicap: 8.5 greens
3-5 handicap: 10.2 greens
0-2 handicap: 11.8 greens
+3 to +1 handicap: 12.6 greens
Tour average: 11.7 greens

Essentially, if you shoot over a 100, you will only hit a few greens. If you shoot in the 90s, you will average less than five greens. If you shoot it in the 80s, you will average about seven greens. And if you shoot in the 70s, you will average about 10 greens.

Also, don’t let the Tour average green in regulation number fool you either. Those guys are playing much longer courses in high stakes environments… often needing birdies to win or make the weekend.

How to Hit More Greens in Golf – 5 Strategies For More GIR

Hitting greens typically means less stress and in general, an average lower stroker average. Even if you’re a world-class putter, your putting can’t make up for poor iron play on a consistent basis. The key is to increase your GIR stroke as much as possible to set yourself up for success.

Now that you have a better understanding of how many greens the pros hit and why they’re crucial to your score… let’s get into some tips. I’m confident that when you use all five of these tips, you’ll hit additional greens in regulation than ever before.

1. Hit More Fairways (Improve Your Tee Shot Game)

If you want to hit more greens in regulation, you need to give yourself the best opportunity to do so with quality tee shots. Because if you’re constantly playing from the thick stuff or behind trees, improving your GIR number is nearly impossible.

Especially for everyday amateur players, who aren’t as skilled with recovery shots as low handicap or scratch golfers. For skilled players, hitting fairways isn’t as important because they usually have a consistent enough swing to get on or near the green from the rough.

But for the everyday golfer, a solid tee ball will help a ton. It will usually mean an easier next shot to the putting green by avoiding fairway bunkers and other trouble off the tee. Because remember, if you hit in a hazard or out of bounds, you won’t be able to hit the GIR.

Plus, when you’re in the fairway, club selection is much easier too. Not having to worry about thick rough or flier lie will increase your chances of selecting the right club and finding the dance floor.

Here are a few tee box strategies to help you out.

Commit to a Shot

One of the reasons that a lot of players miss fairways is because they don’t commit to a shot off the tee. Instead, they hit and hope it finds the short grass. When in reality, you should have a clear starting point and end point for your golf ball before making a practice swing.

Imagine the shot for a second and feel a high draw , a low cut , or a straight shot you want to hit. Whether you pull it off or not, at least you had a high percentage shot in mind. This will help you on the course and commit in your mind the shot you want to play.

Have a Fairway Finder

I always suggest having some sort of “fairway finder” shot and/or club. This could either be a specific shot you play or a certain club that tends to find the short grass.

For some players, this might be a choke down, controlled driver swing. For others, it might be hitting a fairway wood or hybrid to find the fairway instead. Practice your fairway finder on the range so you have more consistency and confidence on the course.

Even Tiger Woods had a fairway finder, he called it the stinger and here is how to hit the stinger shot .

Plan Your Third Shot

Another tip to help you get on in regulation and have an easy two putts (or less) is to plan your third shot on Par 5s better. Sometimes that means going for it so you can get a short chip, while other times it means laying back and going for it in three.

Par 5s, despite being the longest holes, are the best chances for birdies. Set yourself up by thinking one shot ahead, so your third shot gives you the best opportunity.

2. Nail Your Pre-Shot Routine

Hitting fairways will generally help you hit more greens. But once you’re in the fairway, it’s important to have a solid pre-shot routine to lock in your approach shot . Otherwise, you’re more likely to waste epic drives and feel like you didn’t take advantage of a great tee shot.

Plus, your pre-shot routine will help you:

Find the right distances.
Evaluate weather conditions.
Choose the right golf club to hit.
Create a solid approach shot strategy.
Pick an ideal target and best place(s) to miss.
Stay calm under pressure and give yourself the best chance to putt for birdie.

A pre-shot routine will help with every single club in the bag. The more automatic you can make your routine, the easier it will be to go “unconscious” and into a flow state.

Just like training your swing, make sure that you practice your pre-shot routine as well.

3. Know Your Distances For Your Second Shot

Another huge part of hitting more greens every round is knowing your distances for each golf club. Because you could hit a great tee ball and have an awesome routine, but miss the green if you leave your second shot short or long. Then you’re scrambling to get it up and down and save par.

Sure, we’re all humans and bound to hit some shots thin or fat and miss the putting surface. But there is nothing worse than hitting a good shot and missing the GIR because you didn’t know your distances for each club.

Make sure to minimize this mistake by spending time on the range and during casual rounds getting to know your distances. The easiest way to do this is with a launch monitor , as it will tell you total distance and a lot more for each shot you hit. You can also use your rangefinder to hit targets on the range to better understand your distances.

As you become more advanced, try to have several distances with each club too. This will help you hit more greens because you’ll have more shots in the bag. Whether you’re uphill/downhill , playing in wind , or cold temperatures , you will have a shot for it.

4. Aim for the Fat Part of the Green

The PGA Tour stats showed one thing to me above all else – when players hit the green, they’re not that close! Think about the GIR percentage…

From 200+ yards they only less than 50% of the greens and still have 40 plus feet on average!
From 150 yards, they hit a little over 60% of the greens and still have 20 plus feet.
And from inside 100 yards, they still don’t average inside 10 feet.

So what’s the point?

If the best players in the world don’t throw darts all day (and they get paid millions of dollars to play golf), why should you?

The easiest way to hit more greens is to forget the flag entirely. Aim for the widest part of the green and I bet you will be astounded by your green in regulation numbers.

Will your playing buddies give you grief from time to time? Probably, but I bet you will also be the guy who takes their money at the end of the round too.

By aiming at the fat part of the green, you will not only hit more greens, but also short side yourself less often. So even if you miss the green, you will have an easier up and down too and not need your short game on fire every round. Not to mention, hitting greens at or above regulation percentage can help your confidence from tee to green.

As you get into wedges and short irons, then you can maybe aim more towards the flag. But for anything longer than a short iron, aim for the middle, accept a 20-30 foot putt, and keep the momentum going.

5. Track Your Stats

Finally, to hit more greens, it’s super important to track your stats . This way you can learn more about your game and figure out how to practice more efficiently. Since most of us only have so much time to work on our game , it’s important to spend it on your weaknesses.

When you track your stats, you will learn if you need to improve on the putting surface, work on your short game , long irons or hit more fairways. When tracking your round on the course, make sure to:

Include a statistical category for fairways hit, greens in regulation, up/down percentage, and number of putts.
Track consistently so you can get averages and practice more efficiently between rounds.
Notate your common miss-hit as it can be used to manage your miss and quickly improve your score.

Bonus Tip: Get Better on the Putting Surface

The bonus tip isn’t about hitting greens, as the first five tips will help with that a ton. But this tip is preaching the importance of putting when you get on the dance floor.

Because there is not much more frustrating than hitting a bunch of greens and scoring poorly due to bad putting. Trust me, I’ve been there myself more times than I can count.

Putting is the not so secret part about scoring well. But I think a misunderstanding that so many golfers have is how many putts they “should” make.

PGA Tour Putting Averages

The PGA Tour average is 28.95 putts per round.

Basically, if you can keep it under 30 putts, it is usually going to be a good scoring day for most golfers.

But proximity to the hole plays a huge role in making sure you avoid three putts. Check out the 2021 putting averages too for the average professional golfer:

35+ Feet: .32% make percentage
30-35 Feet: .60% make percentage
25-30 Feet: .88% make percentage
20-25 Feet: 12% make percentage
15-20 Feet: 18% make percentage
10-15 Feet: 29% make percentage
5-10 Feet: 53% make percentage
3-5 Feet: 87% make percentage

When you hit it closer, the odds of a putt dropping are more in your favor. And the best way to give yourself more quality looks is to use the five tips from above.

Also, here are a few more additional stats that might surprise you:

1 Putts Per Round = 7.15
2 Putts Per Round = 10.08
3 Putts Per Round = .54 (less than one 3-putt per round)
Avg Distance of Birdies = 9.4 feet
Avg Distance of Eagles = 16.8 feet

FAQs About Greens in Regulation

Do you have more questions about hitting greens so you can shoot lower scores? If so, hopefully our questions and answers below can help you out even more.

What is a good percentage of greens in regulation?

It depends on your handicap and skill level more than anything else. Some players might average a few greens in regulation. While others might have a green in regulation number between 6-9 and highly skilled players will be 10 or more.

Who has the best greens in regulation on the PGA Tour?

If you’ve ever wondered “Who hits the most greens on tour” it’s a great question. The list is constantly changing on a weekly basis, but the 2021 Tour average is 64%.

That means that PGA Tour players average roughly 11 of 18 greens per round (the European Tour is about the same too). But the breakdown by distances above are a much better way to understand. Since overall distance to the pin has a much bigger impact on total score.

Click here to check out the latest stats and tournaments for GIR averages.

What’s the PGA Tour record for greens hit?

There have been tons of times when players on the Tour, LPGA Tour, and European Tour have 18/18 greens per round. This is an incredible feat in itself and obviously requires tremendous ball striking.

And the four round tournament record is 69 of 72 greens according to the Tour’s website ! Here is what they said about this crazy good performance… “As for greens in regulation, the record is 69 of 72 greens for a four-round event. The record belongs to Peter Jacobson (1995 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am) and Jerry Kelly (1996 Walt Disney World Oldsmobile Classic).”

How impressive is that GIR stat? Imagine only having three attempts for saving par and 69 birdie attempts in four days.

But another amazing record is Tiger Woods from his historical season in 2000. What many have dubbed the greatest golf of his career, during that year he found 75.15% of all greens .

This is the highest GIR in regulation percentage ever since the tour began tracking GIR. His average score was also a tour record as well! Needless to say, Tiger Woods’ golf game that year was something we’ll likely never see again.

Does fringe count as a green in regulation?

No, the fringe does not count as green in regulation. Even though you can (and should) putt a majority of your fringe balls, they technically don’t count as a green on your stat sheet. But in general, putt the ball from the fringe to shoot better scores.

Final Thoughts on Greens in Regulation

Hopefully these stats will show that whenever you’re watching golf on TV, it’s basically the highlight reel. Sure, you will see the occasional bad shot on the big stage (like Ian Poulter hitting shanks) but it’s not often with pro golfers. Instead, they’re showing you the longest drives, the tightest approach shots, and the best putts.

In reality though, the majority of Tour players (both PGA and LPGA Tour) do not get it as close as you think, if they do even find the green. Which should be pretty eye-opening for the casual golfer. And if anything, it should make you feel better about your game by creating realistic expectations about your GIR number for the round.

So instead of going flag hunting 18 holes in a row, use the five tips to set yourself up for success:

Hit more fairways by getting a go-to “fairway finder” shot and solid tee box strategy.
Create a solid pre-shot routine to help you pick the right club and focus on the target.
Know your distances as if you were Justin Rose or some other pro you love. A launch monitor is the easiest way to learn your distances for each club and get the ball on the green more often than not.
Aim for the fat part of the green 90% of the time (or more). Unless you have a wedge or short iron, opt for the middle part of the largest area of the green.
Tracks your stats so you can learn to improve your first shot and practice efficiently.

The higher your green in regulation number, the less stress you will have and likely much fewer strokes every round too.

Last updated Jan 17, 2024

What is Strokes Gained Approach Shots? Explained

Strokes gained approach is an objective way to measure a golfer's ball-striking ability. In this post, I'll explain how it is calculated and why it matters.

Written By: Zach Gollwitzer

Posted in: Golf Statistics

Tags: Data-Driven Golf

What if I told you that the single biggest difference between you and a pro golfer is...

Your approach shots.

While it differs per golfer, many amateurs are surprised when I tell them that their long game is far more important than their short game when it comes to lowering their score.

In this post, I'm going to explain what "strokes gained approach" is all about and why it matters to your game.

This statistic tells us how good of a ball-striker a golfer is (e.g. irons ).

What is measured?

Strokes gained approach represents all shots over 30 yards (from edge of green) that are NOT tee shots on par 4s or par 5s. This metric includes par 3 tee shots.

Calculation and Formula

The formula for strokes gained approach (SGA) is:

SGA = Avg. strokes to hole out (start) - Avg. Strokes to hole out (end) - 1

Where "Avg. Strokes" is a "benchmark" calculated from hundreds of thousands of golf shots from the tour's ShotLink system.

Can Amateurs use this stat?

Yes, I recommend Arccos for tracking your strokes gained statistics.

Strokes Gained Approach: Tiger's Secret Weapon

We can all agree that Tiger is one of, if not the greatest golfers of all time.

But can we agree on why?

Some would argue that Tiger's dominance came from his putting. Others claim that it came from driving... Or chipping...

Thanks to the strokes gained methodology and the work done by Mark Broadie in Every Shot Counts , we now have a fairly objective answer to this question—and it may surprise you.

Tiger's dominance primarily came from his approach shots.

There, I said it.

As a former competitive golfer myself, I tend to think that his dominance came from his mental game, but we can't quantify that. We can quantify how much different parts of his game contributed to his victories by using strokes gained data.

Mark Broadie's research shows that over his career, Tiger gained ~1.28 strokes per round on his competitors.

That is... INSANE.

Tiger hits 75% of greens from 150-200 yards vs. the tour average of ~67%. Talk about an advantage.

But we're not here to talk about Tiger. We're here to talk about YOUR GAME.

Why should an amateur golfer care?

"But Zach, I'm not Tiger! I need to improve my driving and putting, not my iron shots!"

And you may be right.

But when it comes to golf improvement, the most important thing is to start tracking statistics and get an objective view of where your game needs work.

You can start by tracking your total greens in regulation , but that statistic doesn't tell you everything. If you're playing a course with massive greens, this statistic will be inflated even if you don't strike the ball well.

Strokes gained approach is all about proximity to the hole , which gives you an objective view of how well you struck the ball during a round, tournament, or entire career!

With strokes gained approach data, you can answer questions like:

How well do I strike it from 100-150 yards?
How well do I strike it from 150-200 yards?

By answering these questions, you'll know what to practice in your limited time at the range.

Furthermore, if we connect the dots between approach shots and strokes gained putting , we know that getting the ball a few feet closer to the hole can drastically improve your chances of making a putt.

What's wrong with the GIR (greens in regulation) statistic?

Greens in regulation , or "GIR" is a traditional golf statistic that measures how many greens a golfer hits "in regulation" during a round. If a golfer is playing a par 4 and hit the ball on the green in 2 strokes, that is a "green in regulation".

The PGA Tour average for this statistic is generally around 67% , while most amateurs hit less than 50% of greens.

This statistic is great for a simple measure of ball striking performance of a golfer, but has limitations:

It doesn't account for the length of the course
It doesn't account for the size of the greens
It doesn't account for the weather conditions

That's why strokes gained approach is a much more objective and overall better method of assessing the overall ball striking of a golfer.

What is Strokes Gained Approach?

Formally, the strokes gained approach measures all shots over 30 yards (from the edge of the green) except tee shots on par 4 and par 5 holes. This includes par 3 tee shots.

Strokes gained approach is one of several strokes gained statistics tracked by the ShotLink system on Tour. You can find the official statistics on the PGA Tour website . Amateur golfers can track this through systems like Arccos as I'll explain later in this post.

In the screenshot above, you can see that during the 2023 season, Scottie Sheffler led the tour in strokes gained approach. On average, Scottie gained 1.194 strokes on the field per round, and during the 2023 season, gained 88.344 strokes on the field over all his rounds.

While the official stat measures strokes gained approach by round, we can measure it in many different ways. Given the right data, we could measure strokes gained approach:

For a single golf hole
For a round of golf
For a full golf tournament
For an entire golf career
Between two golf courses
Between two golf tournaments

In other words, we could say that Rory Mcilroy "gained 2.2 strokes on the field during the Players Championship".

We could also say, "Over his career, Rory Mcilroy has lost 0.2 strokes against his peers on approach shots"

Or even, "Pebble Beach's greens are 0.3 strokes harder to hit than Bethpage Black's greens" (because they are so small).

I know, I know, this is confusing! Let's take a look at some examples to better understand the elusive strokes gained approach metric.

How is Strokes Gained Approach Calculated?

Calculating strokes gained approach is simpler than you think! At its core, this metric revolves around comparing a player's approach shot performance to a benchmark, typically derived from data collected on professional tours like the PGA Tour. It's a great way to objectively assess ball striking ability of a golfer.

Strokes Gained Approach Formula

The basic formula for strokes gained approach is:

For example, let's say a player hits their ball in the fairway and has 140 yards left. From 140 yards in the fairway, a PGA pro will on average take ~2.91 strokes to hole out.

Next, let's say this player hits the green and has 10 feet left to the hole. Based on historical data, we expect a tour pro to take ~1.61 strokes from this distance to hole out.

So our formula is:

SGA = 2.91 - 1.61 - 1 = 0.3

In this example where a player hits a 140-yard approach shot from the fairway to 10 feet on the green, they have gained 0.3 strokes on the field.

We also must subtract 1 at the end to account for the stroke taken.

As you can see, SGA is a function of location (fairway, rough, sand, etc.) and proximity (how close the ball ended to hole).

Let's walk through the in-depth methodology here.

Basic Calculation Methodology

As with other strokes gained statistics , strokes gained approach is tracked using the following basic methodology:

Establish a Baseline : The baseline is the average number of strokes a player takes to hole out from a given location and distance . For example, if a golfer is 135 yards from the rough , the baseline might be ~3.1 strokes. If an amateur is calculating strokes gained, they will typically compare to players of similar handicaps (skill levels) through an ecosystem like Arccos.
Compare Individual Performance : Next, we compare a player's performance to this baseline. If a golfer hits a 150 yard shot to 3 feet, they will gain strokes against the field.
Aggregate Data Over Rounds : This process is repeated for every shot in a round, and the values are aggregated. Positive values indicate better-than-average ball striking, while negative values suggest there's room for improvement.

Step 1: Establish a baseline

For our baseline, we'll look at a small sample of PGA Tour benchmarks. These numbers are not exactly what is used on tour (those numbers are constantly being updated), but are very close as they were sampled from Mark Broadie's book, Every Shot Counts :

Rows 1-4 are for putting, 5-6 are for "around the green", and the remainder are for approach shots.

Again, this is just a small sample to use for our examples. To calculate official statistics, more data points are used.

Step 2: Compare Individual Performance

For this example, let's say Tiger Woods is playing the 18th hole at Firestone South course during the WGC Bridgestone Invitational:

Let me start with an important note —we're ONLY looking at strokes gained approach here. Remember, strokes gained putting and strokes gained off the tee are separate metrics.

Strokes gained approach are shots over 100 yards that are not tee shots on par 4s and par 5s.

Therefore, the tee shot here and the putts will NOT go into our calculation.

On this hole, Tiger hit his drive in the fairway and had 160 yards left. He then hit it to 20 feet on the green. To calculate SGA, we have to figure out how many strokes are expected from the middle of the fairway at 160 yards (from the table above, that is 2.98 strokes). Then, we have to figure out how many strokes are expected from 20 feet on the putting green (from the table above, that is 1.87 strokes). We now subtract the two and take away 1 for the stroke taken.

SGA = 2.98 - 1.87 - 1 = 0.11

In this scenario, by hitting it to 20 feet from this distance, Tiger gained 0.11 strokes on the field.

Step 3: Aggregate

Now that you understand the individual calculation, we just need to go through this process for every hole during this round and sum them all up to get the official strokes gained approach metric that the PGA Tour tracks.

Finally, we can average it for all rounds of a season to get an annual metric. Below, you can see Tiger's strokes gained stats for 2007. He led the tour in strokes gained approach shots and on average, gained 1.65 strokes per round on the field!

"Median Leave": A better way to evaluate ball striking?

In his book, Every Shot Counts , Mark Broadie outlines an alternate way to measure approach shots called "median leave". While this is closely related to the strokes gained approach stat, it provides us with a slightly different angle. For example, take a sample from Broadie's analysis (2004-2012):

When we talk about median leave, we're referring to the percentage of total distance left after an approach shot.

Median Leave = Distance Remaining / Distance Starting

In other words, if a golfer hits a shot from 200 yards to 30 feet, that's a 5% "leave":

Median Leave = 30ft / 600ft = 5%

And yes, 600 feet is equivalent to 200 yards (we need similar units to calculate this).

By looking at median leave, we can better assess how well a golfer performs from different distances. For example, in the sample table above, you can see that during this time period, Scott Verplank was actually the best ball striker from 100-150 yards, but performed poorly from longer distances compared to other top players.

Can Amateur Golfers Use Strokes Gained Approach?

At the time of writing, the golf industry has come a long way with consumer-grade technology. With the proliferation of shot trackers and personal launch monitors , it has become easier for amateur golfers to assess their games with real on-course data.

That said, tracking strokes gained approach statistics still proves difficult for many golfers.

Because as we talked about earlier, strokes gained calculations require benchmark data.

This means that for a 15-handicap golfer to assess their game with strokes gained approach data, all of the following things must be tracked:

Every approach shot must be tracked (location AND distance)
Thousands of golfers who play to a 15 handicap must also track their approach shots
All this data must be aggregated in one spot (ecosystem)

For the PGA Tour, this is easy. ShotLink tracks every golf shot from every tournament for every tour pro automatically.

For us amateurs, we don't have this luxury (and frankly, most of us probably don't want all of our shots tracked!)

There are a few options though and I'm excited to see how this evolves in the next decade!

Option #1: Automatic Tracking

In my opinion, automatic strokes gained tracking is the best option. Tracking every shot for every round you play is exhausting and most golfers do not have the discipline to keep this up over a long enough period for it to start helping their games.

At the time of writing, here are a few shot trackers that also have strokes gained statistics built-in to their ecosystems:

Arccos Shot Trackers: The Arccos system has strokes gained calculations available to users (via the app) and thanks to all the amateur data they have collected, you can compare your rounds against golfers of similar skill levels. This is a huge benefit and allows for the most accurate strokes gained data.
ShotScope Trackers: A close second to Arccos, ShotScope offers shot trackers and an app that calculates strokes gained data. From what I've seen, ShotScope does not have quite as many data points as Arccos, but is a great alternative.

Option #2: Manual tracking

Several apps allow you to track all of your shots manually and then review strokes gained data within the dashboard. While this can be cumbersome and exhausting to some golfers, it is a great option if you are highly disciplined and dedicated to improving your golf game.

Here are a few to check out:

My Round Pro
PinPoint Golf
Decade Golf: This is more of a system than an app. While it does have an app, this is a premium service you pay for to help learn better golf strategy based on strokes gained data.

Other Types of Strokes Gained Statistics

At this point, you might be thinking—"Zach, we've talked a lot about approach shots, but what about the rest of my game?"

And you would be correct.

Strokes gained is more than just approach shots . It is an entire framework for measuring relative golf performance in all areas of a golfer's game:

Strokes gained approach (this article)
Strokes gained around the green
Strokes gained putting
Strokes gained off the tee (driving)

Concluding Thoughts: Big Takeaways

If we dive deeper into strokes gained approach data, there are a few conclusions that may surprise you:

In almost all cases, getting as close to the hole as possible is beneficial to your score (yes, partial wedge shots still yield better results than full wedge shots for most players)
Hitting from the fairway is nearly always better for your score (even though the rough seems easier to hit out of for some players)

Remember these things and be sure to check out my other strokes gained posts !

About the author: Loading...

About the author: zach gollwitzer.

Hey, I‘m Zach, the founder of The DIY Golfer! I created this site while playing D1 collegiate golf with a simple mission—I wanted to learn the golf swing and get better at golf myself.

Fast forward a few years, and my “journal“, The DIY Golfer, has been viewed by millions of golfers worldwide looking to do the same with their games. my mission is to make golfers more consistent in just a few hours a week through advanced practice strategies and timeless, first-principle golf instruction.

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Golf Swing Speed Chart: Averages By Age, Skill, and More

Swing speed charts can tell you the average speeds by age, skill, gender, and more. You can also compare how club head speeds compare to distance.

As a PGA-certified golf coach, I know I am not alone in being a numbers and statistics geek. Many of my students are hungry to compare their numbers with their favorite pro golfers using charts, graphs, and other visual representations.

Many swing speed charts exist today. Some break down clubhead and ball speed by a golfer’s handicap, gender, age, years playing, and many other areas. What many may find surprising by some of the data is that most golfers do not swing as fast as they think nor hit the ball as far as they claim to.

My goal in this article is to share all of the latest information and statistics regarding swing speed in golf. I’ll also share other related information, such as the distance at which golfers hit the ball. Other information relevant to this topic will be shared as well.

Here is a breakdown of what you can find if you read on:

Average Swing Speed By Age and Gender
Average Swing Speed By Handicap
Average PGA TOUR Club Head Speeds and Distances
PGA TOUR Average Club Head Speeds and Carry Distance Per Club
Average LPGA TOUR Club Head Speeds and Distances
LPGA TOUR Average Club Head Speeds and Carry Distance Per Club
The Fastest Swingers In Golf

Tips To Improve Your Swing Speed

So get ready, and make sure to buckle up. Things are going to get fast!

Average Swing Speed Chart By Age and Gender

Average swing speed chart by handicap, pga tour fastest 10 driver swing speed averages.

PGA TOUR Slowest 10 Driver Swing Speed Averages

Fast Swing Speed Does Not Always Equal Longer Drives

Swing speed and driving distance matters, but you can win without them, pga tour average clubhead speed and carry distance per club, lpga tour fastest 10 driver distance averages, lpga tour average clubhead speed and carry distance per club, the fastest swing speeds in golf, traditional tips for getting faster swing speeds, non-traditional tips for getting faster swing speeds, what is the mach 3 speed training system, final thoughts.

golf swing speed chart by age gender skill

*Estimates due to a lack of participants in this age and gender group

** The data in the chart was compiled from a Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) study conducted in 2019.

Club head swing speed contributes to the distance a golfer can hit a golf ball. Countless factors contribute to how fast a golfer can swing, such as age, flexibility, strength, gender, and the efficiency of their swing mechanics.

The first factor I wanted to chart concerning swing speed is age and gender. The following chart represents the average swing speeds with a driver for several different age groups and by male and female golfers within them.

Age significantly affects how much clubhead speed a golfer can produce on average. Here is the main observation about swing speed versus age and gender:

As you age, swing speed generally gets slower

However, as you can see from the chart, age does not necessarily have to slow you down completely. Some golfers in the 50 – 59 and 60+ age groups can still swing significantly fast. It all depends on how flexible someone can stay as they age.

Check this out: What Are the Golf Club Distances for Each Club? (Charts for All Skill Levels)

*Data from PGATour.com as of 7/9/23

**Data from PGATour.com as of 7/9/23

Average swing speeds by handicap data from TrackMan

Let’s look at average swing speeds by handicap level for male golfers.

A golfer’s playing ability and how efficiently they swings the club also directly impact how fast their swing speed is. When golfers understand how the swing is supposed to work and can execute those fundamentals correctly, the result is a much more efficient swing. That efficient swing will lead to an increase in swing speed.

Read on: What Driver Loft Should You Use? (Full Chart Based On Swing Speed)

Average PGA TOUR Club Head Speeds

PGA TOUR professionals are among the best golfers in the world, so many golfers look to them as guides to playing the game correctly.

Note: Even though these speeds happened on a specific date in 2024, they’re still applicable today since swing speeds don’t rise significantly over time.

*Compiled through Rocket Mortgage Classic, 7/2/23

Tour Pro Golfer Average Swing Speed – 115.24
Tour Pro Golfer Average Driving Distance – 299.40

PGA TOUR Slowest 10 Driver Swing Speed Averages

*All data from PGATour.com

**Compiled through Rocket Mortgage Classic, 7/2/23

As you may have noticed, some of the PGA TOUR pros in the top 20 in swing speed with the driver are outside the top 20 in average driver distance. This is because of a stat called Smash Factor, which measures the efficiency of a swing.

Smash Factor is calculated by dividing the ball speed by the clubhead speed. Additionally, where the ball comes in contact with the clubface matters quite a bit as well.

Here are some examples of players with fast swing speeds who are outside the top 20 in driving distance.

Of those short knockers in the bottom 10 on the PGA TOUR this season in swing speed, and many of whom are very near the bottom in driving distance, all but two have a PGA TOUR victory on their resume.

*Data compiled from TrackMan’s 2017 PGA TOUR Data Points

I use data from TrackMan all the time with my students as a reference for what peak performance stats look like.

Above, I have pulled out the club head speed and carry distances for each club, on average, on the PGA TOUR.

TrackMan notes that these AVERAGE stats from 2017 have mostly stayed the same over the last six years. The top players on the PGA TOUR have gotten faster and carry the ball longer, but, on average, the chart above still holds close to today’s average.

Average LPGA TOUR Club Head Speeds

The LPGA does not keep data on swing speed. However, the average swing speed with the driver hovers around 95 mph, per TrackMan. As we noticed in the statistics above for the PGA TOUR, there is somewhat of a correlation between swing speed and driver distance, but not necessarily always.

The current top drivers on the LPGA Tour shake out as follows:

Driving Distance Averages from LPGATour.com

Swing Speed Estimates Via TrackMan

Data compiled through 7/9/23

As noted previously, TrackMan is a go-to source for swing and club data for many coaches and players. I use data from TrackMan with my students all the time. For my female students, as well as slower-swinging male students, one of my go-to charts is TrackMan’s 2017 LPGA TOUR Data Points .

Compiled data from TrackMan

As noted previously, TrackMan notes that these AVERAGE stats from 2017 have mostly stayed the same over the last six years. The top players on the LPGA TOUR have gotten faster and carry the ball longer, but, on average, the chart above still holds close to today’s average.

In 2012, Ryan Winther set the world record for swing speed at 167 mph, and that swing produced a ball speed of 225 mph.

Recent long-drive phenom, Kyle Berkshire, has come close to Winther’s record, recording a swing speed of 160. Berkshire does however have the highest ball speed ever recorded at 236.8 mph… Say What?!?

More from Golf Span: The 10 Best Drivers for Slow Swing Speed

Swing speed and distance have become one of the most talked about topics in the game over recent years. It seems that everyone in golf has a need for speed! There is no denying that swing speed is a hot topic in golf.

Golfers are always looking for tips and tricks to improve their swing speed. I will break down my tips for you in two different ways. The first is the more traditional ways we, as instructors and coaches, point students toward when working on improving their swing speed.

The second will come from my friend, Michael Romatowski, founder and creator of the revolutionary Mach 3 Golf Speed Training System. Mike’s system is really helping 1,000’s of golfers get faster with their swing.

Some of the more traditional tips for golfers to help them increase their swing speed include the following:

Train Your Body to Get Faster- If you can increase your flexibility and mobility, reaching faster swing speeds will be more realistic. How a golfer moves their body, in terms of how much they can rotate their hips and upper torso, will play a big part in their production of swing speed. Getting yourself into the habit of stretching your body regularly will help your ability to swing faster.
Equipment can make a difference- Having the right equipment for you can make a big difference in your ability to swing faster. Some of the critical things you need to consider in terms of equipment include:
The overall weight of the club- The lighter the club, the faster you can swing it. That is straight-up science, folks.
The type of shaft you use- The shaft matters in golf. From the length, to the flex, and where the kick-point is, all of these things equate to your ability to swing at your maximum speed.
The head of the club- Golf equipment technology has made massive gains over the last two decades. The clubheads on today’s drivers can offer maximum forgiveness and create a “trampoline effect” with the ball coming off the face. Test different drivers, and you may be surprised at what gains you can make by simply having the right club.

I have recently become a massive fan of a speed training program called the Mack 3 Golf Speed Training System . It was developed by Michael Romatowski. Mike is a multi-certified personal trainer, golf fitness expert, and post-rehab exercise specialist. I have spent a lot of time talking with Mike recently; he was a recent guest on my Quite Please Golf Podcast. You can listen to that episode here.

Mach 3 is a year-round speed training protocol that has produced an average gain in clubhead speed for program participants of 11.5 miles per hour. The tools used in Mach 3 are dynamic and unique, allowing golfers to experience the sensation of “Speed Out in Front,” which is the hallmark of Mach 3.

Some of the critical points of Mach 3 that I like include:

It’s Open To All – The Mach 3 program is for golfers of all ages, genders, and playing abilities.
It’s Fun & Safe – Workouts are fun, non-exhausting, safe, and athletic in nature.
It’s Accessible to All – Speed training workouts can be held indoors or outdoors.
It’s Optimized – Train for golf without “bulking up” and using natural golf body motions.

The overarching theme of Mach 3 is the “Speed out in front” concept. “Speed out in front” means that a golfer needs to become much more target-oriented when swinging. Anything after impact and up to the end of your swing is “out in front.”

Because the golf swing is such a fast movement, taking roughly only 1.25 seconds, it is essential to think in your mind to be a few steps ahead. Golfers often think of the ball and impact with the ball as the finish line when, in reality, it is only the mid-way point. If you focus on the ball as the ultimate goal, you will move slower into it at impact.

Mach 3 trains golfers to think of the finish line of the swing as being the top of your finish. You become hyper-focused on the target, the finish of the swing, and getting all of your energy, momentum, and speed “out in front” and past the point where the ball is at impact…well past it.

Mach 3 will help any and all golfers that give this concept a try. As mentioned earlier, program participants’ average gain in clubhead speed is around 11.5 miles per hour. That is significant!

If you’re a golfer seeking to improve your game, understanding the insights a golf swing speed chart can provide is invaluable. These charts break down swing speeds by various factors such as age, gender, and skill level, offering a wealth of data that helps golfers understand where they stand. My extensive experience as a golf coach has shown me that these statistics are crucial for those aiming to improve their performance. Surprisingly, many golfers discover they don’t swing as fast or hit as far as they initially thought.

The charts reveal that factors like age, gender, and skill level profoundly impact your swing speed and, subsequently, your driving distance. However, it’s important to note that age doesn’t necessarily have to slow you down. Many golfers in the 50 – 59 and 60+ age brackets can still generate impressive swing speeds, particularly if they maintain good flexibility and employ proper swing mechanics.

To boost your swing speed, you can rely on tried-and-true methods and cutting-edge techniques. On the traditional side, improving your body’s flexibility and selecting the right equipment can make a significant difference. For instance, lighter clubs and the right shaft type can notably increase your swing speed. On the innovative front, training systems like the Mach 3 Golf Speed Training System have helped thousands of golfers achieve faster swings by focusing on functional training tailored to golf performance.

To wrap up, a golf swing speed chart is an essential tool for anyone serious about upgrading their golf game. Combining this data with top tips for improving your swing speed can set you on the path to becoming a more formidable golfer. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to fine-tune your skills, a strategic approach backed by sound data can help you reach new heights in your golf career. Stay tuned for the latest updates and trends in golf statistics and training techniques.

More from me on Golf Span: How to Increase Swing Speed: 10 Tips

Brendon Elliott

Brendon is Class A PGA Professional and founded Little Linksters, LLC, and its nonprofit arm, the Little Linksters Association for Junior Golf Development. He won 25+ prestigious industry honors, including the 2017 PGA National Youth Player Development Award. He graduated from the PGA of America Management Program and has a handicap index of 7.8.

He has played golf for over 40 years and currently plays twice a month at the Eagle Dunes Golf Club near Sorrento, Florida. He loves Srixon clubs and plays a ZX5 driver with Z 585 irons. He's written over 60 articles on GolfSpan and specializes in sharing tips to improve your golf game. You can connect with Brendon at LinkedIn , X , IG , FB , his website , or [email protected] .

Best score : 69
Favorite driver : Srixon ZX5
Favorite ball : Srixon Z Star
Favorite food at the turn : Turkey and cheese on white
Brendon Elliott https://www.golfspan.com/author/brendon-elliott Masters 2024 Highlights: Scheffler Wins Again
Brendon Elliott https://www.golfspan.com/author/brendon-elliott Driver vs. Iron Grip: Adjust By Club for Better Performance?
Brendon Elliott https://www.golfspan.com/author/brendon-elliott How Many Dimples Are on a Golf Ball?
Brendon Elliott https://www.golfspan.com/author/brendon-elliott How Far To Stand From A Golf Ball: A Simple Rule To Follow

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TrackMan Average Tour Stats

Tour stats include:

Club Speed, Attack Angle, Ball Speed, Smash Factor, Launch Angle, Spin Rate, Max Height, Land Angle and Carry.

TrackMan Average Stats Taken From The PGA TOUR

TrackMan LPGA Tour Average Stats

80 comments

So the average male Tour pro hits down on the ball slightly with the driver? Should attack angle vary with clubhead speed?

The attack angle for the pros varies on woods, but it’s more or less negative when it comes to hybrids and irons. For the average player, the attack angle on drivers varies and in general so should the ball that is hit from the ground always have a negative attack angle in order to get a better margin of error for the impact.

However, in order to get the longest carry possible, the ball should launch high with low spin. The optimal numbers are individual based on club speed – and that type of flight can easier be achieved if the spin loft is low together with a high dynamic loft. The more the attack angle is negative, then the higher the spin loft gets => the attack angle should be closer to 0 if anything IF the goal is to carry as long as possible.

But generally, the attack angle for irons should be from -2 – -5 for almost all players, but for drivers you can hit it further with a positive attack angle, no matter the club speed.

Niklas Bergdahl Support Manager EMEA & Asia

Can you send me the optimal numbers across the board that players and coaches should be looking for in lessons and trackman sessions

Strangely enough, with a driver you can achieve a carry of 300 vs 275 with the same clubhead speed of 113. Adam Young tries to get people to convert to this method. Attack angle = +8 degrees Launch angle = 19 degrees Backspin = 2,000 Smash Factor= 1.5

Hi. I can only confirm. I achieve those positive angles and l can carry the driver (9 degr loft) 245 yards with a club speed of 95mph. Rollout is average 20 yards.

No, it is 3° and that means the clubhead is movin upwards. – is downwards.

You are reading the LPGA (ladies) numbers Tim. The PGA (men) average is -1.3.

Looks like the average LPGA players trackman swing speed is more or less the same as an average 10 hcp male player. Though the ladies are a lot more skilled in hitting it on the right angles and in the right spot on the clubface. Would an average 10 hcp male player have a advantage or disadvantege using graphite shafts?

Harry, any player of any handicap can benefit from graphite shafts. More often than not, the memory in most players’ minds from graphite stems from a very long time ago when graphite was ONLY graphite. It was whippy, and not very accurate. Material advances and composite technology have nearly rendered steel obsolete. I say nearly, mind you. There are a number of outstanding graphite shafts out there that are super stable and responsive, enabling a lighter club and longer distance without sacrificing accuracy. Fujikura makes some really nice iron shafts that fuse both steel and graphite technologies called MCI. In fact, i have Fuji PRO 95i shafts in my irons and my iron game is better now than it ever was with steel. I’m a 3.5 index and relatively strong but it allows me to play all out without getting tired on the back 9 from heavy clubs. Being a club builder, i can tell you that in golf equipment there’s a trade-off in everything. wether it’s length, weight, or feel so your advantage or disadvantage is dependent on how precisely you build your piece of equipment.

Hey Chris thanks for the info below i find it very interesting. Curious do you have those same shafts in your wedges or do you have steel in your wedges? I played SteelFiber i95 shafts last year in all my irons including wedges. I liked them in my irons but i felt like it hurt my game in wedges. Do you have any thoughts on this? Thanks

Agreed. Shallow your angle of attack to match the LPGA players.

I have had a number of sessions on a Trackman, (the latest on Aug 22, 2015, at “Modern Golf” in Mississauga On.). My clubhead speed and distances are about the same as LPGA averages. I was doing wedge work, and see that for a pitching wedge, (48°), my angle of attack -about 7.5° – is n=much higher than LPGA average. My accuracy is good, (only 3 0f 19 shots more that 20′ away, and all when the face angle was over 4° closed). I’m thinking that I should weaken my left hand a bit, (it’s a little strong on pitch shots), and play the ball farther forward- 2″ ahead of centre. Am I on the right track, or will these changes introduce new problems?

I’m 74 years old, and am a long-time PGA of Canada member. Thanks for any feedback…. love Trackman outings.

I would recommend that you visit one of our certified coaches, he/she would be able to help you and find what numbers are best for you.

See our TrackMan Locator here.

I don’t disagree with these stats but I do it;s kinda weird. 87 miles mph with an 8 iron should produce 177 yards of carry not 160 that’s a lot of mph. Iv’e seen high school kids hit 9 iron 165 and they don’t swing 100 mph with a 9 iron. When I swing hard I hit my 8 iron 155 and my legit radar read 72 mph so logic would dictate at 88 mph you would get more like 180 yards carry again that’s a lot of mph.

Remember that’s a carry number not total distance. Also since the pros produce significant more back spin, their ball flight is higher, landing angle loftier producing minimum roll whereas your total distance might be benefiting from maximum roll. One more thing to check would be launch angle where you might be hitting a low ball flight to maximize distance which in my opinion is “cheating.”

The PGA Tour 8-iron goes 160 in the air for a couple of reasons. One, they usually hit weaker lofts than high school players (like I) do. Secondly, they spin their 8-iron at 7998 RPM to stop the ball on fast greens. I believe this is the combination that makes the 8-iron go so much shorter.

I’ve hit thousands of balls on Foresight simulators, and what I’ve found is that backspin significantly influences carry distance. Holding club head speed constant, greater backspin reduces carry distance on all clubs.

For mid-irons, I’d estimate that you lose roughly 5-7 yards of carry per 1,000 RPM in additional backspin. And with the driver it’s easily 10+ yards of carry lost per 1,000 RPM.

This explains why poorly struck balls will often fly as far, if not further, than a well-hit shot. The key to backspin is crispness of contact – a poorly struck shot simply won’t spin as much. Unless the impact is absolutely terrible, the lack of backspin on poorly struck shots will cause those balls to carry further than a well-struck ball. So if you’re flying balls over the green with your irons, the culprit could be too little backspin caused by poor contact, cheap balls, a dirty club face, etc.

I think this is also the key reason why fades don’t carry as far as draws. It’s not that a draw swing is any faster/more powerful – it’s simply that fades have more backspin due to the impact geometry/physics involved with that swing.

Now I may be wrong on some of this, so I’d love to get a true expert’s take.

One thing I forgot to add to my comment above is that you need a minimum of backspin on all golf shots just to get the ball up in the air. That may be 1,500 RPM for woods and maybe 3,000 for irons.

My point is that increasing backspin beyond this base level will generally reduce carry. For example, I can guarantee that increasing the backspin on your 7 iron from 5k to 7.5k will reduce your carry with that club, even if your swinging faster at 7.5k.

I totally disagree with your premise. Draws carrying further than fades? That makes no sense.

Bare in mind tour players play with proper golf clubs which are weak lofted so the people you see hitting a 9 iron further than tour average 8 it’s probably because that 9 iron is closer to a 7 iron loft

Spin determines weather you hit a draw or fade so logic would dictate distance will also be effected. In my experience draws do tend to be further for 2 reasons and both have to do with spin. With a draw you will usually get more roll out as well as flight because of the decrease in spin. This is especially true with a driver.

Depends what clubs you are using. There can be as much as 7 degrees of variation between a ‘standard’ loft on a 7 iron. If you’re playing the Callaway Mavrik irons, you’ll get 27 degrees of loft on a 7 iron. If you’re playing the Callaway Apex Pro then its 34 degrees. That’s a two club difference.

I was custom fit recently for the Apex 21’s and currently play Apex MBs. With the MBs my 7 iron has 34 degrees of loft and flies 165yds with 89mph average club head speed. Same swing with the Apex 21s (30 degrees of loft) flies between 177 – 180 yds. Big difference.

Larry , I would highly recommend you see Mark Evershed . Buy him lunch and get the answers your looking for .

Hi guys this was a recent session with a cobra 3 wood 16 deg loft.my question is my launch angle seems a little low ,interested in your thoughts .thanks Shot # Club Club Speed (mph) Ball Speed (mph) Smash Factor Launch Angle (degrees) Direction Back Spin (rpm) Carry Distance (yards) Total Distance (yards) 1 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 2 3 Wood 98 148 1.51 9.10 Straight 4096.00 223.00 240.00 3 3 Wood 94 142 1.51 9.10 Straight 3904.00 213.00 230.00 4 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 5 3 Wood 96 145 1.51 9.10 Straight 4000.00 219.00 236.00 6 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 7 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 8 3 Wood 93 141 1.52 8.80 Straight 3826.00 212.00 229.00 9 3 Wood 92 129 1.40 12.40 Straight 4138.00 190.00 207.00 10 3 Wood 94 142 1.51 9.10 Straight 3904.00 213.00 230.00 11 3 Wood 94 142 1.51 9.10 Straight 3904.00 213.00 230.00 12 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 13 3 Wood 96 145 1.51 9.10 Straight 4000.00 219.00 236.00 14 3 Wood 93 140 1.51 9.10 Straight 3856.00 210.00 227.00 15 3 Wood 96 146 1.52 8.80 Straight 3970.00 220.00 237.00 16 3 Wood 92 140 1.52 8.80 Straight 3778.00 210.00 227.00 17 3 Wood 95 144 1.52 8.80 Straight 3922.00 216.00 233.00 18 3 Wood 96 145 1.51 9.10 Straight 4000.00 219.00 236.00 19 3 Wood 94 142 1.51 9.10 Straight 3904.00 213.00 230.00 20 3 Wood 91 137 1.51 9.10 Straight 3760.00 204.00 221.00 21 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 22 3 Wood 95 144 1.52 8.80 Straight 3922.00 216.00 233.00 23 3 Wood 95 144 1.52 8.80 Straight 3922.00 216.00 233.00 24 3 Wood 96 146 1.52 8.80 Straight 3970.00 220.00 237.00 25 3 Wood 96 146 1.52 8.80 Straight 3970.00 220.00 237.00 26 3 Wood 96 145 1.51 9.10 Straight 4000.00 219.00 236.00 27 3 Wood 94 137 1.46 10.60 Straight 4054.00 204.00 221.00 28 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 29 3 Wood 98 142 1.45 10.90 Straight 4276.00 213.00 230.00

What kind of balls were you using?

Brent. This was at a driving range with srixon range balls

Ok the one number that really stood out to me was the smash factor. Usually anything above a 1.50 indicates something is illegal. There’s a reason not even the PGA tour players aren’t averaging 1.50 off the tee. Other than that your numbers look good.

Brent what about the launch angle

Yes the launch is a little on the low side. But seeing how you’re still getting decent distance I wouldn’t worry too much about how it’s coming out. But try hitting down on the ball more to get it up in the air faster.

I frequently get above 1.5 on trackman with longer irons and my woods (I have raised this with your tech teams already). This is because your machine measures club speed just before impact and doesn’t detect acceleration through impact

Trackman doesn’t detect acceleration through impact on solidly struck shots so you can post smash factors above 1.5. It’s best to just rely on ball speed with Trackman

Brent in one of your comments you said my smash factor was high ,had a session last night at range and some of my smash factors were 1.53 is this something to try and change and if so how do I change it

Like you had said you were using range balls correct? If so the smash factor will be a little off since they aren’t a legal tournament ball. What the smash factor (as explained to me by the Carolinas PGA rules committee chairman) is, is a measurement of how well the ball comes off the face. There’s a specific calculation for it but I’m not positive of it and anything over a 1.50 usually is a tell tale sign that either the club or ball is illegal. What I would recommend doing is using the ball you would normally play a round with and get some readings off that ball.

I read not long ago that Rory Mcilroy had a smash factor of 1.53 as well . If Willie can hit it 380 the way Rory does, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Larry. I’m 55 years old 280 is my distance not 380 Like Rory

Ball speed divided by club head speed is smash factor

I’m currently doing my university project on green-side bunker shots, I was wondering if you have any shot data for a short bunker shot or flop shot? Thanks.

Sorry but we do not have any official data we can share, but it would be interesting to see your final research :)

Blair, My assumption would be that the cleaner a ball is picked out of a bunker the more spin it will have and vice versa. The more sand you use to move the ball the less spin.

Do you have TrackMan data for AoA and DL for greenside bunker shots?

Sorry we do not have any official bunker shot data.

In looking at the tour pro stats for men – the max height reading for all clubs is about 30 plus or minus 2. I am trying to understand how/why are the heights the same for all clubs? My assumption would be the more lofted the club the greater the height! Is 30ish the optimum figure for best distance? Because in my last stats my longest 9.5 degree driver shot was max height of 56!

Is there any data available from the Senior tour?

We do not have any official charts for the Senior Tour. But you can login on mytrackman.com and use the combine section and filter, to show only Senior Tour players.

Thanks Christian!

what month/year is this data from?

Is there any data on typical club path for a tour pro?

Can you please post stats for average path, club face, and face to path numbers for PGA tour?

Could you please post average path, club face, and face to path numbers for several top Tour Players?

Before all the hype about hitting up on the ball came about, I hit down on a driver anywhere from -2 to -4 degrees and swung 1-2 degrees left.

Once I started to try and swing up on it. I lost direction big time. An easy swing for me is 112, swinging hard at it I can get it up to 123. Does Trackman recommend those that have higher swing speeds to hit down on it for straighter direction?

There is no physics logic backing up that hitting up on the ball will give a decrease in accuracy. However to go from hitting down to hitting up you have made some changes to your impact obviously. The way you made the changes could well be the problem as this could have affected your impact location, swing path, clubface and the way you release the club

Can pga tour players carry the ball 293 yards.

A Question: Were some data change on this site? I ask because I’m quite sure to have read other data for the men’s driver trajectory. Am I wrong or can someone confirm this?

kindly zorro

Is my impression right, that the data for the men driver were changed from

[Daten alt: 112mph 165mph 11,2° 2685 31y 39° 269y] to [Daten neu: 113mph 167mph 10,9° 2686 32y 38° 275y] ?

Why did TM do that?

For the tour pro stats – mainly carry distance, launch angle and spin rate for the driver, you have the averages, could you supply the max and min (filtered for outliers)? I am going to run an experiment with Trackman at my golf academy and need a starting range for each item. The tour max and min range is a starting point versus having to create this from scratch.

Anyone know where I can find raw data of clubhead speed? It is for a College project. Thanks!

You know what would be great to see – average miss from target – left and right – for each club. Of course short and long from target matter as well, but solid contact isn’t really my issue – left and right misses is my challenge

I’m about a half club off of PGA Tour average distance wise. Technically I’m a 1 handicap, but more like 4 or 5 when the tourney pressure is on. I know from playing with better players the difference between me and them is pretty much how much more accurate they are from a left and right perspective.

You can find all this info from Mark Broadie. He has tracked all the shots on the us tour for years and also written a book Every Shot Counts about it

I have been playing Golf for less than 19 months. I must admit I was damn tired of the same Golf Lesson producing varying results with inconsistent instruction(s) which seemed contradictory to the previous lesson. I take Golf perhaps a little more serious than others and my “approach” to this game may be viewed as extreme due to my focus on Fitness/Strength Training combined with my Yoga and Nutritional regimen.

That notwithstanding I would like to formally THANK the Trackman Developers and Support Staff for FINALLY producing a “Standardized” curriculum eliminating the traditional random quick fixes and circumventing the often inconsistent and contradictory methods being taught today.

I currently own a Trackman 4 and although I DO NOT wish to teach, I am Certified as an Operator and successful in obtaining my Professional Level 1 & 2 Certifications and shortly will be submitting my Thesis to be considered for review. These Certifications have greatly assisted me in understanding Flight/Ball dynamics and greatly assists my Coach and I in our 4-5 hour daily Putting-Wedge-Iron-Wood and Driver Sessions providing the data necessary to produce a more consistent and …. I have a hard time with this next word…… F U N game. (There I said the word “fun” in the same sentence as “Golf.” I’m so proud of myself!!!

Seriously, I simply CANNOT thank Nathan Meyer for coming to my hometown and demonstrating the enormous benefit(s) of purchasing the Trackman 4 product.

Kym Fontana [email protected]

It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know you! Your work ethic, attitude, and kindness are all things that I can look up to. very excited for 2017 and I am looking forward to seeing you again soon!

-Nathan Meyer [email protected]

Are there numbers posted for an average 5 HCP player or 10 HCP player similar to the charts above for the ave tour player?

What is the #1 PGA Tour player in “Carry Distance” average carry distance??

I understand this data is pretty old, released soon after the time when trackman first came out. I’m sure things have changed since then. Any update?

Actually, we haven’t seen any huge changes over the past years, it’s more about roundings. For example, Avg. Club Speed for a driver: 2014: 113.0 mph 2015: 113.3 mph 2016: 112.9 mph And it’s pretty much similar with the other numbers.

We do have a graphical updated version of the Tour Stats here.

Not really. Lee Westwood was interviewed recently and advised that apart from his driver he hits everything else almost the exact same he has his entire career.

I’m looking for PGA tour averages for dynamic loft for different clubs. Does anyone have this data to share? Thanks!

Are there tour averages for club path?

Are all these stats full swings? Example: Would the avg tour pro hit a 6-iron further, if he turns fully and tries to hit it as far as possible (with a natural movement like on a driver – not with an unnatural swing that creates most possible power, but result in very unconsistent ball flight)?

Currently I practice indoors because of the winter. I do my practice with Trackman and I carry my 7 iron about 177-180 yards and total distance of 188-192 yards with my TaylorMade PSi irons. Lots of my shots with the 7 iron has a smash factor of 1.50-1.51.

This is a example of one of my shots with 7 iron.

Is that normal number for a 7 iron with a that club speed?

Averages are useful, but knowing them would be more useful if we knew the median and mode, as well as the range.

Hello, Are there updated PGA Tour Trackman stats?

On Trackman this week using 7i I noticed the spin rate I had was well below that of a pro by nearly 3,000 rpm but similar club speed and attack angle. How can I get my spin rate up?

It can vary a lot due to the ball and clubs you are using. For example driving range balls are normally very hard and will have much lower spinrates than a quality ball like a Titleist pro v1. Modern day irons are also built to higher the lauch angle and lower the spinrate so that the average golfer will achieve more distance

It would be great to know the average loft for each club, especially the irons!. I think 21-24-27-30-34-38-42-46 (3-Pw) are reasonable specs. What do you guys think?

What loft are the irons? A modern 7i is now 30°

Is this still the original data from 2015 or has it been updated?

I’d be very curious to see if the how the average attack angle has changed over this time in the PGA.

Please update this data from over the years of more testing.

Do you have any numbers on tour averages numbers on dynamic loft and spin loft?

I am a 2 handicapper and I hit my driver 280 yards on an average. What is the attack angle with driver of the best players on the pga tour?

these yardages are no doubt well below reality.

6 iron only 183yds carry? Most high handicappers hit it equally far.

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Coach of the month

Golf Club Distance Charts: How Far Should I Hit Each Club?

Jake was a competitive golfer for over a decade dating back to the days of being the Captain of his high school golf team. He has played more than 200 courses across 32 different states in the US. Now semi-retired, Jake continues to golf 3-4 days a week with a current 2 handicap, gives golf lessons to his friends and family, and provides a wealth of knowledge to Golf Circuit from his competitive playing days. Jake combines practical expertise with technical knowledge to create golfing strategies and training techniques for both beginners and scratch golfers.

If you’re new to golf or looking to improve your game, understanding the distance each club can hit is crucial . It can help you identify the right club to use for each shot on the course.

However, it’s important to note that there are several factors that can affect how far a particular club can hit, including the swing speed, impact location, weather conditions, and launch angle.

In this article, we’ll discuss those factors, along with golf club distance charts in detail. It’ll provide you with a good starting point to understand the distances each club can typically hit.

Factors that Affect Golf Club Distance

Before getting into the details of different charts explaining golf club distances, let’s discuss major factors that can affect golf club distance.

Swing Speed

When it comes to hitting long golf club distances, swing speed, or club speed , is critically important. More swing speed leads to more energy transferred from the club to the ball, resulting in higher ball speed and more distance .

The following chart contains the average club speed by a player’s age.

Smash Factor

Smash Factor is the result of ball speed divided by the club speed . It provides you with a ratio of energy transfer from the club head to the ball.

A higher Smash Factor means a more efficient transfer of energy, resulting in more distance .

Impact Location

Hitting the “sweet spot” on the clubface results in the optimal transfer of energy , and increases the total distance covered by the ball. Whereas striking too high, low, or off-center can lead to lower smash factors and reduced distance .

Watch this video to learn how to hit the sweet spot consistently.

PGA Tour professionals use custom-fit equipment tailored to their specific technique, skill level, and body shape. The same swing speed by a pro and an amateur will result in vastly different ball distances .

Additionally, the club type , such as wedges, irons, and drivers, also makes a difference because of different materials and sizes . If you are a beginner, we’ve written a post on the Best Golf Clubs for Beginners.

Weather and Course Conditions

Weather and course conditions such as wind and altitude can have a significant impact on club distance. Therefore, it’s essential to consider these factors when deciding on which club to use.

Skill Level

Skill level is another important factor that affects the distance of your shots. A beginner or average golfer will likely hit the ball much shorter than an experienced or professional golfer.

It’s essential to understand your skill level and work with it, rather than trying to emulate the shots of more skilled golfers.

Golf Club Distance Charts

Are you a beginner golfer and looking to improve your golf game? Knowing the average distance golfers hit each club can help you develop a more strategic approach .

The following golf club distance charts will provide you with information on the average distances golfers hit their clubs.

Golf Club Distance Chart for Men

Use the following chart to see the average distances that men hit using different golf clubs based on their experience level.

According to USGA (United States Golf Association) , an average male golfer achieves a drive distance of around 210 yards with a club speed of 80 to 90 MPH .

Golf Club Distance Chart for Women

Use the following chart to see the average distances that women hit using different golf clubs based on their experience level.

According to USGA statistics , the average drive distance for female golfers from 2013 to 2019 was 148 yards .

Golf Club Distances Chart by Swing Speed

As discussed already, swing speed does affect the drive distances and they’re shown in the following table. It’ll come in handy on the golf course when you’re not carrying a launch monitor or rangefinder.

Ball Speed to Distance Chart

The following values are rough estimates of the distance a golf ball will travel in the air, along with the corresponding club head speed and ball speed.

how to Calculate Your Average Distance

Understanding your average distance is a critical aspect of golf , as it allows you to make better decisions when playing on the course.

While a launch monitor is the easiest way to calculate your average distance, not everyone has access to one.

If you don’t have a launch monitor, consider using the following step-by-step method to calculate your average distance easily.

Step 1: Go to a Driving Range or Golf Simulator

The first step is to go to a driving range or a golf simulator . Once on the range, take at least your five best shots with each club, keeping your mind relaxed and calm.

After that, take another round of five shots (or more based on the number of your previous round) with each club from the same spots . This will give you a better understanding of your average distance for each club.

Step 2: Measure the Ball’s Distance

While taking shots, use a rangefinder to measure the distance of each shot after the ball becomes steady. Make sure that you write down the distance of each shot and also note which club you used . If you don’t have a rangefinder, then hopefully the range has flags or objects to give you an idea of distance.

Since different clubs have different distances, organizing the data in a table format can be helpful. This will make it easier to keep track of the information and analyze it later on.

Remember that accuracy is key , so take your time and ensure that you measure each shot correctly, or as close as possible. By organizing your data in a clear and concise way, you will be able to calculate your average distance with ease .

Step 3: Check the Prescribed Average Distance

The final step is to find the average of all your shorts for each club and compare the results with the prescribed average distance , discussed above, to see how well you’re doing.

For example, if the distances of your Driver shots are 210, 212, 214, 208, 205, 213, 218, 208, 219, and 203, then their average will be 211, which is pretty close to the average male player’s distance with the Driver club.

Remember that your average distance will vary depending on your skill level , swing speed, and other factors. So, don’t be too concerned if your average distance is different from the typical values provided online.

With time and practice , you can improve your average distance and become a better golfer.

Golf Tips: How to Increase Your Golf Distance

The following are the most useful tips to incorporate into your game to increase your driving distance.

Master the Fundamentals

Having a fundamentally sound swing is essential for hitting the ball farther. Poor weight transfer, incorrect grips, bad posture, and excessive hip turn are factors that can rob you of driving distance.

Consistent practice is one of the best ways to improve your fundamentals and develop faster swings, which can enhance your opportunity for increased distance.

Adjust Your Tee Height

A tee that’s too high or too low can negatively impact your shot’s trajectory and distance. Consider experimenting with different tee heights to find the optimal height for your swing.

Credit: Practical Golf

Use Your Wrists

When you have positioned yourself properly, allow your wrist to move freely. Hold the club with a proper grip by placing it on your fingers, which will give you the necessary stability to utilize your wrist during your swing.

Improve Your Flexibility

Keep in mind that tight muscles can prevent you from making a full turn, which can limit your power and drive distance. If you want to improve your body’s flexibility, we recommend you perform stretching and practice yoga.

Keep Yourself Physically Fit

Golf involves a lot of walking, which can be physically demanding. Therefore, it’s essential to stay fit and healthy to be able to play at your best.

You can consider taking up exercises such as weight training, cardio, and yoga to build up your core strength and improve your endurance.

Make sure that you focus on exercises that strengthen your lower body as they can help you generate more power in your swing.

Increase Your Clubhead Speed

The faster you swing, the more distance you can achieve. Focus on increasing your clubhead speed to get the most out of your shots. Work on building your core strength and flexibility to improve your swing speed.

Final Words

Knowing how far each of your golf clubs can hit helps you make better club selections on the course and enhance your game.

Remember that the distances discussed in this guide are based on averages and can vary depending on several factors.

However, they can serve as a good starting point to help you better understand how far each of your clubs should go on average.

With the right knowledge and consistent practice, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a better golfer to enjoy each game to its fullest potential.

Printable Golf Club Distance Charts

The chart below is a printable golf club distance chart for Men. Save the image to your computer and you can print the table below.

The chart below is a printable golf club distance chart for Women. Save the image to your computer and you can print the table below.

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Golf Club Distance Charts: Know Your Distances & Lower Your Scores in 2024

Golf club distance charts are invaluable tools for golfers of all skill levels, providing a reliable guide to the average distances achievable with each club under various circumstances.

These charts typically act as a starting point for beginner golfers to understand your hitting power, allowing you to make informed decisions about club selection and course strategy without spending lots of money on tools such as GPS rangefinders or launch monitors while learning the game.

While individual distances are influenced by factors like swing speed, ball flight, and physical capabilities, distance charts equip you with the knowledge and confidence to navigate the course effectively.

In this guide, we’ll cover the importance of understanding your yardarges , reveal the top factors in creating more distance , and provide recommendations on how to create personalized yardage charts .

Table of Contents

The Importance of Knowing Your Distances

Knowing your club distances is essential for accurate shot selection and lowering your score .

Choosing the correct club for the distance ensures you reach the green in regulation, minimizing the need for chip shots and recovery attempts. This means fewer bogeys and doubles , and ultimately leads to lower scores .

For example, imagine facing a 150-yard approach shot:

If you overestimate your distance to the green and choose a 7-iron, you’ll likely leave the ball short of the green. And underestimating the distance using the same club could result in your shot sailing over the green.

The Evolution of Distance Charts

In the past, golfers relied on static distance charts printed in magazines or displayed on scorecards to dial in their yardages.

These provided generalized information , often based on average swing speeds and lacking individual customization.

However, with the advancements of golfing gadgets and technology , the accuracy and accessibility of golf club distance data have reached new heights.

Launch monitors and GPS-powered devices now offer golfers personalized data based on their individual swing speed, launch angle, and ball strike .

This means significantly more accurate distance charts tailored to each player’s unique abilities.

Key Factors Influencing Golf Club Distances

Several factors play a role in finding out how far you hit each club.

By understanding these factors you’ll be able to use distance charts effectively and adjust your expectations on the course.

#1 – Swing Speed

This is arguably the single most significant factor influencing golf club distance.

Higher swing speed generates greater clubhead speed, leading to increased ball speed and ultimately, longer distances .

Swing Speed vs. Distance Correlation Chart

The correlation is direct : a 10 mph increase in swing speed typically translates to a significant distance gain across all clubs.

#2 – Ball Speed

While swing speed is crucial, the actual speed of the ball at launch plays the most direct role in determining distance .

This factor is influenced by both swing speed and the quality of contact with the clubface.

A pure strike in the center of the clubface transfers the maximum amount of energy to the ball, resulting in higher ball speed and greater distance compared to off-center hits.

#3 – Smash Factor

This metric expresses the efficiency of energy transfer from the clubhead to the ball at impact.

It’s calculated by dividing ball speed by clubhead speed.

A smash factor closer to 1.5 indicates a more efficient energy transfer , leading to longer distances.

#4 – Age and Skill Level

As players age and fitness levels decline , swing speeds often decrease, leading to shorter distances .

Conversely, highly skilled golfers typically generate greater swing speeds , resulting in longer average distances compared to beginners.

#5 – Weather Conditions

While external factors like wind, temperature, and altitude play a smaller role compared to the previously mentioned elements, they still necessitate consideration.

Headwinds will shorten your distances , while tailwinds can add extra yards .

Colder temperatures can slightly decrease ball speed, while playing at higher altitudes can lead to longer distances due to thinner air resistance.

Disclaimer: The following charts provide generalized yardages for each club segmented by skill level . It is for informational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for personalized data . Individual swing speed, launch angle, and smash factor will significantly influence actual distances.

Golf Club Distance Charts

Here are some generalized yardage charts ranging from beginner golfers all the way up to PGA tour level .

Here’s an example of how far you should expect to hit your clubs based on your general skill level.

Beginner Golfer Distance Chart

Beginner’s yardage chart example:.

Average Golfer Distance Chart

Average yardage chart example:.

Lady Golfer Distance Chart

Ladies yardage chart example:.

Senior Golfer Distance Chart

Senior’s yardage chart example:.

Using Distance Charts Effectively

Distance charts go beyond simply knowing how far you hit each club.

When you understand how far you hit your clubs consistently, you can significantly enhance your decision-making, and club selection to lower your scores .

Here’s what you can expect to happen when you confidently know your club’s yardage.

#1 – Learn Course Management

Knowing your reliable distances empowers you to make strategic decisions throughout the course.

You can assess risk and reward on every shot, choosing the club that allows you to reach the green in regulation while avoiding hazards or trouble areas.

For example, a well-placed layup with a shorter iron based on your distance chart could be a safer option than attempting a risky long shot over water.

#2 – Get Better At Club Selection

Distance charts eliminate the guesswork from club selection .

By referencing your chart and considering the yardage to the target, you can confidently choose the appropriate club for each shot, minimizing the risk of hitting long or short and leading to more consistent contact and accurate approaches .

#3 – Identify Gaps In Distances

Examining your distance chart can reveal any gaps in your yardage coverage.

These gaps represent distances where you lack a club that comfortably reaches the target.

Identifying these gaps allows you to adjust your club setup or consider adding specific clubs to fill the void and ensure you have a complete yardage arsenal for all situations.

#4 – More Practice and Improvement

Distance charts become valuable tools in your practice routine .

By knowing your exact distances, you can set targeted practice goals based on specific yardages.

This allows you to focus on improving your accuracy and consistency within certain ranges, ultimately leading to better distance control and score reduction .

Create Your Personalized Yardage Chart in 2024

While generalized distance charts can offer a starting point for beginner golfers, relying solely on them can be misleading .

Your individual swing mechanics, launch angles, and even club variations significantly impact your distances. That’s why creating your personalized golf club distance chart is important for accurate shot selection and improved course management .

This chart will reflect your unique capabilities , empowering you to make informed decisions on the course .

Here are the top software tools available to help you find the distances of your golf clubs.

#1 – Buy a Launch Monitor

Launch monitors offer the easiest way to create your own distance charts . They track various metrics like clubhead speed, ball speed, launch angle, and spin rate . This data is captured and the yardage chart is automatically created for you . Just set it up on your next range session and hit your clubs! The software will do the rest.

⛳ View Launch Monitors: Best Golf Club Distance Calculators 2024

#2 – Use GPS Devices and Apps

Many GPS devices and apps now track your shots on the course, providing estimated distances for each hit. While not as precise as launch monitors, they offer an accessible and cost-effective way to gather generalized data during play.

⛳ View GPS Devices and Apps: 18 Best Golf Apps of 2024 (Free & Premium)

#3 – Use a Rangefinder Tool

Rangefinders provide accurate yardage measurements to targets via laser on the range and course. This is a more traditional way to understand your yardage for each club. They’re also a must on any golf course. I recommend using a launch monitor for practice and a rangefinder for play.

⛳ View Rangefinders: Top 10 Best Golf Rangefinders for Improved Accuracy and Performance

Golf club distance charts offer a wealth of valuable information for golfers of all skill levels. They provide a starting point for understanding personal hitting power and evolve into powerful tools when customized with your individual data.

Utilizing distance charts effectively can significantly improve your game by:

Enhancing course management: Making strategic decisions based on reliable distances.
Simplifying club selection: Choosing the right club with confidence for each shot.
Identifying gaps in your yardage coverage: Addressing weaknesses and creating a complete arsenal.
Setting targeted practice goals: Focusing on specific distances for improved accuracy and consistency.

By creating and utilizing your personalized distance chart , you gain a deeper understanding of your game and equip yourself with valuable information to navigate the course strategically and make informed decisions . This translates to improved shot selection, greater consistency, and ultimately, lower scores .

🤔 Glossary Of Yardage Terms

Swing Speed: The speed of the clubhead at impact.
Ball Speed: The speed of the ball after impact.
Smash Factor: The efficiency of energy transfer from club to ball.
Launch Angle: The angle at which the ball leaves the ground.
Carry Distance: The distance the ball travels in the air before landing.
Roll Distance: The distance the ball rolls after landing.
Layup: A strategic shot aimed at a safe location on the course, often short of the green.

Additional Resources:

Golf Club Distance By Swing Speed – Downloadable Chart
Trackman Average PGA Tour Stats
Trackman Average LPGA Tour Stats
PGA Tour Stats 2024
LPGA Statistics 2024

Downloadable Distance Charts:

Golf course

Harbour Town Golf Links | Par 71 | 7,213 yards

Course history

Course history at Harbour Town for the #RBCHeritage going back to 2015. -Includes average finish position and Strokes Gained per round. Players are sorted by SG: Total. -15th most predictive annual course on Tour. -Happy "Patrick Cantlay Top 5 Week!" -2023, 2022, and 2020 are… pic.twitter.com/57iENzbuV9 — Ron Klos (@PGASplits101) April 15, 2024

Betting odds

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Picks to win

Shane lowry (35/1).

Shane Lowry reacts to his putt on No. 11 during the third round of the 2024 Masters Tournament. (Photo: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Network)

Lowry didn’t have a great week at Augusta National, eventually tying for 43rd. However, in his three previous starts before the Masters, the Irishman finished T-19 (Players), 3rd (Arnold Palmer Invitational) and T-4 (Cognizant Classic).

A tie for 67th was a disappointing result for Lowry at last year’s RBC Heritage, but he still boasts a solid course history with three top-10 finishes since 2019 (four starts, two T-3s).

Around Harbour Town, driving the ball well is crucial. Lowry ranks first in fairways in regulation and fifth in good-drive percentage.

Note: Lowry opened at 60/1 and is already down to 35/1. People love him this week (which does scare me a little).

Denny McCarthy (45/1)

Denny McCarthy makes a club selection before hitting out of the trees on No. 2 during the first round of the Masters Tournament. Mandatory Credit: Katie Goodale-USA TODAY Network

McCarthy had a disappointing finish to his week at the Valero Texas Open, losing in a playoff to Akshay Bhatia . However, Harbour Town feels like a great rebound spot for the 31-year-old who is still looking for his first win on Tour.

He’s made the cut in three straight appearances at the RBC Heritage, highlighted by a T-13 performance in 2021 and a T-25 outing last year.

Cam Davis (50/1)

Cameron Davis hits out of a bunker on No. 2 during the first round of the 2024 Masters Tournament. (Photo: Adam Cairns-USA TODAY Network)

Over his last four starts, Davis has finished T-18 (Arnold Palmer Invitational), T-21 (Texas Children’s Houston Open) and T-12 (Masters). He’s trending and heading to a golf course where he’s seen plenty of success.

At his RBC Heritage debut, the Aussie tied for 25th. A year later, in 2022, Davis tied for third. And in 2023, he tied for seventh.

Lucas Glover (55/1)

Lucas Glover plays his shot from the fourth tee during the first round of the Masters Tournament. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Glover hasn’t finished inside the top 20 at the RBC Heritage since 2015, but I’m going with feel on this one.

After a disappointing start to his season, Glover has posted finishes of 11th (Valspar Championship), T-25 (Valero Texas Open) and T-20 (Masters) in his last three starts.

He’s ranked sixth in fairways in regulation, 24th in good-drive percentage and ninth in Strokes Gained: Approach.

If the putter and short game cooperate, I expect Glover to have a good week.

Taylor Moore (60/1)

Taylor Moore reacts after holing out his shot on the second hole during the second round of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Michael Madrid-USA TODAY Network)

Moore has been incredibly consistent in 2024. In 10 starts, he’s made the weekend 10 times, finished inside the top 25 four times and the top 10 once.

In his last three starts, Moore has finished T-12 (Valspar Championship), T-2 (Texas Children’s Houston Open) and T-20 (Masters).

In his lone appearance in the RBC Heritage (2023, signature event), Moore tied for 11th.

Check out the best equipment you can buy: Best drivers for 2024 | Best irons for 2024 | Best putters for 2024 | Best golf balls for 2024

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2024 RBC Heritage prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions

T he top players in the world won't have much of a break following the Masters because up next on the schedule is the 2024 RBC Heritage , a signature event with a loaded field. The 1st round from Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, S.C., begins on Thursday.

Below, we search for the best value prop bets among the 2024 RBC Heritage odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions .

Scottie Scheffler , fresh off his Masters victory, remains the No. 1 player in this week's Golfweek/Sagarin rankings. Xander Schauffele , who's also in the field, comes in at No. 2, followed by Rory McIlroy , Ludvig Aberg and Patrick Cantlay – all of whom are playing the RBC Heritage. Last year's champion Matt Fitzpatrick is Golfweek's 20th-ranked player.

Harbour Town is one of the shorter courses on tour and emphasizes accuracy off the tee and ball-striking with irons. The greens are also some of the smallest on the PGA Tour, so it's essential for players to be accurate when approaching the greens. It's a par 71 and 7,213 yards, slightly longer than it was last year.

WATCH: PGA Tour is live on ESPN+! Get ESPN+

RBC Heritage – Top-5 picks

Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook ; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. ET.

Patrick Cantlay (+300)

Cantlay is Mr. Top 5 at the RBC Heritage. Since 2017, he's played this event 6 times. He finished inside the top 5 on 4 occasions, missed the cut once and came in 7th another time. If there's ever a tournament to bet Cantlay to finish in the top 5, it's this one.

Collin Morikawa (+350)

Morikawa has yet to finish in the top 5 at this event, but he came close in 2021 when he came in 7th. Since then, he's had finishes of 26th and 31st, proving to be a good fit at Harbour Town with his accuracy off the tee and iron play.

RBC Heritage – Top-10 picks

Tommy fleetwood (+160).

Fleetwood has notched back-to-back top-10 finishes in his last 2 starts, including a tie for 3rd at the Masters. He's finished 15th, 10th and 25th in 3 of his 4 career starts at this event (MC in 2021), so he's played well at Harbour Town in the past. He could legitimately win this tournament on Sunday.

Shane Lowry (+300)

Lowry is poised to bounce back after a dreadful putting performance at the Masters. Harbour Town is a ball-strikers course and Lowry ranks among the best on tour this season. He's finished in the top 10 here in 3 of his last 5 starts.

Cam Davis (+375)

Davis still has long odds despite his course history (7th, 3rd, 25th) and 12th-place finish at the Masters. His length won't be a big advantage this week because it's not a bombers course, but he's played well here in the past and should do so again.

Other T10 contenders ( in order from longest odds to shortest ):

Russell Henley (+250)
Ludvig Aberg (+125)

RBC Heritage – Top-20 picks

J.t. poston (+150).

Poston has been feast or famine at the RBC Heritage. He finished 3rd in 2022, 8th in 2020 and 6th in 2019, but he missed the cut in his 2 other starts in 2023 and 2021. He's one of the best putters on tour (even if his numbers don't reflect that this year) and has the course history to finish near the top again this week.

Corey Conners (+120)

In the last 4 years, Conners has finished 31st, 12th, 4th and 21st. He seemingly loves this course and has had success here in the past, and we're probably getting a little bit of a discount after a disappointing week at the Masters.

Matthieu Pavon (+170)

Pavon has proved he can compete with the best players in the world, winning at Torrey Pines earlier this year. In his last 2 starts this season, he's finished 5th and 12th, so his current form is good despite his lack of course experience (no previous starts here).

RBC Heritage – Matchups

Suggested play is golfer in bold .

Cameron Young (-120) vs. Jordan Spieth (-105)

Spieth looked out of sorts at the Masters and he's now missed the cut in 3 of his last 4 starts. He won here in 2022 and lost in a playoff last year, but he's not playing nearly as well right now. Give me Young, who finished 3rd here in 2022.

RBC Heritage – Top Canadian

Corey conners (+200).

Conners is the favorite to be the top Canadian, ahead of Adam Hadwin (+300), Mackenzie Hughes and Nick Taylor (both +400). Conners is the best course fit and has the better track record at Harbour Town.

RBC Heritage – Top Australian

Cam davis (+110).

Davis and Jason Day (-135) are the only two Australians in the field, yet it's Davis who's the underdog. Day hasn't played here since 2020 and he missed the cut that year, while Davis' course history is noted above.

RBC Heritage – First-round leader

Patrick cantlay (+2200).

Cantlay ranks 2nd only to Scheffler in Round 1 scoring average this season (67.5) and he's now coming to a course where he's finished 7th or better in 5 of his last 6 starts.

Xander Schauffele (+1600)

Schauffele is on fire right now, with his worst finish in his last 5 starts being 25th. Otherwise, he's had 4 top-5 finishes. He's 9th in 1st-round scoring average this year and opened with a 67 here last season.

More expert prop bet predictions

Group c winner: cameron young (+320).

In this group are Russell Henley (+333), Si Woo Kim (+333), Spieth (+375) and Sahith Theegala (+400). Young is the slight favorite and understandably so with the way he's playing right now coming out of the Masters.

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This article originally appeared on USA Today Sportsbookwire: 2024 RBC Heritage prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions

Apr 17, 2022; Hilton Head, South Carolina, USA; Patrick Cantlay lines up a putt on the 18th green during the final round of the RBC Heritage golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

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2023 RBC Heritage winner Matt Fitzpatrick hands his ball off to his caddie during the first round of ... [+] the RBC Heritage golf tournament, Thursday, April 13, 2023 at Harbour Town Golf Links, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)

Following world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler ’s dominating win at The Masters for his second green jacket and third PGA Tour title in 2024, the top golfers head about 140 miles Southeast to Hilton Head Island for the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town. Scheffler is right back on the tee as prohibitive betting favorite for a Signature Event at Harbour Town Golf Links. The tournament and $20 million purse drew an elite field for the second straight year, and note that this is a no cut event with all golfers playing 72 holes. The field includes just 69 players and all but two of the top-30 in the Official World Golf Rankings (Matsuyama and Hovland out).

Betting favorites and top players continue to take a bulk of the betting action when wagering to win, and bettors also include many of those players in other types of bets like top finishing position (top 5, 10, 20) and other prop bets like Round 1 birdies or better. Most players have an over/under of 4.5 for birdies or better with different odds. For example, FanDuel Ambassador and 2022 Heritage champion Jordan Spieth is -150 for under 4.5 birdies or better, and +105 for over . The 2023 Heritage winner of the plaid jacket who beat Spieth in a playoff was Matt Fitzpatrick , who is -140 for under 4.5 birdies or better and +100 for over . The two tournament favorites, Scottie Scheffler is -175 to go over 4.5 birdies or better in Round 1 while Rory McIlroy is -140 over. Patrick Cantlay also has four top-3 finishes in six starts at Harbour Town plus a T7. He’s -115 to make more than 4.5 birdies in Round 1 and an over/under score of 68.5 (-140 over ) at FanDuel Sportsbook .

Harbour Town Golf Links

A players favorite on the Pete Dye design, Harbour Town Golf Links is a Par 71 tree-lined track that plays to 7,213 yards for the RBC Heritage event. Experience helps as players navigate a claustrophotic course where water is in play on all 18 holes. Golfers shape shots into tiny greens that average 3,700 square feet - second smallest on the PGA Tour. The perennial ryegrass rough is down from last year’s cut of 2.5 inches.

The doglegs around the trees and penalty areas don’t allow for the big hitters to separate themselves off the tee, as players often hit to similar target areas with more approach shots from 175 yards range.

Scottie Scheffler finished T11 here last year in his tournament debut shooting 68-65 before falling over the weekend with 69-70. Scheffler commented in the press room Tuesday before the 2024 event about the difference in coming from Augusta National to a completely different golf course here at Harbour Town.

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“Yeah, it's very different. I think sometimes when you're coming from Augusta — we were talking about it today, the green at No. 14 just looked so small. I'm sitting there with a 6-iron looking at this small green, and Augusta everything is really big at times and then you come here and everything is really, really small it seems like,” Scheffler said.

Harbour Town Golf Links - Hole By Hole

“It's a great golf course, and it's a lot of fun to play. I think it's very interesting,” Scheffler added. “I think for some people, distance debate type people if they're ever looking at golf course design and how to combat people only trying to hit the ball really far, they need to come here and do a case study on this golf course because it's really, really good. You've got to curve the ball both directions, and you have to control your distance. You have to control where the golf ball is going. It's not just a place where you can go bomb it.”

RBC Heritage Golf Odds And Favorites

Leading favorites and contenders golf odds from FanDuel Sportsbook refresh periodically and are subject to change, including on props and live betting.

+450: Scottie Scheffler
+1200: Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele
+1400: Ludvig Aberg
+1600: Patrick Cantlay
+1800: Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa
+2500: Matt Fitzpatrick
+2800: Max Homa
+3000: Jordan Spieth, Will Zalatoris, Cameron Young
+3500: Si Woo Kim, Wyndham Clark
+4000: Sahith Theegala, Russell Henley
+4500: Justin Thomas, Shane Lowry
+5500: Tom Kim, Sam Burns, Corey Conners
+6000: Tony Finau, Akshay Bhatia, Brian Harman
+6500: Chris Kirk, Jason Day, J.T. Poston
+7000: Denny McCarthy
+7500: Byeong Hun An, Harris English, Cam Davis
+8000: Taylor Moore, Sungjae Im, Lucas Glover
+8000: Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Sepp Straka
+9000: Brend0n Todd, Matthieu Pavon
+11000: Eric Cole, Kurt Kitayama, Stephan Jaeger
+11000: Adam Hadwin, Keegan Bradley, Adam Schenk
+12000: Tom Hoge, Emiliano Grillo

72 Hole Winning Score (Par 71): 266.5

Top 5 and Top 10 Finish

+110 Top 5, -200 Top 10: Scheffler
+260, +120: Schauffele
+280, +130: McIlroy
+300, +140: Aberg
+350, +160: Cantlay
+360, +160: Fleetwood
+360, +175: Morikawa
+500, +230: Matt Fitzpatrick
+550, +240: Homa
+600, +260: Zalatoris

Those 10 top players all have odds from -110 to -230 to finish Top 20 with Scheffler -550 to finish Top 20.

Looking at recent course history, 11 players have multiple Top-15 finishes over the last five years: Sam Burns, Patrick Cantlay, Corey Conners, Cam Davis, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Emiliano Grillo, Brian Harman, Sungjae Im, J.T. Poston and Jordan Spieth.

Team RBC ambassadors include: Sam Burns, Corey Conners, Adam Hadwin, Mackenzie Hughes, Adam Svensson, Nick Taylor, Sahith Theegala and Cameron Young.

RBC Heritage Golf Picks

Leading golf analysts and contributors picks to win and top finishing position include:

Golf Digest - Tommy Fleetwood (2), Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Shane Lowry, Si Woo Kim, Cam Davis
SportingLife: Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa and longshots Tom Kim, Adam Hadwin, Eric Cole
Golf Bet - Xander Schauffele, Max Homa, Patrick Cantlay, Will Zalatoris and longshots Cam Davis, J.T. Poston and Lucas Glover. Top 10’s Shane Lowry, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood and Akshay Bhatia
FanDuel - Scottie Scheffler, Si Woo Kim and longshots Harris English, Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Each of the last five RBC Heritage winners have been top-11 in Strokes Gained : Tee-to-Green.

Tournament Matchups

Additional golf betting odds from FanDuel and leading online sportsbooks are updated and adjusted througout the tournament along with props and tournament matchups .

Rory McIlroy (-125) vs. Patrick Cantlay (+105)
Max Homa (-140) vs. Wyndham Clark (+110)
Collin Morikawa (-140) vs. Matt Fitzpatrick (+110)
Will Zalatoris (-120) vs. Jordan Spieth (+100) - bet Zalatoris
Tommy Fleetwood (-165) vs. Cameron Young (+130)
Xander Schauffele (-125) vs. Ludvig Aberg (+100)
Justin Thomas (-125) vs. Sam Burns (+100)
Corey Conners (-110) vs. Tom Kim (-110)
Brian Harman (-115) vs. Denny McCarthy (-105)
Xander Schauffele (-115) vs. Rory McIlroy (-105) - Round 1
Ludvig Aberg (-120) vs. Collin Morikawa (-105) - Round 1
Wyndham Clark (-120) vs. Justin Thomas (-105) - Round 1 - bet Thomas
Patrick Cantlay (-115) vs. Tommy Fleetwood (-110) - Round 1

Despite Jordan Spieth winning here in a playoff in 2022 and finishing runner-up last year in a playoff, the 30-year-old is not likely to find as much success this week with his game in a poor place. Spieth has missed the cut in three of his last four events including in The Players Championship which requires precision iron play. Spieth has lost strokes Tee-to-Green in four of his last five tournaments and his Approach stats rank outside the top-100 over his last 24 rounds.

Meanwhile, Zalatoris has continued his elite ball striking while also averaging 4+ strokes on the field Tee to-Green over his last five events. That includes a T9 last week at The Masters, T4 at the Arnold Palmer Inviational and T2 at The Genesis Invitational .

How To Watch The RBC Heritage

All times Eastern. Tournament April 18-21

Thursday-Friday: 2-6 p.m. (Golf Channel)
Saturday-Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)

Thursday and Friday pairings and tee times .

Featured Groups

Thursday PGA Tour Live on ESPN+

1:40 pm hole #1: Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Aberg
1:50 pm hole #1 : Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa
Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Aberg
Scottie Scheffler, Jordan Spieth
Will Zalatoris, Akshay Bhatia
Harris English, Tom Kim

Featured holes Par 3’s at No. 4, 7, 14, 17

Check out more golf stats, performance charts and tournament news , picks and information you can bet on for the RBC Heritage and weekly golf events. The PGA Tour and leading U.S. golf courses are leading the way in technology and sustainability . The top online sportsbooks are leading the way in wagering options as betting on golf continues to be most popular with fans firing for more fairways and greens.

You can bet on it.

Emiliano Grillo Betting Profile: RBC Heritage

Betting Profile

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 12: Emiliano Grillo of Argentina putts onto the second green during the second round of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 12, 2024 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

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Emiliano Grillo looks to improve upon his seventh-place finish in 2023's tournament when he hits the links in the 2024 RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links April 18-21.

The RBC Heritage Tournament & Course Info

Date: April 18-21, 2024
Location: Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Course: Harbour Town Golf Links
Par: 71 / 7,213 yards
Purse: $20M
Previous Winner: Matt Fitzpatrick

At the RBC Heritage

Over his last six trips to the RBC Heritage, Grillo has an average score of -10, with an average finish of 15th.
Grillo last participated in the RBC Heritage in 2023, finishing seventh with a score of -13.
With numbers of 0.457 in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee (39th in field), 5.013 in SG: Approach the Green (10th), and 2.732 in SG: Putting (20th), Matt Fitzpatrick won this tournament in 2023.
Fitzpatrick also posted numbers of 303.6 in average driving distance (15th in field), 66.67% in terms of greens in regulation (23rd), and 25.25 putts per round (fourth).

Grillo's Recent History at the RBC Heritage

Grillo's recent performances.

Grillo has finished in the top 10 once over his last five appearances.
He's qualified for the weekend in four of his last five events.
Over his last five tournaments, Grillo has carded a score that's better than average in one of those outings.
In his last five appearances, his average score has been -4.
Emiliano Grillo has averaged 288.2 yards off the tee in his past five tournaments.
Grillo is averaging 1.407 in terms of Strokes Gained: Putting in his past five tournaments.
Grillo is averaging 1.125 Strokes Gained: Total in his past five tournaments.

Grillo's Advanced Stats and Rankings

Grillo has a Strokes Gained: Off the Tee average of 0.198 this season, which ranks 67th on TOUR. Meanwhile, his average driving distance (287.2 yards) ranks 160th.
In terms of Strokes Gained: Approach, Grillo ranks 72nd on TOUR, posting an average of 0.154, while he ranks 42nd with a Greens in Regulation mark of 67.72%.
On the greens, Grillo's 0.533 Strokes Gained: Putting mark ranks 23rd this season, and his 28.62 putts-per-round average ranks 49th.

Grillo's Best Finishes

Grillo has taken part in 10 tournaments this season, and while he hasn't won any of them, he has secured two finishes in the top-10.
In those 10 tournaments, he had a 90% success rate in terms of making the cut (nine cuts made).
Grillo, who has 536 points, currently sits 42nd in the FedExCup standings.

Grillo's Best Strokes Gained Performances

This season, Grillo's best Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee effort came in January 2024 at The Sentry, where he ranked ninth in the field with a mark of 2.493. He finished 43rd in that tournament.
Grillo's best Strokes Gained: Approach effort this season came in February 2024 at the WM Phoenix Open, where he ranked fourth in the field with a mark of 5.960. He finished 22nd in that event.
In terms of Strokes Gained: Around-the-Green, Grillo produced his best effort this season at THE PLAYERS Championship, ranking 36th in the field at 0.683. In that event, he finished 54th.
At the Sony Open in Hawaii in January 2024, Grillo delivered a Strokes Gained: Putting mark of 8.869 (his best mark this season), which ranked No. 1 in the field. He finished seventh in that event.
Grillo recorded his best Strokes Gained: Total mark this season (8.751) at the Sony Open in Hawaii (January 2024), which ranked him seventh in the field. He finished seventh in that event.

Grillo's Strokes Gained Rankings

Grillo's past results.

All stats in this article are accurate for Grillo as of the start of the RBC Heritage.

Note: The PGA TOUR has created this story via a machine-learning model using data from ShotLink , powered by CDW, in addition to player performance data. While we strive for accuracy and quality, please note that the information provided may not be entirely error-free.

IMAGES

REVEALED: PGA Tour average CARRY DISTANCES
PGA Tour and LPGA Tour Averages (FlightScope)
PGA TOUR ANALYSIS
How meaningful is a PGA Tour player's scoring average?
Lowest rounds of golf posted in PGA Tour history
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COMMENTS

Approach the Green
1.347. Greens in Regulation. Greens in Regulation Percentage. 1 st • Scottie Scheffler. 74.55%. Greens or Fringe in Regulation. 1 st • Scottie Scheffler. 80.98%. GIR Percentage - 200+ yards.
Pros v. Amateurs: Shots from 100 yards and 150 yards
Howard (93.5, 104.3, and 100.2 yards), and John (102.1, 102.9, and 107.7 yards) As your handicap goes up, so will the variance of the shots hit from this distance. Both Howard and John hit the ball around 100 yards, but not consistently. Howard had an average of 99.3 yards and John had an average of 104.2 yards.
Golf Club Distances w/ Chart
160 yards: 182 yards: 205+ yards: 174 yards: Hybrid (15-18°) 165 yards: 187 yards: 212+ yards: 225 yards: 3-Iron: 150 yards: ... look at the correlation of club head speed vs carry distance for PGA Tour players in the scatter plot below: 2020 PGA Tour Players Average Club Head Speed vs Average Carry Distance, Data Source: pgatour.com.
How close should you hit it from 100 yards? (Not as close as you think!)
It was a nice shot — unless you're a a PGA Tour pro, ... From 160 yards, it's really hard to hit it tight. ... From 205, the average Tour pro is going to hit the green exactly half the time ...
Around the Green
Sand Saves from 20-30 yards. 1 st ... Scrambling Average Distance to Hole. 1 st ... PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks. ...
REVEALED: PGA Tour average CARRY DISTANCES
PGA TOUR AVERAGE CARRY DISTANCES 2021. DRIVER - 275 YARDS. 3 WOOD - 243 YARDS. 5 WOOD - 230 YARDS. HYBRID - 225 YARDS. 3 IRON - 212 YARDS. 4 IRON - 203 YARDS. 5 IRON - 194 YARDS. 6 IRON - 183 YARDS.
Average Golf Club Distances in 2024: Amateurs vs PGA Players
Average PGA Golfer: 225 yards; Average LPGA Golfer: 185 yards; Average Range for Men: 150-200 yards; Average Range for Women: 90-160 yards; 5 Iron. A 5 iron is a very good club that can be hit by pros and beginners alike. It's often the lowest lofted iron in a beginner set of club. The average distances for a 5 irons are: Average Male: 165 yards
The Truth about Greens in Regulation
175-200 yards = 53% of greens. From under 200 yards, PGA Tour players hit just a little more than half of the greens and when they do, they average 34 feet from the hole. 150-175 yards = 63% of greens. From this range, players hit the green 10% more the last category, but still average 27 feet from the hole. 125-150 yards = 69% of greens.
Golf Stat and Records
Scoring Average. Scottie Scheffler. 68.839. Avg. 1. Xander Schauffele. 69.924. Avg. 2. Alex Noren. 70.008. Avg. 3. ... PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and the Swinging Golfer design are registered ...
Pros vs. Joes: Par 3 Scoring Average
From 175-200 yards, the PGA Tour average is only slightly above par, while every amateur group averages more than 3.5 strokes, with handicaps above 11 averaging more than 4 strokes. 200-225 Yards. Stretched out to 200-225 yards, the average only rises to 3.12, a 4.3% increase. From the same distance, the average amateur player with an 11-15 ...
PDF 2021-22 PGA TOUR Season-By the Numbers
In the 2022-23 PGA TOUR season, there were 55 total wins spanning players from 14 countries. The USA (27), Canada (4), Spain (4), England (3), South Korea (3) & Norway (3) were the only countries with more than three victories this season. Youth Movement Last 10 Seasons: 23 total wins by players in their 20s in the 54 events of the 2022-23 PGA ...
These surprising PGA Tour stats prove you're too hard on yourself
"On the PGA Tour, from 20 yards in the rough, when you have at least 10 yards of green to work with, [Tour pros] leave 50 percent of their shots outside of eight feet." Instruction
What is Strokes Gained Approach Shots? Explained
The PGA Tour average for this statistic is generally around 67%, ... To calculate SGA, we have to figure out how many strokes are expected from the middle of the fairway at 160 yards (from the table above, that is 2.98 strokes). Then, we have to figure out how many strokes are expected from 20 feet on the putting green (from the table above ...
This is how common hole-outs (and holes-in-one) are on the PGA Tour
In case you're wondering, the longest hole-out on Tour is credited to Aaron Baddeley, who knocked down a shot from 336 yards in 2015. That lightning strike earned him 8,490 points in my ranking ...
Golf Swing Speed Chart: Averages By Age, Skill, and More
Above, I have pulled out the club head speed and carry distances for each club, on average, on the PGA TOUR. TrackMan notes that these AVERAGE stats from 2017 have mostly stayed the same over the last six years. The top players on the PGA TOUR have gotten faster and carry the ball longer, but, on average, the chart above still holds close to ...
TrackMan PGA Tour Averages Stats
TrackMan PGA Tour Average stats including Club speed, Attack Angle, Ball Speed, Smash Factor, Launch Angle, Spin Rate, Max Height, Land Angle and Carry. ... s kinda weird. 87 miles mph with an 8 iron should produce 177 yards of carry not 160 that's a lot of mph. Iv'e seen high school kids hit 9 iron 165 and they don't swing 100 mph with a ...
Golf Club Distance Charts: How Far Should I Hit Each Club?
Golf Club Distance Chart for Men. Use the following chart to see the average distances that men hit using different golf clubs based on their experience level. According to USGA (United States Golf Association), an average male golfer achieves a drive distance of around 210 yards with a club speed of 80 to 90 MPH.
Golf Club Distance Charts: Know Your Distances & Lower Your Scores in 2024
The Importance of Knowing Your Distances. Knowing your club distances is essential for accurate shot selection and lowering your score.. Choosing the correct club for the distance ensures you reach the green in regulation, minimizing the need for chip shots and recovery attempts. This means fewer bogeys and doubles, and ultimately leads to lower scores.. For example, imagine facing a 150-yard ...
Scoring
Front 9 Round 4 Scoring Average. 1 st • Davis Riley. 32.33. Par 3,4,5 Scoring.
PDF PGA TOUR AVERAGES METERS
PGA TOUR AVERAGES YARDS Club Speed (mph) Attack Angle (deg) Ball Speed (mph) Smash Factor (deg) Launch Ang. Spin Rate (rpm) Max Height (yards) Land Angle (deg) Carry (yards) Driver 113 -1.3° 167 1.48 10.9° 2686 32 38° 275 3-wood 107 -2.9° 158 1.48 9.2° 3655 30 43° 243 5-wood 103 -3.3° 152 1.47 9.4° 4350 31 47° 230 Hybrid
How far do you hit your 7-iron? The answer will tell you ...
The Best Tees system provides that. It is based on averages. The average male golfer hits his 7-iron 138 yards; the average female golfer hits hers 100 yards. Those numbers translate into par-72 ...
RBC Heritage expert picks and predictions: Our PGA Pro's best bets for
So much so, the field driving distance average is 15 yards less than the PGA TOUR average. Accuracy off the tee exceeds the TOUR standard and GIRs are hard to come by. We built a winning skill set ...
Golf Stat and Records
PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and the Swinging Golfer design are registered trademarks. The Korn Ferry trademark is also a registered trademark, and is used in the Korn Ferry Tour logo with ...
Why strokes gained is the most important statistic in golf
Picture a ball in the fairway, 160 yards from the pin. On average, it takes a PGA Tour player three strokes from this distance to finish the hole. Say a player knocks it to 30 feet.
RBC Heritage 2024 PGA Tour picks to win, odds, course history
April 16, 2024 11:00 am ET. Anyone else feel a bit hungover after last week's Masters? Tough to have a signature event follow up the year's first major championship, but here we are. The PGA Tour's best players have made the short journey to Hilton Head, South Carolina, for the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town Golf Links.
2024 RBC Heritage prop bet picks and PGA Tour predictions
The 1st round from Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head, S.C., begins on Thursday. Below, we search for the best value prop bets among the 2024 RBC Heritage odds and make our PGA Tour picks and ...
Power Rankings: RBC Heritage
The par 71 in the Lowcountry stretches to a modest 7,213 yards, but because of routing, overhanging trees and some of the smallest greens on the PGA TOUR (at just 3,700 square feet on average ...
RBC Heritage 2024 Golf Betting Preview, Odds, PGA Picks And Props
Golfers shape shots into tiny greens that average 3,700 square feet - second smallest on the PGA Tour. The perennial ryegrass rough is down from last year's cut of 2.5 inches.
Brian Harman Betting Profile: RBC Heritage
Harman's Advanced Stats and Rankings. Harman has put up a Strokes Gained: Off the Tee average of 0.008 this season (97th on TOUR). His average driving distance (287.2 yards) ranks 160th, while his ...
Emiliano Grillo Betting Profile: RBC Heritage
Grillo's Advanced Stats and Rankings. Grillo has a Strokes Gained: Off the Tee average of 0.198 this season, which ranks 67th on TOUR. Meanwhile, his average driving distance (287.2 yards) ranks ...