Golf Club Distances By Age, Gender, And Skill Level

Distance is the determining factor in golf for how far the player can hit the ball. It depends on many factors, such as age, gender and skill level. The yardage charts below will help give you a better understanding of your swing and how far you can hit each type of club.

The average distance golfers hit varies widely because the clubs are differentiated based on quality, weighting, loft, and club factors that are considered while they are manufactured.

Moreover, various types of clubs are available on the market, but the main motive behind using them is to help you swing the clubhead faster through the air and hit the ball further to make more accurate shots.

To add distance to your drives, investing in a set of distance clubs is a good idea. But for that, first, you need to know the average length of golf clubs and the golf club distances chart based on age, skill, and gender.

Golf club distance chart: key factors to consider

As we mentioned earlier, the total distance a golf club achieved is based on several factors, such as club loft, swing speed, carrying distance, and a lot more. Let’s find out in detail the factors that affect the golf club distance chart:

Swing Speed

According to USGA, the average clubhead speed for all male participants was 110 MPH, with a maximum of 125 MPH. But the average distance for all male participants, as reported by TrackMan, was 280 yards, and the maximum average distance was 330 yards (20% trimmed means were 281 and 332 yards, respectively).

But how does the swing speed affect the distance of clubs?  Well, in terms of swing speed, for every extra mph of clubhead speed, the average distance achieved increases by about 2.2 yards. 

So, the quality of the strike and the correct technique is one of the biggest differentiating factors. Example: A pro golfer swinging at the same speed as an amateur still ends up getting wildly different distance numbers.

Average swing speed by age chart

AgeMenWomen
10-16 years old93 mph83 mph
17-25 years old113 mph93 mph
26-40 years old108 mph90 mph
41-50 years old103 mph88 mph
51-60 years old98 mph73 mph
60+ years old90 mph70 mph

Average swing chart by each club

Club60
mph
70 
mph
80
mph
90 
mph
100
mph
110
mph
120
mph
130
mph
140
mph
150
mph
Driver (Total)155181206232258284310335361385
Driver (Carry)146170195219243268292316340365
3 Wood130150175195215238259283303318
5 Wood125145165185205225245265285305
Hybrid120140160180200220240260280300
2 Iron118135155176194213233252271292
3 Iron115130150172188207226245265284
4 Iron110126145165180190208226245264
5 Iron105120138155170185198215228247
6 Iron100115130145165175185195208219
7 Iron95105120135155165175185195210
8 Iron85100115130145155165175190202
9 Iron8090105120130145160175186197
Pitching Wedge7385100110120135145156167179

Ball Speed

The speed of the ball can be affected by the type of golf ball you use as well as the quality of the strike. You can cover longer distances if the strike is made with the correct technique and proper stance. You can even measure the ball’s speed with the help of launch monitors and simulators.

What is Smash Factor?

The smash factor is the calculation of ball speed divided by the club speed. The number calculated gives a ratio to show how much energy is transferred from the club head to the golf ball at impact. 

The low smash factor number represents less energy is transferred, while if its a higher smash factor number, then it means an efficient amount of energy has been transferred from the face to the ball.

For example: If the ball speed is 150 mph with a swing speed of 100 mph, your smash factor is 1.5.

Other factors that also affect the distance

The other smaller contributory factors that can also affect the golf club distances are as follows:

Loft

The loft angle of the golf club affects the distance of the golf ball.  The lower the loft, the more distance will be achieved on a drive. For example, a driver has 8-13 degrees of loft and is designed for distance, while a pitching wedge is designed to get airborne with 41-46 degrees of loft.

ClubsAverage Lofts 2022
Driver8° – 13°
3 Wood13° – 15°
5 Wood20° – 23°
2 Iron18° – 20°
3 Iron21° – 24°
4 iron25° – 28°
5 iron28° – 32°
6 iron32° – 36°
7 iron36° – 40°
8 iron40° – 44°
9 iron45° – 48°
Pitching Wedge41° – 46°
Gap Wedge48° – 52°
Sand Wedge54° – 56°
Lob Wedge58° – 60°

Weight

The weight of a golf club also affects the distance, as it affects your swing speed, potential smash factor, trajectory, and also spin rate. The lighter the club, the more distance can be achieved by reducing drag on the golf ball as it leaves the face of the club.

Club Shaft Length

The length of the golf club shaft affects the golf ball’s trajectory and release of the club through impact. It also affects the distance, as longer shafts can generate more power and speed than shorter shafts.

Average distance for golf clubs by age

Club20 -30 yrs30 -40 yrs40 – 50 yrs50 – 60 yrs60 + yearsAll Golfers
Driver238 yds231 yds220 yds211 yds196 yds219 yds
Fairway Wood220 yds214 yds204 yds196 yds182 yds203 yds
Hybrid196 yds190 yds181 yds174 yds161 yds180 yds
5- Iron179 yds174 yds165 yds158 yds146 yds164 yds
6 -Iron169 yds165 yds156 yds149 yds138 yds155 yds
7- Iron160 yds155 yds146 yds139 yds128 yds145 yds
8 -Iron150 yds145 yds137 yds130 yds120 yds136 yds
9 -Iron139 yds134 yds127 yds120 yds110 yds126 yds
Pitching Wedge127 yds123 yds117 yds112 yds102 yds116 yds
Sand Wedge94 yds91 yds86 yds81 yds74 yds85 yds

Environmental Factors (Weather)

The golf club’s distance can also alter from season to season or due to the weather conditions. So, if you are hitting the ball into a strong wind, then it will have a great influence on the distance, a dry golf course will lead to more roll and more distance than the one needed.

Therefore, by understanding the factors that affect golf distance, you can choose the right golf clubs to maximize your performance and reach further shots.

Average golf club distance charts 

These charts are mentioned based on gender- that is, men and women and based on tour level. However, knowing the distance they cover can help you get the right ones. Because the average distances differ for both men and women due to their strength, flexibility, length, weight, and shaft of the clubs.

Average Distances for Men – 

ClubShort HitterMid HitterLong Hitter
Driver200 yds217 yds260 yds
3 Wood180 yds205 yds235 yds
5 Wood170 yds195 yds210 yds
7 Wood160 yds185 yds200 yds
3 Hybrid163 yds190 yds205 yds
3 Iron160 yds180 yds200 yds
4 Iron150 yds170 yds180 yds
5 Iron140 yds160 yds170 yds
6 Iron130 yds150 yds160 yds
7 Iron120 yds140 yds150 yds
8 Iron110 yds130 yds140 yds
9 Iron95 yds115 yds130 yds
Pitching Wedge80 yds105 yds120 yds
Sand Wedge60 yds80 yds100 yds
Lob Wedge50 yds70 yds90 yds

Average Distances for Women –

ClubShort HitterMid HitterLong Hitter
Driver150 yds175 yds200 yds
3 Wood125 yds150 yds180 yds
5 Wood115 yds135 yds170 yds
3 Hybrid105 yds130 yds165 yds
3 Iron100 yds125 yds160 yds
4 Iron90 yds120 yds150 yds
5 Iron80 yds110 yds140 yds
6 Iron70 yds100 yds130 yds
7 Iron65 yds90 yds120 yds
8 Iron60 yds80 yds110 yds
9 Iron55 yds70 yds95 yds
Pitching Wedge50 yds60 yds80 yds
Sand Wedge40 yds50 yds60 yds
Lob Wedge35 yds45 yds50 yds

Average Distances for LPGA Tour Players

ClubAverage Distance
Driver240 – 280 yds
3 Wood195 – 217 yds
5 Wood185 – 205 yds
7 Wood174 – 195 yds
4 Iron170 – 181 yds
5 Iron161 – 173 yds
6 Iron152 – 163 yds
7 Iron141 – 154 yds
8 Iron130 – 143 yds
9 Iron119 – 132 yds
Pitching Wedge107 – 121 yds

Average Distances for PGA Tour Players

ClubAverage Distance
Driver285 – 321 yds (Tour Average: 299.8 yds)
3 Wood243 – 304 yds
5 Wood230 – 288 yds
3 Iron212 – 265 yds
4 Iron203 – 254 yds
5 Iron194 – 243 yds
6 Iron183 – 229 yds
7 Iron172 – 215 yds
8 Iron160 – 200 yds
9 Iron148 – 185 yds
Pitching Wedge136 – 170 yds

Average Distances for Senior Tour Players

ClubAverage Distance
Driver260 – 310 yds (Tour Average: 281 yds)
3 Wood230 – 239 yds
5 Wood218 – 226 yds
3 Iron201 – 208 yds
4 Iron192 – 199 yds
5 Iron184 – 191 yds
6 Iron173 – 180 yds
7 Iron163 – 169 yds
8 Iron151 – 157 yds
9 Iron140 – 145 yds
Pitching Wedge129 – 134 yds

Tips on improving golf club distances

Here are some of the tips you need to keep in mind to increase your golf club speed and distance.

1. Improve your swing speed: If you have a faster swing can hit the ball farther, so you need to focus on improving your swing speed to hit longer drives.

2. Get fitted for golf clubs: You can get custom-fitted for golf equipment, as the right club can help you get more accurate shots.

3. Choose the right golf ball: You need to choose golf balls that are designed on the basis of swing speed and spin rate.

4. Use the right grip: You should always ensure that the club grip is comfortable and effective to maximize your swing speed and distance.

5. Practice: If you practice frequently, you have scope to improve your technique and accuracy, as well as better understand their golf clubs’ performance.

Conclusion

Overall, Golf Distance clubs are crucial for golfers in order to maximize their performance. Because with the right Golf Distance Clubs, ball speed, and smash factor, golfers can reach their full potential and compete with the best. 

You can also refer to the distance clubs charts you can reach golfing heights you never thought possible. Moreover, if you familiarise yourself with Golf distance clubs, then you are all set to unlock your true golf potential. 

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