How Golf club numbers and distance can help golfers? You need to know the average distance you hit a ball with each golf club in your set, if you want to use golf club for a particular shot,. Then, you simply choose the golf club that fits the distance you need to hit.
What Are the Common Types of Golf Clubs?
Typically, golfers carry a few types of golf clubs in their golf bag. The three common types of golf clubs are wood, iron and putter.
Iron Golf Clubs
Iron golf clubs are used after teeing off; you can recognize them by the extreme angle of the club heads. Every golfer has more irons than any other golf club in their bag! Make sure you stock up before you swing on our South Florida golf course.
Wood Golf Clubs
Wood golf clubs are long-range clubs used at the beginning of every hole when you tee off. For longer courses, use wood golf clubs in the second swing. Woods have large, circular club heads with a flat front where you strike the golf ball.
Putter Golf Clubs
Putters are easy to remember because they have short shafts and smaller club heads. You may recognize this club from the last time you played mini-golf, but, hopefully, your putter is much better than those!
Your standard beginner golf club set will most likely look like this:
- Woods – 3 & 5
- Irons – 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and a pitching wedge
- Putter – only 1 is needed
This table shows how far the average golfer generally hits with each club when he or she makes solid contact.
The best way to find out is to hit about 50 balls with each club. Eliminate the longest five and the shortest five, and then figure out the middle of the remaining group. That’s your average yardage.
When you start to play this game, you probably won’t attain these yardages — but while you practice, you can get closer to these numbers.
| Club | Men’s Average Distance | Women’s Average Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Driver | 230 yards | 200 yards |
| 3-wood | 210 yards | 180 yards |
| 2-iron | 190 yards | Not recommended; 4-wood or hybrid = 170 yards |
| 3-iron | 180 yards | Not recommended; 5-wood or hybrid = 160 yards |
| 4-iron | 170 yards | 150 yards (consider a hybrid, instead) |
| 5-iron | 160 yards | 140 yards |
| 6-iron | 150 yards | 130 yards |
| 7-iron | 140 yards | 120 yards |
| 8-iron | 130 yards | 110 yards |
| 9-iron | 120 yards | 100 yards |
| Pitching wedge | 110 yards | 90 yards |
| Sand wedge | 90 yards | 80 yards |
| Lob wedge | 65 yards | 6 yards |
Key Factors to Achieve Golf Club Distance
The total distance achieved by a golf club is based on several factors: the loft achieved, the carry distance achieved (Note: The carry distance is the yardage from the point of impact to the point of landing.), the weather conditions and your swing speed:
Loft: Each club face has a unique angle. The more angle on the club face, the greater the potential loft of the club. For example, a driver is designed for distance, so the club face is almost straight up and down. This causes only an 8-13 degree loft. In comparison, a pitching wedge is designed for loft, so the club face is more parallel to the ground, with a 47-53 degree loft.
Distance: According to Golfmentor.com, distances achieved by short, mid and long hitters can vary by as much as 50% depending on the club and the gender (see actual average distance ranges below). Men tend to have faster swing speeds which causes them to hit the ball farther. However, many women are long hitters, with some LPGA pros hitting the ball as far, or farther, than men on the course.
Weather: The distance achieved can be greatly affected by the weather conditions. Hitting a ball into a strong wind can greatly influence the loft and the distance achieved.
Swing Speed: The faster your swing speed, the greater the distance that you can achieve.
Golf club numbers and distance for Men
| Club | Short Hitter | Mid Hitter | Long Hitter |
| Driver | 200 yds | 230 yds | 260 yds |
| 2 Wood | 190 yds | 220 yds | 245 yds |
| 3 Wood | 180 yds | 215 yds | 235 yds |
| 4 Wood | 175 yds | 200 yds | 200 yds |
| 5 Wood | 170 yds | 195 yds | 210 yds |
| 1 Iron | 180 yds | 215 yds | 235 yds |
| 2 Iron | 170 yds | 195 yds | 210 yds |
| 3 Iron | 160 yds | 180 yds | 200 yds |
| 4 Iron | 150 yds | 160 yds | 170 yds |
| 5 Iron | 140 yds | 160 yds | 170 yds |
| 6 Iron | 130 yds | 150 yds | 160 yds |
| 7 Iron | 120 yds | 140 yds | 150 yds |
| 8 Iron | 110 yds | 130 yds | 140 yds |
| 9 Iron | 95 yds | 115 yds | 130 yds |
| Pitching Wedge | 80 yds | 105 yds | 120 yds |
| Sand Wedge | 60 yds | 80 yds | 100 yds |
| Lob Wedge | 50 yds | 70 yds | 90 yds |
Golf club numbers and distance for Senior Tour Players
| Club | Average Distance |
| Driver | 274 – 284 yds |
| 3 Wood | 230 – 239 yds |
| 5 Wood | 218 – 226 yds |
| 3 Iron | 201 – 208 yds |
| 4 Iron | 192 – 199 yds |
| 5 Iron | 184 – 191 yds |
| 6 Iron | 173 – 180 yds |
| 7 Iron | 163 – 169 yds |
| 8 Iron | 151 – 157 yds |
| 9 Iron | 140 – 145 yds |
| Pitching Wedge | 129 – 134 yds |
Golf club numbers and distance for PGA Tour Players
| Club | Average Distance |
| Driver | 289 – 361 yds |
| 3 Wood | 243 – 304 yds |
| 5 Wood | 230 – 288 yds |
| 3 Iron | 212 – 265 yds |
| 4 Iron | 203 – 254 yds |
| 5 Iron | 194 – 243 yds |
| 6 Iron | 183 – 229 yds |
| 7 Iron | 172 – 215 yds |
| 8 Iron | 160 – 200 yds |
| 9 Iron | 148 – 185 yds |
| Pitching Wedge | 136 – 170 yds |
Average Distances for Women
| Club | Short Hitter | Mid Hitter | Long Hitter |
| Driver | 150 yds | 175 yds | 200 yds |
| 2 Wood | 135 yds | 160 yds | 190 yds |
| 3 Wood | 125 yds | 150 yds | 180 yds |
| 4 Wood | 110 yds | 145 yds | 175 yds |
| 5 Wood | 105 yds | 135 yds | 170 yds |
| 1 Iron | 125 yds | 150 yds | 180 yds |
| 2 Iron | 105 yds | 135 yds | 170 yds |
| 3 Iron | 100 yds | 125 yds | 160 yds |
| 4 Iron | 90 yds | 120 yds | 150 yds |
| 5 Iron | 80 yds | 110 yds | 140 yds |
| 6 Iron | 70 yds | 100 yds | 130 yds |
| 7 Iron | 65 yds | 90 yds | 120 yds |
| 8 Iron | 60 yds | 80 yds | 110 yds |
| 9 Iron | 55 yds | 70 yds | 95 yds |
| Pitching Wedge | 50 yds | 60 yds | 80 yds |
| Sand Wedge | 40 yds | 50 yds | 60 yds |
| Lob Wedge | 35 yds | 45 yds | 50 yds |
Average Distances for LPGA Tour Players
| Driver | 246 – 258 yds |
| 3 Wood | 195 – 217 yds |
| 5 Wood | 185 – 205 yds |
| 4 Iron | 170 – 181 yds |
| 5 Iron | 161 – 173 yds |
| 6 Iron | 152 – 163 yds |
| 7 Iron | 141 – 154 yds |
| 8 Iron | 130 – 143 yds |
| 9 Iron | 119 – 132 yds |
| Pitching Wedge | 107 – 121 yds |
Loft Angle (Degree)
Drivers are designed to maximize the ball’s carry distance, so a driver’s loft angle ranges from 8 to 13 degrees, depending on the specific brand or model of driver.
Woods, ranging from a 2-wood to a 5-wood are also used for distance, but their loft angle is slightly greater than a driver. This angle provides the golfer with distance, with a little more loft than a driver.
| 2 Wood | 12 – 15 degrees |
| 3 Wood | 12 – 17 degrees |
| 4 Wood | 15 – 19 degrees |
| 5 Wood | 20 – 23 degrees |
Irons, ranging from a 1-iron to a 9-iron are used for distance with the larger numbered irons being used for their ability to get loft for a ball.
| 1 Iron | 15 – 18 degrees |
| 2 Iron | 18 – 20 degrees |
| 3 Iron | 21- 24 degrees |
| 4 iron | 25 – 28 degrees |
| 5 iron | 28 – 32 degrees |
| 6 iron | 32 – 36 degrees |
| 7 iron | 36 – 40 degrees |
| 8 iron | 40 – 44 degrees |
| 9 iron | 45 – 48 degrees |
Wedges, for pitching, sand or lobbing, are primarily used for their ability to get under a golf ball and give it maximum loft.
| Pitching Wedge | 47 – 53 degrees |
| Sand Wedge | 54 – 58 degrees |
| Lob Wedge | 58 – 62 degrees |
How to Score Common Golf Penalty Shots?
A stray shot in golf is frustrating, but it happens to the best golfers. Where the ball is hit makes a difference in how it is played and scored. Take a look at these common golf penalty shots and how to deal with them:
| Penalty | How to Score |
|---|---|
| Out-of-bounds | 1-stroke penalty plus distance. Replay the ball from where it was just played (or tee up again if it was your first shot). |
| Unplayable lies | 1-stroke penalty. Drop the ball within two club lengths of the original spot, no nearer to the hole. Or drop the ball as far back as you want, as long as you keep the original unplayable lie point between you and the hole. You may also return to the spot from which you played your original shot if you prefer. |
| Water hazard (yellow stakes) | 1-stroke penalty. Play the ball as near as possible to the place from which the original shot was hit. Or drop a ball behind the water, as long as you keep the point at which the original ball crossed the edge of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped. There is no limit to how far behind the water hazard you can go with the ball. |
| Lateral water hazard (red stakes) | 1- stroke penalty. Drop a ball outside the lateral hazard within two club lengths of where the ball went in, but not nearer to the hole. Or keep a point on the opposite edge of the water hazard equidistant from the hole. |