Question of the day — How far am I supposed to hit with each club?

Ok, so you’ve got your brand new set of golf clubs. You’ve familiarized yourself with them, and you now know the difference between a sand wedge and a 3-wood. Probably the next most popular question asked by new golfers is, how far am I supposed to hit with each club? The honest answer – it varies with each individual golfer.

Keep in mind that if you’re used to watching the golfers playing in tournaments on television, you’ll see lady pros on average hitting their drivers over 230 yards and for the men, anywhere between 280 and 320 yards. But for amateur golfers that you’ll more than likely be paired up with during your golf outings, the distances are usually much less.

Spending time on the golf range hitting balls is the best way to determine how far YOU can actually hit with each club. There really is no wrong club distance, and when you’re out on the course, remember that you’re not in a competition to determine who can hit their 7-iron the furthest.

As a beginner, it’s ok to wonder about how your distances compare to other amateurs. Just don’t get caught up in trying to match those averages. Being a long hitter does not guarantee that you will post lower scores. And as you continue to play, you’ll begin to appreciate the importance of hitting the ball straight more than anything.

The chart below shows the ranges with each club for both male and female amateur players. It will give you a representation of short hitters, mid hitters, and long hitters. That way you’ll be able to determine where you rank on the scale.

So use this chart as a guideline to improve your distances, but never forget the golfer’s mantra – HIT ‘EM STRAIGHT!!

CLUB                                       WOMEN                                       MEN

Driver                                       150-175-200                           200-230-260

3-wood                                    125-150-180                           180-215-235

5-wood                                    105-135-170                           170-195-210

2-iron                                       105-135-170                           170-195-210

3-iron                                       100-125-160                           160-180-200

4-iron                                       90-120-150                             150-170-185

5-iron                                       80-110-140                             140-160-170

6-iron                                       70-100-130                             130-150-160

7-iron                                       65-90-120                               120-140-150

8-iron                                       60-80-110                               110-130-140

9-iron                                       55-70-95                                 95-115-130

PW                                             50-60-80                                 80-105-120

SW                                             40-50-60                                 60-80-100