How far should you hit a 4 iron? Average distances by handicap

4-iron distance by handicap

Club	Scratch	5 hcp	10 hcp	15 hcp	20 hcp	28 hcp	36 hcp
5-wood	225	213	200	188	174	149	132
4-iron	209	197	186	174	161	138	122
5-iron	199	188	177	166	154	131	117
6-iron	190	180	169	158	147	125	111

Typical total distance in yards, carry plus roll, on a still day at sea level. The same figures as the club distance chart.

England Golf's iGolf puts the typical male amateur's 4 iron at 170 to 190 yards, which lines up with the 5 to 15 handicap columns. The gap to the 5 iron on our chart is about 8 yards at a 15 handicap. In real life the step depends on your swing speed, as the carry figures below show.

What loft is a 4 iron?

There's no standard. PING's G430 game-improvement set has a 19° 4 iron, while Titleist's T100 players' iron has a 23° 4 iron. Irons in a set are usually 3° to 4° apart, so those two "4 irons" are more than a club apart. Our chart assumes 22°. Look at the loft on your own club before you compare it with anyone's numbers.

Carry for slower and faster swings

Foresight Sports' launch reference tables give 4-iron carry for two swing speeds:

Golfer	Club speed	Ball speed	Carry
Slower swing	84 mph	123 mph	184 yds
Faster swing	96 mph	135 mph	199 yds
PGA Tour average (Trackman)	98 mph	140 mph	209 yds

Carry only, before any roll. Foresight's figures are reference values from measured and calculated ball flights.

The same tables put the slower swing's 5 iron at 169 yards and the faster swing's at 191. So the step from 5 iron to 4 iron is 15 yards for one swing and 8 for the other. If your own 4 and 5 irons finish within a few yards of each other, the 4 iron may not be earning its place.

Beginners

A long iron has the least loft and the smallest margin for a poor strike of any iron, so it's one of the hardest clubs for a new golfer. Our chart gives 122 yards at a 36 handicap, but don't be surprised if yours goes no further than your 6 iron until your strike improves. A hybrid or a 7 wood of similar loft is easier to get airborne.

Women and seniors

England Golf's iGolf says women typically hit 15 to 25% shorter than men, depending on swing speed. Applied to the 174 yards on our chart at a 15 handicap, that's about 131 to 148 yards. Seniors lose swing speed with age, and long irons feel it first because they need speed to get the ball in the air. A common answer is to swap the 4 iron for a hybrid or a 7 wood.

4 iron or 4 hybrid?

PING lists its 22° 4 hybrid as the equivalent of a 4 iron, so the two are meant to cover the same distance. Our chart works from loft, so it shows them the same. The difference is how they get there: the hybrid's wider, deeper head launches higher and is easier out of the rough, while the iron flies lower, which helps into the wind. The woods and hybrids guide has the hybrid numbers.

How to find your real 4-iron distance

Note where your 4-iron shots finish on the course over a few rounds, leaving out the duffs, and compare the average with your 5 iron and your longest hybrid or wood. If two of them are within about 7 yards of each other, you only need one. The club gapping calculator shows the gaps at a glance, and the club gapping guide covers what to do about them.

See every club for your handicap

Related guides

Sources

Golf Scout's Bag keeps how far you hit each club, and the caddie in Golf Scout Pro picks the club from the distances you actually hit. Get Golf Scout on the App Store, free for iPhone and Apple Watch.