Golf ScoutHow far should you hit a 6 iron?
Most male club golfers hit a 6 iron 150 to 170 yards. On our chart that's about 190 yards at scratch, 169 at a 10 handicap and 147 at 20. Trackman puts the average male golfer's 6-iron club speed at 80 mph, which carries the ball about 156 yards; PGA Tour players carry it about 188.
6-iron distance by handicap
| Club | Scratch | 5 hcp | 10 hcp | 15 hcp | 20 hcp | 28 hcp | 36 hcp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-iron | 199 | 188 | 177 | 166 | 154 | 131 | 117 |
| 6-iron | 190 | 180 | 169 | 158 | 147 | 125 | 111 |
| 7-iron | 172 | 163 | 153 | 143 | 133 | 114 | 101 |
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 gives 150 to 170 yards for a typical male amateur's 6 iron.
6-iron swing speed and distance
Trackman publishes its iron speed averages for the 6 iron, so there are good figures for it:
| Golfer | 6-iron club speed | Carry |
|---|---|---|
| Average male golfer (Trackman) | 80 mph | Not given |
| LPGA Tour average (Trackman) | 80 mph | Not given |
| Slower swinger (Foresight) | 80 mph | 156 |
| Faster swinger (Foresight) | 92 mph | 181 |
| PGA Tour average (Trackman) | 94 mph | 188 |
Carry in yards. Sources: Trackman; Foresight Sports' ball launch tables; Golf Monthly for the PGA Tour carry.
Between Foresight's two swingers, each extra mile per hour of 6-iron speed adds about 2.1 yards of carry. That's a rough guide for working out your own from a launch monitor reading. For the driver, see the swing speed and distance chart.
What loft is a 6 iron?
About 24.5° to 31°. PING's G730 6 iron is 24.5°. Titleist's run from 26° in the T350 to 31° in its 620 blades. That spread means a G730 6 iron is stronger than a Titleist 620 5 iron (27°), so a 6 iron in one set can go further than the 5 iron in another.
What the 6 iron is for
- Longer approaches, around 150 to 170 yards for most club golfers.
- Long par 3s.
- Tee shots on short, tight par 4s, when position matters more than distance.
- Low shots into the wind on a links, where a common approach is to take one or two more clubs and swing easier to keep the ball down.
6 iron or hybrid?
If your 6 iron goes about as far as your 7, a hybrid or 7 wood may do its job better: on our chart at a 20 handicap, a 5 hybrid goes 154 yards against 147 for the 6 iron. The woods and hybrids guide explains the choice.
Women and beginners
England Golf's iGolf says women typically hit 15 to 25% shorter than men: about 119 to 134 yards against the 15-handicap column. Beginners hit it shorter: our chart gives 111 yards at a 36 handicap. See club distances for women and for beginners.
Find your own number
Measure your 6 iron on the course over 10 shots or more and take the middle, not the best. Then check the gap to your 5 and 7 irons: on our chart it's about 15 yards down to the 7 iron at a 15 handicap. As a rule of thumb, if yours is under half that, the two clubs are doing the same job.
See every club for your handicap
Related guides
Sources
Golf Scout Pro's shot patterns show where your 6 iron really goes, the average miss and the spread, drawn on the hole around your target. Get Golf Scout on the App Store, free for iPhone and Apple Watch.