How far should you hit a 9 iron? Average 9 iron distance

9-iron distance by handicap

Club	Scratch	5 hcp	10 hcp	15 hcp	20 hcp	28 hcp	36 hcp
8-iron	158	149	141	132	122	104	93
9-iron	145	137	129	121	112	96	85
Pitching wedge	132	125	117	110	102	87	77

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 115 to 140 yards for a typical male amateur's 9 iron, the widest range of any iron in its list.

What loft is a 9 iron?

Anything from about 36° to 43°, depending on the set. Titleist's current 9 irons run from 38° in its distance-focused T350 to 43° in its 620 blades. PING's G730 9 iron is 36°, and the next club in that set, labelled W, is 40°: a stronger loft than some other makers' 9 irons.

So a "9 iron" in one bag and a pitching wedge in another can be the same club in all but name. If a friend's 9 iron goes 15 yards further than yours, check the number on the head before you check your swing.

What the 9 iron is for

Approach shots from inside about 140 yards, where you want the ball to come down fairly steeply and stop.
Getting up and over a tree or a bank from a short distance, where a mid iron wouldn't rise quickly enough.
Chip and run. Around the green, a common approach is to use a 9 iron when there's a lot of green to roll across, because it carries a short way and then runs like a putt.
Punch shots under branches or into the wind: a common way to keep it low is a shorter swing with the ball further back in the stance.

Beginners

A new golfer hits a 9 iron well short of those figures: our chart gives 85 yards at a 36 handicap and 96 at 28. Club distances for beginners has the whole bag.

Women

England Golf's iGolf says women typically hit 15 to 25% shorter than men. Applied to the 15-handicap column, that's about 91 to 103 yards with a 9 iron. See club distances for women.

Swing speed and 9-iron distance

Foresight Sports' launch tables show what speed does to a 9 iron. A slower swinger (94 mph with the driver) swings the 9 iron at 74 mph and carries it 126 yards. A faster one (112 mph with the driver) swings it at 85 mph and carries it 139. Use the swing speed calculator for your driver and short-iron estimates.

Tour players

Trackman data puts the average PGA Tour 9-iron carry at about 152 yards, from 87 mph of club speed and nearly 8,800 rpm of spin. That much backspin helps the ball stop quickly once it lands.

9 iron or pitching wedge?

On our chart, at a 15 handicap the 9 iron goes 121 yards and the pitching wedge 110, a gap of 11. When you're between them, a common approach is to look at what's short of the green. With trouble in front, take the 9 iron and swing smoothly; with room short and trouble long, take the wedge. The pitching wedge guide covers the clubs below.

See every club for your handicap

Related guides

Sources

Golf Scout shows distances to the front, middle and back of the green, so you can tell whether it's a 9 iron to the flag or a wedge to the front. Get Golf Scout on the App Store, free for iPhone and Apple Watch.