Golf ScoutHow far should a beginner hit each golf club?
A beginner usually hits each club well short of the published averages. On our chart for a 36 handicap, that's about 161 yards with a driver, 101 with a 7 iron and 77 with a pitching wedge. The USGA measured 30-handicap men at 175 yards with a driver and 30-handicap women at 131.
Beginner golf club distance chart
| Club | 28 hcp yards | Metres | 36 hcp yards | Metres |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | 182 | 166 | 161 | 147 |
| 3-wood | 158 | 144 | 141 | 129 |
| 5-wood | 149 | 136 | 132 | 121 |
| 4-hybrid | 138 | 126 | 122 | 112 |
| 5-iron | 131 | 120 | 117 | 107 |
| 6-iron | 125 | 114 | 111 | 101 |
| 7-iron | 114 | 104 | 101 | 92 |
| 8-iron | 104 | 95 | 93 | 85 |
| 9-iron | 96 | 88 | 85 | 78 |
| Pitching wedge | 87 | 80 | 77 | 70 |
| Sand wedge | 65 | 59 | 57 | 52 |
Typical total distance, carry plus roll, for male golfers on a still day. The same figures as the club distance chart.
For comparison, England Golf's iGolf puts a typical male amateur at 210 to 240 yards with a driver and 140 to 160 with a 7 iron. Our 36-handicap figures are about 72% of the middle of the driver range and 67% of the 7-iron range.
Beginner women
England Golf's iGolf says women typically hit 15 to 25% shorter than men. Applied to the 36-handicap column, that's a driver of about 121 to 137 yards and a 7 iron of about 76 to 86. The USGA measured 30-handicap women at 131 yards with a driver. Club distances for women has the full figures.
Why your clubs all go about the same distance
On our chart the gap between a 7 and 8 iron is 14 yards at scratch but 8 at a 36 handicap. In practice they can look smaller still: when strikes vary a lot, as a rule of thumb, a well-struck 8 iron can pass a thinned 6 iron.
That's normal, and it fixes itself as your strike improves. Until then, it helps to think of your clubs in groups rather than one by one: a "long" club, a "middle" iron and a "short" iron, each covering a band of distances.
Long irons for beginners
People often ask how far a beginner should hit a 3 or 4 iron. As a rule of thumb, long irons need the most speed to get the ball up, and they're the hardest clubs to hit well. On our chart at a 36 handicap, a 5 iron goes 117 yards and a 6 iron 111: only 6 yards apart, before any mishits. A 4 hybrid at a 36 handicap goes about 122 yards on our chart; a common approach is to carry hybrids instead. See the woods and hybrids guide.
Which clubs does a beginner need?
The Rules of Golf allow up to 14 clubs, but there's no minimum. A common beginner set is a driver or 3 wood, a hybrid, the 6 to 9 irons, a pitching wedge, a sand wedge and a putter. Add clubs when you find a gap you keep wishing you could fill.
How to work out your own distances
Charts are a starting point. Your own numbers are what you pick clubs by:
- Hit 10 balls with each club and ignore the best and worst. The middle is your number.
- Measure on the course or on grass where you can: mats flatter poor strikes.
- Write the numbers down and check them every couple of months, as they'll change while you improve.
Your 7 iron is the best club to start with: how far you should hit a 7 iron covers it in detail.
See every club for your handicap
Related guides
- How far should a woman hit each golf club?
- How far should you hit a 9 iron?
- How far should a senior golfer hit each club?
Sources
Golf Scout keeps your bag and how far you hit each club, and fills in where each shot finished from your next mark, so your chart builds itself as you play. Get Golf Scout on the App Store, free for iPhone and Apple Watch.