Golf ScoutHow far should a woman hit each golf club?
The USGA's 2023 measurements put the average woman golfer at 144 yards with a driver, 98 with a 7 iron and 80 with a pitching wedge. That's 82, 51 and 37 yards shorter than the average man. England Golf's iGolf says women typically hit 15 to 25% shorter than men, mostly because of swing speed.
Average women's club distances
The USGA measured 627 recreational golfers on Trackman launch monitors in 2021 to 2023, 79 of them women. Each hit seven shots with three clubs, and the study took the middle one. For the average woman:
| Club | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| Driver | 144 | 226 |
| 7 iron | 98 | 149 |
| Pitching wedge | 80 | 117 |
Typical total distance in yards. Source: USGA, 2023.
Women's distances by handicap
The same study gives driver distance by Handicap Index. We've added 7-iron and wedge estimates using the study's own link between driver and iron distance, which it measured across all its golfers:
| Handicap Index | Driver | 7 iron (est.) | Pitching wedge (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 177 | 121 | 96 |
| 20 | 154 | 108 | 87 |
| 30 | 131 | 95 | 77 |
Total distance in yards. Driver measured by the USGA, 2023; irons estimated from it.
Each 10 shots of handicap was worth about 23 yards of driver distance for women in the study, against 30 for men.
A full women's club distance chart
England Golf's rule of 15 to 25% shorter gives a quick chart for the whole bag. Here it is applied to our figures for a 15-handicap man:
| Club | 15% shorter | 25% shorter |
|---|---|---|
| Driver | 195 | 172 |
| 3-wood | 170 | 150 |
| 5-wood | 160 | 141 |
| 7-wood | 150 | 133 |
| 5-hybrid | 141 | 125 |
| 5-iron | 141 | 125 |
| 6-iron | 134 | 119 |
| 7-iron | 122 | 107 |
| 8-iron | 112 | 99 |
| 9-iron | 103 | 91 |
| Pitching wedge | 94 | 83 |
| Sand wedge | 70 | 62 |
Total distance in yards: our chart at a 15 handicap, less 15% and 25%. A rough guide, not a measurement.
The USGA's averages sit below this range: the average woman's 7 iron, 98 yards, is about a third shorter than the average man's. Use the chart as a starting point and replace each number with your own.
Ladies' fairway woods and hybrids
A common approach for women is to carry more lofted woods and hybrids and fewer long irons, since they're usually easier to get airborne at lower speeds. On the chart above, a 5 wood goes 141 to 160 yards and a 7 wood 133 to 150, against 125 to 141 for a 5 iron. The woods and hybrids guide covers how to choose between them.
Swing speed
Swing speed is what drives the difference. Trackman's averages for women's driver club speed are 90 mph at scratch, 87 at a 5 handicap, 83 at 10 and 79 at 15. The average male golfer swings at 94 mph. Put your own speed into the swing speed calculator for driver, 7-iron and wedge estimates.
Tour players
In 2025 the LPGA Tour averaged 259.8 yards on its measured driving holes and the Ladies European Tour 249.3, including roll. Trackman puts the average LPGA driver club speed at 96 mph, about the same as a 10-handicap man.
Age
The USGA found that distance falls with age for everyone, but that ageing affects women more than men. See driver distance by age for the figures.
See every club for your handicap
Related guides
- How far should a senior golfer hit each club?
- How far should a beginner hit each golf club?
- Swing speed and distance chart: how far does each speed go?
Sources
Golf Scout's caddie learns how far you really hit each club from the shots you mark, so its suggestions fit your game rather than an average. Get Golf Scout on the App Store, free for iPhone and Apple Watch.