7 Golf Club Distance Charts: By Age, Gender And Skill Level

Welcome to our golf club distance charts guide!

Age, gender, and skill level are all factors that will impact the distances you hit each golf club in your bag. Do you know the consistent distance they travel?

Compiling extensive research, the following tables present seven golf distance charts, also known as golf club yardage charts, that cover all bases – age, gender, and skill level.

They offer a great reference point to see where your game sits, and how to improve it using knowledge of golf club distance.

Let’s get into the swing of it!

Golf Club Distance Charts: Key Factors

The golf distance charts also include the key factors that affect how far you hit each club – swing speed and ball speed and a relatively new coefficient; Smash Factor.

Ultimately, swing speed is the main element, as the ball speed and Smash Factor figures both relate to the swing speed.

Yet while important, it is not just about the swing speed. A good swing and subsequent quality of strike off the middle of the clubface play a huge role to determine how far your ball travels.

What is Smash Factor? One thing is for sure, it is a very modern term. Nobody was mentioning this even 5 years ago.

Smash Factor is your ball speed divided by club speed and this calculated figure relates to the amount of energy transferred from the clubhead to the golf ball. The higher the Smash Factor the better the energy transfer.

Related Article: Parts of a Golf Club Explained & Diagrams

Get this factor close to 1.5 when hitting your driver and you have a great figure.

Example: a ball speed of 120 mph with a swing speed of 80 mph, your Smash Factor = 1.5.

Other smaller contributory factors also have an effect on distance:

• The loft of your clubs.

• The weather.

Remember that these golf club distance charts are based on averages, not your best distances.

We’ve all got that drive in the bag when everything clicks, the swing movement, the rhythm, and timing, hitting the sweet spot, and, hey presto, we find another 10-20% on our distance. Sadly, not too often!

There will also be young, athletic beginner golfers reading this knowing they are capable of pounding a driver as far as a scratch golfer – but how regularly and how straight is the issue here.

300 yards on one drive followed by a 40-yard whiff and the beginner averages out at 170 yards for these two drives. Are you with me now?

We also need to detail the skill level categories as listed:

• Beginner Golfer. Self-explanatory.

• Average Golfer. 16-24 handicap.

• Good Golfer. 8-16 handicap.

• Excellent Golfer. Below 8 handicap.

These are subjective figures but, at least, give a guideline for reference.

Time to delve into our extensive golf club yardage charts that cover all bases – the male, female and senior golfer.

golf club distance charts: #1: Averages for male golfer by skill level

Golf Club Distance Charts: #2: averages for lady golfer By Skill Level

Golf Club Distance Charts: #3: averages for Senior Golfer & Pro comparison

Golf Club Distance ChartS: #4: By Swing Speed

Most club golfers can find out their actual swing speed on a Trackman system, or something similar at their club. Many driving ranges now have similar devices for the social golfer to ascertain their numbers.

Let’s look at a selection of golf club distances related to swing speed.

150 mph is freakish but Kyle Berkshire’s (World Long Drive Champion) fastest recorded swing speed was 155!

To put this ridiculous number into context, the average swing speed on the PGA Tour is currently 114.1 mph.

#5: Ball Speed to Distance Conversion Chart: the driver

#6: Driver Swing Speed Chart: by skill level

Golf Club distance Charts: other Key Factors

Loft

Each club has a unique loft. Logic will tell every golfer that a higher loft will translate into a higher ball flight.

Therefore, the lowest loft will be for the club you want to hit furthest – the Driver. At the other end of the spectrum is the Lob Wedge designed for high, soft landing pitches onto the green.

The most startling detail here is how every iron club is, in effect, the same loft as one club higher in 1990. A modern-day 5 iron has the same loft as a 4-iron in 1990. No wonder they go further!

Driver lofts have not changed too much. The technology for pounding the Big Dog further in modern times is mainly down to the massive innovations in golf shaft technology.

The larger clubhead also helps with a bigger sweet spot so slightly off-center strikes will be far more successful than with the clubs made 30 years ago.

Weather

The modern-day golf ball performs optimally in warm weather. When cold, the ball travels less far regardless of swing speed. Fact.

Wind will have a massive bearing on your distances but not necessarily your averages. You may lose 20 yards on a club playing into a stiff breeze, but get it back when you turn downwind.

We’ve detailed all the figures for us mere mortals. Let’s take a look at the numbers the golfing gods are achieving on the professional tours.

Golf Club Distance Charts: #7: PGA Tour Players

What do we see from this golf club distance chart?

Firstly is the startling difference through time. There is great debate about who is the best golfer ever and it always comes down to Jack Nicklaus or Tiger.

Nicklaus had 18 Major Victories, 4 clear of Tiger. He also finished runner-up on 19 occasions and third, 9 times. This record supersedes any other. Surely the best?

But look how short he was compared to the modern-day golfer. In effect, he hit it about the same distance that an LPGA (Ladies Tour) player does nowadays.

These figures demonstrate the effects of technology.

Tiger’s figures are based on when he was playing regularly and in his pomp. That is almost 15 years ago and his figures are still the same as the Tour average now. This shows how long he was compared to his peers back in the day.

The Bombers, Bryson, and DJ just hit it miles. Their figures are obscene!

Then you see Rory’s even stupider numbers – but these were measured at 7,600 feet above sea level at the WGC-Mexico Championship at the Club de Golf Chapultepec Club, Mexico.

Playing at altitude is the final unmentioned factor in how far a ball travels. You can see how significant the difference is as Rory’s normal Tour stats are just below DJ’s – but only just.

what do these golf club distance charts tell you?

You may have an idea of how far you hit your clubs, but now is the time to back this up with some hard data. When playing golf is so important to know your club distances.

As these are average figures, there will be plenty above the average and a similar amount below.

If you are longer, then maybe you need to work on control to improve your game to move upwards and onwards into a higher skill bracket.

If shorter, no problem here. Nobody cares whether you used a 7-iron or 9-iron if you hit the ball to 3 feet.

But if you are desperately searching for just a few more yards, then you will have to up the ante with your swing speed. Look at our array of instructional aids to set you down the right path.

Golf Club Distance Charts Sorted. What about lag in Your Golf Swing?