How Far Should A Beginner Hit A Golf Ball

How far should a beginner hit a golf ball? As a beginner, it might be helpful to know how far different types of golfers hit their clubs so you can see how you compare. When you first start out playing golf you may wonder whether you are hitting the ball far enough.

The golf industry is obsessed with distance and you will probably catch that bug!

If you don’t tend to play with too many different standards of player then you might not be too sure how you measure up. Let’s take a look at typical yardages for certain types of golfers and ways in which you could improve the distance that you hit each club.

Golf Club Distance Chart

Here are some typical distances that you might expect players to achieve. These are carry yardages not total distance.

Club	Male Amateur (90 mph)	Female Amateur (65 mph)	LPGA Tour	PGA Tour
Driver	222	160	246	293
3-Wood	196	141	195	243
5-Wood	186	134	185	230
Hybrid	181	131	–	225
3-Iron	171	124	–	212
4-Iron	163	118	169	203
5-Iron	155	113	161	194
6-Iron	146	106	152	183
7-Iron	137	100	141	172
8-Iron	128	93	130	160
9-Iron	118	86	119	148
Pitching Wedge	109	79	107	136
Sand Wedge	99	72	96	124

Why Does Distance Matter?

Mainly because if you can’t hit very far it is likely to limit the level of progress you are able to make. If your driver distance maxes out at 180 yards then it is going to make it quite difficult for you to get a handicap in single figures. You would need to be very accurate with your approach shots and have a pretty sharp short game to make up for your lack of distance off the tee.

Similarly, it is a lot easier to hit the green with a seven iron from 150 yards rather than having to use a four iron!

Why Do You Need To Know How Far You Can Hit The Ball?

If you know your yardages then you can plan your shots accordingly. If you need to clear a greenside bunker then you need to know which clubs in your bag will actually do the job. Knowing how far you can hit each club is an important part of improving your golf.

It’s also important to know your average distance with your clubs. Do you really carry your seven iron 150 yards almost every time or do you only really do it one time in 10?

How Do PGA Tour Professionals Hit The Ball So Far?

The main reason Tour Professionals can hit the ball prodigious distances is the high swing speed that they are able to create. They have honed their golf swing over thousands of hours of practice to be as repeatable as possible. Elite players have a much more functional impact than the majority of amateur golfers. They are able to find the sweet spot with regularity and use technology to its full benefit to analyze their faults.

Most pros work on improving their fitness and flexibility to maximize their clubhead speed. This means they can propel the ball sort of distances that most average players can only dream of.

How Does Swing Speed Affect Distance?

Assuming that the strike and swing path remain consistent then your club head speed will have a direct impact on how far you can hit the golf ball. With a driver, every 1 mph of extra club head speed equals up to 1.5 mph of additional ball speed.

Every mph of ball speed will add around 2 yards of extra carry to your driver. So adding about 6-7 mph of clubhead speed should give you 15-20 extra yards off the tee.

If you know your club head speed then this calculator will give you a guide to how far you could hit each golf club.

How Does The Quality Of Strike Affect Distance?

Club manufacturers have become a lot better at reducing the amount of distance you lose when you don’t connect with the sweet spot. Despite this, you will still see a drop-off in carry distance if you strike the ball toward the heel or toe of the club. The same applies if you strike the ball low on the face.

	Spin Rate (RPM)	Distance (Yards)
-0.5” below center	3,165	243
-0.25” below center	2,971	247
-0.0” center hit	2,564	254
+0.25” above center	2,098	260
+0.50” above center	1,862	264

Does The Ball Affect Distance?

Yes, the ball does have an effect on how far you will hit your golf clubs. Older balls will not react the same as new ones.

Using balls you found in the bushes is likely to cost you a few yards. Using the wrong type of ball for your swing could also cost you both distance and accuracy.

If you already generate plenty of spin then using a really spinny ball is likely to make it balloon and cost you some distance. On the other hand, if you don’t generate a lot of spin and use a low compression, low spin ball then the ball is unlikely to fly as far as it could.

Try to be consistent with the balls you are using. This will allow you to learn how the ball reacts to your game in different situations.

What Is A Good Drive For A Beginner?

A lot depends on the physical abilities of the golfer. You wouldn’t expect a 70-year-old lady to hit the golf ball as far as a 30-year-old man for example. Depending on your swing speed and quality of strike you could use the distances below as a guide.

Club	Male Amateur (90 mph)	Female Amateur (65 mph)
Driver	222	160
3-Wood	196	141
5-Wood	186	134
Hybrid	181	131
3-Iron	171	124
4-Iron	163	118
5-Iron	155	113
6-Iron	146	106
7-Iron	137	100
8-Iron	128	93
9-Iron	118	86
Pitching Wedge	109	79
Sand Wedge	99	72

Beginner Golfer Club Distance Chart

There are a lot of factors going to influence how far a beginner can hit the ball with each club. Swing speed, quality of strike, attack angle etc. Here is a chart showing what might be achievable for different types of male beginners. At these speeds, the longer clubs may be more tightly grouped because you simply need a reasonable amount of speed to launch them correctly. Even Tiger has changed his set make up due to his declining swing speed!

Club	Junior (60 mph)	Male Beginner (70 mph)	Male Beginner (80 mph)	Male Amateur (90 mph)
Driver	147	172	197	222
3-Wood	130	152	174	196
5-Wood	123	144	165	186
Hybrid	121	141	161	181
3-iron	114	133	152	171
4-iron	109	127	145	163
5-iron	104	121	138	155
6-iron	98	114	130	146
7-iron	92	107	122	137
8-iron	86	100	114	128
9-iron	79	92	105	118
PW	73	85	97	109

While yardage is extremely important to those who play the game for a living don’t get too disheartened if you aren’t hitting the ball as far as you’d like. Being a big hitter does usually improve your chances of lower scores but most of us don’t play golf courses 7500 yards long!

Avoid getting too hung up on how far you hit your clubs. Work on improving your technique and minimizing your mistakes and you should see your driving distance increase.

What Is The Best Driver For A Beginner?

The majority of drivers these days are incredibly forgiving so you probably wouldn’t notice massive differences between any of the established brands. If you’re looking to spend a lot of money on a driver then make sure you get custom fit so you have the best chance of profiting from your investment.

I think one of the most overlooked aspects when buying clubs is how the club looks and feels to the golfer. If the club inspires confidence then you are more likely to make a good swing and achieve a positive result. If you don’t like the look of a club then you are unlikely to be successful with it.

The Ping G425 Max driver is an excellent choice if you can afford the price tag. The PXG 0211 driver offers a great package at a more affordable price point. You could also look at some of the second-hand options on eBay or specialist golf retailers if you have a good idea of the specifications you require in terms of loft and driver flex.

Bear in mind that most average golfers don’t have enough loft on their drivers. Unless you have a high swing speed you want to have at least 10.5° of loft.

Picking a new driver is tricky so have a look at this guide.

Simple Ways To Hit The Ball Further

The best way of increasing the distance you hit is to improve the quality of strike. Use impact tape on your clubface or spray on shoe deodorant so you can clearly see where on the face you are connecting with the ball. Work on getting the clubface as square as possible at impact since this transfers maximum energy through to the golf ball.

With your driver try to strike the ball on an upward path so tee the ball up a little higher so you can catch the ball on the upswing.

When playing from the fairway you need to catch the ball with a slightly descending blow so work on impacting the ground just after the ball.

Make sure that your swing path comes from a little inside the ball rather than outside as this helps promote better contact.

You must de-loft the clubs at impact to “compress” the golf ball and achieve a high-efficiency impact.

Once you have improved your ball striking you could try working on your speed. Try to work on your strength and flexibility. You could try speed drills using speed sticks type training aids.

How Far Should A Beginner Hit A Golf Ball: Conclusion

Hopefully, you now have a clear understanding of why you need to know your distances and why it’s important that you are able to hit a reasonable distance.

If you’re not currently hitting the ball that far then it will almost certainly limit your chances of lowering your handicap significantly.

Work on your strike and then your swing speed.

Frequently Asked Questions [FAQ]