Question:
What is the benchmark for hitting distance of various clubs? I’m a beginner and can only manage about 130 yards with a 7 iron and about 175 yards with a 3 iron. Thanks
You are off to a good start. But your question is hard to answer. You may gain some more distance but the most important thing is to know how far you are hitting each club each time you go to play. Tommy Anderson, Jr.
Response:
Thanks for your help, guys. I know that as a beginner I should work on my swing and not worry about distance, etc etc. But it gets a little embarrasing when I’m at the range and this little old lady next to me hits the ball way farther than me… a young, strapping 6-foot male. I won’t rest until I can hit 250 yards off the tee!
Response:
Thanks for your help, guys. I know that as a beginner I should work on my swing and not worry about distance, etc etc. But it gets a little embarrasing when I’m at the range and this little old lady next to me hits the ball way farther than me… a young, strapping 6-foot male. I won’t rest until I can hit 250 yards off the tee!
Well, Jedi, I was feeling the same way. So I worked on adding length. I changed clubs, which hurt my wallet. I swung harder, which hurt my ribs (I was basically out of commission for a month). I even took a lesson, which temporarily destroyed my swing and when it finally came back, I didn’t hit the ball any farther, just more consistently. But with consistent hitting…my AVERAGE length edged up. I’m about 10 yds longer with all clubs than I was at the start of the season, which is still not as long as the little old lady, but I’ve learned something else: stop worrying about the little old lady (except to admire her skill), and play my own game. (So I decided to focus on my short game, and it only took about 2 hours of practice to take about 5 [yes, five!] strokes off my average — and keep them off! Why didn’t I do this years ago? Because I’m a goof!) You’re doing fine, and your length is fine for now. Take winter lessons to revamp your swing if you want, but for now enjoy the game! Good luck! — "I am PRECISELY as dumb as I look." Share what you know. Learn what you don’t.
Response:
What is the benchmark for hitting distance of various clubs?
There really isn’t one. Since there are no real ’standard’ lofts anymore on clubs, and since all people have different swings, strength, etc., it varies a lot more than you might think. I’m a beginner and can only manage about 130 yards with a 7 iron and about 175 yards with a 3 iron.
You’re doing fine. If you want to hit it longer, see an instructor and do some work with a weighted club, and learn good tempo and timing. The truly important thing is to have a solid knowledge of how far you hit all of your clubs and to use that knowledge on the course. Just because Joe Hacker pulls a 6-iron doesn’t mean you should.
Response:
As has been said repeatedly, there is no benchmark for distance. But you can use is the assumptions the USGA makes when rating golf courses. The USGA assumes a male scratch golfer hits 250 yards off the tee and can reach a 470 yard hole in two shots. I think the goal to shoot for is a 250 yard driver and a 4-wood or two-iron of 220 yards. It’s my experience that an average man, regardless of body size, shape, condition, if he has a somewhat decent swing, should be able to hit the ball 250 off the tee. The key is a decent swing. A good swing makes use of many muscles in your body. To do that things have to take place in particular order. If you rush it, you screw up that order and short circuit the power in your swing. As a beginner, you need to develop a swing. There’s a lot of good instruction out there. My suggestion will always be Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons: The Modern Fundamentals of Golf. It is one of the cheapest paperback instruction books out there. Most modern instruction (it was originally written in the mid-’50s) builds off it. And when you take lessons for your pro, it will help reinforce those lessons. — JoePete – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -What is the benchmark for hitting distance of various clubs? I’m a beginner and can only manage about 130 yards with a 7 iron and about 175 yards with a 3 iron. Thanks
Response:
I hit em just about like you do, 5 iron goes about 150-160, so that’s how I judge my clubs and irons. Stick with what you have and make good use of your knowledge of how far you can hit with eachone. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -What is the benchmark for hitting distance of various clubs? I’m a beginner and can only manage about 130 yards with a 7 iron and about 175 yards with a 3 iron. Thanks
Response:
What is the benchmark for hitting distance of various clubs? I’m a beginner and can only manage about 130 yards with a 7 iron and about 175 yards with a 3 iron. Thanks
Response:
There is no correct distance for any given club in your bag. For example, you may hit your seven-iron 125 and a pro like Payne Stewart will hit that same club 175. I was taught that if you learned to control your shots (ie: straight vs hook or slice) with consistency, the length will come naturally. By learning this one lesson and applying it to every shot, I brought my handicap down from 16 to 8 in two years. Good luck, Stacy
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