average tour 3 wood ball speed

What’s The Average Ball Speed Of A PGA Tour Pro?

We take a closer look at the numbers to find out the average speed of the ball after impact at an elite level

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Let's start by defining what ball speed is. Quite simply, it's the speed of the golf ball immediately after impact.

If you asked a lot of recreational golfers what their average ball speed was, you’d probably get a lot of blank faces – as well as a few responses along the lines of, ‘I'm not sure, but I average around 300 yards.’

Hmm, do you? 

Most Tour professionals will know their ball speeds to the nearest 1/2mph, for hitting balls and making marginal gains where they can is all part of the day job.

Some, the forensic types like Bryson DeChambeau , would probably even be able to sketch a graph of how their ball speed has improved since they played college golf.

Bryson DeChambeau winds up for a big drive

DeChambeau has spoken openly in the past about his quest to chase distance gains , and has managed well over 200mph when competing in the World Long Drive Championships.

These crazy numbers, however, are not the norm.

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Still, pretty much all elite level golfers work with launch monitor technology, such as Trackman, as it helps them to understand where they are with their swing and what, if any, tweaks they might need to make.

According to Trackman data, the average ball speed, with driver, of a PGA Tour player in 2022 was 167mph.

A look at the 2022/23 ball speed numbers provided by the PGA Tour suggests that that number is now higher.

Cameron Champ has been averaging over 190mph for ball speed

Of the 193 players listed, only 27 players average below 167mph, with Cameron Champ producing the fastest average at a fraction over 190mph.

Of course, average ball speed is only a number, and those who can boast a big number don’t necessarily have more titles on their CV.

To start with, we’ve not even talked about driving accuracy here. To put it simply, you could be up with DeChambeau around the 190mph mark, but that’s not going to be much use if you can’t keep the ball on the golf course.

However, those are the stats, and they make for an interesting debate.

What's also interesting is that, according to Trackman data, the average ball speed on the PGA Tour for a 3-wood is around 158mph, which would be higher than most average golfers' driver.

The data also shows that the average carry distance on the PGA Tour with a hybrid (225 yards) beats the average players' total driving distance (216 yards).

PGA pros can carry their hybrid further than the average player's total driving distance (216 yards)

As for the average ball speed of a PGA Tour pro... it's safe to say it’s around the 170mph mark.

Michael has been with Golf Monthly since 2008. As a multimedia journalist, he has also worked for The Football Association, where he created content to support the men's European Championships, The FA Cup, London 2012, and FA Women's Super League. As content editor at Foremost Golf, Michael worked closely with golf's biggest equipment manufacturers, and has developed an in-depth knowledge of this side of the industry. He's now a regular contributor, covering instruction, equipment and feature content. Michael has interviewed many of the game's biggest stars, including six world number ones, and has attended and reported on many Major Championships and Ryder Cups. He's a member of Formby Golf Club. 

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Swing Speed and Distance Chart for Every Club

Find out exactly where your swings speeds with each club stack up

• DESCRIPTION Golf driving range with distances measured
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The more data we collect about our golf games, and the games of the best players out there, the more we realize how important distance is. No matter what the club manufacturers tell you, the best way to increase your distance is to increase your club head speed. Here’s a club head speed chart that shows you swing speeds for every club from every type of player, from PGA and LPGA tour players, to high-handicap amateur men and women.

Whether you are embarking on a swing speed mission, or you’re simply seeking some context to see how your swing speed with a certain club stacks up, this chart shows average club head speeds for each type of player.

Tour Player Swing Speed and Distance Chart

Here are the average swing speeds of PGA Tour and LPGA Tour players with each full-swing club, along with their average carry distances, in yards, for each club. This data comes directly from Trackman , which captures dozens of metrics from countless professional and amateur golfers every day.

What Is the Average Distance With Each Golf Club?

Amateur Golf Swing Speed Chart by Gender and Handicap

Trackman measures and publishes actual swing speed data for tour players with every full swing club. Additionally, Trackman has published driver swing speed data for amateur men and women by their handicap range. Given that the handicap index of the average male golfer is around 14.5, Trackman used that as one of its handicap benchmarks, in addition to a category that Trackman calls the “Bogey Golfer.”

Using Trackman’s measured swing speeds for amateur and professional golfers, we can estimate the average swing speed with each club for amateur golfers, both men and women, by handicap.

Combining Trackman’s measured data and these estimations, here is the club head speed chart for amateur golfers.

8 Clubhead Speed Drills to Help You Hit More Bombs

Male Amateur: Average Club Head Speed Chart

Over the years, we’ve collected a ton of data from professional and amateur golfers alike. With access to this data, we can match actual average distances with each club for each type of player with their swing speeds.

Here is the average club head speed chart, with actual and estimated swing speeds, paired with actual average distances from male amateur golfers, according to data provided by Shot Scope, an industry leader in on-course distance measuring devices and stat-tracking. Distances are in yards and are adjusted to remove outlier shots.

Bogey Golfer Official Handicap and Stats

Female Amateur: Average Club Head Speed Chart

While we don’t have big data on the average distance female amateur players hit each club, we can still give you solid estimates on how fast they swing each club. Here’s the swing speed chart for female amateur golfers, broken down by handicap.

Golf Swing Speed Chart: Averages By Age, Skill, and More

Swing speed charts can tell you the average speeds by age, skill, gender, and more. You can also compare how club head speeds compare to distance.

As a PGA-certified golf coach, I know I am not alone in being a numbers and statistics geek. Many of my students are hungry to compare their numbers with their favorite pro golfers using charts, graphs, and other visual representations.

Many swing speed charts exist today. Some break down clubhead and ball speed by a golfer’s handicap, gender, age, years playing, and many other areas. What many may find surprising by some of the data is that most golfers do not swing as fast as they think nor hit the ball as far as they claim to.

My goal in this article is to share all of the latest information and statistics regarding swing speed in golf. I’ll also share other related information, such as the distance at which golfers hit the ball. Other information relevant to this topic will be shared as well.

Here is a breakdown of what you can find if you read on:

• Average Swing Speed By Age and Gender
• Average Swing Speed By Handicap
• Average PGA TOUR Club Head Speeds and Distances
• PGA TOUR Average Club Head Speeds and Carry Distance Per Club
• Average LPGA TOUR Club Head Speeds and Distances
• LPGA TOUR Average Club Head Speeds and Carry Distance Per Club
• The Fastest Swingers In Golf

Tips To Improve Your Swing Speed

So get ready, and make sure to buckle up. Things are going to get fast!

Average Swing Speed Chart By Age and Gender

Average swing speed chart by handicap, pga tour fastest 10 driver swing speed averages.

• PGA TOUR Slowest 10 Driver Swing Speed Averages

Fast Swing Speed Does Not Always Equal Longer Drives

Swing speed and driving distance matters, but you can win without them, pga tour average clubhead speed and carry distance per club, lpga tour fastest 10 driver distance averages, lpga tour average clubhead speed and carry distance per club, the fastest swing speeds in golf, traditional tips for getting faster swing speeds, non-traditional tips for getting faster swing speeds, what is the mach 3 speed training system, final thoughts.

*Estimates due to a lack of participants in this age and gender group

** The data in the chart was compiled from a Titleist Performance Institute  (TPI) study conducted in 2019.

Club head swing speed contributes to the distance a golfer can hit a golf ball. Countless factors contribute to how fast a golfer can swing, such as age, flexibility, strength, gender, and the efficiency of their swing mechanics.

The first factor I wanted to chart concerning swing speed is age and gender. The following chart represents the average swing speeds with a driver for several different age groups and by male and female golfers within them.

Age significantly affects how much clubhead speed a golfer can produce on average.  Here is the main observation about swing speed versus age and gender:

• As you age, swing speed generally gets slower

However, as you can see from the chart, age does not necessarily have to slow you down completely. Some golfers in the 50 – 59 and 60+ age groups can still swing significantly fast. It all depends on how flexible someone can stay as they age.

Check this out: What Are the Golf Club Distances for Each Club? (Charts for All Skill Levels)

*Data from PGATour.com  as of 7/9/23  

**Data from PGATour.com  as of 7/9/23

Average swing speeds by handicap data from TrackMan

Let’s look at average swing speeds by handicap level for male golfers.

A golfer’s playing ability and how efficiently they swings the club also directly impact how fast their swing speed is. When golfers understand how the swing is supposed to work and can execute those fundamentals correctly, the result is a much more efficient swing. That efficient swing will lead to an increase in swing speed.

Read on: What Driver Loft Should You Use? (Full Chart Based On Swing Speed)

Average PGA TOUR Club Head Speeds

PGA TOUR professionals are among the best golfers in the world, so many golfers look to them as guides to playing the game correctly.

Note: Even though these speeds happened on a specific date in 2024, they’re still applicable today since swing speeds don’t rise significantly over time.

*Compiled through Rocket Mortgage Classic, 7/2/23

• Tour Pro Golfer Average Swing Speed – 115.24        
• Tour Pro Golfer Average Driving Distance – 299.40

PGA TOUR Slowest  10 Driver Swing Speed Averages

*All data from PGATour.com

**Compiled through Rocket Mortgage Classic, 7/2/23

As you may have noticed, some of the PGA TOUR pros in the top 20 in swing speed with the driver are outside the top 20 in average driver distance. This is because of a stat called Smash Factor, which measures the efficiency of a swing.

Smash Factor  is calculated by dividing the ball speed by the clubhead speed. Additionally, where the ball comes in contact with the clubface matters quite a bit as well.

Here are some examples of players with fast swing speeds who are outside the top 20 in driving distance.

Of those short knockers in the bottom 10 on the PGA TOUR this season in swing speed, and many of whom are very near the bottom in driving distance, all but two have a PGA TOUR victory on their resume.

*Data compiled from TrackMan’s 2017 PGA TOUR Data Points

I use data from TrackMan all the time with my students as a reference for what peak performance stats look like.

Above, I have pulled out the club head speed and carry distances for each club, on average, on the PGA TOUR.

TrackMan notes that these AVERAGE stats from 2017 have mostly stayed the same over the last six years.  The top players on the PGA TOUR have gotten faster and carry the ball longer, but, on average, the chart above still holds close to today’s average.

Average LPGA TOUR Club Head Speeds

The LPGA does not keep data on swing speed. However, the average swing speed with the driver hovers around 95 mph, per TrackMan. As we noticed in the statistics above for the PGA TOUR, there is somewhat of a correlation between swing speed and driver distance, but not necessarily always.

The current top drivers on the LPGA Tour shake out as follows:

Driving Distance Averages from LPGATour.com

Swing Speed Estimates Via TrackMan

Data compiled through 7/9/23

As noted previously, TrackMan is a go-to source for swing and club data for many coaches and players. I use data from TrackMan with my students all the time. For my female students, as well as slower-swinging male students, one of my go-to charts is TrackMan’s 2017 LPGA TOUR Data Points .

Compiled data from TrackMan

As noted previously, TrackMan notes that these AVERAGE stats from 2017 have mostly stayed the same over the last six years. The top players on the LPGA TOUR have gotten faster and carry the ball longer, but, on average, the chart above still holds close to today’s average.

In 2012, Ryan Winther set the world record for swing speed at 167 mph, and that swing produced a ball speed of 225 mph.

Recent long-drive phenom, Kyle Berkshire, has come close to Winther’s record, recording a swing speed of 160. Berkshire does however have the highest ball speed ever recorded at 236.8 mph… Say What?!?

More from Golf Span: The 10 Best Drivers for Slow Swing Speed

Swing speed and distance have become one of the most talked about topics in the game over recent years. It seems that everyone in golf has a need for speed! There is no denying that swing speed is a hot topic in golf.

Golfers are always looking for tips and tricks to improve their swing speed. I will break down my tips for you in two different ways. The first is the more traditional ways we, as instructors and coaches, point students toward when working on improving their swing speed.

The second will come from my friend, Michael Romatowski, founder and creator of the revolutionary Mach 3 Golf Speed Training System. Mike’s system is really helping 1,000’s of golfers get faster with their swing.

Some of the more traditional tips for golfers to help them increase their swing speed include the following:

• Train Your Body to Get Faster-  If you can increase your flexibility and mobility, reaching faster swing speeds will be more realistic. How a golfer moves their body, in terms of how much they can rotate their hips and upper torso, will play a big part in their production of swing speed. Getting yourself into the habit of stretching your body regularly will help your ability to swing faster.
• Equipment can make a difference- Having the right equipment for you can make a big difference in your ability to swing faster. Some of the critical things you need to consider in terms of equipment include:
• The overall weight of the club-  The lighter the club, the faster you can swing it. That is straight-up science, folks.
• The type of shaft you use-  The shaft matters in golf. From the length, to the flex, and where the kick-point is, all of these things equate to your ability to swing at your maximum speed.
• The head of the club-  Golf equipment technology has made massive gains over the last two decades. The clubheads on today’s drivers can offer maximum forgiveness and create a “trampoline effect” with the ball coming off the face. Test different drivers, and you may be surprised at what gains you can make by simply having the right club.

I have recently become a massive fan of a speed training program called the Mack 3 Golf Speed Training System . It was developed by Michael Romatowski. Mike is a multi-certified personal trainer, golf fitness expert, and post-rehab exercise specialist. I have spent a lot of time talking with Mike recently; he was a recent guest on my Quite Please Golf Podcast. You can listen to that episode here.

Mach 3 is a year-round speed training protocol that has produced an average gain in clubhead speed for program participants of 11.5 miles per hour. The tools used in Mach 3 are dynamic and unique, allowing golfers to experience the sensation of “Speed Out in Front,” which is the hallmark of Mach 3.

Some of the critical points of Mach 3 that I like include:

• It’s Open To All –  The Mach 3 program is for golfers of all ages, genders, and playing abilities.
• It’s Fun & Safe –  Workouts are fun, non-exhausting, safe, and athletic in nature.
• It’s Accessible to All –  Speed training workouts can be held indoors or outdoors.
• It’s Optimized –  Train for golf without “bulking up” and using natural golf body motions.

The overarching theme of Mach 3 is the “Speed out in front” concept. “Speed out in front” means that a golfer needs to become much more target-oriented when swinging. Anything after impact and up to the end of your swing is “out in front.”

Because the golf swing is such a fast movement, taking roughly only 1.25 seconds, it is essential to think in your mind to be a few steps ahead. Golfers often think of the ball and impact with the ball as the finish line when, in reality, it is only the mid-way point. If you focus on the ball as the ultimate goal, you will move slower into it at impact.

Mach 3 trains golfers to think of the finish line of the swing as being the top of your finish. You become hyper-focused on the target, the finish of the swing, and getting all of your energy, momentum, and speed “out in front” and past the point where the ball is at impact…well past it.

Mach 3 will help any and all golfers that give this concept a try. As mentioned earlier, program participants’ average gain in clubhead speed is around 11.5 miles per hour. That is significant!

If you’re a golfer seeking to improve your game, understanding the insights a golf swing speed chart can provide is invaluable. These charts break down swing speeds by various factors such as age, gender, and skill level, offering a wealth of data that helps golfers understand where they stand. My extensive experience as a golf coach has shown me that these statistics are crucial for those aiming to improve their performance. Surprisingly, many golfers discover they don’t swing as fast or hit as far as they initially thought.

The charts reveal that factors like age, gender, and skill level profoundly impact your swing speed and, subsequently, your driving distance. However, it’s important to note that age doesn’t necessarily have to slow you down. Many golfers in the 50 – 59 and 60+ age brackets can still generate impressive swing speeds, particularly if they maintain good flexibility and employ proper swing mechanics.

To boost your swing speed, you can rely on tried-and-true methods and cutting-edge techniques. On the traditional side, improving your body’s flexibility and selecting the right equipment can make a significant difference. For instance, lighter clubs and the right shaft type can notably increase your swing speed. On the innovative front, training systems like the Mach 3 Golf Speed Training System have helped thousands of golfers achieve faster swings by focusing on functional training tailored to golf performance.

To wrap up, a golf swing speed chart is an essential tool for anyone serious about upgrading their golf game. Combining this data with top tips for improving your swing speed can set you on the path to becoming a more formidable golfer. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to fine-tune your skills, a strategic approach backed by sound data can help you reach new heights in your golf career. Stay tuned for the latest updates and trends in golf statistics and training techniques.

More from me on Golf Span: How to Increase Swing Speed: 10 Tips

Brendon Elliott

Brendon is Class A PGA Professional and founded Little Linksters, LLC, and its nonprofit arm, the Little Linksters Association for Junior Golf Development. He won 25+ prestigious industry honors, including the 2017 PGA National Youth Player Development Award. He graduated from the PGA of America Management Program and has a handicap index of 7.8.

He has played golf for over 40 years and currently plays twice a month at the Eagle Dunes Golf Club near Sorrento, Florida. He loves Srixon clubs and plays a ZX5 driver with Z 585 irons. He's written over 60 articles on GolfSpan and specializes in sharing tips to improve your golf game. You can connect with Brendon at  LinkedIn , X , IG , FB , his website , or [email protected] .

• Best score : 69
• Favorite driver : Srixon ZX5
• Favorite ball : Srixon Z Star
• Favorite food at the turn : Turkey and cheese on white
• Brendon Elliott https://www.golfspan.com/author/brendon-elliott Bombs Away: The Longest Drives in Golf History
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• Average Golf Swing Speed Chart

by Swing Man Golf Staff | Apr 23, 2024 | Average Golf Swing Speeds Chart

NOTE: This article is updated annually after the conclusion of each PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour and World Long Driver Championship season once all the data becomes available.

When it comes to hitting the ball farther, a lot of golfers realize that technique is important. In recent years, the larger golfing public is also beginning to recognize the importance of getting custom fit for their driver in order to maximize driving distance and their overall average golf swing speed.

However, there’s another way to get more distance that many golfers, even tour players, don’t even know realize is possible or, if they do, they haven’t really gleaned on to what the big keys are to get drastic and rapid gains…swing speed training. Now, I’ll talk about swing speed training and how you can increase your swing speed later on down the page, but to start, let’s simply get started discussing swing speed in general.

First of all, how important is your average golf swing speed?

It’s very important.

Simply put, the more swing speed you have, the farther you’ll hit the ball.

Take a look at this 2017 chart of the average swing speeds for various categories of golfers.

As I’m sure you can imagine, the World Championship Record for club head speed of 157 mph by Mitch Grassing in 2017 would hit the ball much farther than if he had the swing speeds of the PGA TOUR or LPGA TOUR players, who in turn would hit the ball much farther than amateurs with their given swing speeds.

But guess what?

Not only does more swing speed help you hit the ball farther, research shows there is a direct correlation between your driving distance (and club head speed) and handicap (and thus scoring).

You can see this in 2017-2019 Arccos data published by MyGolfSpy in 2020 that shows the difference in driving distance by handicap group.

Average Driving Distance By Handicap

https://www.SwingManGolf.com

Trackman® research also shows that there is a direct correlation between your club head speed and your handicap (and thus scoring).

How Fast Is An Amateur’s Average Golf Swing Speed?

Regarding male amateurs, since 2005, the United States Golf Association (USGA) reports that the average handicap has been between 14 and 15. Golf Handicap and Information Network (GHIN) shows similar numbers of 15.3 handicap in 2003 and 14.3 handicap in 2012.

For these average male golfers, Trackman® statistics report the average club head speed at this 14-15-handicap level is about 93.4 mph…yielding an average total distance of 214 yards per drive. That makes the average male amateur driving efficiency to be 2.29 yards per mph of club head speed.

We estimate the average amateur women run in the region of 78 mph and 167-yard drives. Some women we’ve seen are in the mid to high 40s.

How Fast Is A Tour Player’s Average Golf Swing Speed?

Since 2007, the PGA TOUR has been tracking golf swing speeds of all of its players, also using Trackman®.

As you can see at the end of the 2022-2023 PGA TOUR season, the tour average runs about 115.80 mph and they hit about 299.9 yards/drive, which means their driving efficiency is about 2.61 yards/drive. This is much better than the average 14-15 –handicap golfer who comes in at 2.29 yards/drive. If you think about it, this makes sense because professionals hit the ball more consistently around the sweet spot.

Tom Stickney has done some impact testing for GolfWRX. Here’s what a tour player’s striking pattern looked like after about 10 shots.

Compare that to the impact dispersion after only 5 shots from the 15-handicap golfer he tested.

As you can see, striking the ball consistently solid will help get you more distance out of your club head speed and improve your driving efficiency. If the average amateur had the same 2.61 yards/mph driving efficiency as the average PGA TOUR player, he would average 245 yards/drive instead of only 214 yards/drive.

That means the average amateur could pick up over 30 yards simply from more consistent strikes.

2022-2023 PGA TOUR Player Swing Speed Chart – The Slowest Swingers

Anyway, here is a selection of the swing speeds for the 2021-2022 season for some of the slowest PGA TOUR Players. These guys are definitely at a disadvantage on tour speed-wise.

If only they knew it didn’t have to be that way!

2022-2023 PGA TOUR Player Swing Speed Chart – The Average Swingers

Next are the guys who are considered to be in the middle of the pack as far as swing speed goes on the PGA TOUR. These guys aren’t hurting for speed, but they could definitely use more.

2022-2023 PGA TOUR Player Swing Speed Chart – The Fast Swingers

Lastly are the guys with the fastest speeds. These guys definitely swing fast by PGA TOUR standards. But as we’ll see in a moment, they are actually still quite slow relative to the competitors in the World Long Drive Championships.

Interestingly, the 2020-2021 season was the first time on the PGA TOUR that a player averaged over 130 mph.

Bryson DeChambeau made a lot of news during COVID-19 by putting on an estimated 40 pounds of fat and muscle weight to gain that swing speed. It worked, but as I wrote about over at GOLFWRX , you don’t need to put on that much weight to gain that much speed. In fact, you can put on more speed in less time without putting on anywhere near that kind of weight.

That’s part of what we do here at Swing Man Golf with what’s available in All-Access .

START NOW WITH ALL-ACCESS

2008 European Tour Player Swing Speed Chart

At the moment, the European Tour (now the DP World Tour) doesn’t post average club head speeds for the tour. However, we did come across a document from a single event in 2008 containing the swing speed of each player in the field. We’re not sure which hole or event these were measured with using Flightscope, but the numbers were interesting.

Here are several notable players.

The event average was 111 mph, which is more or less what we saw on the PGA TOUR in the same year.

In 2023, the median player on the DP World Tour averaged 301.08 off the tee. If we assume that they have the same efficiency of PGA TOUR players at 2.62 yards/drive, that would put their 2022 average swing speed at 114.92. That increase from 111 to 115 correlates similarly to the increase that the PGA TOUR made over the same time period since 2008.

Wilco Nienaber led the DP World’s Tour’s driving distance category at 332.10 yards/drive. If we assume his driving efficiency is also 2.61 yard/mph like the PGA TOUR average, that would put Wilco’s on-course average swing speed at 127.24 mph.

For purposes of our swing speed data research, would you mind telling us a little about yourself?

We will keep this information private. We’ll also send you some free follow-up info via email, which you can easily opt-out of at the bottom of the message if you decide it’s not for you.

How fast are LPGA Tour players?

A Trackman chart I have from 2011 shows that LPGA tour players averaged 246 yards/drive with 139 mph ball speed. Assuming 1.5 smash factor, that’s 2.66 yards/mph, far more efficient than the PGA TOUR’s 2.61 yards/mph. That seemed about right as the LPGA Tour mean driving distance as reported by the tour in 2011 was 248.02 yard/drive.

In 2023, the LPGA tour mean was 256.75 yards/drive. Somehow, driving distance Is about 9 yards farther now. Have club head speeds gone up? Is equipment fitting better? Have the players become more efficient? Are course conditions different? I don’t know exactly what is causing the difference, but something has changed.

When Annika Sorenstam was invited to play in the PGA TOUR’s 2003 Bank of America Colonial tournament, she averaged almost 270 yards/drive that year. The PGA TOUR average that year was 285.9 yards/drive and Annika was long enough to be ahead of the PGA TOUR’s 189th ranked Corey Pavin at 268.9 yards/drive and Loren Roberts at 265.9 yards/drive. She nearly made the cut and even beat some of the men in the field. It would have been interesting to know how well she would have done had she been even just a few mph faster with her swing speed…which is certainly doable.

The shortest player on the PGA TOUR in 2023 was Brian Stuard at 271.5 yards/dive. There were 10 LPGA players over that mark…Mel Reid, Madalene Sagstrom, Emily Kristine Pederson, Yuka Saso, Bailey Tardy, Maria Fassi, Yan Liu, Bianca Danganan, Xiaowen Yin, and Polly Mack.

However, only two PGA TOUR players were under 280.0, David Lingmerth at 278.5 and Brian Stuard. Going by David Lingmerth, only Polly Mack was long enough to be on the PGA TOUR distance-wise.

Polly Mack is conceivably as fast as some male professional golfers. However, her 2023 scoring average of 72.30 from the much shorter tees of the LPGA would not be good enough to match the 70.49 scoring average of the 125th ranked player (the highest ranked player to still retain full playing privileges) on the PGA TOUR, who also play from farther distances. She has the distance…she just has other gaps in her game.

2023 LPGA Swing Speed Chart

Since we have to make some guesses about LPGA Tour swing speed data, here is what LPGA Tour numbers might look like assuming both the 2011 reported Trackman efficiency of 2.66 yards/mph versus 2.73 yard/mph, which assumes no increase in club head speed but factoring in the increased 2023 tour driving distance mean of 256.75 yards/drive.

It’s our belief that LPGA Tour players could actually be competitive on men’s professional tours provided they work on getting faster through a swing speed training like we have here at Swing Man Golf through All-Access.

How fast are the swing speeds at the World Long Drive Championships?

That means that a typical long driver is over 20 mph faster than the average PGA TOUR player from that period…and over 10 mph faster than some of the tour’s fastest swingers like Cameron Champ, Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, etc.

Historically, no player on the PGA TOUR would stand a chance of winning (or even being competitive) at the World Long Drive Championships…not until 2021 when Bryson DeChambeau was invited to compete at the 2021 PLDA World Championships and finished in the Final 8.

The event was a limited field event due to COVID-19. However, Bryson’s fastest ball speed during competition that I recall seeing was 219 mph, which would put his club head speed on that swing at 146 mph.

In 2022, Bryson finished 2nd.

As we’ll see below, that’s fast enough to win the entire World Long Drive Championships.

He also added more fat and muscle weight and worked far harder than necessary to increase his swing speed. That’s a story I already wrote about for GolfWRX.com .

Let’s look at how fast a typical Final-8 long driver can historically swing.

Swing Speed Chart for the World Long Drive Championships – Final-8 Competitor

Swing speed chart for the final-8 competitors world long drive championships.

Here are some average speeds of a few individual Final-8 competitors.

Realistically, to win the World Long Drive Championships, you have historically needed to be swinging in the mid-140s. The average champion was about 146 mph based on 7 champions from 2009-2017.

A champion long driver would easily drive it 50 yards past a guy like Bubba Watson. In fact, this actually happened in Hawaii in 2011 ahead of the PGA TOUR event when Jamie Sadlowski hit drives at Kapalua in Maui against Bubba Watson, Dustin Johnson, and Robert Garrigus. It wasn’t even close.

Occasionally, you’d see guys get in to the Final-8 at the World Championships that average in the 130s. Typically when that happened, they were better fit for their equipment, they were more mentally strong, they took better advantage of wind conditions, and things like that. As you can see, it was very difficult to win swinging in the 130s, though.

If memory serves, Carl Wolter won the 2011 World Championships in the high 130s. That year there were very strong tail winds and Carl presumably hit a better wind ball (usually higher and with more spin) than two other champions he beat head-to-head, Jamie Sadlowski and Joe Miller…both of whom have swung 150 mph in competition.

Unfortunately, full data since then isn’t available in the same way due to inconsistencies in who was owning and hosting the world championships (Ex. Long Drivers of America, Comcast, PLDA, GF Sports and Entertainment)r, but the various winners of those years since (2017 – Justin James, 2018 – Maurice Allen, 2019 Kyle Berkshire, 2020 – No World Championship, 2021 – Kyle Berkshire, 2022 – Martin Borgmeier, 2023 Kyle Berkshire) have all achieved speeds over 150 mph at the World Championships.

However, as mentioned, long drive swing speed seem to be trending upwards.

In 2023, World Long Drive reported a World Long Drive Championship group average ball speed for the Final 16 of 215.7 mph, with Kyle Berkshire at the top with 226.2 mph. Assuming 1.5 smash factor, that’d be averaging 143.8 mph and 150.8 mph of swing speed, respectively.

Also, through 2023, in training, 8 hitters had broken the 230-mph ball speed mark, when the previous record mark had been 227 mph for years, with 3 over 240 mph. To get 230 mph ball speed, you need at least 153 mph swing speed. To break 240 mph, it’s a minimum of 160 mph.

As far as I know, Sam Attanasio has the current ball speed training swing at 243.0 mph, which would necessitate at least 162 mph of club head speed. Seb Waddell has a training swing on a Trackman® at 169.6 mph swing speed.

Let me know if these get broken and I can update what is here.

At the Senior (Over 45 years old) level, in 2012 a Senior division Final-8 competitor averaged 131 mph with a peak of 137 mph. Two-time Senior World Champion “Fast” Eddie Fernandes (2018 & 2022) has previously achieved 156 mph of club head speed and 228 mph of ball speed.

Even the “old” guys can bomb it past any PGA TOUR player.

So, as you can see, the more swing speed you have, in general the farther you will drive the ball…and as I’ve shown, more distance also makes it easier to shoot lower scores.

Can you Increase Your Average Golf Swing Speed?

Aside from improving your technique and getting fit for your equipment, despite what many golfers (even pros like Tiger) believe, yes, you can actually train to increase your swing speed…at any age!

Just consider a long drive guy like Bobby Wilson. At the age of 53, he could swing over 12 mph faster than the PGA TOUR’s “long hitting” Bubba Watson.

Also note that just because you are fit does not mean you are fast. Camilo Villegas was arguably more “fit” than John Daly, but John could swing faster. Granted, some of this is due to John’s technique, equipment, etc…but the point is that although fitness certainly has its place in golf and life, for distance and application towards becoming a better player…it’s more about being fast than fit.

Swing Man Golf Helps You Increase Your Average Golf Swing Speed!

Rapidly and drastically unleash your power and play consistently with a steady and reliable game with Swing Man Golfs All-Access …featuring effective and easy-to-understand world class golf instruction paired with our expertise in long drive and our pioneering golf fitness swing speed training programs for amateurs and pros alike.

Certification is also available for motivated PGA pros and fitness trainers.

We’ve got junior golfers from 12 years old to men on up in to their 80s with handicaps ranging from pro to 30+ who add an average of 12-16 mph (30-40 yards) of driver swing speed in their first month of basic training. Believe it or not, we’ve even had several golfers who were willing to do the work that gained over 30 and 40 mph (that’s not a typo) over the course of a few months.

One of these golfers was 58 years old!

Recent Posts

• How to Increase Swing Speed: Five Exercises for More Power
• The Swing Speed Radar is Back!
• Swing Man Golf wins 2023 Golf Fitness Association of America Award for 3rd Straight Year
• 2023 PGA TOUR Club Head Speed Rankings

How Far Should You Hit A 3 Wood? (Complete Overview)

If you want to play golf at a scratch level, you will want to carry your 3 wood 220 yards plus.  If you are simply trying to reach the single digit handicap level, a carry distance of 200 yards is a quality distance.  If you are only trying to break 100, simply hitting in the air and carrying it at least 150 yards gets you headed in the right direction.

A high percentage of golfers carry a 3 wood.

It can be a very important club not only off the tee on short or narrow par 4s and 5s, but also from the fairway or rough when trying to reach a par 5 in two or after a poor driver leaving you a lot of ground to cover with your approach shot.

The golfer that is able to carry their 3 wood a quality distance will have an advantage over the golfer that struggles to barely carry their 3 wood even 180 yards.

Did you know the following? The average PGA Tour player carries a 3 wood 243 yards with a clubhead speed of 107 miles per hour. The average LPGA Tour player carries a 3 wood 195 yards with a clubhead speed of 90 miles per hour. Source: https://blog.trackmangolf.com/trackman-average-tour-stats/

So how far should an amateur golfer carry their 3 wood? Do they need to hit is as long as a PGA Tour player?

How Far Should You Hit A 3 Wood?

My Journey: Early on as a junior golfer, the 3 wood was my favorite club. If you are playing golf courses too long for your game, the 3 wood becomes much more important as you are hitting it as the 2nd shot on many par 4s and 5s. As your game improves, the 3 wood becomes less important and hit less frequently. In today’s game you will see the professional use the 3 wood off the tee less than 20 years ago. However, attacking par 5s and getting around the green in 2 is a major part of today’s professional game and has been made clear by analytics that distance and proximity to the pin are vital in the game.

Quick Recap:

• Scratch Level – Carry a 3 wood 220 yards plus.
• Single Digit Handicap – Carry a 3 wood 200 yards.
• Break 100 Level – Carry a 3 wood 150, but more important hit is solid each time.

Golf is a great game.  The good news is that we can compete again each other using the handicap system, but golfers are always looking to improve.

One of the fastest ways to improve is to increase your swing speed and overall distance.  Distance dominates the game of golf now and it is a great strength to have.

• Related Post: How far should you hit a 5 iron?
• Related Post: How far should you hit a 7 iron?

Did you know that the average driver distance of a scratch golfer is 251 yards?  To reach more about playing golf at the scratch level, check out this link: How to become a scratch golfer

Here is a quick reference chart for many of the common golf clubs found in a bag:

How long does it take to become a scratch golfer?

If you are someone looking to hit your 3 wood  further, consider the different factors that influence distance with every club in the bag.

Factors That Influence Distance

Clubhead speed.

• Launch Angle

Clubhead speed is the single most important item of the 4 factors above.  The good news is that clubhead speed can be increased through the proper training and speed training protocols.  Products like SuperSpeed Golf have provided plenty of increases for many golfers over the past 3-5 years.  The product works!

Check current price on SuperSpeed Golf, here!

Even if the golfer optimizes their center face contact and has the ideal spin rate and launch angle for their swing speed, if the swing speed isn’t at a certain level the golf just won’t carry far enough.  

Gone are the days of being stuck at your current swing speed or feeling like, “I am just not a long hitter!”  

My own personal story around overspeed training saw my driver increase from around 101 miles per hour to a max of 117 miles per hour with an average of right in the 112 mile per hour range.  My carry distance with the driver is now right around 270 with a 3 wood carry distance in the low 240s!

If you want extra distance with your 3 wood, start some speed training and then work on optimizing the next 3 areas!

Ball speed is a result of the swing speed and center face hits.  Without one or the other, you are going to struggle to have a quality ball speed.  For comparison, the average on the PGA Tour is 158mph ball speed with the 3 wood.  While the LPGA Tour is 132mph.  Golfers at this level are able to maximize their ball speed by striking the ball solid.

Amateur golfers can work on hitting the center of the face by getting feedback from impact tape or certain sprays that can be used to see where you are striking the ball.  At the end of the day, the best practice is hitting plenty of golf balls and of course being aware of where you are striking the ball on the clubface.

Where should the golf ball hit the clubface?

Have you ever hit the shot that felt like it carried forever?  Or the shot that balloons and struggles to get past 200 yards?  Both of these are a result of spin rate.  In the first example, you have an optimum spin rate, more than likely somewhere in the 2000-3000 RPM range.  In the 2nd example, the spin rate was more than likely 4000 RPM or higher.  Excess spin reduces your carry distance!  While you need some spin to help the ball carry, too much spin destroys your distance. 

Do I need to carry fairway woods?

Spin rate will be impacted by your angle of attack and the shaft in your golf club.  Making sure you have the right equipment and that you are striking the ball correctly will help get the ideal spin rate.

Everyone wants to spin the ball with the wedges and make the ball dance, but with your driver and 3 wood, where distance matters, you want a spin rate in the 2000 RPM range for most swing speeds.

There is an optimum launch angle for every swing speed and spin rate combination.  With the driver, the recent advice has been to tee it high and let it fly to get an optimum launch angle with a lower spin rate.  The 3 wood is a bit more tricky as half the shots with it might come out of the fairway or rough and requires a negative angle of attack to ensure the ball flies in the air and clean contact is achieved.

TIP: Seek Feedback Through A Launch Monitor

My number one recommendation for all four of these categories is to get a device like the Skytrak Launch Monitor, which can provide immediate feedback on every shot you hit during your practice sessions.  This helps the golfer make adjustments in the swing or the equipment he or she is using.

I highly recommend the Skytrak Launch Monitor.  There are two other quality options at a similar price point linked below.

Here are the top 3 Launch Monitor options to check out:

• SkyTrak Launch Monitor
• FlightScope Mevo+ Launch Monitor
• Mevo Launch Monitor

The data you can get after every shot includes the following:

• Ball and Club Speed
• Carry and Total Distance

In addition to this key information you will also see a shot tracer to help you control your clubface and swing path and develop a stock shot to finally play the consistent golf you seek!  

What is the most important part of the golf swing?

How To Hit Your 3 Wood Further?

The number one tip is to swing faster.  How do you accomplish this?  Through training!  

What is the best training option?  SuperSpeed Golf!   The three speed sticks that come with the purchase of the SuperSpeed System have a club that is 20% lighter, 10% lighter and 5% heavier.  The protocols are simple to follow and take 15-30 minutes per training session and you train every other day.  

Golfers can expect to see a 5-8% increase as early as the first session and the speed will become more permanent after about 30 days of training.  Stick with the training for a continued increase in swing speed, which will come at about a 1-2 miles per hour increase every several months.  The thought process or science behind this approach is known as overspeed training.  

3 Wood vs Driver Distance

The idea is that you are training both your mind and your body to swing faster than you normally do.  The mind and body start to adapt to this new speed as the mind builds confidence in doing this safely and the body trains to move faster.

The SuperSpeed System will help you experience additional speed through every club in the bag and you will soon find yourself hitting the ball further, hitting the ball closer and making more putts. 

• 3 Wood vs 5 Wood
• 5 Wood vs 3 Hybrid

The analytics are pretty clear in golf!  The further you hit your driver, the shorter approach shot you have left.  The shorter approach shot, results in a closer proximity to the pin on average.  With the final outcome being more made putts because you are putting putts closer to the hole. 

The make percentage on the PGA tour from 8 feet is significantly better than 15 feet.  The bottom line is that you need shorter putts to make more putts and this starts on the tee by hitting your driver further!

MAJOR KEY: Understanding How Far You Hit Each Club

I would highly recommend each golfer create a distance chart like the sample below:

This might be the most important information you can use to help you play quality golf.  I have heard so many stories and have seen it first hand where golfers completely over estimate how far they hit each iron.

I have seen one too many times the golfer that thinks they can carry their 3 wood or 5 wood over a hazard to reach a par 5, only to have the golf ball come up way short of the green.  Too many golfers overestimate how far they hit every club in their bag, but especially their driver and fairway woods.  Having accurate information might hurt the ego, but it can help you manage your game!

Complete Post: How Can I Improve My Distance Control?

How can you create your own chart?

Best option: i would highly recommend a launch monitor.

These portable devices can be used at the driving range, golf course or set up in your home net or golf simulator.  These devices are game changers not only on being able to map your bag and know your distances, but they also provide quality feedback after on every shot and provide the following information:

• Carry Distance
• Total Distance

This information will help you map your bag, decide on which clubs are best for your game, develop a stock shot and much more.  I love using my SkyTrak 365 days a year in my golf simulator setup.

Best swing path for irons?

The process for mapping your bag can looking something like this:

• Hit 5 shots with each club in your bag.
• Log the carry distance and total distance for each shot.
• Eliminate any outlier numbers (poor hits or low spin rates).
• Take the average and create a map of your bag.

If you visit any PGA Tour event you will see plenty of golfers utilizing their launch monitors.  While most can’t afford a Trackman, there are some very affordable options in the 500-2000 dollar range.  I own the SkyTrak and think the world of it.  

Here are the top 3 options to check out:

Final thoughts: have fun.

Whether you are trying to score better through improving the short game or gaining extra distance, make sure you have fun on your journey!  The exciting news that golfers can gain distance is a game changer for many.  We have seen some of the golfers as they reach 50 actually dive into speed training and improve their driver distance!

Wish you hit the ball further?  Here are two great resources:

• SuperSpeed Golf – Read our Full Review
• Gain 30-40 yards in 30 Days – Swing Man Golf

My Secret To Golf Improvement

Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently.  About four years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage.  I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.

This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer.  I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day.  I can practice or play rounds of golf.  I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.

It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.

Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:

• Rain or Shine Golf
• Rain or Shine Golf Financing Offers
• Rain or Shine Golf Packages

Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better

What does this mean for you?  I believe in the following recipe to get better:

1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor.  Here are some options:

Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:

• George Gankas
• Bobby Lopez
• Shawn Clement
• Mike Malaska
• Jim Venetos
• Monte Scheinblum

2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed.  Here are some options:

Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:

3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier.  Here is a series on breaking through:

We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.

• How to Break 100
• How to Break 90
• How to Break 80
• How to Break 70

4 – Practice Frequently

Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system?  It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:

• Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
• How to Build a Golf Simulator?
• What is the Best Golf Simulator?
• Golf Simulator Accessories?
• How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
• Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
• How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
• Why Build A Golf Simulator?
• What Space is Needed?
• Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
• How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
• Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.

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Golf Club Distances w/ Chart | Averages for Am & Pro Players

Last Updated on July 25, 2021

Distance is critical in golf. As golfers, we're always striving for more distance off the tee and consistent yardage gaps between the rest of our clubs.

In this guide, we'll break down how far amateur golfers of various skill levels and swing speeds hit each of their clubs to give you an idea of how you stack up. We've also included PGA and LPGA carry distance averages to see how you compare with the pros.

After that, we'll cover what factors affect your golf club distances and explain how to find out how far you hit each club.

Golf Club Distances Table

The table below shows how far golfers of various skill levels and swing speeds hit each club. 

We've included PGA and LPGA carry distance averages of professional golfers that TrackMan gathered . 

For amateur male golfers, we've split them into groups of "short," "mid," and "long" hitters. All distances refer to carry distance (distance until the ball first hits the ground) rather than total distance (carry and roll).

While TrackMan gathered extremely accurate data for LPGA and PGA carry distance averages, good data for amateurs is harder to come by. 

There's a massive gap in skill-level and swing speeds among amateur golfers. Golfers of various handicaps also achieve their handicaps in a variety of ways. A 5-handicap golfer could be a super fast swinger in their athletic prime or a senior golfer who has lost distance over the years.

For our amateur short, mid, and long hitting male amateur distances, we relied on the limited available large sample data and what we've seen personally from loads of amateur golfers.

Because these yardages are for golfers of all ages, junior, middle-aged, and especially senior golfers may find themselves with distances closer to the "Short Hitting Male Amateurs" column. Most young adult to middle-aged male golfers should carry the ball to at least the "Mid-Length Male Amateurs" distances, while faster swingers of these ages can reach the distances in the "Long Male Amateurs" column.

Lastly, aside from LPGA professionals, we didn't include other female golfers in our distance table. There's even less data available for amateur female golfers than for male amateurs. We've also found a more considerable disparity in how far female recreational players hit the ball. Basically, we weren't confident we could provide any accurate/valuable information for female amateurs' distances.

What Affects Distance in Golf

There are a lot of factors that influence your golf club distances.

Club speed is the most significant factor in determining distance .

To illustrate this, look at the correlation of club head speed vs carry distance for PGA Tour players in the scatter plot below:

Assuming all other things are equal, more swing speed means more energy that can be transferred from the club to the golf ball, resulting in higher ball speed. Higher ball speed means the ball will travel a further distance.

Factors like impact location on the club face, club path, spin rate, and launch angle also play a large part in how far a ball travels.

Impact Location Golf Iron and Driver Sweet Spot

An impact out of the "sweet spot" of your irons or woods will lead to a higher smash factor than strikes that are too low, too high, off the toe, or off the heel.

Smash factor is a calculation of how well you converted club speed into ball speed (Smash Factor = Ball Speed / Club Speed).

In particular, strikes out of the heel and low strikes can kill distance with the driver.

If you struggle to consistently hit the ball with or near the sweet spot of your club face, you'll have issues with the consistency of your yardages.

Spin Rate and Club Path

Spin rate plays a large role in how far you'll hit the ball and the shapes of your shots.

A lot of golfers put too much spin on the ball with their driver either because of too much club loft, poor strikes (bad impact location), or poor club face control (the direction the club face is aimed relative to your swing path).

If you feel you're hitting the ball well but should be getting a few more yards, work with a club-fitter to see if your driver has too much loft. The ideal spin rate depends on your club speed , but too much spin will cost you yards.

Slices and hooks are caused by the club face being aimed too open ( slice ) or too closed ( hook ) relative to the club path. This can lead to both too much spin and the ball's spin axis being too strongly left-to-right or right-to-left.

If your club face is open (aimed right) relative to your club path, this can both cause too much spin and will cause the ball to spin too left-to-right on its spin axis . You'll lose a lot of yards from a slice as the ball travels left-to-right rather than straight.

Launch Angle

For each club, there is an optimal amount of spin and an optimal launch angle. Launch angle is the angle of a golf ball's initial ascent relative to the ground.

Launching the ball too high or too low will cost you distance.

While launch angle problems could be due to your swing, they can also be caused by playing the wrong clubs for your swing. If you feel like you're hitting the ball too high or too low, work with a club-fitter to dial in your clubs.

Factors Out of Your Control

There are also factors out of your control that can affect distance, like temperature and altitude.

Every 10 degrees that the temperature rises can easily lead to a couple of yards of additional ball flight with a driver.

If you drive the ball 240 yards at sea level, you will carry it around 255 yards in Denver's mile high altitude.

How to Find Your Distances

If you're looking to better understand how far you hit each club, we'd recommend purchasing a launch monitor or finding a range with a launch monitor.

To get accurate distances, you'll also want to make sure that you're hitting the same golf balls you normally play on the course.

Many golf ranges have cheap, inconsistent, or even balls purposefully made not to fly as far as normal golf balls.

Your typical range ball can easily cost you 10+ yards with the driver, while a limited flight range ball can lose you 30+ yards of distance with driver compared to a premium golf ball.

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Golf Club Distance Chart

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This golf club distance chart will help provide you with a guide to how far you should hit your golf clubs. You’ll also be able to tell what level you’re at compared to the pros and how increasing your swing speed will impact your yardage.

Table of Contents

Golf Club Distance Chart by Swing Speed

This table from Trackman shows the average distance for golf clubs based on the swing speed of a driver. Of course, your distances will vary based on how well you’re striking the ball, but this cheat sheet should give you a good idea of how far you can expect your clubs to go when hit well.

Note that these are carry numbers. So you might expect from 0-10 yards of extra distance depending on the club, how it’s struck, and where it lands.

Printable Golf Club Distance Chart

If you’d like to print this chart out, click on the image below or download this golf club distance chart pdf .

Average Swing Speed by Player Type

Here are the average swing speeds by type of player. These numbers vary widely, especially among amateurs, but they can give you an idea of where you stand among your peers.

Average Swing Speed by Handicap

The distance you can hit your clubs directly correlates with your potential handicap. Of course, your actual handicap number will vary based on all the factors of your game, but these are the expected averages for males and females.

Average Driver Distance by Age

The table below shows the average driving distance by age. Your actual numbers will vary based on your fitness and skill. As people age, they tend to lose fast twitch muscle fiber and flexibility unless they’re actively working to maintain them.

How to Find Your Driver Swing Speed

There are several ways to find your swing speed to place yourself on this chart.

The simplest way is to get the yardage for one of your clubs, such as the driver, and match that yardage to the chart. You should find one of the columns closely matches your yardages. Ensure you’re tracking average yardage and not your best drive to get accurate numbers.

Here are several other ways:

• Use a golf simulator to get an accurate swing speed number. A device like a Trackman or a Skytrak should be able to provide you with this data. If you don’t have a simulator, you may be able to find somewhere nearby where you can rent time in a simulator bay.
• Use a launch monitor like the PRGR (around $200), which accurately measures speed.

How to Make Your Own Club Distance Card

To make your own club distance card, you’ll need to start by measuring each club’s carry and/or total distance. There are several ways to get this data:

• A golf simulator (you can rent simulator time if you don’t have access)
• A launch monitor (such as the PRGR mentioned above)
• A golf tracker (such as the Arccos Caddie )
• A range finder and some time at the driving range (this approach is less precise and takes extra effort)

Choose which data is most helpful. For example, carry distances are useful for hitting a green or ensuring you can get over trouble, and the total distance helps you know your range. You can also track distances for partial swings (like a 1/4, 1/2, or 3/4 wedge).

After you’ve gathered all the numbers, there are several ways you can use them to make your club choices easier on the course:

• Paper – the most basic way is to write them down on some note paper; you can use the templates below for an idea of what to write down.
• Phone – you can save these numbers as a note or document for reference if your phone is easily accessible during your golf round. Apps like the Arccos Caddie (mentioned above) will also track this for you.
• Print Out – we’ve included some sample templates below to give you ideas on how to design a card.

Once you have your distance card, you can laminate and carry it, put it in a scorecard holder, attach it to your bag with a bag tag holder , or tape it to your push cart.

You should expect to hit a 7-iron between 130 and 160 yards. Each iron should vary by about 8 to 10 yards (e.g., if your 7 goes 150, your 8 should go around 140). This will change depending on your swing speed, which is related to your technique, flexibility, fitness, and height.

An average male swings the driver at 94 mph, traveling around 240 yards. However, most amateurs don’t hit the ball perfectly, so this will often fall short of this potential yardage when mishit. A PGA Tour player hits the driver an average of 295 yards (some are much longer, like DeChambeau at 320 yds). An LPGA player drives the ball around 240 yards in total.

In 2021 Kyle Berkshire hit a ball speed of 233.4 mph with a swing speed of 153.3 mph. His swing speeds have been slightly higher, but ball speed ultimately factors most into the distance.

• https://blog.trackmangolf.com/club-speed/
• https://blog.trackmangolf.com/trackman-average-tour-stats/

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Kyle J. Larson

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JOHN T. HARTMANN

Last check, my golf swing speed has been around 98 to 100mph. So as a reference I hit my 7-Iron about 165yds on average, pitching wedge would be 130 to 140yds and driver 230 to 260yds depending upon contact and degree of flight. I can handle tee spots up to 6700 to 6800yds. However, my wife thinks I should “play-up” because my scores are “mid 90’s on challenging course, but my issues have always been the short game, not distance. What do you suggest?

Regarding John Hartmann’s comment….play the tees where you have the most fun. If all your buddies are playing from the same tees as you maybe you want to just keep playing those same tees with your friends. Most of us are just playing for fun. Play where you have the most fun but if I were you I’d at least give it a try moving up. 6800 yards is a lot of golf course for weekend golfers. Who knows, you might have more fun making lower scores from closer tees.

Yeah, play whichever tees you like, but like SS said 6800 is probably a lot if you’re not hitting a driver at least 260+… if you take a look at the par 3 distances, and shots you may have to hit into greens on a 2nd or third shot (after subtracting your avg driver distance) it’ll help you figure out what to play. I’m going to have a lot more fun hitting irons into a green and having some birdie chances then if I’m always trying to crank a fairway wood in and missing or having long putts.

I’m 80 years old and hit my driver pretty consistently 200-210. Since moving to the up tees I have had so much more fun. Now it’s driver and a medium iron rather than driver, fairway wood, pitching wedge. Having a chance to make some birdies makes all the difference in enjoyment for me.

Ball Speed to Swing Speed Conversion Calculator

Using the ball speed to swing speed calculators below, you can convert your standard yardages for each of your clubs to find your approximate swing speed and ball speed.

I’ve always been interested in the physics of golf and the different speeds that different club lengths and lofts can produce. And if you’ve ever wondered how hard you need to swing a pitching wedge to hit it 200 yards, now you can! Just select the best golf calculator tools for distance and club head speed.

Table of Contents

Distance To Swing Speed Conversion Calculator

• Golf Conversion Calculator
• 10,000 Shot Storage
• Recognized by Industry Experts

The Rapsodo Launch Monitor is a golf calculator that helps golfers to improve their swing and hit better shots, pull the right club, and shoot lower scores. It also allows you to track your progress and store every shot for easy comparison and analysis. The product offers performance-based practice, giving you the ability to practice with a purpose and ultimately see better results on the course.

Rapsodo Launch Monitor – Distance to Swing Speed Conversion Calculator Tool.

KEY FEATURES:

• Carry Distance
• Total Distance
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Ball Speed 3W vs. Driver

By golfaddict07 March 21, 2020 in WRX Club Techs

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Golfaddict07.

Hey All, long time listener, first time caller. I have a question for you all regarding ball speed off your 3 wood vs your driver. My current average off of my 3 wood (15*Sim Max with Tensei CK 70g Tx) is about 167mph. My ball speed with my driver (Titleist TS3 with Oban Kiyoshi White 75g 05) is about 169. It doesnt make sense to me why there is not more of a gap between the two? Every other club there is a noticeable difference...anyone else see/have this going on? Hope everyone is staying safe!

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MakersMarsh3

What are the SS differences?

Sometimes it has to do with delivery style, sometimes its a fitting deficiency

Check your driver to make sure it's optimized, 3w sounds like a nuker

lead tape & Taylormade TP5X's

Start with the driver. Contact quality will always be the main contributor to a lack of distance. Plenty of ways to do that, impact labels, foot powder spray, etc. just don’t combine their use with a launch monitor at the same time.

3W heads have gotten to the point where they are just as hot as drivers. Combine that with a shaft length that is over 43” long and you are basically there. If the driver is as good as it’s going to get and you can’t find anything that can give you better contact or more swing speed, then in my opinion, you gap from there. I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad thing that heads have gotten so hot if it fits the right style of play. I play my 3W head at 42”...more control, and I still get the needed distance from it if I use off the tee.

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Sounds like poor contact with driver... or if you are hitting middle maybe the face is compromised a little bit.

At 118 real speed you should be closer to 175 ball.

Two options there, increase the quality of contact (if there is an issue there) or increase the swing speed. To dive any deeper at this point would require have more info (swing speed/ball speed, launch, spin, etc) from a quality launch monitor. The distance disparities you speak of would be hard to account for without something changing in your quality of contact (ball speed will always rule here).

Agreed with this, really the only possible explanations. Until you know your exact strike locations (not estimated based on feel) and swing speed numbers, everything else is just speculation.

@118mph swing speed with your 3w, you should be around 120mph with your driver, which should mean at least 175-180mph ball speed depending on what is measuring. I usually live around 165mph ball speed with my 3w and my driver is normally in the low to mid 170's.

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Howard_Jones

If both club worked as they should, the ratio for 3W ball speed to Driver ball speed is 1.06, so you driver ball speed should have been 177.

You either have a bad impact position, and or combined with to low club speed progression. Ratio for club speed from 3W to driver should be 1.05

Another ratio number that might be better is strange enough PW Carry to Driver carry . PW carry X 2 = Driver carry (PW loft from 46* to 48*)

DO NOT SEND PMs WITH CLUB TECH QUESTIONS - USE THE PUBLIC FORUM.

Use impact tape or foot powder to confirm your are striking well. Maybe you aren't swinging faster with driver but it feels like it? Last but most unlikely is the face is cracked or something like that...but you'd hear words noises and stuff most likely if that were the case.

What are the 3wood and driver club lengths?

Willing to bet you are actually swinging that 3wood faster than your driver. Could be related to swing weight or comfort but I'm guessing its because you have a 75g shaft in your driver and a 70g shaft in your 3wood. Most players like to be around 10g heavier in the 3wood while you are the opposite. You might want to look into a lighter shaft with the driver and/or heavier in the 3wood to get the gap you need.

So your 3 wood is slightly long and your driver is slightly short depending on how you view it. And the shafts are about the same weight. You are most likely at about the same speed on both hence the similar ball speed.

I tried posting a picture of my numbers, but I am still learning the site and how to do that. I had a Driver Ball Speed of 165, launch angle of 15.7, azimuth of 3.8 right( whatever that is) backspin 1907, sidespin 601 L, for 322 carry. I cant help but think with a 170+ ball speed the carry would be quite a bit more? I am going to look at what all of you have shared with me (Thank you!) and see if I can dial the root cause for the slower ball speed. Thanks everyone, and please stay safe!

Where do those numbers comes from? we cant get out to 322 yards carry from 165 ball speed, we cant even get that number as total.

Just enter your numbers here and see for yourself.https://flightscope.com/products/trajectory-optimizer/

You can add photos by using the icons down in the left corner (#2 from the right is photos)

BleederFade

I'm curious if your lack of ball speed could be related to a lighter swing weight / head weight. I know the ts3 has a std swing weight at 45.5 inches. So if weight hasn't been added to the head at a playing length of 44.5 inches then it could be on the light side. Adding some weight to the head could lead you somewhere since F=M*A but 325 carry with 165 ballspeed is prettttty pretttttty good

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If thats the LM they use to sell clubs, their customers would be very disappointed when they get out on the course, they are so far from reality that the word lie dont cover it.

Here is how it looks like, using Flightscopes algorithm from 165 mph ball speed, and we talk 47 yards difference on carry.... thats 17% more than reality....what a joke, and a BAD one.

Were straying from the post a bit here, which is fine, but I'm really just wondering about the differences in speed between the 3 and driver. @BleederFade I like your thoughts here, I will tinker with the weight of the head and see if that does anything beneficial!

This tread is maybe what you need right now.https://forums.golfwrx.com/discussion/909991/diy-driver-tune-up-diy-fitting

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How Far You Should Be Hitting a 3 Wood (Based on Skill)

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children. Current Handicap: 1

View all posts by Brittany Olizarowicz

On average, a 3 wood travels about 220 yards. However, that number can be greatly impacted by your handicap and a few other factors that control total distance.

I’ll explain how far each golfer should be hitting their 3 wood based on their handicap.

Some beginner golfers have been playing sports their entire lives. When they get into golf, they have plenty of swing speed and a natural ability to get premium distance out of their golf shots. However, the problem with most beginners is accuracy.

Hitting the center of the clubface is tough, and because of that, you will often notice a significant lack of distance.

Beginner golfers should be happy with 3 wood shots that travel 200 yards. One thing to keep in mind is that a 200-yard 3 wood shot off a tee is much easier to hit than a 200-yard 3 wood shot off the fairway.

Lies on the fairway are tight, and it’s hard to hit it quite as clean as you may want to when you are new to the game.

High Handicap

Most high handicappers have been playing the game for some time; they have not started breaking into those lower handicaps yet. Most of the high handicappers have strengths and weaknesses in their game.

Some will be strong off the tee but have trouble around the green; others will experience the opposite.

High handicappers tend to hit 3 wood about 210 yards. There are some very fast swing speed golfers that can get the 3 wood to travel closer to 225, but the dispersion rates are probably quite high.

I’ve always said that I would rather hit a 3 wood 215 yards every time instead of hitting one that goes 200 yards and then another that travels 240. Consistency is a much more valuable skill in golf.

Mid Handicap

The mid handicap golfers tend to shoot in the 80s and 90s. These players often take the 3 wood out of the bag to use on a shorter par 4 or a hole that has a more narrow fairway.

Many mid handicappers can see about 225 yards of distance from their 3 wood. Most likely, this will be total distance, the combination of carry and roll. Mid handicappers see quite a bit more consistency than high handicappers, so expect lower dispersion rates as well.

Low Handicap

A low handicap golfer can hit a 3 wood 230 or more yards. Many low handicappers with higher swing speeds will see total distances in the 250 yard range.

For a low handicap player, accuracy with the 3 wood becomes even more important. Low handicappers often use the 3 wood shot to hit a par 5 in two or get on the green after a tough drive on a par 4.

In other words, the combination of accuracy and distance is even more important for these lower-handicap golfers.

Professionals

One of the more common questions we’re asked about a 3 wood is how far pros hit their 3 wood.

Why do golfers want to know this?

They usually can’t believe the fact that the average 3 wood from a professional is considerably longer than the average drive from an amateur. However, it’s the truth!

On the PGA Tour, professionals hit a 3 wood with about 250 yards of carry. Depending on the trajectory and ball flight, this will result in considerably more distance than the average golfer’s driver.

Some professionals don’t even carry a 3 wood. Many will choose something like a 4 or 5 wood to give them more versatility in the bag.

Professional golf bags tend to have more irons and wedges than amateurs. That’s typical because of the precision and accuracy of which professionals are capable.

When to Use Your 3 Wood

Now that you have some more information on how far you should be hitting your 3 wood, you may be wondering when it makes sense to break this club out of the bag. The 3 wood can be used in a few different areas on the course, but remember, this is not the most versatile fairway wood you own.

From a Tee Box as an Alternative to Your Driver

The most common reason to use a 3 wood is as an alternative to a driver off the tee box. The driver is not always the easiest club for some players to hit. However, a 3 wood is slightly shorter than the driver and has much more loft.

This extra loft and the shorter club length help to make for an easier tee shot.

In fact, some golfers skip the driver altogether and go with the 3 wood.

Personally, I think it’s smart to have both so you can see some progress in your golf game.

From The Fairway

The fairway is where you will need a little bit of clubhead speed to hit a great shot with your 3 wood. The 3 wood generally has about 15 degrees of loft, which isn’t much.

Therefore your turf interaction has to be really clean if you expect to see impressive results.

When you make clean contact with the 3 wood, it’s certainly possible to hit a fairway shot as long as you hit a shot from the tee box. Keep in mind that the ball position should be slightly forward of center when hitting this club from the fairway.

In Very Light Rough

I would strongly discourage you to hit a 3 wood out of thick rough.

The thick rough is a problem for golfers with a 3 wood in their hands. When you have a low-lofted club like this, sometimes the ball will not jump out of the rough the way you expect.

The result is a very low lofted shot, and sometimes one that makes a strong turn to the left. Avoid this altogether by sticking with a hybrid when hitting out of the thick rough.

However, when I find my ball in the first cut or sitting up nicely in the rough, I have no problem taking the 3 wood out and going after it. You will notice that the PGA Tour players and amateur golfers that are smart about where they use their 3 wood often see the best results.

Other Clubs That Could Replace a 3 Wood

The 3 wood is handy in the bag, but if you don’t like it, there are options for utility clubs and hybrids that can travel just as far as the 3 wood. In addition, a standard 2 iron is usually the same loft as the 3 wood.

If you have a more sweeping style swing and hit your driver and other fairway woods well, the 3 wood is probably a great choice. If you are more of an iron player, look at the utility and hybrid options to use to replace the 3 wood.

The 2 iron utility and the 2 hybrid would be the best replacement for the 3 wood.

4 Simple Tips for Hitting Your 3 Wood Further

Now that you have a better idea as to how far you should be hitting a 3 wood, here are a few of my favorite tips to get the ball to travel even further.

1. Choose a Lightweight Shaft

With a lightweight shaft, you should be able to increase your average distance and get the ball to travel considerably further. A little extra weight in the shaft is fine for faster-swinging golfers, but slower swing speeds need to be careful with shaft weight.

2. Make Sure Your Ball Position Is Correct

I like to play the ball just forward of the middle of my stance. The 3 wood is a long club, and this gives me the room I need to hit the ball slightly on the upswing and get a higher ball flight.

3. Complete Your Backswing

A long and slow backswing is the way to go with a 3 wood. With the club being longer than others in the bag, the extra distance in the backswing and slightly slower pace help you get more consistency in the shot.

4. Watch Your Weight Transfer

To hit great shots with a 3 wood, you need to be able to transfer your weight from the balanced starting position to the right side and finally to the left side. This weight transfer is incredibly important, and it’s a real power move.

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PERFORMANCE OF THE AVERAGE MALE AMATEUR GOLFER

How TrackMan Combine can improve your game

The average USGA handicap for male golfers has been between 14.0 and 15.0 since 2005. GHIN reported the average male handicap at 15.3 in 2003 and 14.3 in 2012.

Although there is a slow trend towards improvement, many in the golf industry wonder why progress has not been faster. To make such large scale improvements, we must first better understand the “patient” in order to diagnose the problems. As such, this article will focus on the performance of the average male amateur (AMA).

The AMA has a reported handicap of 14 or 15. There is no age or nationality restriction for the AMA. The TrackMan Combine data collected from over 10,000 golfers of all levels from around the world will be used to analyze his performance in hopes of better understanding where improvement(s) can be made.

Club Speed for Average Male Golfers

When looking at how the AMA performs, let’s start with the drive. The AMA has an average club speed of 93.4 mph and an average total distance of 214 yards.

The following graph shows the distribution of AMA Driver club speeds. As you can see, 45% have a club speed between 91 and 100 mph. 

The AMA is far from efficient with his driver. He has an average attack angle of -1.6 degrees. The following table looks at the AMA versus what is optimal. 

*Carry, Landing Angle, and Total were normalized under 0 alti- tude, 75°F, and 75% humidity for the AMA to create an apples to apples comparison 

Did you know that the average amateur golfer is giving up 30 yards off the tee?

The AMA is capable of carrying the ball much further than his current total distance. He is giving up 30 yards of total distance off the tee, which makes his approach shots more difficult. Let’s consider the (average) approach shot distance that the AMA will have on an “average” par 4.

First we have to determine the average length of the par 4’s at your course from the different tees available.

The following is Torrey Pines South, where golfers line up each morning for a chance to play one of America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses (Golf Digest). The calculated distances for the approach shot are based on actual driver data and optimized driver data for the AMA is also listed.

*Normalized data was used to calculate approach shot distances 

Even when playing from the green tees at Torrey Pine South, the AMA is left with 165 yards for his approach shot. Hitting long irons or hybrids into all of the par 4’s does not set the AMA up for an enjoyable day on the golf course.

Golf critics talk about technology making golf courses obsolete because of distance, but what they fail to clarify is that this only pertains to 0.1% of the golfing population. In truth, the vast majority of golfers are playing from tees that are too long based on their club speed and skill level.

If golfers are to continue playing the same length tees, then optimizing their driver distance is going to be key to enhancing their performance.

The previous table looked at the approach distance the AMA will have based on hole length and average drive distance.

Achievable proximity

Let’s go one step further and use the TrackMan Combine data to see what kind of proximity to hole the AMA will be able to achieve at the various approach distances.

The next table uses the approach distances from the previous and calculates the proximity to hole.

Because of the trends and correlations found in the TrackMan Combine data, it is possible to calculate the proximity to hole for nearly any handicap or approach distance with high confidence.

The average green size at Torrey Pines South is 6,000 square feet. That means the distance from the center of the green to the edge averages just under 44 feet.

This data further confirms the need for most golfers to aim towards the center of the green on all approach shots. Or when hazards are present, it may be even wiser to aim for the opposite edge of the green.

Once AMA understands the likely outcomes for various shots, then he can most effectively implement course strategy for the benefit of improving his golf performance.

Knowing what club to hit based on distance and the safest place to aim based on dispersion tendencies will undoubtedly benefit the golfer.

The following graph shows a plot of the AMA’s shots from 160 yards. Notice how few balls landed past the target. 

By adding 10 yards to every shot hit by the AMA from 160 yards, the percentage of shots that would hit the green increases from 38.5% to 44.0% and the average distance from the target decreases from 71.8 feet to 60.6 feet.

This demonstrates that without changing technique and only changing strategy, the AMA can improve their performance. Before it is assumed that the AMA should simply “club up”, actual distances with each club should be determined.

Do you know your carry distance?

Does the AMA truly know how far each of their clubs carries? The strategy implemented to create 10 additional yards of carry could be from lack of knowledge regarding how far each club goes.

Course length, driver optimization, and course strategy are three key components to improving the performance of the AMA. Of course, playing shorter courses seems very obvious if you want to improve performance.

However, it is more the fact that golfers are playing courses that are too long relative to club speed and skill level. The following chart shows average handicap versus average club speed.

There is a very obvious relationship between these two variables. As club speed increases, those golfers tend to have lower handicaps. It is not to suggest that a golfer should simply play a shorter course to shoot better scores, but that a golfer should play a course length that is appropriate.

Optimizing a golfer’s distance with the driver (using their existing club speed) is an alternative way to effectively shortening a golf course.

With the AMA averaging 30 yards less than his potential, there is a lot of room for improvement. As he becomes more efficient, the AMA has shorter approach shots which lead to closer proximity to the hole. One suggestion could be to setup course length based on club speed and optimal driver efficiency.

For example, based on the average club speed of the AMA (93.4 mph) he should be able to hit his driver 255 yards (assuming certain ground conditions).

If a 50% greens in regulation (GIR) stat was desired for the AMA, then the approach shot would need to be approximately 140 yards. That means the par 4’s would average 395 yards. Going back to Torrey Pines South, that is somewhere between the Green and White tees. This course setup for the AMA is assuming a perfectly optimal drive by the golfer so in theory 395 yards would be a maximum length for the AMA based on 50% GIR.

Score better without changing your swing

Finally, course strategy is an improvement that can be made without having to change anything relating to the swing, technique, or other physical items.

By understanding simple averages and probabilities, a golfer can choose the best club and target for each shot. And this is where taking the TrackMan Combine and going through a “Find Your Distance” session is so valuable.

Yes, the TrackMan Combine data is extremely valuable for identifying weaknesses that can be improved, but it is just as (arguably more) important for identify strengths that the golfer can “play to” without having to spend any additional time practicing.

This instant gratification can be achieved through the 30-45 minute TrackMan Combine process! And for those golfers looking to make more substantial improvements to their game, the TrackMan Combine provides a roadmap for the improvement journey and accurate, immediate feedback at all checkpoints / stops along the way.

As golf instruction and coaching continue to move more towards “verifiable data” (what the instructor/coach knows) and further away from “guess and check” (what the instructor/coach thinks), we expect to see more improvement in the golf community. Acting upon real data, not opinion, takes a giant step in that direction.

You can use our TrackMan Locator  to find your local TrackMan certified and ask for a combine test.

Feel free to share your thoughts and experience in the comment section below.

62 comments

Great read with invaluable data and information. The facts are in front of us at instructors, now we must help convey your points to the masses. RJ

What was the actual value of swing speed group 115 mph+, since it shows 0%

Only 0.4% of the average male amateur population is above a club speed of 115 mph. The average for those golfers was 117 mph.

How can that be true. Almost every post I read on the internet the guys say they are swinging 125 mph. :-)

4 out of 1000 swings avg 117 mph? May I ask how many of them have 120 mph swing.

They must get “club speed” confused with “ball speed”

Cough Some people may exaggerate slightly 😉

Hi My ball speed is with driver 195 km/h AND 160 km/h with a 6 iron Schaft = régular or ???? Can i play a pro v1, or a harder ball I wont more distance KIND regards Rene Claeys René

Dear Claeys, We highly recommend you to visit a TrackMan coach or fitter close to you, as there are many individual aspects to your question.

Please have a look at the TrackMan locator at this link; https://mytrackman.com/public/locator

Kind regards Niklas Bergdahl Support Manager

I am writing a dissertation at university and was wondering how you got all your data. Especially the average driving distance data. If it was published in a journal as well, please could you direct me to where I could find it. The title would be just as useful as well.

Thank you George

The data has been collected through the TrackMan Combine from over 10,000 golfers of all levels from around the world.

Now that you guys have more and more data from the combine tests are you going to adjust the hcap chart. In my opinion if your long game level is around hcap 0 you should score 76-80 . Hcap 5 will be around 68

kind regards

The data results given in this article are completely skewed. The AMA isn’t going to be achieving this max theoretical 255 yard drive very often. The professionals are going to hit the ball on the screws significantly more often than the AMA. Also, the dispersion for misses will be much wider for the AMA than the professional. The handicap system is equally misleading as the vast amount of amateur golfers don’t have a handicap, and if they did, they would be 36.4. I do agree the AMA should be playing much shorter courses than most presently do. While the length of the course is an important factor in scoring, more so is the challenging greens and required approach shots. The false fronts, forced carries, and deep protecting bunkers are too difficult for the AMA to deal with. It’s unrealistic for most amateurs to break 100 on courses that share the aforementioned conditions, which is what a lot of the courses of today present. The respective games the AMA and professional golfers play today are two entirely separate entities and should be treated as such.

Try a par 3 course (18 holes) of any length and compare your results to your handicap. Oddly, I bet you find that you do NOT score significantly better than your handicap even though the distances are short. I’ve tried this with many people and they shoot about their handicap. Granted, their handicaps are high, but it gives a lot of support to what Mr. Pelz has been telling us all these years.

I play off 8 at a championship course 7200 yards in the UK. I also play at a local par 3 course which holds the junior par 3 championship and I have shot 7 under around the par 3 course. I have shot level round the chammpionship course on occasion also though,

I agree with you 100%. I almost just quit playing golf because when I started 4 years ago I was playing golf with two people most of the time that were in the 1% of AMA’s . They were consistently breaking 80 if not the mid 70s and almost every time hit their drives relatively straight and 275 to over 300 yards without a problem and doing it from the blue or blacks . On top of that it drew me feeling like unless I can hit it 250 every time and at least shoot in the low 90s from the Blue I might as well just give golf up. Honestly many guys in this small % sort of make every other golfer feel like that . It was not until I got together with almost every other golfer played and realized most like as in 90% were just like me which was a work in progress. I spent a year playing by myself getting lessons finding a swing and just focused on having fun. I play from the white’s if it is more of a difficult or bigger course. IF a smaller easier course with less hazards I will play from blue but I am having a ton of fun and scoring between 90 and 97 consistently every time with an average drive of around 220 yards. Sometimes I will hit a 270 once or twice a round maybe and then two or three more at 240, but I will mix in a few bad ones at 190 with a hook or a slice and the rest will be at least 215 to 220. My average driver distance over 2 full rounds it 223 yards and that includes the one or two bad shots off the box that only goes 100 plus yards just above the red T’s . Everyone has one. It is fun and I find that I usually am scoring better than I would say 90% of the guys I play with now, hitting on average longer than 90% and I realize that that is because shooting in the 90s means in golf you are better than most so above average which unless you played since a teenager and have no other life and want to play 4 to 5 days a week or more that is all you can ask for. Too many people walking around either who hit one drive at 300 a round and the rest slice 100 yards that only go 200 straight trying to tell people how great they are at golf when in reality they take like 6 mulligans a round or guys that are actually really good think that they are the norm when in reality they are a small minority and golf would not even exist if it were not for guys like me .

hard to say for sure who was at fault in the beginning – i am 7 handicap – play with a friend who is 26-28 – i play blue he plays white – even when an extra player joins me on the blue he still plays white. we never play for money. i suggested he play white from the start and he is happy. why you did not work that out or your ‘friends’ did not suggest it I don’t know. FYI I hit my drive 240-250 he often hits is way past me from the whites. pleased to hear you are enjoying it now though.

My handicap is 24, but my driving (swing) works well. 200 to 225 yards. What is the speed?

I would recommend that you go visit a TrackMan certified coach, he/she will be able to help you with your club speed.

To find a TrackMan Certified coach, please see our locator: trackmangolf.com/locator

I recently had my swing “analyzed” and would like to share the results so that maybe someone could explain this in simpler terms. I’m a baseball coach who plays golf when I can. I have a terrible slice that knocks A LOT of yards off of my drive.

My average distance was 235-245. My longest drive was 270. On the longest drive, the projected distance(without the slice) was 332 yards. On average, all of the projected distances were 50-70 yards further without the slice.

Average club speed was 105-112, average ball speed was 139-152, and average rpm was between 4400-5100. Launch angle was between 17-22.

Can anyone give me any insight of what all these numbers mean?

Did your coach share the TrackMan report with you on mytrackman.com ? It will make it a lot easier to give a qualified answer if we have all the numbers :-)

Your ball speed is a little low which could indicate an off-center strike. Spin Rate is on the high side, which also could indicate an off-center strike, and probably a negative attack angle – both will shorten your distance. If you are a right handed player the slice and above numbers could be due to a heel strike.

Please have a look at this video about Smash Factor .

I shared the dispersion plot with our local club committee who are thinking of installing trackman after redeveloping several holes, and was asked questions along these lines: 1. What’s the proportion of shots wide of the mark by say 80 feet or more (or some width for which there is data) 2. Is the dispersion linear, eg at 176 yards is it the same proportion at 88 feet or more? 3. Can trackman info like the dispersion plot data be projected over a course layout?

who can answer that please

Hi Gerry. Thanks for the post. The questions you ask are great questions, but unfortunately that data is not readily available. Our TrackMan Combine database would contain the answer to those questions, but it would require significant work to pull that information out. The plan is to include this type of information within TrackMan University in the future, but that is likely many months away at this point. Sorry that I can not be of better help right now.

My problem is the amount of power i have and need to work on half wings. My taylermade aero burner average distance is 330 yards on a good day 364 yards. My 8 iron 190yards 5iron 252 yards Pw is 150yrds And loft 56 at 120yrds Loft 110 yrds How do i control the power to less distance? Or should i take control on the distance i have?

I suppose you have the biggest and fastest car as well ?

Bilan, I think you should rub one out before you get to first tee box. It should make you a little

Very interesting but sort of depressing article. I’m a 9 handicap wanting to get into the low single digits. I’m 46 years old and don’t think my 95 mph swing speed will increase that dramatically without throwing rhythm off.

I’m wondering if there are outliers here?. And also wondering how LPGA fits into this chart. I seem to have the same speed as pro women and they are playing the same distances that I am but scoring way way lower with a game built from precision over speed.

You dont need to be depressed your swing speed is high enough to play very good golf. Mine isnt that much higher and i hit driver 275 yards. You just have to be fit correctly and learn how to deliver the club better to the ball

and i shoot low 70s and i hit the ball 245 yards with ZERO roll in Thailand – so it can be done. work on your short game. get up and down 3 out of the 5 times you miss the green makes all the difference

This is something I’m finding out at a 14 handicap. I’m your AMA although I’m trending down. As you can guess my improvement has now become dependent on driver efficiency and distance. I have been working around that weakness by using shorter clubs off the tee but it leaves me with much longer second shots.

Made more swing improvement of late and starting to control my driver more. When it’s hit well I have hit enough times in the 260-270 range so I’m probably in that 95 mph swing speed range. As the previous poster said I’m 43 so won’t be Bubba Watson anytime soon. The way forward has to be more tighter averages with the driver maximising my best yardage from the swing speed I have. There are golfers out there who are scratch only hitting the ball 200-250.

Anyone remember young Guan the 14 year old at Augusta he was so small he could only drive it 250 but did alright.

I am a 35 year old AMA at a 15. I have played golf for 22 years. This philosophy has been a revelation to me. I work in the industry and frequently play with low handicaps who tease me into playing longer yardage (they assume at 6’3″ 250 I bomb it) my home course is 7400 from the tips, and this frustratingly puts my score in the mid 90s. After reading this article I did more research and discovered I should be playing nearly 1200 yards shorter, and doing so without shame. I’ve played four rounds since reading this, and shot 81, 83, 79, and 78. Including a personal best one under 35 for nine. My teachers are always trying to get me to change my swing to generate club head speed, but this consistently leaves me frustrated and physically sore. Once you except your limitations, you can get out and enjoy the game we LOVE instead of loathing it.

My average driving distance is 240 but IF I can make a shot in the sweet spot (Stars Aligned after a long Prayer) I can go 290 to 300 measured on the golf course. Crazy thing is I hit my 3 wood off the tee about 250 yards.

I have completely lost my iron swing due to injury and need a swing coach as well as does your program cover this as well? I carry my 8 iron about 158 yards when I’m hitting it good (see above). My average club separation is about 15 yards.

I think this is very interesting but misleading. Most golfers I know are happy to drive the ball 200 yards and keep it in the fairway.

This analysis seems to be for elite athletes.

How many average golfers drive the ball 250 yards and keep it in the fairway?

I once read that if all golfers had to count every stroke they took, and appropriate penalty shots, only 10 percent could legitimately break a 100. My experience suggests that this is true.

Commented here a while ago I’m actually not sure before I used GPS through my mobile whether I hit it further than I do now. Most of my longer clubs only just creep above the 200 yd mark. I have the occasional outlier above 250 but that’s rare. I actually feel I get more out irons than I do the woods. I hit a green today which was 163 so pulled a 6 iron landed on back part of the green 10 yds past the flag. I’ve hit greens from 210 out with a 20 degree hybrid. I’ve tried lots of different woods shafts and lengths but seem to reach a ceiling on distance. My home course is around 6200 so I can work around not bombing it off the tee but it is perplexing to me.

Thanks this will help my golf game so much now. All that strength comes from the lower body. Its important to turn your body to get that extra speed.

What about the balls we use. Is a soft ball for club head speed of 90 MPH with the driver better than a hard ball?

I’m 65 years old. Club head speed is around 90 MPH giving me a distance of 214 yrds. I should be getting more distance on this club head speed right? wrong?

Well I certainly feel hood about how I played when i did. I am disabled now and dont play at all but i had a spinal fusion and two rods put in my back when i was a teenager. My full swing with a driver was anout ewual to an average guys 9 iron turn. Yet I hit my driver 230 yards to what they say is average, 214. And that was 12 years ago. I didnt start playing until i was 31 and it was over by 42 yet my handicap was 12. But i attribute most of that to playing with a best friend who was a scratch golfer and showed me theres no need to take longer than 2 hours to play 18 holes. (Unimpededof course, because we always were able to play during the week). God how I loved playing golf. Especially when they was no other golfers in sight. Sorry for the ramble.

Dear friend, do anyone here user Taylormade RSI 1 Irons. I need to know few things before buying

I think the difference is practice, practice and more practice. Very unfortunately most of us are too busy with other things we need to do.

Exactly, I had the same perception in mind too. Well, they say that If you practice more and more you’ll get better and better.

What a great read with invaluable data and information. With all the new technology that is now available in Drivers since this article came out, do you plan on updating the information. I think it would be awesome to see if any of the numbers change due to the new developments.

I often feel articles such as this are skewed. Torrey Pines South, huh? That’s a course representative of the average golfer? My time spent on the driving range tells me there are a lot of guys hitting 100 yards, 125, 150, 175…a few hitting 190….and an even smaller number hitting over 200. Sure, I see guys hitting 250-300 yards, but they are far from the norm. I bet your average golfer on your average course doesn’t hit more than 160-175. Why gather data from an elite course where people “line up” to play when that is far from representative of what most people are doing? How about heading out to Wedgefield in Georgetown, SC? Or Fox Hollow in Baltimore? Or the public course in Lenoir, NC? Get off the elite courses and look at the ones where people are paying maybe $45 to play, not $200+. It’s a whole different story.

This is really intersting reading and I could not agree more with the finding your distance principal. All too many golfers go to the course and hit every shot in the hope it’s the best shot they’ve ever hit. Learn to play your game, but keep pushing yourself where sensible and on the range, and you’ll enjoy your round more and start playing much more consistent golf.

Do you have Average Female Amature driver swing speed? Is it around 25-35% less then the AMA group?

Its about 20% less when comparing PGA vs LPGA. My hunch its even bigger for AFA vs AMA?

You can check the combine driver stats here: https://mytrackman.com/#combine

beginer level female golfer how to to benefit ths..is this correct this tracker..

Love all of this data and seeing exactly what the correlation is between the data and player performance! Thanks!

Distance is great. There isn’t anybody who wouldn’t like to be able to hit the ball further. However, the vast majority of the time I spend with my students that would fall into the AMA category is spent on working out the kinks in their swing (to help them hit straighter shots more consistently) and helping them with better contact with the golf ball. To me, working on improving distance happens only after they’ve advanced beyond the AMA category. I guess what I’m saying is if you don’t hit the ball straight consistently and you don’t make good, clean contact consistently, it would be silly to focus on things like swing speed/distance.

Greater distance…the eternal quest for golfers. I can say that Trackman is second to none, and it’s always my first recommendation to others. The challenge is, improving your distance is a slow and arduous process. It takes persistence and painstaking practice to regularly do drills designed to help improve your swing speed, not to mention the constant measuring to ensure you are in fact improving your swing speed. It takes a detailed plan and it takes time, and this is why I think the improvement of AMAs isn’t as impressive as it could be.

wow great guide

The first chart, with the club speed distribution, is that only for hcp 14-15 golfers?

Hi I have always had an out to in swing until recent. Following 3 Trackman lessons and 4 Trackman practice sessions (and my own research) i have moved my swing path nearly 5 degree in to out. My question is my average D is +5.3, 6I is +3.5 and 8I is +2.1. Although early days yet is there a general reason for the different results in club path. I have always wanted a push draw and now i can see the light in the tunnel.

Is here any benefit ideas about beginners level women, what you say?

What was the actual value of swing speed group 105 mph+, since it shows 0%

Do you have Average Female Amature driver swing speed? Is it around 25-35% less than the AMA group?

Thanks to this impressive article, they will help more and more those who want to play golf. This informative information was more helpful for golfers.

Thank You !

I love your article and content too.

I feel like a lot of AMs sacrifice strike for the extra 1-2 mph which ultimately leads to less distance. Does Trackman update this data each year? Thanks for posting.

My total yardage for my 7 iron is 190, my ball speed is 119 mph. Does that make sense? Should my ball speed be faster based on the distance I’m getting. Even my 4 iron ball speed max is 137 and I’m getting 235 yards. I’m a 42 year old 5’9″ and been playing golf since I was 35. I appreciate your thoughts, great article. Thanks

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How Far Should You Hit A 3 Wood? Factors, Tips, And Mistakes

October 3, 2023

Learn about the factors that affect how far you should hit a 3 wood, get tips to , avoid , and understand the importance of custom fitting for optimal performance on the golf course.

Factors Affecting Distance with a 3 Wood

When it comes to hitting a 3 wood, there are several key factors that can greatly impact the distance you achieve with this club. Understanding these factors and how they affect your shots can help you maximize your distance and improve your overall performance on the golf course. In this section, we will explore the four main factors that influence distance with a 3 wood: swing speed, loft of the clubface, angle of attack, and quality of strike.

Swing Speed

Swing speed plays a crucial role in determining how far you can hit a 3 wood. The faster your swing speed, the more power you generate and the greater the potential for distance. Think of it like throwing a ball – the harder you throw it, the farther it will go. Similarly, the faster you swing the club, the more energy is transferred to the ball, resulting in greater distance.

To increase your swing speed, focus on developing a smooth and efficient swing. Practice drills and exercises that promote proper sequencing and timing of your body and club movements. Building strength and flexibility in your core, hips, and shoulders can also help you generate more clubhead speed.

Loft of the Clubface

The loft of the clubface refers to the angle at which the face of the 3 wood is positioned in relation to the ground. A higher loft will result in a higher ball flight, while a lower loft will produce a lower trajectory. This is important because the trajectory of your shot directly affects the distance it travels.

When it comes to maximizing distance with a 3 wood, finding the right loft for your swing is crucial. A higher loft can help you achieve more carry distance, while a lower loft can provide more roll once the ball lands. It’s essential to experiment with different loft settings and see which one gives you the optimal combination of carry and roll for your swing.

Angle of Attack

The angle of attack refers to the direction in which the clubhead is moving at impact with the ball. It is determined by the path of your swing and the position of the clubhead relative to the ground. The angle of attack can greatly influence distance with a 3 wood.

For maximum distance, it is generally recommended to have a slightly upward angle of attack with a 3 wood. This helps to launch the ball higher and reduce the amount of backspin, allowing for more distance. However, it’s important to note that individual swing characteristics can vary, and what works for one golfer may not work for another. Experimenting with different angles of attack can help you find the optimal approach for your swing.

Quality of Strike

The quality of strike refers to how well you hit the ball on the clubface. A solid strike with the center of the clubface will result in maximum distance, while off-center strikes can cause loss of distance and accuracy. The sweet spot of the clubface is where you want to make contact with the ball.

To improve the quality of your strike, focus on your swing mechanics and ball position. Practice hitting balls with a 3 wood and pay close attention to where the clubface makes contact with the ball. Work on maintaining a consistent and centered strike to .

In summary, several factors contribute to the distance you can achieve with a 3 wood. Swing speed, loft of the clubface, angle of attack, and quality of strike all play essential roles in determining how far the ball will travel. By understanding these factors and making adjustments to your swing and equipment, you can unlock your full potential with a 3 wood and add valuable yardage to your game. So, the next time you step up to the tee with a 3 wood in hand, remember to consider these factors and make the necessary adjustments to maximize your distance.

Average Distance for a 3 Wood

When it comes to the average distance achieved with a 3 wood, it’s important to consider various factors that can affect this measurement. These factors include the golfer’s gender, skill level, and whether they are a professional or an amateur. Let’s delve into each category and explore the average distances achieved by male and female golfers, as well as professional and amateur players.

Male Golfers

Male golfers tend to generate more power and swing speed compared to their female counterparts. This often results in longer distances with a 3 wood. On average, male golfers can expect to hit their 3 wood between 200 and 230 yards. However, it’s important to note that this distance can vary greatly depending on individual factors such as physical strength, technique, and swing speed. Some male golfers with exceptional power and skill can even achieve distances over 250 yards with a 3 wood.

Female Golfers

Female golfers, on the other hand, typically have lower swing speeds and generate less power compared to male golfers. As a result, their average distance with a 3 wood is generally shorter. On average, female golfers can expect to hit their 3 wood between 150 and 180 yards. However, it’s important to remember that this is just an average and there are female golfers who can hit their 3 wood much farther. With proper technique, strength, and skill, some female golfers can achieve distances closer to 200 yards.

Professional Golfers

Professional golfers, whether male or female, are at the top of their game and possess exceptional skills. They have honed their technique and possess impressive swing speeds, leading to greater distances with a 3 wood. On average, professional golfers can hit their 3 wood between 220 and 250 yards. However, it’s important to note that these distances can vary depending on the specific professional golfer and the conditions of the game. Some professional golfers can even achieve distances over 260 yards or more with a 3 wood.

Amateur Golfers

Amateur golfers encompass a wide range of skill levels, from beginners to more experienced players. The average distance with a 3 wood for amateur golfers can vary significantly depending on their level of proficiency. On average, amateur golfers can expect to hit their 3 wood between 170 and 200 yards. However, it’s important to remember that this is just an average and individual distances can vary greatly. As amateur golfers continue to develop their skills and technique, they can gradually increase their distance with a 3 wood.

Tips to Maximize Distance with a 3 Wood

Optimal tee height.

When it comes to maximizing distance with a 3 wood, the tee height plays a crucial role. The height at which you tee up the ball can greatly impact your shot trajectory and distance. Finding the optimal tee height for your swing and club can make a significant difference in how far you can hit your 3 wood.

So, what is the optimal tee height for maximum distance? It depends on various factors, such as the clubhead speed, angle of attack, and personal preference. However, a general guideline is to tee the ball up so that the equator of the golf ball is level with the top of the clubface. This allows you to make solid contact with the sweet spot of the club, resulting in optimal distance.

Experiment with different tee heights during practice sessions to determine the height that works best for you. Pay attention to how the ball launches off the tee and the distance it travels. By finding the perfect tee height, you can optimize your launch angle and increase the chances of hitting longer shots with your 3 wood.

Proper Alignment

Proper alignment is another key factor in maximizing distance with a 3 wood. Aligning yourself correctly to the target can help you make solid contact with the ball and ensure that your swing is on the right path.

To align yourself properly, start by picking a target in the distance, whether it’s a specific tree or a spot on the fairway. Then, position your feet, hips, and shoulders parallel to the target line. This will help you establish a square clubface at impact, which is crucial for maximizing distance.

It’s also important to check your alignment regularly during your round. Over time, it’s easy to drift off your intended target line without even realizing it. Take a moment before each shot to ensure that you are aligned correctly and make any necessary adjustments.

Proper alignment not only helps with a 3 wood but also improves accuracy. By consistently aligning yourself correctly, you’ll have a better chance of hitting the fairway and setting up shorter approach shots.

Accelerating Through Impact

When it comes to distance, clubhead speed is a critical factor. One way to generate more clubhead speed and with a 3 wood is by accelerating through impact.

Many golfers make the mistake of decelerating or slowing down their swing as they approach the ball. This can result in weak contact and a loss of distance. To maximize your distance potential, focus on maintaining a smooth and powerful acceleration through impact.

Imagine swinging the club as if you were trying to rip a piece of paper held in front of you. This visualization can help you generate more speed and power through impact. Additionally, make sure to maintain a balanced and athletic position throughout your swing, allowing your body to rotate and transfer energy efficiently.

By accelerating through impact, you can unleash the full potential of your 3 wood and send the ball soaring down the fairway.

Utilizing the Ground

Another technique to with a 3 wood is by utilizing the ground effectively during your swing. This involves utilizing the ground as a source of power and leverage.

To do this, focus on using your lower body to initiate the downswing and create a powerful transfer of energy. As you start the downswing, shift your weight onto your front foot and engage your lower body by pushing off the ground. This helps create a strong and stable base, allowing you to generate more power and speed through impact.

Additionally, pay attention to your footwork during the swing. Allow your front foot to rotate naturally as you shift your weight forward, promoting a full and unrestricted release of the club.

By using the ground effectively, you can tap into the power of your lower body and add extra distance to your 3 wood shots.

Common Mistakes that Reduce Distance with a 3 Wood

Overly steep downswing.

When it comes to maximizing distance with a 3 wood, one common mistake that golfers make is having an overly steep downswing. This occurs when the club is brought down to the ball on a very steep angle, rather than on a shallow or more shallow angle.

An overly steep downswing can have a negative impact on the distance achieved with a 3 wood. When the club is brought down steeply, it can result in a steeper launch angle, causing the ball to have a higher trajectory and less distance. Additionally, an overly steep downswing can also lead to inconsistent strikes and a loss of power.

To avoid an overly steep downswing, it is important to focus on maintaining a more shallow angle of attack. This can be achieved by starting the downswing with a gradual transition at the top of the backswing, allowing the club to drop into a more shallow position as it approaches the ball. Practicing this motion and finding the right balance between power and control can help golfers achieve a more efficient downswing and maximize their distance with a 3 wood.

Casting the Club

Another mistake that can greatly reduce distance with a 3 wood is casting the club. Casting refers to the premature release of the wrists during the downswing, causing the clubhead to release early and lose potential power and speed.

When a golfer casts the club, the clubhead is released before the hands have a chance to fully rotate through impact. This results in a loss of lag, which is the angle formed between the clubshaft and the left arm (for right-handed golfers) during the downswing. The lag is crucial for generating clubhead speed and power, and when it is lost due to casting, the distance with a 3 wood can be significantly affected.

To prevent casting, it is important to focus on maintaining lag throughout the downswing. This can be achieved by keeping the wrists firm and resisting the urge to release them too early. Instead, the wrists should be allowed to naturally release at the bottom of the swing, maximizing clubhead speed and distance. Practicing drills that promote proper wrist movement and timing can help golfers overcome the casting motion and improve their distance with a 3 wood.

Poor Weight Transfer

Poor weight transfer is another mistake that can greatly impact distance with a 3 wood. When the weight is not properly transferred during the swing, it can lead to inconsistent strikes and a loss of power.

Ideally, during the downswing, the weight should shift from the back foot to the front foot, allowing the golfer to generate maximum power and clubhead speed. However, if the weight remains too much on the back foot or is not transferred smoothly, it can result in a lack of power and distance.

To improve weight transfer, golfers should focus on starting the downswing with their lower body. Initiating the downswing with a slight lateral shift of the hips towards the target can help transfer the weight properly. Additionally, maintaining a balanced and stable lower body throughout the swing can also aid in achieving better weight transfer and maximizing distance with a 3 wood.

Gripping the Club Too Tightly

Gripping the club too tightly is a mistake that may seem minor but can have a significant impact on distance with a 3 wood. When the club is gripped too tightly, it restricts the natural release of the wrists and can result in a loss of clubhead speed and distance.

A tight grip can also lead to tension throughout the body, which can negatively affect the fluidity and rhythm of the swing. This tension can cause a loss of power and control, resulting in reduced distance with a 3 wood.

To avoid gripping the club too tightly, it is important to find a grip pressure that is firm yet relaxed. The grip pressure should be consistent throughout the swing, allowing for a natural release of the wrists and a smooth, fluid motion. Practicing drills that focus on grip pressure and relaxation can help golfers overcome this common mistake and improve their distance with a 3 wood.

Importance of Custom Fitting for Maximum Distance

Shaft flex and length.

When it comes to maximizing distance with a 3 wood, custom fitting becomes crucial. One of the key factors to consider is the shaft flex and length. The flex of the shaft determines how much the clubhead bends during the swing, while the length of the shaft determines the overall club control and swing speed.

Having the right shaft flex is essential for generating maximum distance. If the shaft is too stiff, it can hinder the golfer’s ability to generate enough clubhead speed . On the other hand, if the shaft is too flexible, it can lead to a loss of control and accuracy.

During custom fitting, a professional club fitter will analyze your swing speed and tempo to determine the appropriate shaft flex for your 3 wood. They will consider factors such as your swing dynamics, strength, and playing style. By matching the right flex to your swing, you can optimize the transfer of energy from your swing to the clubhead, resulting in increased distance.

Similarly, the length of the shaft plays a crucial role in maximizing distance. A longer shaft allows for a greater swing arc, which can potentially increase clubhead speed. However, it is important to find the right balance between distance and control. If the shaft is too long, it can lead to a loss of accuracy and consistency in your shots.

Clubhead Design

The design of the clubhead is another important aspect to consider when custom fitting a 3 wood for maximum distance. The clubhead design affects factors such as forgiveness, launch angle, and spin rate, all of which can impact the distance achieved with a 3 wood.

Modern clubhead designs incorporate various technologies and features aimed at maximizing distance. For example, some clubheads have a larger sweet spot, which allows for more forgiveness on off-center hits. This means that even if you don’t strike the ball perfectly, you can still achieve decent distance.

Additionally, clubhead designs with a lower center of gravity (CG) can help in achieving a higher launch angle. A higher launch angle can result in a steeper descent angle, allowing the ball to carry further in the air before landing. This can be particularly beneficial when playing on courses with longer fairways or when trying to carry hazards.

When custom fitting a 3 wood, a club fitter will consider your swing characteristics and playing style to determine the optimal clubhead design for maximum distance. By matching the clubhead design to your swing, you can enhance your chances of achieving longer and more consistent shots with your 3 wood.

Grip Size and Material

While grip size and material may not seem like significant factors in maximizing distance with a 3 wood, they can actually have a considerable impact on your performance. The grip is the golfer’s only point of contact with the club, and having the right grip can affect your ability to generate power and control the club throughout the swing.

The right grip size is important for maintaining a comfortable and secure hold on the club. If the grip is too small, it can cause the golfer to grip the club too tightly, leading to tension in the hands and arms. This tension can restrict the golfer’s ability to generate clubhead speed and can result in a loss of distance. On the other hand, if the grip is too large, it can hinder the golfer’s ability to release the club properly, leading to a loss of control and accuracy.

In addition to size, the material of the grip can also impact performance. Different materials offer varying levels of traction and feel. Some golfers prefer a softer grip that provides more feedback, while others prefer a firmer grip for increased stability. Finding the right grip material that suits your personal preference and playing style can contribute to maximizing distance with a 3 wood.

During custom fitting, a club fitter will assess your hand size and grip preference to determine the optimal grip size and material for your 3 wood. By ensuring a proper grip, you can maintain control, generate more power, and ultimately achieve greater distance with your 3 wood.

Club Weight and Balance

The weight and balance of a 3 wood can significantly impact distance and performance. The weight distribution throughout the clubhead can affect the club’s stability, forgiveness, and the golfer’s ability to generate clubhead speed.

Finding the right club weight and balance is crucial for maximizing distance. A club that is too heavy can make it difficult to generate enough clubhead speed, resulting in a loss of distance. Conversely, a club that is too light can lead to a lack of control and consistency in your shots.

The balance of the club refers to the distribution of weight between the clubhead and the grip. Different golfers may have different preferences when it comes to club balance. Some may prefer a club with a heavier head for increased momentum and power, while others may prefer a more evenly balanced club for better control.

During custom fitting, a club fitter will take into account your strength, swing characteristics, and personal preferences to determine the optimal weight and balance for your 3 wood. By customizing these factors to suit your individual needs, you can maximize your distance potential and improve your overall performance on the golf course.

Utilizing Technology to Determine Ideal Distance with a 3 Wood

The game of golf has greatly evolved over the years, and with advancements in technology, players now have access to various tools and devices that can provide valuable insights into their game. When it comes to determining the ideal distance with a 3 wood, utilizing technology can be a game-changer. Let’s explore some of the key technological advancements that can help golfers optimize their performance.

Launch Monitor Data

One of the most powerful tools available to golfers today is the launch monitor. This device uses advanced technology to track and analyze various aspects of a golfer’s swing and ball flight. Launch monitors can provide accurate data on crucial parameters such as clubhead speed, ball speed, launch angle, spin rate, and carry distance. This wealth of information allows golfers to understand their swing dynamics and make necessary adjustments to optimize their distance with a 3 wood.

Swing Analysis Apps

In addition to launch monitors, there is a wide range of smartphone applications available that offer swing analysis features . These apps utilize the built-in sensors in modern smartphones to capture data on swing tempo, club path, and swing plane. Some apps even provide real-time feedback and visual representations of the swing, allowing golfers to analyze their technique and make improvements. By using swing analysis apps, golfers can fine-tune their swing mechanics and generate maximum distance with a 3 wood.

Golf Ball Trackers

Another technology that can greatly assist golfers in determining their ideal distance with a 3 wood is the golf ball tracker. These devices use advanced tracking systems to follow the trajectory of the golf ball from impact to landing. By analyzing factors such as ball speed, spin rate, and launch angle, golfers can gain valuable insights into their ball flight characteristics. This information can help them choose the right equipment and make necessary adjustments to achieve optimal distance with a 3 wood.

Clubhead Speed Measurement Devices

Clubhead speed is a critical factor in maximizing distance with a 3 wood. Fortunately, there are now devices available that can accurately measure clubhead speed during the swing. These devices can be attached to the golf club or worn on the golfer’s body to capture data in real-time. By tracking clubhead speed, golfers can identify any inefficiencies in their swing and work on increasing their speed to generate more distance with a 3 wood.

• Want to track your swing dynamics? Try using a launch monitor or a swing analysis app.
• Curious about your ball flight characteristics? Invest in a golf ball tracker.
• Looking to increase your clubhead speed? Consider using a clubhead speed measurement device.

Remember, technology is not a substitute for practice and proper technique, but it can certainly enhance your understanding of your game and help you make more informed decisions. Embrace the power of technology and take your distance with a 3 wood to new heights.

Adjusting Distance Expectations for Different Skill Levels

Golf is a sport that caters to individuals of all skill levels, from beginners to professionals. As you progress in your golfing journey, it’s important to adjust your distance expectations with a 3 wood accordingly. Each skill level comes with its own set of challenges and strengths, which directly impact the distance you can achieve with this club. Let’s take a closer look at how distance expectations vary for different skill levels and what factors come into play.

Beginner Golfers

For beginner golfers, distance expectations with a 3 wood may understandably be lower compared to more experienced players. As a beginner, the focus is primarily on learning the fundamentals of the game, developing a consistent swing, and getting comfortable with various clubs. It’s crucial to prioritize accuracy and control over distance at this stage.

To as a beginner, there are a few key tips to keep in mind. First, focus on developing a smooth and fluid swing. A controlled swing that emphasizes good contact with the ball will help you achieve more distance. Secondly, pay attention to your grip and ensure it is comfortable and relaxed. A tight grip can restrict your swing and reduce power. Lastly, take advantage of technology such as swing analysis apps to receive feedback and make necessary adjustments to your technique.

Intermediate Golfers

As you progress to the intermediate level, you may start to see improvements in your distance with a 3 wood. At this stage, you should have a solid understanding of the game and a consistent swing. With practice and continued refinement of your technique, you can expect to hit the ball farther.

To further maximize your distance as an intermediate golfer, consider incorporating these tips. First, focus on generating clubhead speed through a proper weight transfer and a smooth acceleration through impact. This will help you achieve more power and distance. Additionally, work on your angle of attack, aiming to strike the ball on the upswing for optimal launch and carry. Finally, pay attention to your equipment and consider custom fitting to ensure that your clubs are suited to your swing characteristics.

Advanced Golfers

Advanced golfers have honed their skills and are capable of consistently hitting the ball with power and precision. At this level, distance expectations with a 3 wood can be quite high. Advanced golfers possess a deep understanding of their swing mechanics and have developed a level of consistency that allows them to generate significant distance.

To further enhance distance as an advanced golfer, consider the following tips. Focus on maintaining a smooth tempo throughout your swing, as rushing can lead to loss of control and distance. Experiment with tee height to find the optimal balance between launch angle and distance. Additionally, incorporate the ground into your swing by utilizing a slight downward strike, maximizing the energy transfer to the ball. Finally, continue to refine your equipment choices to ensure that your clubs are perfectly suited to your swing characteristics.

Professional golfers are the epitome of skill and expertise in the game. They have spent countless hours honing their craft and possess an unparalleled level of control and power. Distance expectations for professional golfers with a 3 wood are exceptionally high, as they have the ability to consistently hit the ball with immense distance and accuracy.

To achieve maximum distance as a professional golfer, it’s all about fine-tuning the smallest details. These individuals have a deep understanding of their swing and can make minute adjustments to generate additional power. They also have access to the latest technology and custom fitting options, allowing them to optimize their equipment for maximum distance.

In conclusion, adjusting distance expectations with a 3 wood is a natural progression as you advance through different skill levels in golf. Beginners should focus on developing a consistent swing and prioritizing accuracy over distance. Intermediate golfers can expect improvements in distance by refining their technique and incorporating key tips. Advanced golfers should concentrate on maintaining a smooth tempo, experimenting with tee height, and utilizing the ground for maximum power. Professional golfers have mastered their craft and can achieve exceptional distance through meticulous attention to detail. Remember, golf is a journey, and distance expectations will evolve as you continue to grow and improve as a player.

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As a lifelong golf enthusiast, Stacey E. Black has spent countless hours on the greens, perfecting their swing and studying the sport's rich history. With a passion for sharing their knowledge with fellow golfers, they founded SwingTalks as a platform to offer expert tips, insights, and news about everything related to golf.

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