The Average Club Distance for Women in Golf

While there are charts that list the average distance for each golf club for women, the numbers are only averages and don’t reflect how far individuals actually hit the ball. There are many factors that influence distance, including your physical characteristics and conditions on the course.

Added to the mix is that not all golf clubs with the same number have comparable lofts, materials and construction. In the end, you need to figure out how far you personally can hit each club, so when it's time to pick one for a shot on the course, you can make the right choice.

Loft Angle and Distance

The loft angle of a club is one of the factors that affects how far the ball will go. Lower-lofted clubs go farther than higher-lofted ones. The USGA does not designate official loft angles for clubs. They can change from manufacturer to manufacturer, and some club makers have changed the loft of their clubs through the years. It's hard to say how far a woman will hit a 7-iron when that club can differ depending on who made it, and the loft for this year’s club may be changed from that of the same club a couple of years ago.

Elements Effecting Distance

Your physical characteristics and the features of your equipment greatly affect the distance you get out of your clubs. Taller people tend to hit longer than shorter people, and your core body strength can create torque in the backswing that translates to distance.

A faster swing speed will also create more distance, as well as a proper swing that allows you to hit the ball square in the sweet spot. A golf club with a larger clubface and a flexible shaft made of graphite tends to provide for more distance. Wind can affect your shot, and humid air can prevent your ball from traveling as far.

Woods

Although is difficult to take all of these factors into consideration and determine an average distance for each club, there are charts that try.

For the driver, a typical woman amateur can expect to get up to 180 yards. The 3-wood can provide 160 yards and the 5-wood 140.

Irons

Many women golfers carry the 5-iron through the 9-iron, along with the pitching wedge and the sand wedge. The 5-, 6-, 7-, 8- and 9-irons will provide 110, 100, 90, 80 and 70 yards. The pitching wedge varies in loft and can provide up to 80 yards, while the highly lofted sand wedge will provide 60.

Hybrids

Many golfers have replaced the 3- and the 4-irons with hybrid golf clubs, which are easier to hit. In general, a golfer can expect to get 5 to 8 yards more with a hybrid than that numbered iron it replaced. A 3-iron goes an average of 130 yards, so the hybrid will go 135. A 4-iron goes an average of 120 yards, so a 4 hybrid will go 125 to 128.