Average Club Distance by Age

Like most golfers out there, you’re probably wondering how you stack up against people in your age group. In this article, we’re going to show you the distances most golfers hit with their clubs.

In general, you’ll find that those in their twenties and thirties hit the ball the farthest. Distances will gradually decrease as you age. This likely happens because your swing speed isn’t as quick as it once was. 

To figure out the average club distance by age, we researched and collected data about various distances. The average is then recorded across each age group.

Key Factors of Golf Club Average Distance

The golf distance charts you’ll see below were created with key factors in mind that can affect how far you hit with each club. Of course, the main factor is swing speed since both Smash Factor, and ball speed are associated with the swing speed.

However, while swing speed is very important, it is not the only factor. A quality hit off the middle of the clubface and a good swing play a significant role in how far the ball will go. You may be wondering, though, what is Smash Factor? It’s understandable if you’re unsure what it means since it’s a relatively new term. It wasn’t being used even five years ago.

Smash Factor is where your ball speed is divided by club speed. This calculation then relates to the amount of energy transferred from the clubhead to the golf ball. The higher the Smash Factor, the better the energy transfer. For example, a ball speed with a speed of 120 miles per hour and a swing speed of 80 miles per hour, your Smash Factor would be 1.5.

Other smaller factors that have an effect on distance are:

• The club lofts
• Weather

We would like to mention that the golf club distance charts you’ll see below are based on averages, not the best distances.

Of course, all of us can have an incredible drive when everything clicks into place, but this doesn’t happen very often! These figures are subjective, but they can give us a guideline for reference.

Average Distance By Age: Driver

The standard driving distance for golfers is 219 yards, but the range can be anywhere from 194 yards to 236 yards. Golfers in their twenties usually have the longest distances. Distances tend to lessen the older you get.

Again, since all of this is subjective, your drive may be longer or shorter than this. The numbers in the table below are average numbers across a variety of golfers. Here is the outcome:

Golfers in their twenties typically have the quickest swing speeds, which causes their average distances to be higher. It’s normal when you get older for your swing speed to decrease. With that being said, there are golfers that are older who have incredible swing speeds.

If you can achieve a drive that’s around 220 yards, it’s safe to say that you’re average. Anything lower than 210 yards is considered below average, and anything more than 230 yards is considered above average.

Average Distance By Age: Fairway Wood

The distance for golfers when using an average fairway wood is 202-207 yards. However, the range is anywhere from 180 yards to 225 yards. The distances will vary depending on whether you’re using a tee, what fairway wood you’re using, and your swing speed.

You’ll find certain golfers have a three wood, some have five wood, and some have seven wood loft. Off the tee, you’ll find that a three wood will be a little bit longer than the others. Off the ground, each one will be close for almost all golfers.

Here is how far the average golfer hits with a fairway wood:

Average Distance By Age: Hybrid

The average distance golfers hit their hybrid is 179-184 yards. The range does vary anywhere from 160 yards to 200 yards. The distance average is going to depend on what hybrid club you’re using, whether you’re hitting off a tee or not, and your swing speed.

Most people have a four or five hybrid in their golf bag. That’s what most of these numbers are based on, but there are a few golfers who had a three or six hybrid.

Here is how far the golfers hit with their hybrid:

Average Distance By Age: 5 Iron

On average, golfers tend to hit their five iron 162-167 yards. However, the range is anywhere from 144 yards to 182 yards. How far of a distance you will hit the ball is going to depend on how well you can compress the ball and your swing speed.

Here is the 5 iron distance chart:

Average Distance By Age: 6 Iron 

On average, golfers tend to hit their 6 iron 153-158 yards. However, the range is anywhere from 136 yards to 173 yards. The distance you hit the ball will depend on how well you compress the ball and your swing speed.

Here is how far golfers hit with their 6 iron:

Average Distance By Age: 7 Iron

On average, golfers tend to have a 7 iron distance of 143-148 yards. However, the range is anywhere from 126 yards to 165 yards. Golfers in their twenties typically hit the ball the farthest, and the distance decreases as the golfer ages.

Here is how far golfers hit with their 7 iron:

Average Distance By Age: 8 Iron

On average, golfers tend to hit their 8 iron 135-140 yards. However, the range is anywhere from 119 yards to 154 yards.

Here is how far golfers hit with their 8 iron:

Average Distance By Age: 9 Iron

On average, golfers tend to hit their 9 iron 125-130 yards. However, the range is anywhere from 108 yards to 142 yards.

Here is how far golfers hit with their 9 iron:

Average Distance By Age: Pitching Wedge

The average distance golfers hit their ball with their pitching wedge is 115-120 yards. However, the range is anywhere from 101 yards to 130 yards. Golfers on the younger side who have quicker swing speeds tend to hit with their pitching wedge 125-130 yards. Older golfers have a distance around 101-106 yards.

This is how far the players hit with their pitching wedge:

Average Distance By Age: Sand Wedge

The average distance golfers tend to hit with their sand wedge is 84-89 yards. The distance you hit the ball will depend on how quickly you swing the club, whether you’re taking a full swing or not, and the loft of your sand wedge.

This is how far golfers hit with their sand wedge:

How You Can Better Your Distances

The good news is there are things you can do to try and improve your distances. Not all of them may work for you, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

The first thing we’d recommend doing is ensuring you’re playing with the right golf ball. One that fits both you and your swing. Unfortunately, a lot of people play with the wrong ball, and it makes things more challenging.

Golf balls are made differently. Some were created for slow paced swing speeds, while others are for faster paced swing speeds. For average golfers playing with a ball that’s easy to compress and flies straight is extremely important.

Next, you should check where you make contact with the clubface. Are you hitting too much toward the heel or toe, or are you hitting the sweet spot?

If you aren’t hitting the sweet spot, the ball is most likely not going straight. Hitting the ball as straight as you can will give you more distance. You can check this by putting some masking tape on the ball and taking a shot. This will show you where you’re hitting the ball. If you see that you’re not hitting the center of the face, work on that. Gaining the ability to consistently hit the center of the face will add quite a bit of distance.

The last thing you can do to improve your distance is work on properly compressing the ball. Staying over the ball and not lifting your arms will add a great amount of distance.

What Does The Distance Charts Tell You?

You may or may not already have an idea of how far you can hit with your clubs, but now is the time to back up what you know with actual data. It’s crucial that you know your club distances when playing golf. Again, please note that these are the average distances. There are plenty of people who hit both above and below average.

If you hit longer distances, maybe consider working on your control. This can improve your game into a higher skill bracket if you hit shorter; no worries! Nobody really cares whether you’re using a 7-iron or 9-iron to hit the ball three feet.