2021 Golf Performance Average Baselines – How You Compare to Amateur & Pro Golfers

For most golfers, one of the most common goals and challenges is to improve overall yardage. While having a high-tech launch monitor can provide the accurate data points that you need, in order to improve you’ll need numbers to measure up against. There is no set definition for a “good” golf drive. What’s most important is that you look at how your average drive compares against amateurs and pros.

At Foresight Sports, we know the importance of capturing and analyzing data, which is why our team took the time to crunch the numbers and compile golf club distance charts for golfers of all handicaps and abilities.

We also took the time to analyze the differences between amateurs and professionals, in terms of average score. These numbers should give you some good insight and goals if you’re not hitting the numbers that you want.

Reading the Data

No two golfers are the same. The average golf drive of a 30-year-old is going to be much longer than one of a 70-year-old man. While skill and experience help, they aren’t the sole factors that determine one’s golf drive. This is why, for each club, we focused on yardage range versus a single value.

A young player with a handicap of 5 or so should be at the higher end of the range, while an older player with a handicap of 20 or more would be on the lower end.

The Average Amateur

Driver
Male: 230, Female: 200

3-Wood
Male: 210, Female: 180

5-Wood
Male: 190, Female: 105 – 140

3-Iron
Male: 180, Female: 160

5-Iron
Male: 160, Female: 140

6-Iron
Male: 150, Female: 130

7-Iron
Male: 140, Female: 120

8-Iron
Male: 130, Female: 110

9-Iron
Male: 120, Female: 100

Other Clubs

When it’s time for short game, it’s important to control your swing strength. In these scenarios, you won’t be aiming for maximum yardage. This is why the average distance of wedges is extremely variable. As a rule of thumb, a full swing with a pitching wedge should get 80 and 120 yards for an amateur male. Female golfers should get 50 to 85.

A full swing with a sand wedge should reach 60 to 95 and 40 to 65 for males and females, respectively.

Hybrid clubs should have a similar average distance for the equivalent number iron. This means that a 3-hybrid or 5-hybrid should go about the same distance as a 3-iron or 5-iron.

PGA and LPGA Tour Professionals

PGA and LPGA Tour Professionals train, condition, and play competitively on a routine basis. This is why professionals truly have a class of their own. So, don’t be shocked at these club distances, but do consider them aspirations!

Driver
Male: 289 – 361, Female: 246 – 258

3-Wood
Male: 243 – 304, Female: 195 – 217

5-Wood
Male: 230 – 288, Female: 185 – 205

3-Iron
Male: 212 – 265, Female: 170 – 181

5-Iron
Male: 194 – 243, Female: 161 – 173

6-Iron
Male: 183 – 229, Female: 152 – 163

7-Iron
Male: 172 – 215, Female: 141 – 154

8-Iron
Male: 160 – 200, Female: 130 – 143

9-Iron
Male: 148 – 185, Female: 119 – 132

What Is the Longest Golf Drive Ever Recorded?

The longest golf drive ever recorded was on the 16th hole at Firestone Country Club. Countless monster drives have occurred on this hole, but Dustin Johnson at TPC Boston in 2011 hit a monster 463-yard drive.

The longest drive of all time belongs to Mike Austin, who hit 515 yards back in 1974. Despite today’s modern golf club technology, odds are that this record will be the longest for quite some time.

What Are Pros Doing That I’m Not?

Let’s face it: Pros live, breathe, and sleep golf. Each day they wake up and train, play, and flex their driver muscles for hours. Professional golfers are not only strong, but their impacts are extremely precise. This means that much more of their club head speed is converted into ball speed.

In the simplest words possible, pros hit the ball more efficiently.

Know Your Game Inside and Out

The one thing about hitting for distance is that this is only a piece of the equation. What’s even more impactful than your average golf drive is your accuracy. A short-hitter golfer who has full control over their ball is more likely to beat out a big hitter with poor accuracy, every single time.

It doesn’t matter if you’re hitting short. What’s most important is that you know where your balls are ending up. By knowing your own game and having the right tools, you’ll find that you're making small improvements every single day.

Spend time training with equipment that gives you in-depth insight into your game. One of the best ways to do this is with an accurate launch monitor. Foresight Sports sells a variety of residential and commercial launch monitors that can be used indoors and outdoors.

See all of the precise launch monitors that we offer on our website.