How Far Should A Beginner Hit A Golf Ball?
It is natural for golfers to want to know how far they should be hitting a golf ball, especially when they first start out.
So how far should a beginner hit a golf ball? The table below shows the average yardage distances for men and women amateur golfers but it is a guide only so you should take it with a pinch of salt. Every golfer is different and the type of ball, wind direction, course type, your age and gender, fitness level and more all play a part in how far a beginner can hit a golf ball.
Golf club distance chart for beginners
| Club Type | Men | Women |
| Driver` | 200-230-260 | 150-175-200 |
| 3-Wood | 180-215-235 | 125-150-180 |
| 5-Wood | 170-195-210 | 105-135-170 |
| 2-Iron | 170-195-210 | 105-135-170 |
| 3-Iron | 160-180-200 | 100-125-160 |
| 4-Iron | 150-170-185 | 90-120-150 |
| 5-Iron | 140-160-170 | 80-110-140 |
| 6-Iron | 130-150-160 | 70-100-130 |
| 7-Iron | 120-140-150 | 65-90-120 |
| 8-Iron | 110-130-140 | 60-80-110 |
| 9-Iron | 95-115-130 | 55-70-95 |
| PW | 80-105-120 | 50-60-80 |
| SW | 60-80-100 | 40-50-60 |
Of course, these are just just averages and you should not put put off or disappointed if you are a short distance hitter afterall it’s more important that you are accurate with your ball placement than simply how hard you can hit the ball but the chart above will give you an idea of which club will hit the ball roughly what distance.
What is a good golf drive distance for a beginner?
The chart above gives you a rough idea but as we’ve already mentioned of how far each club will on average be able to cover in terms of yardage but ever person will be different. But for those that simply want figures the average golfer can cover around 195-205 yards with their drivers and for comparison PGA Tour Pros hit anywhere from 280 yards to 320 on average whereas LGPA Tour Pros are hitting 230 to 270 yards on average.
How far should you be able to hit a 4 iron?
Using the table above you can see that on average a man can hit between 150 and 170 yards and a woman can hit between 90 and 150 yards.
But take these figures with a pinch of salt because it varies from person to person and all sorts of other factors needs to be taken into consideration such as the course you are playing on, your fitness levels, the ball quality and more.
How far should you hit a 5 wood?
Similar to the answer in the previous paragraph you can check this on the table and use the appropriate club type for your question.
In the instance of the 5 wood a male can hit on average somewhere between 170 and 210 yards. A female can hit on average 105 to 170 yards but again this varies and it represents averages only, your own average could be quite different. These statistics have been gathered over many years using quite a large number of people.
How far should you hit each golf club?
It is more important that you select the correct driver for the distance you want to cover and the angle you need to strike the ball at but the table above will give you an idea of how far you should hit each golf club at.
Of course, you need to be selecting the correct golf club type for the scenario you are currently playing and your game strategy for covering the course.
What is the average swing speed for amateur golfers?
The average speed for an amateur average male golfer is about 93.4 mph which produces on average a coverage distance of 214 yards per drive. This gives us an efficiency or average of 2.29 yards per mph.
Women golfers will be less than this but it depends on your experience, fitness levels and various other factors.
Is my golf swing speed important?
The speed at which you swing your golf club is not as important as how accurate you hit the ball itself. It’s no good having a high average yardage with every single club you own if every single strike ends up with the ball in the wrong position on the course.
Your own average yardage is the real measure and although golf is a competitive sport you will only improve by comparing against yourself and using your own abilities as a measuring stick.
Is the average distance the same for men and women golfers?
On average no. This is simply because of the strength difference and body type difference between males and females. That’s not to say though that a fit strong woman cannot out hit a less fit male with less experience but it comes down to simple biology and to an extent common sense.
You should create your own chart of how far each of your clubs is working for you and check your progress as your golf improves but you can use the chart above to get a rough idea of the averages for other people and how far they are hitting their balls.
How do I improve my golf swing speed and accuracy?
This is a very big question because there is so much to cover when it comes to improving your golf but a simple answer is to take golfing lessons and to practise what you are taught and do it often.
- Practise makes perfect!
If you are serious about wanting to learn golf then we can highly recommend a golfing holiday where you can be taught by professional golfers.
Being taught by a professional holds much more value than being self taught or by learning from videos or books. If you can have a professional monitor your stance and action when striking the ball you can gain invaluable feedback that you simply cannot get elsewhere.
Learning with a professional golfer also gives you the opportunity to learn other important information that may otherwise difficult to come by such as the type of ball you should use and the overall general rules of golf and how you improve your game further.
Where can I learn golf with a professional golfer?
There are many companies that specialise in golf lessons but there are also opportunities to combine your lessons with a holiday too.
Holidays 4 Golfers have a fantastic reputation for really caring about the overall experience of the people who attend a golfing holiday and go to great lengths to ensure that the experience is not only thoroughly enjoyable but that the attendee learns a great deal while they are there too.
Golfing holidays to learn golf
Holidays 4 Golfers can organise trips in many countries but a firm favourite is Portugal. Here you will find some of the best golf courses in the world and you will be learning with some fantastic professional golfers. If you are serious about improving your golfing game then what better to go about this than to take an intensive holiday with a pro who can give you invaluable feedback while playing on a beautiful golf course while sunning it up.
How to hit the driver for beginners
We’ve included the video above from Chris Ryan (PGA Professional golfer) where he offers some advice to newbie golfers who are looking to improve their swing and accuracy with their drivers.
In the video Chris describes the correct way to hit off the tee for the beginner with driver which he has selected as the most appropriate for those just starting out with their game.
The driver is the club that most beginners can’t wait to use because it the club which produces the most distance and people really want to hit it as hard as they can but in the video Chris shows that strength and how hard you hit the ball is not everything and offers an insight into why accuracy and technical understanding is very important.
This is an example of why we recommend that you take professional instruction when learning, videos like this one are great to get a basis of how to play golf but we firmly believe that in order to be able to progress properly you cannot beat feedback from a professional golfer.
People also ask:
How do I calculate my golf club distance?
This is what your golf range is for. You can figure out your own averages and then find an online golf club distance calculator and fill in your scores, this will give you your own chart like the one above. Repeat this process as you progress with your golf to see how you improve over time.
Is age important with golf club distances?
It is a factor yes. It’s one of many factors that will determine your own personal average yardage. Your personal fitness levels and how experienced you are will also play a factor into how far you can end up hitting the ball.
Is the distance I can hit a golf ball important?
Accuracy is more important but you need to cover the distance required to achieve a good handicap so ensuring you get the best distance out of each of your clubs is important.
Please also check out the other blog posts articles that we have on our website too as they may provide the answer you are looking for. If there are any other questions that you would like to ask then please get in touch and we’ll do our best to help you out.
