TrackMan Average Tour Stats

TrackMan Average Tour Stats

Tour stats include:

Club Speed, Attack Angle, Ball Speed, Smash Factor, Launch Angle, Spin Rate, Max Height, Land Angle and Carry.

TrackMan Average Stats Taken From The PGA TOUR

TrackMan PGA Tour Averages Stats

TrackMan LPGA Tour Average Stats

TrackMan LPGA Tour Averages Stats

80 comments

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So the average male Tour pro hits down on the ball slightly with the driver? Should attack angle vary with clubhead speed?

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The attack angle for the pros varies on woods, but it’s more or less negative when it comes to hybrids and irons. For the average player, the attack angle on drivers varies and in general so should the ball that is hit from the ground always have a negative attack angle in order to get a better margin of error for the impact.

However, in order to get the longest carry possible, the ball should launch high with low spin. The optimal numbers are individual based on club speed – and that type of flight can easier be achieved if the spin loft is low together with a high dynamic loft. The more the attack angle is negative, then the higher the spin loft gets => the attack angle should be closer to 0 if anything IF the goal is to carry as long as possible.

But generally, the attack angle for irons should be from -2 – -5 for almost all players, but for drivers you can hit it further with a positive attack angle, no matter the club speed.

Niklas Bergdahl Support Manager EMEA & Asia

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Can you send me the optimal numbers across the board that players and coaches should be looking for in lessons and trackman sessions

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Strangely enough, with a driver you can achieve a carry of 300 vs 275 with the same clubhead speed of 113. Adam Young tries to get people to convert to this method. Attack angle = +8 degrees Launch angle = 19 degrees Backspin = 2,000 Smash Factor= 1.5

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Hi. I can only confirm. I achieve those positive angles and l can carry the driver (9 degr loft) 245 yards with a club speed of 95mph. Rollout is average 20 yards.

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No, it is 3° and that means the clubhead is movin upwards. – is downwards.

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You are reading the LPGA (ladies) numbers Tim. The PGA (men) average is -1.3.

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Looks like the average LPGA players trackman swing speed is more or less the same as an average 10 hcp male player. Though the ladies are a lot more skilled in hitting it on the right angles and in the right spot on the clubface. Would an average 10 hcp male player have a advantage or disadvantege using graphite shafts?

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Harry, any player of any handicap can benefit from graphite shafts. More often than not, the memory in most players’ minds from graphite stems from a very long time ago when graphite was ONLY graphite. It was whippy, and not very accurate. Material advances and composite technology have nearly rendered steel obsolete. I say nearly, mind you. There are a number of outstanding graphite shafts out there that are super stable and responsive, enabling a lighter club and longer distance without sacrificing accuracy. Fujikura makes some really nice iron shafts that fuse both steel and graphite technologies called MCI. In fact, i have Fuji PRO 95i shafts in my irons and my iron game is better now than it ever was with steel. I’m a 3.5 index and relatively strong but it allows me to play all out without getting tired on the back 9 from heavy clubs. Being a club builder, i can tell you that in golf equipment there’s a trade-off in everything. wether it’s length, weight, or feel so your advantage or disadvantage is dependent on how precisely you build your piece of equipment.

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Hey Chris thanks for the info below i find it very interesting. Curious do you have those same shafts in your wedges or do you have steel in your wedges? I played SteelFiber i95 shafts last year in all my irons including wedges. I liked them in my irons but i felt like it hurt my game in wedges. Do you have any thoughts on this? Thanks

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Agreed. Shallow your angle of attack to match the LPGA players.

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I have had a number of sessions on a Trackman, (the latest on Aug 22, 2015, at “Modern Golf” in Mississauga On.). My clubhead speed and distances are about the same as LPGA averages. I was doing wedge work, and see that for a pitching wedge, (48°), my angle of attack -about 7.5° – is n=much higher than LPGA average. My accuracy is good, (only 3 0f 19 shots more that 20′ away, and all when the face angle was over 4° closed). I’m thinking that I should weaken my left hand a bit, (it’s a little strong on pitch shots), and play the ball farther forward- 2″ ahead of centre. Am I on the right track, or will these changes introduce new problems?

I’m 74 years old, and am a long-time PGA of Canada member. Thanks for any feedback…. love Trackman outings.

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I would recommend that you visit one of our certified coaches, he/she would be able to help you and find what numbers are best for you.

See our TrackMan Locator here.

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I don’t disagree with these stats but I do it;s kinda weird. 87 miles mph with an 8 iron should produce 177 yards of carry not 160 that’s a lot of mph. Iv’e seen high school kids hit 9 iron 165 and they don’t swing 100 mph with a 9 iron. When I swing hard I hit my 8 iron 155 and my legit radar read 72 mph so logic would dictate at 88 mph you would get more like 180 yards carry again that’s a lot of mph.

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Remember that’s a carry number not total distance. Also since the pros produce significant more back spin, their ball flight is higher, landing angle loftier producing minimum roll whereas your total distance might be benefiting from maximum roll. One more thing to check would be launch angle where you might be hitting a low ball flight to maximize distance which in my opinion is “cheating.”

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The PGA Tour 8-iron goes 160 in the air for a couple of reasons. One, they usually hit weaker lofts than high school players (like I) do. Secondly, they spin their 8-iron at 7998 RPM to stop the ball on fast greens. I believe this is the combination that makes the 8-iron go so much shorter.

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I’ve hit thousands of balls on Foresight simulators, and what I’ve found is that backspin significantly influences carry distance. Holding club head speed constant, greater backspin reduces carry distance on all clubs.

For mid-irons, I’d estimate that you lose roughly 5-7 yards of carry per 1,000 RPM in additional backspin. And with the driver it’s easily 10+ yards of carry lost per 1,000 RPM.

This explains why poorly struck balls will often fly as far, if not further, than a well-hit shot. The key to backspin is crispness of contact – a poorly struck shot simply won’t spin as much. Unless the impact is absolutely terrible, the lack of backspin on poorly struck shots will cause those balls to carry further than a well-struck ball. So if you’re flying balls over the green with your irons, the culprit could be too little backspin caused by poor contact, cheap balls, a dirty club face, etc.

I think this is also the key reason why fades don’t carry as far as draws. It’s not that a draw swing is any faster/more powerful – it’s simply that fades have more backspin due to the impact geometry/physics involved with that swing.

Now I may be wrong on some of this, so I’d love to get a true expert’s take.

One thing I forgot to add to my comment above is that you need a minimum of backspin on all golf shots just to get the ball up in the air. That may be 1,500 RPM for woods and maybe 3,000 for irons.

My point is that increasing backspin beyond this base level will generally reduce carry. For example, I can guarantee that increasing the backspin on your 7 iron from 5k to 7.5k will reduce your carry with that club, even if your swinging faster at 7.5k.

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I totally disagree with your premise. Draws carrying further than fades? That makes no sense.

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Bare in mind tour players play with proper golf clubs which are weak lofted so the people you see hitting a 9 iron further than tour average 8 it’s probably because that 9 iron is closer to a 7 iron loft

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Spin determines weather you hit a draw or fade so logic would dictate distance will also be effected. In my experience draws do tend to be further for 2 reasons and both have to do with spin. With a draw you will usually get more roll out as well as flight because of the decrease in spin. This is especially true with a driver.

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Depends what clubs you are using. There can be as much as 7 degrees of variation between a ‘standard’ loft on a 7 iron. If you’re playing the Callaway Mavrik irons, you’ll get 27 degrees of loft on a 7 iron. If you’re playing the Callaway Apex Pro then its 34 degrees. That’s a two club difference.

I was custom fit recently for the Apex 21’s and currently play Apex MBs. With the MBs my 7 iron has 34 degrees of loft and flies 165yds with 89mph average club head speed. Same swing with the Apex 21s (30 degrees of loft) flies between 177 – 180 yds. Big difference.

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Larry , I would highly recommend you see Mark Evershed . Buy him lunch and get the answers your looking for .

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Hi guys this was a recent session with a cobra 3 wood 16 deg loft.my question is my launch angle seems a little low ,interested in your thoughts .thanks Shot # Club Club Speed (mph) Ball Speed (mph) Smash Factor Launch Angle (degrees) Direction Back Spin (rpm) Carry Distance (yards) Total Distance (yards) 1 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 2 3 Wood 98 148 1.51 9.10 Straight 4096.00 223.00 240.00 3 3 Wood 94 142 1.51 9.10 Straight 3904.00 213.00 230.00 4 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 5 3 Wood 96 145 1.51 9.10 Straight 4000.00 219.00 236.00 6 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 7 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 8 3 Wood 93 141 1.52 8.80 Straight 3826.00 212.00 229.00 9 3 Wood 92 129 1.40 12.40 Straight 4138.00 190.00 207.00 10 3 Wood 94 142 1.51 9.10 Straight 3904.00 213.00 230.00 11 3 Wood 94 142 1.51 9.10 Straight 3904.00 213.00 230.00 12 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 13 3 Wood 96 145 1.51 9.10 Straight 4000.00 219.00 236.00 14 3 Wood 93 140 1.51 9.10 Straight 3856.00 210.00 227.00 15 3 Wood 96 146 1.52 8.80 Straight 3970.00 220.00 237.00 16 3 Wood 92 140 1.52 8.80 Straight 3778.00 210.00 227.00 17 3 Wood 95 144 1.52 8.80 Straight 3922.00 216.00 233.00 18 3 Wood 96 145 1.51 9.10 Straight 4000.00 219.00 236.00 19 3 Wood 94 142 1.51 9.10 Straight 3904.00 213.00 230.00 20 3 Wood 91 137 1.51 9.10 Straight 3760.00 204.00 221.00 21 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 22 3 Wood 95 144 1.52 8.80 Straight 3922.00 216.00 233.00 23 3 Wood 95 144 1.52 8.80 Straight 3922.00 216.00 233.00 24 3 Wood 96 146 1.52 8.80 Straight 3970.00 220.00 237.00 25 3 Wood 96 146 1.52 8.80 Straight 3970.00 220.00 237.00 26 3 Wood 96 145 1.51 9.10 Straight 4000.00 219.00 236.00 27 3 Wood 94 137 1.46 10.60 Straight 4054.00 204.00 221.00 28 3 Wood 94 143 1.52 8.80 Straight 3874.00 215.00 232.00 29 3 Wood 98 142 1.45 10.90 Straight 4276.00 213.00 230.00

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What kind of balls were you using?

Brent. This was at a driving range with srixon range balls

Ok the one number that really stood out to me was the smash factor. Usually anything above a 1.50 indicates something is illegal. There’s a reason not even the PGA tour players aren’t averaging 1.50 off the tee. Other than that your numbers look good.

Brent what about the launch angle

Yes the launch is a little on the low side. But seeing how you’re still getting decent distance I wouldn’t worry too much about how it’s coming out. But try hitting down on the ball more to get it up in the air faster.

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I frequently get above 1.5 on trackman with longer irons and my woods (I have raised this with your tech teams already). This is because your machine measures club speed just before impact and doesn’t detect acceleration through impact

Trackman doesn’t detect acceleration through impact on solidly struck shots so you can post smash factors above 1.5. It’s best to just rely on ball speed with Trackman

Brent in one of your comments you said my smash factor was high ,had a session last night at range and some of my smash factors were 1.53 is this something to try and change and if so how do I change it

Like you had said you were using range balls correct? If so the smash factor will be a little off since they aren’t a legal tournament ball. What the smash factor (as explained to me by the Carolinas PGA rules committee chairman) is, is a measurement of how well the ball comes off the face. There’s a specific calculation for it but I’m not positive of it and anything over a 1.50 usually is a tell tale sign that either the club or ball is illegal. What I would recommend doing is using the ball you would normally play a round with and get some readings off that ball.

I read not long ago that Rory Mcilroy had a smash factor of 1.53 as well . If Willie can hit it 380 the way Rory does, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Larry. I’m 55 years old 280 is my distance not 380 Like Rory

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Ball speed divided by club head speed is smash factor

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I’m currently doing my university project on green-side bunker shots, I was wondering if you have any shot data for a short bunker shot or flop shot? Thanks.

Sorry but we do not have any official data we can share, but it would be interesting to see your final research :)

Blair, My assumption would be that the cleaner a ball is picked out of a bunker the more spin it will have and vice versa. The more sand you use to move the ball the less spin.

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Do you have TrackMan data for AoA and DL for greenside bunker shots?

Sorry we do not have any official bunker shot data.

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In looking at the tour pro stats for men – the max height reading for all clubs is about 30 plus or minus 2. I am trying to understand how/why are the heights the same for all clubs? My assumption would be the more lofted the club the greater the height! Is 30ish the optimum figure for best distance? Because in my last stats my longest 9.5 degree driver shot was max height of 56!

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Is there any data available from the Senior tour?

We do not have any official charts for the Senior Tour. But you can login on mytrackman.com and use the combine section and filter, to show only Senior Tour players.

Thanks Christian!

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what month/year is this data from?

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Is there any data on typical club path for a tour pro?

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Can you please post stats for average path, club face, and face to path numbers for PGA tour?

Could you please post average path, club face, and face to path numbers for several top Tour Players?

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Before all the hype about hitting up on the ball came about, I hit down on a driver anywhere from -2 to -4 degrees and swung 1-2 degrees left.

Once I started to try and swing up on it. I lost direction big time. An easy swing for me is 112, swinging hard at it I can get it up to 123. Does Trackman recommend those that have higher swing speeds to hit down on it for straighter direction?

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There is no physics logic backing up that hitting up on the ball will give a decrease in accuracy. However to go from hitting down to hitting up you have made some changes to your impact obviously. The way you made the changes could well be the problem as this could have affected your impact location, swing path, clubface and the way you release the club

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Can pga tour players carry the ball 293 yards.

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A Question: Were some data change on this site? I ask because I’m quite sure to have read other data for the men’s driver trajectory. Am I wrong or can someone confirm this?

kindly zorro

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Is my impression right, that the data for the men driver were changed from

[Daten alt: 112mph 165mph 11,2° 2685 31y 39° 269y] to [Daten neu: 113mph 167mph 10,9° 2686 32y 38° 275y] ?

Why did TM do that?

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For the tour pro stats – mainly carry distance, launch angle and spin rate for the driver, you have the averages, could you supply the max and min (filtered for outliers)? I am going to run an experiment with Trackman at my golf academy and need a starting range for each item. The tour max and min range is a starting point versus having to create this from scratch.

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Anyone know where I can find raw data of clubhead speed? It is for a College project. Thanks!

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You know what would be great to see – average miss from target – left and right – for each club. Of course short and long from target matter as well, but solid contact isn’t really my issue – left and right misses is my challenge

I’m about a half club off of PGA Tour average distance wise. Technically I’m a 1 handicap, but more like 4 or 5 when the tourney pressure is on. I know from playing with better players the difference between me and them is pretty much how much more accurate they are from a left and right perspective.

You can find all this info from Mark Broadie. He has tracked all the shots on the us tour for years and also written a book Every Shot Counts about it

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I have been playing Golf for less than 19 months. I must admit I was damn tired of the same Golf Lesson producing varying results with inconsistent instruction(s) which seemed contradictory to the previous lesson. I take Golf perhaps a little more serious than others and my “approach” to this game may be viewed as extreme due to my focus on Fitness/Strength Training combined with my Yoga and Nutritional regimen.

That notwithstanding I would like to formally THANK the Trackman Developers and Support Staff for FINALLY producing a “Standardized” curriculum eliminating the traditional random quick fixes and circumventing the often inconsistent and contradictory methods being taught today.

I currently own a Trackman 4 and although I DO NOT wish to teach, I am Certified as an Operator and successful in obtaining my Professional Level 1 & 2 Certifications and shortly will be submitting my Thesis to be considered for review. These Certifications have greatly assisted me in understanding Flight/Ball dynamics and greatly assists my Coach and I in our 4-5 hour daily Putting-Wedge-Iron-Wood and Driver Sessions providing the data necessary to produce a more consistent and …. I have a hard time with this next word…… F U N game. (There I said the word “fun” in the same sentence as “Golf.” I’m so proud of myself!!!

Seriously, I simply CANNOT thank Nathan Meyer for coming to my hometown and demonstrating the enormous benefit(s) of purchasing the Trackman 4 product.

Kym Fontana [email protected]

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It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know you! Your work ethic, attitude, and kindness are all things that I can look up to. very excited for 2017 and I am looking forward to seeing you again soon!

-Nathan Meyer [email protected]

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Are there numbers posted for an average 5 HCP player or 10 HCP player similar to the charts above for the ave tour player?

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What is the #1 PGA Tour player in “Carry Distance” average carry distance??

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I understand this data is pretty old, released soon after the time when trackman first came out. I’m sure things have changed since then. Any update?

Actually, we haven’t seen any huge changes over the past years, it’s more about roundings. For example, Avg. Club Speed for a driver: 2014: 113.0 mph 2015: 113.3 mph 2016: 112.9 mph And it’s pretty much similar with the other numbers.

We do have a graphical updated version of the Tour Stats here.

Not really. Lee Westwood was interviewed recently and advised that apart from his driver he hits everything else almost the exact same he has his entire career.

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I’m looking for PGA tour averages for dynamic loft for different clubs. Does anyone have this data to share? Thanks!

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Are there tour averages for club path?

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Are all these stats full swings? Example: Would the avg tour pro hit a 6-iron further, if he turns fully and tries to hit it as far as possible (with a natural movement like on a driver – not with an unnatural swing that creates most possible power, but result in very unconsistent ball flight)?

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Currently I practice indoors because of the winter. I do my practice with Trackman and I carry my 7 iron about 177-180 yards and total distance of 188-192 yards with my TaylorMade PSi irons. Lots of my shots with the 7 iron has a smash factor of 1.50-1.51.

This is a example of one of my shots with 7 iron.

Club speed: 80.2 | AoA: 1.3 | Ball speed: 120.5 | Carry: 164 meter | Total: 176 meter | Dyn Loft: 19.6 | Smash Factor: 1.50

Is that normal number for a 7 iron with a that club speed?

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Averages are useful, but knowing them would be more useful if we knew the median and mode, as well as the range.

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Hello, Are there updated PGA Tour Trackman stats?

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On Trackman this week using 7i I noticed the spin rate I had was well below that of a pro by nearly 3,000 rpm but similar club speed and attack angle. How can I get my spin rate up?

It can vary a lot due to the ball and clubs you are using. For example driving range balls are normally very hard and will have much lower spinrates than a quality ball like a Titleist pro v1. Modern day irons are also built to higher the lauch angle and lower the spinrate so that the average golfer will achieve more distance

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It would be great to know the average loft for each club, especially the irons!. I think 21-24-27-30-34-38-42-46 (3-Pw) are reasonable specs. What do you guys think?

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What loft are the irons? A modern 7i is now 30°

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Is this still the original data from 2015 or has it been updated?

I’d be very curious to see if the how the average attack angle has changed over this time in the PGA.

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Please update this data from over the years of more testing.

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Do you have any numbers on tour averages numbers on dynamic loft and spin loft?

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I am a 2 handicapper and I hit my driver 280 yards on an average. What is the attack angle with driver of the best players on the pga tour?

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these yardages are no doubt well below reality.

6 iron only 183yds carry? Most high handicappers hit it equally far.

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REVEALED: PGA Tour average CARRY DISTANCES - how do YOURS compare?!

How far do you hit each of your clubs see how you compare to the average pga tour pro..

Andy Roberts's picture

Ever wondered how far the average PGA Tour pro carries the ball with each of the clubs in their bag? Well you're in luck as the table below gives you the latest numbers from the circuit. 

Okay, not everyone hits the ball as far as the likes of Bryson DeChambeau - who incredibly once carried a drive last season 400 yards - but the below list at least gives you a broader idea as to how far the average PGA Tour pro is carrying their golf ball in 2021. 

REVEALED: PGA Tour average CARRY DISTANCES - how do YOURS compare?!

I know for one that GolfMagic Equipment Editor Alex Lodge, who plays off a low single-figure handicap, can hit the below numbers for fun - so some of you guys and girls out there may also be in the same boat. 

See how your carry numbers compare to the world's best on the PGA Tour in the table below, starting with the driver and moving down to the pitching wedge. 

REVEALED: PGA Tour average CARRY DISTANCES - how do YOURS compare?!

PGA TOUR AVERAGE CARRY DISTANCES 2021

DRIVER - 275 YARDS

3 WOOD - 243 YARDS

5 WOOD - 230 YARDS

HYBRID - 225 YARDS

3 IRON - 212 YARDS

4 IRON - 203 YARDS

5 IRON - 194 YARDS

6 IRON - 183 YARDS

7 IRON - 172 YARDS

8 IRON - 160 YARDS

9 IRON - 148 YARDS

PW - 136 YARDS

Stats: GOLFTV

How do your carry numbers compare to the averages on the PGA Tour? Come and share your thoughts over on our social media channels - Facebook, Instagram and Twitter - or head over to our YouTube channel.

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

Last Updated on July 25, 2021

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

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:

2020 PGA Tour Players  Average Club Head Speed vs Average Carry Distance

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.

Strike Location Affect on Ball Speed, Spin Rate, and Distance

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.

Spin-Tilt Axis Source: ForeSight Sports

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.

Golf Ball Launch Angle

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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Home » New Golf Equipment Reviews » Best Golf Clubs » 5 Iron Distance — How Far Should You Hit a 5 Iron?

5 Iron Distance — How Far Should You Hit a 5 Iron?

Patrick Corley

To help you understand how far you should hit a 5 iron, I, the head golf instructor at Tell Me More Golf, will cover the average 5 iron yardages for all types of different golfers in this article. 

The 5 iron is one of the longest irons in the golf bag , meaning that it has a low loft and a long shaft. This can make it very long-hitting , but depending on your swing, you can see very different results.

How Far Does the Average Person Hit a 5 Iron?

The male average golfer hits a 5 iron around 160 yards . The average female golfer hits a 5 iron around 130 yards , which is noticeably shorter.

Many female golfers, and all golfers with slower swing speeds, will hit a 5 iron relatively short.

This is because the loft is quite low, which doesn’t suit a slow swing . 

5 Iron Distance Chart 

In this distance chart, you can find how far different types of golfers hit a 5 iron . This chart includes average women, male beginners, average men, advanced men, and professional golfers.

These numbers are meant to give you a clearer idea of golfers’ yardages.

However, the distances you will hit are very personal, so don’t over-compare yourself. 

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5 Iron Average Club Head Speed

The average clubhead speed for a male golfer hitting a 5 iron is a little under 80 mph . That number is significantly higher for professional PGA Tour golfers that hit their 5 iron around 100 mph . With that said, it’s crucial to remember that every golfer has different clubhead speeds, and the range is very wide . 

Standard 5 Iron Length

The standard 5 Iron Length is approximately 38 inches.

Tips on Hitting a 5 Iron for Distance

If you want to increase your distance with a 5 iron, you should focus on improving your clubhead speed for the most significant results. Also, you should focus on a flatter club strike due to the lack of 5 iron loft. However, as with all golf club distances, there are many factors that impact ball speed . 

When hitting a 5 iron, it’s crucial to have great contact combined with relatively high speed. Without enough speed on a low lofted club, the golf ball won’t get in the air and stay there, resulting in short distances . 

When Should I Use a 5 Iron?

You would generally use a 5 iron when hitting into greens , either from the tee on par 3s or from the fairway on longer holes. There are other situations out on the golf course where it can be wise to use a 5 iron, such as punch shots that require a low launch . 

5 Iron Degrees of Loft 

A 5 iron has a loft between 21-27 degrees , depending on how strongly lofted your clubs are. Game-improvement irons typically have stronger lofts, meaning that a forgiving 5 iron often has a loft on the lower end of the 21-27 degree spectrum. 

5 Iron Loft – What You Should Know  

For an iron, the loft is very low on a 5 iron. This can make it long-hitting for seasoned golfers , but lower-lofted irons are challenging to hit , and can often lead to poor results on bad strikes . That’s why we recommend hybrids instead of long irons for golfers who struggle with their contact or have a slow swing speed.

TellMeMoreGolf.com – Frequently Asked Questions

What is a 5 iron used for.

A 5 iron is most often used for hitting into greens on longer holes, including tee shots on par 3s and second or third shots on par 4s and par 5s. When you use a 5 iron mainly depends on how long you hit it and which tee you’re playing from. 

What is a 5 iron equivalent to?

The 5 iron is one of the longest irons in the golf bag and has a loft between 21-27 degrees. 

Does a 5 iron hit further than a 7 iron?

Generally speaking, a 5 iron goes significantly farther than a 7 iron . For example, a golfer who hits his 7 iron 150 yards will often hit his 5 iron at least 170 yards . 

However, if you have a slow swing speed and struggle with solid contact , a 7 iron can actually go further than a 5 iron because the club is much easier to hit. 

Conclusion:

The 5 iron has a long shaft and a low loft. This means that it can be very long-hitting, but only if you strike the ball well enough with speed. Average male golfers hit their 5 iron around 160 yards , while average females hit it about 130 yards . Thank you for reading this article from TellMeMoreGolf.com

Patrick Corley Tell Me More Golf Instructor and Coach

Patrick Corley

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What Is the Average Distance With Each Golf Club?

This golf club distance chart can help your game

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The average distance golfers hit each club varies widely. A PGA Tour player hits a 7-iron between 172-215 yards. Meanwhile, a short-hitting amateur male golfer averages 120 yards with the same club.

Average Golf Club Distance Chart

Here's how far mid-handicap male golfers can expect to hit each club. Of course, specific distances for each individual player will vary based on several factors, which we'll detail shortly. 

According to the USGA, golf’s governing body in the United States, the average male amateur golfer hits driver 217 yards , as recently as 2019. That same year, the PGA Tour average driving distance was 293.9 yards. Men, women, seniors, juniors, professionals, amateurs and beginners all hit their clubs different distances. The following golf club distance charts break down the average distances of golfers at many different levels of the game.

Key Factors to Achieve Distance

The total distance achieved by a golf club is based on several factors, including swing speed, the club’s loft, the carry distance achieved (Note: The carry distance is the yardage from the point of impact to the point of landing.), and even the weather.

Swing Speed

The faster your swing speed, the greater the distance. According to TrackMan , the average PGA Tour player has a driver club speed of 113 MPH, resulting in a 275 yard carry. Meanwhile, LPGA Tour players average 94 MPH with driver, and carry the ball 218 yards. 

Since we know that amateur male golfers hit driver an average of 217 yards, we can infer that average male golfers and LPGA Tour players have similar swing speeds, making the LPGA Tour average distances with each club a good benchmark for average amateur male golfers.

Each club face has a unique loft. For example, a driver is designed for distance and usually has only 8-13 degrees of loft. In comparison, a pitching wedge is designed to get airborne, with 41-46 degrees of loft .

Golfer writing on scorecard in cart

How to Accurately Measure How Far You Hit Your Clubs

According to thegolfmentor.com , distances achieved by short, mid and long hitters can vary by as much as 50% depending on the club and the gender (see actual average distance ranges below). Men tend to have faster swing speeds and hit the ball farther. However, many women are long hitters, with some LPGA pros hitting the ball as far, or farther, than men.

Distance can be greatly affected by the weather conditions. Hitting a ball into a strong wind will greatly influence distance, and a dry golf course will give you more roll, and therefore more distance, than a soggy course.

Average Distances for Men

Average distances for senior tour players.

The Best Drivers for Seniors of 2023

The 10 Best Drivers for Senior Golfers in 2023 for Huge Distance

Average Distances for PGA Tour Players

Average distances for women.

The Best Drivers for Women of 2023

The 9 Best Drivers for Women of 2023

Average Distances for LPGA Tour Players

Tip: chart your distances for all your clubs.

Keep track of your average golf stats and scores with GolfLink's personalized game tracker. Sign up for free and create yours now!

Go to the driving range and hit ten golf balls with each club. Keep track of the ten distances you achieve with each club. Repeat the charting monthly, or more frequently if you are actively working on your swing.

The distance achieved by a specific golf club will vary from player to player and from day to day based on the conditions. Tour distance information was compiled from stats on pgatour.com, lpga.com, TrackMan.com and golfwrx.com.

Tee Precision

5 iron distance

5 Iron Distance [Average to Tour Pro]

A 5 iron is one of the most versatile clubs in a golfer’s bag, and knowing the average distance a golfer can hit with it is crucial for a successful golf game. The average distance golfers hit a 5 iron is between 160 to 200 yards, depending on their skill level, swing speed, and ball speed. PGA Tour players, on the other hand, can hit their 5 iron up to 220 yards or more.

Table of Contents

Average 5 iron distance, factors that influence 5 iron distance, how to improve your 5 iron distance, who hits the farthest 5 iron.

For amateur golfers, hitting a 5 iron accurately and consistently can be challenging, but it is an essential skill to master. Many golfers struggle to hit their 5 iron as far as they would like, which can affect their overall golf game. Factors such as clubhead speed, ball speed, and launch angle all influence distance, and golfers who want more distance with their 5 iron need to focus on these areas.

While a 5 iron may not be the longest club in a golfer’s bag, it is a reliable option for approach shots and can be used for tee shots on shorter par 3s. Golfers who want to add distance to their 5 iron shots can try using a longer shaft, lowering the loft, or switching to a blade-style club. Overall, mastering the 5 iron distance can significantly improve a golfer’s short game and help them become a more well-rounded player on the golf course.

When it comes to golf, knowing the average distance a golfer can hit a 5 iron is essential. The 5 iron is a mid-range iron that is commonly used to hit approach shots to the green. It is a versatile club that can help golfers achieve longer, higher shots with good control and accuracy.

How is 5 Iron Distance Measured?

The distance a golfer can hit a 5 iron depends on several factors, including swing speed, ball speed, ball flight, and clubhead speed. The average distance golfers hit a 5 iron is around 160 yards for men and 140 yards for women. However, this distance can vary depending on the skill level of the golfer, the type of golf club, and the golf course conditions.

PGA Tour players, on the other hand, can hit a 5 iron much farther than the average golfer. The average PGA Tour player can hit a 5 iron around 200 yards. However, some of the best golfers can hit a 5 iron up to 230 yards or more.

It is important to note that the 5 iron distance can vary depending on the golfer’s swing and ball flight. For example, golfers with faster swing speeds can hit the ball farther than those with slower swing speeds. Similarly, golfers who hit the ball with a high launch angle and low spin rate can achieve more distance than those who hit the ball with a low launch angle and high spin rate.

Overall, the 5 iron is a versatile club that can help golfers improve their golf game. By knowing the average distance golfers hit a 5 iron, golfers can choose the right club for their shots and improve their chances of hitting the ball farther and with more accuracy.

Distance is an important aspect of the golf game, and the 5 iron is a critical club for many golfers. Several factors can influence the distance that a golfer can hit a 5 iron. Understanding these factors can help golfers optimize their 5 iron distance and improve their game.

Swing Speed and Clubhead Speed

One of the most critical factors that influence 5 iron distance is swing speed. The faster a golfer swings, the farther they can hit the ball. According to Golf Insider UK , the average swing speed for male golfers is between 90-100 mph, while the average swing speed for female golfers is between 60-70 mph. However, swing speed is not the only factor that influences distance.

Clubhead speed is another important factor that influences distance. According to Golfer Logic , the average clubhead speed for male golfers is between 105-110 mph, while the average clubhead speed for female golfers is between 85-90 mph. A faster clubhead speed can lead to more distance, but it also requires more skill and control.

Ball Speed and Smash Factor

Ball speed is the speed at which the golf ball travels after impact with the clubface. The faster the ball speed, the farther the ball will travel. According to Golfer Logic , the average ball speed for male golfers is between 150-160 mph, while the average ball speed for female golfers is between 120-130 mph.

Smash factor is a measure of how efficiently the energy from the clubhead is transferred to the ball. A higher smash factor means that more of the energy is transferred , resulting in higher ball speed and more distance. According to Honest Golfers , the average smash factor for a 5 iron is around 1.3.

Launch Angle and Spin Rate

Launch angle is the angle at which the ball leaves the clubface. A higher launch angle can result in more distance, but it can also lead to less accuracy. Spin rate is the rate at which the ball spins after impact. A lower spin rate can lead to more distance, but it can also lead to less control.

According to Golf Insider UK , the ideal launch angle for a 5 iron is between 18-22 degrees, while the ideal spin rate is between 5000-6000 rpm. However, these values can vary depending on the golfer’s skill level and swing characteristics.

Golf Ball and Golf Club

The type of golf ball and golf club used can also influence 5 iron distance. Different golf balls and clubs have different characteristics that can affect distance, spin, and launch angle. The type of golf ball can influence distance by up to 10 yards, while the type of golf club can influence distance by up to 20 yards.

It is important for golfers to choose a golf ball and golf club that is suited to their skill level and swing characteristics to optimize their distance and performance on the course.

For many golfers, hitting a 5 iron accurately and with enough distance can be a challenge. However, with a few adjustments to your swing technique and equipment, you can improve your 5 iron distance and accuracy.

Increasing Swing Speed

One way to increase your 5 iron distance is to increase your swing speed. PGA Tour players have an average swing speed of 110-120 mph, while the average golfer has a swing speed of around 90 mph. By increasing your swing speed, you can add more ball speed and distance to your shots.

To increase your swing speed, focus on developing a smooth and efficient swing. You can also try strength training exercises to build up your core and upper body muscles, which will help you generate more power in your swing.

Using Different Golf Clubs

Another way to improve your 5 iron distance is to experiment with different golf clubs. Some golfers may find that they hit a 4 iron or hybrid club more accurately and with more distance than a 5 iron. It’s important to find the right club for your swing and skill level.

You can also try adjusting the loft of your clubs. Lower lofted clubs, such as a 4 iron, can help you hit the ball farther. However, keep in mind that lower lofted clubs can also be more difficult to hit accurately.

Improving Technique

Improving your technique can also help you hit your 5 iron farther. Focus on maintaining good balance throughout your swing, and make sure you are making solid contact with the ball. You can also work on improving your ball flight and spin rate, which can help you hit the ball higher and farther.

Another technique to try is to focus on hitting down on the ball, rather than trying to lift it into the air. This can help you create a more penetrating ball flight and add more distance to your shots.

Overall, improving your 5 iron distance requires a combination of technique, equipment, and practice. By focusing on these areas, you can add more distance and accuracy to your golf game.

PGA Tour Players

PGA Tour players are known for their exceptional skills and abilities on the golf course. They have the advantage of years of experience, hours of practice, and access to top-of-the-line equipment. According to Golfing Focus, on average, PGA pros hit a 5-iron a carry distance of 200-215 yards. However, the distance can vary depending on the player’s swing speed, ball speed, and other factors.

LPGA Tour Players

LPGA Tour players are equally skilled, but they tend to hit the ball shorter than their male counterparts. According to Golf Digest, the average LPGA Tour player hits a 5-iron a carry distance of 155-175 yards. However, some players can hit the ball farther than others, depending on their swing speed and other factors.

Average Distance for Male and Female Golfers

For the average male golfer, the distance they hit a 5-iron is around 160 yards, while the average female golfer hits a 5-iron around 140 yards, according to Golf Storage Guide. However, these distances can vary depending on the golfer’s skill level, swing speed, and other factors. In conclusion, the distance a golfer hits a 5-iron can vary greatly depending on various factors such as swing speed, ball speed, and skill level. PGA Tour players tend to hit the ball farther than LPGA Tour players, while the average male golfer hits the ball farther than the average female golfer.

After examining the factors that influence 5 iron distance, it is clear that there are many variables that can affect a golfer’s ability to hit the ball consistently and accurately. Swing speed, clubhead speed, ball speed, and spin rate all play a role in determining how far a golfer can hit their 5 iron. Additionally, the type of golf ball, the loft of the club, and the golfer’s skill level can also influence distance.

PGA Tour players are able to hit their 5 iron an average of 195 yards, while amateur golfers typically hit their 5 iron between 140-160 yards. The average male golfer hits their 5 iron around 160 yards, while LPGA Tour players hit their 5 iron an average of 155 yards. It is important to note that these distances are just averages, and many golfers will hit the ball farther or shorter than these numbers.

For most golfers, the key to hitting their 5 iron consistently and accurately is to focus on good balance, a smooth golf swing, and proper club selection. By practicing regularly and working with a golf instructor to improve their swing, golfers can add distance and improve their overall game.

While there is no one-size-fits-all solution for improving 5 iron distance, golfers can experiment with different clubs, balls, and swing techniques to find what works best for them. Whether you are a short hitter or a long hitter, adding a few extra yards to your 5 iron distance can help you take your game to the next level.

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pga tour average 5 iron

How Far Should You Hit A 5 Iron? (Complete Overview)

Distance has become more and more important over the past decade of golf.

Tune into any professional golf event and you will see the professional golfers launching their drivers high and far.

They are also pretty good with their irons from a precision and distance perspective.

The average PGA Tour player will hit his 5 iron around 194 yards (carry distance) with a swing speed of 94 miles per hour.  There are many amateurs that struggle to swing their driver 94 miles per hour.

The average LPGA Tour player will hit her 5 iron 161 with a swing speed of 79 miles per hour.  The LPGA tour players are often a better comparison for many amateur golfers.

How Far Should You Hit A 5 Iron?

The average amateur should hit their 5 iron around 160 yards.  Considering that many amateurs swing their driver around 95-100 miles per hour, the natural drop in swing speed down to the 5 iron will produce a carry of around 160 yards.

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

If you are someone looking to hit your 5 iron further, consider the different factors that influence distance with every club in the bag.

Factors That Influence Distance

Clubhead speed, launch angle.

Without additional clubhead speed, you will struggle to gain significant distance.  This is the most important factor when it comes to overall distance.  Even with the greatest sweet spot contact, optimum spin rate and the perfect launch angle you might struggle to hit the distance you want if you lack clubhead speed.

Resource: How to hit a 5 iron: 5 Keys!

The longest drivers on tour will swing their driver between 120 and 130 miles per hour, producing an impressive ball speed of between 170-195 miles per hour.

Check out below our number one tip to gain additional clubhead speed.  With this training device below, you can expect to gain 5-8 miles per hour in clubhead speed as early as your first training session.

With the SuperSpeed System detailed below, you can expect new distance with your driver and every club in the bag.

Ball speed is a combination of your clubhead speed combined with how centered the hit is.  High club head speed with an off center hit will rob of you your highest potential ball speed. 

The golfer that can find the right combination of clubhead speed and centered hits will have the highest ball speed.  Some golfers will gain ball speed by slowing down 1-3 miles per hour with their clubhead speed and maximize their on centered his, also known as the smash factor in golf.

The best way to increase your ball speed is to increase your clubhead speed and train at fast levels and then when on the course settle in at about 90% of your maximum speed, helping you to strike the center of the clubface.

Resource: How to increase ball speed (2 keys)

For a 5 iron, most golfers will want to have a spin rate in the 5000 RPM range.  If the spin rate gets too high you will lose distance and come up short.  If your spin rate is too low, you will get extra distance, but struggle to stop the ball on the green or to have consistency in the distance you carry your irons.  

When it comes to irons, you want to hit your irons within a certain range.  For example, if you hit your 5 iron between 160 and 165 yards that is fine, as long as one time you don’t hit it 180 and the next time 150.  Having the precision and a shorter range will help you score better.

Resource: Why is spin rate important?

There is an ideal launch angle with every club in the bag to maximize distance.  Too high or too low and you will lose distance.  You also have to be aware of the wind on every shot.  

The best golfers are able to hit both lower shots and higher shots with every club in the bag to play the course and the conditions for that day.

pga tour average 5 iron

How To Hit Your 5 Iron 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.  

Check current pricing on SuperSpeed Golf, here!

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.  

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. 

Resource: Our complete SuperSpeed Golf Review!

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!

Resource: How to make more short putts (5 simple steps)

Alternatives to the 5 Iron

Plenty of golfers have shifted to the hybrids as they replace their 3, 4, 5 and sometimes even the 6 iron.  The hybrid options at this point are the 3, 4 or 5 hybrids.  The goal is to have a chart of how far you hit each club and to ensure you have the gaps filled.  

Resource: 5 Iron vs 5 Hybrid: Which One Should I Carry?

You don’t want something larger than a 10-15 yard gap from inside of 185-200 yards.  Charting out how far you hit each club is a key to ensure you have the right clubs in your bag.

Here is an example of the chart I created for my golf yardages with irons and wedges:

I used my SkyTrak to measure my carry distances with every iron and wedge in the bag.  I hit 10 shots with each iron and took the average.  This was a simple process with something like my SkyTrak as I was able to create this simple chart and reference while on the golf course.  It is a game changer to have an accurate chart and to be able to this with my SkyTrak.

There are some great options in the golf market for affordable golf launch monitors.  You no longer have to pay $16,000 for a Trackman to have valuable data that can help reduce your golf score by several shots per round.

Here are my top 3 recommend affordable golf launch monitors:

My number one choice is the SkyTrak.  It has been a game changer!

  • SkyTrak Launch Monitor
  • FlightScope Mevo+ Launch Monitor
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Resource: SkyTrak Golf Launch Monitor: The Ultimate Game Improvement Tool!

pga tour average 5 iron

How Far Should You Hit You 5 Iron: Other Tips

If you are struggling to hit your 5 iron, it is probably from a lack of speed (check out SuperSpeed Golf) or due to poor contact (low point control issues).

If you are having low point control issues, I would highly recommend the drill below.

The first fundamental of golf according to the Stack and Tilt Instructors is to be able to control the low point of your golf swing.  The best golfers in the world are able to hit precisely where they want on just about every shot they hit in every round they play.  

While the highest handicap players might only hit several shots a round where they control their low point.  Even as your handicap improves, continuing to work on low point control is essential to getting to the next level.  The best golfers are often the best ball strikers and this starts with controlling your low point in the golf swing.

Here the the steps to take to complete this drill:

  • Paint a 2-3 yard long line with some yard paint.
  • Place the wiffle ball on the line.
  • The goal is to have your divot start just on the target side of your line.
  • Go ahead and hit shot after shot, working on controlling your low point and your entry into the ground.
  • Assess your success rate out of 20 times and write it down.
  • Complete this drill daily for several weeks and see if your game improves at the course.

If you start to hit the ball poorly at any point on your golf journey, return to this drill and keep it simple.  

One quick tip: if you are struggling to control your low point, go ahead and set up with 60% of your weight on your front leg.  Keep your head centered without a big shift off the ball and turn more around your front leg.  This will help keep your centers in place and allow you to control the low point.  

Many golfers struggle with the low point because they don’t get their weight back to their front side early enough and end up casting the club.

How Far Should You Hit A 5 Iron: Final Thoughts

The key is to have consistency in your golf game.  This starts with the three fundamentals in golf:

  • Controlling the low point of your golf swing
  • Controlling the start line and the curve of your golf ball
  • Having enough distance to play the golf course.

I have provided a great drill for low point control in the golf swing (see above), a training device for fundamental #3 (SuperSpeed Golf) and will leave you will a Stock Shot drill that can help with the 2nd fundamental above:

The 2nd fundamental of golf is to be able to control your start line and the curve of the ball. The stock shot drill is one drill that can be used for the remainder of your time playing the great game of golf.  

Have you ever played golf and have no idea where the ball is going to start and then curve?  Yes!  We have all been there before.  This stock shot drill is great to help you visualize and then monitor your success of starting the ball down your intended target line.

  • Set up an alignment stick down your target line about 12-15 feet in front of you.
  • Set up a second alignment stick about 2-4 feet right of the first alignment stick.
  • Using a golf ball, go ahead and attempt to hit the ball through the gate.
  • Assess how many times out of 20 you are successful.
  • Write this number down and repeat this drill for as long as your play golf.

A realistic number even for the most advanced golfers might be around 15 out of 20.  Even the best golfers struggle to hit their start line from time to time.  The major benefit of this drill is to have the visuals to allow you to narrow into a specific target.  As you get to the golf course, you will be able to visualize the alignment sticks in your mind and hit it through that gate.

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:

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

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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Paul Liberatore

Ping G425 Five-Iron

Taylormade sim2 max five-iron paulys pick, callaway apex 21 five-iron, taylormade sim2 max five-iron, what is a five-iron, what’s loft, what’s the loft of my five-iron, what is the average five-iron distance, how far do the pros hit a five-iron, what’s the fairway wood equivalent of a five-iron, what is the hybrid equivalent of a five-iron.

When it comes to long clubs, you have all kinds of options when it comes to what you choose to put in your bag . 

If you’re a traditionalist, maybe you still carry long irons.

But maybe you struggle to hit long irons consistently and get them up in the air, and you’ve opted for hybrids . 

Even still, some golfers have gone to fairway woods like seven, nine, and 11-woods to replace their long irons. 

No matter what you choose for your long clubs , you’ve probably spent some time wondering how far your distance stands up to other golfers out there. For purposes of this article, we’re going to take a look at a traditional five-iron.

Ping G425 Five-Iron

What Are the Best Five Irons I Can Buy?

If you want to stick with a traditional five-iron, below are our recommendations for the best ones on the market. 

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For a long time, Ping has made some of the most forgiving golf clubs in the game.  The G425 is no exception.  Perimeter weight expands the sweet spot, so golfers get more forgiveness on mishits.  This feature also adds stability through impact. 

A wide sole improves turf interaction and gives players added relief on both fat and thin shots.  The top rail undercut in the G425 lowers the CG to help golfers get the ball in the air.

Five-Iron Distance: Where Do You Rank

For golfers looking for maximum distance, TaylorMade is the brand to turn to. Their Sim2 Max irons are some of the hottest ever created.

Cap Back construction and the Thru Slot Speed Pocket give golfers both extraordinary distance and maximum forgiveness.  From an aesthetic standpoint, the Echo Dampening System improves both sound and feel on mishits.

Five-Iron Distance: Where Do You Rank

When it comes to technological innovation, Callaway is at the forefront.  The Apex 21 irons have a Flash Cup Face that was inspired by AI.  The design feature enhances ball speed and explosive distance is the result. 

Ample tungsten in the club lowers the CG to help golfers get the ball in the air with ease.  The face is inserted with urethane microspheres that push the legal limits of COR.  Here again, golfers are on the receiving end of exceptional distance.

Five-Iron Distance: Where Do You Rank

If you’re new to the game of golf, you might still be trying to figure out what all the clubs in your bag are called and what they’re used for. 

A five-iron is considered a long iron that’s used on long approach shots and for tee shots lengthy par threes.

Its loft is stronger than most of the other irons in your bag.  As a result, it flies lower but is meant to go farther. 

Loft is a term that describes the angle of a golf club’s face when its sole sits flush against the ground.  All your clubs have different lofts because they’re designed to travel different distances.

For years, the typical loft of a five-iron was 28 degrees.  While this is still the case with most five-irons, some have lofts of either 24 or 26 degrees depending on the manufacturer.

If you have distance or game improvement irons, there’s a good chance your five-iron has 24 degrees of loft. 

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If you watch golf on television, you’ll see players on the PGA Tour hitting five-irons in excess of 230 yards depending on the conditions.  But keep in mind these are the best players in the world and they’re finely tuned athletes. 

Recent studies of golfers of all abilities have found that male golfers average hitting their five-iron 160 yards, while females average 140 yards. 

But remember, these are averages across the entire spectrum of golfers that ranges from the best players in the world to those just starting out.

Like we stated above, some Pros hit their five-irons 230 yards or more.  However, the average distance for a Pro to hit a five-iron is 205 yards.  Of course, there’s plenty of variation around this number in either direction.

As we mentioned at the beginning of this article, not all golfers play with a traditional five-iron.  In fact, I’d venture to guess the majority of senior golfers have replaced their five-iron with a hybrid or fairway wood.

So, what’s the fairway wood five-iron equivalent?  An 11-wood. 

Even though 11-woods can have as much as five less degrees of loft, they have proven to fly about the same distance in testing. 

Hybrids have corresponding numbers to long irons.  Hence a five-hybrid being the equivalent of a five-iron. 

Five-hybrids have a loft of anywhere from 24 to 27 degrees depending on the manufacturer, and whether they’re a men’s or women’s hybrid. 

Golfers come in all different shapes, sizes, and ability levels.  As such, the distances each golfer hits their five-iron vary greatly. 

This article is designed to give you an idea of the average distance most golfers hit this club. 

Whether you are above or below the average isn’t something you should take personally.  Whatever the case may be, investing in the right equipment and taking some lessons is the fastest way to gain more distance, become more consistent, and have more fun.

Paul Liberatore

As the Founder of Golfers Authority Paul Liberatore Esq. has spent the last 7+ years writing about the best golf equipment or instruction from the top golf instructors in the world. He has been a contributing writer for Sports Illustrated Golf and GolfWRX . After graduating with honors from Purdue University , he realized that he had a passion for the golf business and the law. When he's not practicing law, or creating golf content on YouTube , he can be found on his syndicated Behind the Golf Brand podcast both on Apple and Spotify talking with the most prolific leaders in the golf industry. 

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Golfers Authority

How Far Do Most People Hit a 5 Iron? How About The Pros?

How Far Do Most People Hit a 5 Iron? How About The Pros?

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

The average male golfer will get about 150-160 yards out of their 5 iron. However, it’s important to remember that these distances are directly related to the quality of the strike and the swing speed of the golfer.

Of course, there are other factors for things like the wind or the golf ball being used.

Women golfers rarely keep a 5 iron in their set with the number of 5 hybrid options on the market for women players. For a female, a great 5 iron strike should go about 110 yards. Again many women players will also hit their 7 iron almost this far, which is why the 5 iron often comes out of the bag.

The length that you should hit your 5 iron will be determined by your ability as well as your swing speed.

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PGA Tour Golfers

Lpga tour golfers, the right golf shaft, lots of ball speed, a center strike, the right loft on the club, ball position, look for a club with more forgiveness, get your weight transferred forward, callaway apex dcb 5 iron, how far do pga players hit a 5 iron.

Professional golfers can get more distance than average golfers because they have a high smash factor and go after the ball with quite a bit more speed. This is not to say that there are no average golfers with high swing speed; it’s just not as common.

Most PGA Tour golfers get more than 200 yards out of their 5 iron. The average is typically between 190 and 210, and of course, some can probably hit it further than these numbers.

One of the things that I find most interesting about these numbers is that PGA tour players are using golf irons with many different lofts than an average golfer. Several years ago, golf manufacturers realized that if they lowered the center of gravity in a golf iron, they could also lower the loft, and players would get great distance.

With many PGA Tour golfers, they are playing with a blade style 5 iron that has two or three degrees more loft than your 5 iron, yet they are still able to hit the ball incredibly far. This certainly takes some talent.

LPGA Tour golfers don’t always have the same speeds as PGA tour golfers, but they can generate a tremendous amount of clubhead speed. Most LPGA Tour golfers will hit their 5 iron anywhere from 175 to 190 yards.

For LPGA Tour golfers, you can see that the distance gap between an amateur and a professional is even larger than it is for male golfers. This says quite a bit about the training and work that LPGA tour golfers put in to be able to get the distances they need in their golf club sets.

The Dream: How to Hit a 5 Iron 200 Yards

Long hitters can easily hit a 5 iron 200 yards as long as they have all the right factors add up to produce these types of distance. Here are the things you will need in place to hit a 5 iron 200 yards…

The golf shaft in your 5 iron has to be a match for your game. In addition to looking at shaft flex and shaft weight, you also must consider the impacts of a longer shaft length and how that can affect carry distance.

Many great players will tell you that the best way to get the right performance in your game is to find a golf shaft that matches your game.

The ultimate way to increase the total distance of your golf shots is to increase your ball speed. Golf club distances are directly related to ball speeds. Any golf club distance chart will show you that the more swing speed you can get, the easier it is to get the distance.

Amateur golfers sometimes work on swing speed incorrectly and swing out of their shoes. Of course, your golf swing still needs to be in balance, and you must ensure that you are hitting the center of the clubface for the best total distance.

Hitting the ball in the center of the clubface makes a big difference in the total distance that you get. Golfers that hit the ball on the heel or the toe can lose 10 yards or more of distance.

If you hit the golf ball with a center strike, chances are your launch angle, and spin rate will also be optimized.

As we mentioned in the case of the PGA Tour player using a blade style iron, each five iron has a different loft and set makeup. Keep this in mind as the lower lofted 5 iron is going to travel a bit further and probably have some lower spin rates than the higher lofted golf irons.

All of these things will impact whether or not you are able to hit a 5 iron 200 yards.

pga tour average 5 iron

Tips for Hitting Your 5 Iron Further

Here are some of the best tips for hitting your 5 iron further. Sometimes the issues impacting distance are equipment related. Other times, they are mechanics related.

It’s up to you to figure out which impacts you.

Keep the ball slightly forward of center. When you have the ball back in your stance, you may struggle with accuracy and not be able to apply the full energy that you have produced in your backswing.

With the 5 iron being slightly longer, this little bit of movement toward the front of your stance works out just fine.

More and more golfers and amateurs are realizing that long irons are considerably more challenging to play with than short irons or wedges. This is because of the lower loft of the club as well as the total length of the club.

A golfer that wants to hit the 5 iron further should look for something with a bit more forgiveness. These clubs often have a slightly high trajectory, and a bit of leeway on those toe or heel hits that players sometimes struggle with.

More forgiveness makes it easier to keep those club head speed numbers high.

One of the easiest ways to lose distance in your golf swing is to keep your weight on your back foot as you get to the impact position. Weight must transfer forward if you expect to get the full distance potential.

Golfers should work on making a transition from the top of the backswing down to impact so that they have some weight transferred to the left at impact. You can look at pictures of golf professionals and clearly see how they move this weight forward and improve their overall distance.

My Favorite 5 Iron (If You’re Looking for a Recommendation)

My favorite 5 iron has a mix of great feel and the ability to create tremendous distance while still controlling the ball.

More and more golfers are going with mixed sets of irons that fit the needs of their game. Think about adding this 5 iron to yours.

Callaway Golf Apex DCB Iron

Delivers the look, feel and performance of a forged players club with the forgiveness of a deep cavity back. The deep cavity back and enhanced sole width are engineered for easy launch and solid turf interaction out of a variety of lies. The forged 1025 mild carbon steel body and patented urethane microspheres deliver exceptional sound and feel at impact, while the improved shaping helps enhance feel through the turf.

The Callaway Apex DCB 5 iron is my favorite on the market right now. This club was released in 2021, and it brings some impressive feel and precision to the market for amateur golfers.

This is a forged golf club, and for the first time, the Callaway Apex line has a club for players that need that extra forgiveness in their golf game.

This is a deep cavity back, but it is a forged golf face. The club is made with a 1025 mild carbon steel body, and it includes urethane microspheres to help with sound and feel. The top down line is a little thick, and the wide sole is certainly confidence-inducing.

If you are looking for something that provides an easy launch and very consistent turf interaction, the Callaway Apex DCB is an excellent option to consider.

  • The progressive design allows for a bit more width in the sole
  • Very forgiving Apex, a new release for Callaway
  • Deep cavity back style with easy launch
  • Consistent turf interaction
  • Several golf shaft options
  • Top-down look is a bit thick
  • Can be hard to work the ball and control ball flight for better players

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Brittany Olizarowicz

pga tour average 5 iron

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5 Hybrid vs. 5 Iron: Differences, Pros, & Cons

Standard length, clubhead speed, carry distance, advantages of the 5 hybrid, disadvantages of the 5 hybrid, when should you use a 5 hybrid, why does a 5 hybrid have a different shaft than a 5 iron, advantages of using the 5-iron , disadvantages of using the 5-iron, what wood replaces a 5 iron, when should you use a 5 iron, which clubs are better for a high handicap, utility iron vs hybrid, fairway woods vs irons vs hybrids, final verdict between 5 hybrid vs. 5 iron, can you carry hybrid and irons both in your golf bag, is the 5 hybrid and 5 iron interchangeable, will a 5 hybrid go further than a 5 iron, related articles.

So, let’s compare and contrast: 5 hybrid vs 5 iron? A 5 hybrid has a lower center of gravity, so it’s more forgiving and offers a higher launch angle. A 5 hybrid is better for high-handicap golfers. A 5 iron is more challenging to hit but can help you in more situations, so it is better for more skilled golfers. 

In this article, we take a look at the 5 hybrid vs 5 iron to understand how they differ, what similarities they have, and which club you might choose, depending on your style and experience.

5 Hybrid vs. 5 Iron: Differences 

Understanding the differences between hybrids and irons, specifically the 5-hybrid and 5-iron, can help you set your bag up for success. There are some substantial differences between the 5-iron and the 5-hybrid. The differences include:

  • Carry distance

The 5-iron produces a lower trajectory and thus can go under trees from the rough, whereas the hybrid is more likely to go higher and into the trees.

The higher trajectory of the 5-hybrid will provide more control and stopping power on your long approach shots, while the 5-iron shot will roll further.

There’s no industry standard defined for the loft angle of each club. Manufacturers experiments with the loft of the set to provide less gap between clubs. Your new set of clubs could have different launch angles that you have to get used to and map your bag from scratch.

A typical 5-iron loft angle is between 27 degrees and 28 degrees and is best replaced with a 24-27 degree hybrid.

The shaft length is also not standardized across all manufacturers. The shaft length is important, and an incorrect length will affect the effectiveness of your swing. When replacing your 5-iron with a 5-hybrid, keep to the same length shaft but try and avoid more than ½ inch difference.

The standard 5-iron length by most manufacturers for men is 37.5-inch steel shafts or a 38-inch graphite shaft. The shaft length for women is, on average, 1 inch shorter than the specifications for men.

The club head of a 5-iron is manufactured from steel, making it heavier, which slows down your swing speeds and impacts the ball speed.

The average swing speeds of a 5-iron are approximately 80% of your driver’s swing speed. An average professional golfer on the PGA tour will reach a swing speed of 94 miles per hour, and a professional golfer on the LPGA will reach a swing speed of 79 miles per hour.

The clubhead design of a hybrid is very different from that of a normal 5-iron with a lower center of gravity and, thus, more tolerant of mishits.

Beginners and intermediate golfers will benefit tremendously from playing with a hybrid by hotting it further and more accurately than a 5-iron. As a bonus, you have a higher chance of hitting the sweet spot using a hybrid club.

Professional golfers are unlikely to play hybrids for distance but rather because they can hit more accurately. You are more likely to reach the maximum distance more consistently with a 5-hybrid than with a 5-iron.

The carry difference can make the difference whether you go for the green or not if there is water in front of the green.

The carry distance that a ball travels is determined by the number and loft of the club. The lower the number of the club, the higher the loft and the shorter the distance that the ball travels.

Carry distance statistics used are from professional tours and serve as guidance only as the swing speed and distances are extremely different between all golfers.

The PGA tour average statistics determined that the 5 iron distance is between 195 yards and 205 yards and achieves an apex of 31 yards

The LPGA tour reports average statistics for a 5-iron to indicate that a professional can achieve 170 yards on average and achieve an apex of 23 yards.

The above-mentioned distances are carry distances only and do not include any roll.

Here’s a club distance chart of the fairway wood, hybrids, and irons, which includes the 5 hybrid distance and 5 iron distance.

Want more information about the loft differences between irons? Read our full article.

5-hybrid: what is it, pros, cons, & who it’s for.

hybrid club about to hit a golf ball

5-hybrids combine the features of irons and woods, providing golfers a more versatile and forgiving option.

Compared to irons like the 5-iron, a 5-hybrid features a larger club head and club face, making them more forgiving and easier to hit. The larger club face also provides a bigger sweet spot, allowing for better ball contact and fewer mishits.

One significant advantage of hybrid clubs is their lighter weight.

Most golfers can generate more club head and ball speed with lighter clubs. This increase in speed can result in longer and more accurate shots.

With a 5 hybrid there is typically a loft of approximately 25 degrees, although this may vary by a couple of degrees. This loft is similar to that of a 5 iron, but the hybrid is much easier to hit.

Here are a few benefits of using the 5 hybrids:

  • Lower center of gravity.
  • More trajectory and height on your shots.
  • Much more forgiving than irons.
  • Easier to hit for beginners.
  • A couple of more yards if you hit it right.
  • Difficult to hit from rough and hilly areas.
  • Less control over the direction of the ball.

Hybrid clubs are pretty versatile, and you can essentially use them in most cases around the golf course. You can even tee off with them on a long par 3 – and yes, I’ve done that a lot. They’re easy to hit, go straight, and create a beautiful high trajectory.

You can use your hybrid for an approach shot on a par 5, a second shot on a long par 4, or try to cross the ball over the trees when you’re stuck as well.

Hybrids are called rescue irons for a reason. They rescue you from narrow situations and roughs. So, you can also freely hit your 5 hybrids from the rough.

Hybrid clubs have a longer shaft than their iron counterparts for a faster swing speed and increased distance. Hybrid shafts are around 0.75 inches longer than iron shafts, although the number can vary depending on your club.

A hybrid club has an adjustable weight, loft, and face settings. Irons can’t have these features. Because of this reason, the shafts of hybrids are different than iron.

Read more: Graphite vs Steel Shafts – Which Is Better & Why?

5-iron: what is it, pros, cons, & who it’s for.

Golf club held by one of active men on green grass during outdoor leisure game

A 5-iron falls into the mid-iron category with a metal clubhead with a thinner clubhead than the hybrid version of a 5-iron. The 5-iron is most often used off the fairway, semi-rough, and sometimes from the rough.

A 5-iron is easier to hit than long irons such as 3-iron or 4-irons. Some people may even consider a 5-iron to be in the long irons.

When you’re on an uphill and don’t want your shot to balloon, the 5-iron comes in handy to keep a lower trajectory. Knowing how to hit a 5-iron can be extremely beneficial for your longer approach shots.

  • The 5-iron provides more control due to the increased thickness of the face.
  • Good for fairways, rough, and very hilly areas.
  • Not suitable in very thick rough.

Read more: These are the most forgiving irons this year.

Many golfers prefer fairway woods over irons because of the extra height you get, and the larger clubface allows you to achieve more distance without swinging too much.

If you’re considering replacing your 5 iron with a fairway wood, you should bring out your 9 wood or 11 wood.

You should take your 5 iron out on approach shots on par 4s or short par 5s. You can also hit it off the fairway, semi-rough, or rough.

The 5 iron gives you a low trajectory and is great for hitting it low from the rough or when you get stuck in the trees. Once you learn to manage a 5 iron, it’s also great for longer approach shots.

Who Should Use Which Club?

Mature Golfer on a Golf Course (ready to start)

If you’re uncomfortable hitting your 5-iron it may be time to invest in a hybrid. Should you experience more mishits with the hybrid, it may be more beneficial to stick with your 5-iron.

When you decide to replace your iron with a hybrid, try and stay within a similar launch angle that may be a little stronger. This will keep the hybrid in a similar range as your iron and ensure that your bag mapping is not disturbed too much.

I recommend beginner golfers use a rescue iron since it’s more forgiving and has a lower center of gravity, allowing golfers to gain more height on their shots. 

Golfers with more experience can reap the true benefits of using the 5 iron since it’s a more versatile club.

So, if you’re a beginner golfer and you had to choose between the hybrid or mid to long irons, I’d suggest you get the rescue clubs.

And if you’re more experienced, you should use the irons. 

But if you can keep both in your bag for practice, why not? You can try both out and then choose the one that suits you.

The 5 hybrid and rescue irons are better to hit for high handicappers. They have a lower center of gravity and are more forgiving in mishits. The larger clubface allows more room for mishits and errors.

So, if you’re a high handicapper, I’d suggest you grab your hands on a rescue iron and get comfortable with that before hitting long irons.

Hybrids vs Other Golf Clubs 

A closeup of golf club on a Fairway at a golf course

While you’re comparing the 5-hybrid and 5-iron, it’s also worth comparing the irons with utility irons and fairway woods.

Here are brief comparisons between them.

Controlling the ball and hitting fades and draws are challenging on a hybrid compared to other golf clubs like the utility club.

The utility club has a lower launch and less spin, making hitting fades and draws look like a breeze.

Fairway woods like 3 wood and 5 wood generally have more range than their counter irons or hybrids. However, getting a good height can be more challenging on these.

Fairway woods have the longest shafts out of irons and hybrids. Because of their long shafts, some golfers can find fairway woods difficult to hit when compared to other clubs.

Hybrids are like a gap between fairway woods and irons. You get to experience the feeling of irons and fairway woods while using the hybrids.

Hybrids and irons are great clubs, and both have their strengths and weaknesses. A 5-iron is a mid-iron that can be difficult to hit, and replacing it with a 5-hybrid will aid you in improving the consistency of your game.

When replacing your 5-iron with a 5-hybrid keep your distance mapping in mind and ensure that you are not creating gaps in the mapping of your bag. Take a stronger loft on the hybrid to create a higher trajectory but retain your distance.

You’re allowed to carry hybrids and irons in your golf bag as long as they don’t exceed the golf club limit of 14 clubs. If you’re playing friendly, you can of course have more than 14, but during tournaments, you’re not allowed more than 14 clubs. So you need to choose wisely. I recommend having a rescue and your irons in your golf bag.

Just because two clubs share their numbers, it doesn’t mean they’re interchangeable. However, you can interchange the 5 hybrid and 5 iron mainly because of their similar lofts and ranges. But remember, your hybrids will go further and higher than your irons.

Keeping all factors constant, like swing speed, impact, launch, and other conditions, your 5 hybrids will go a few yards further than your 5 iron. This is mainly because of a longer shaft and your added height on hybrids.

  • 3 Wood vs 5 Wood – Which To Choose and Why
  • The 3 Wood vs 3 Hybrid – What’s The Difference and Which To Use
  • Lob Wedge vs Sand Wedge – What’s The Difference?

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Nick is the founder of GolfSpan and an avid golfer. He's not quite a pro but has over 15 years of experience playing and coaching golfers worldwide. His mission is to bring the golfing community a better experience when it comes to choosing the right golf gear and finding the right setup for your game.

  • Nick Lomas https://www.golfspan.com/author/nicklomas Callaway Supersoft Golf Balls Review: Pros, Cons, & Costs
  • Nick Lomas https://www.golfspan.com/author/nicklomas 14 Golf Exercises For Seniors To Make You More Mobile
  • Nick Lomas https://www.golfspan.com/author/nicklomas What Is A Good Golf Handicap: Data Reveals Where You Stand
  • Nick Lomas https://www.golfspan.com/author/nicklomas 7 Best Low Compression Golf Balls: Pros & Cons of Using Them

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5-iron-distance

5 Iron Distance Tips: Hit Harder and Longer!

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What Distance Does the Average Golfer Hit a 5 Iron?

What factors indicate your 5 iron distance, tips on hitting a good 5 iron shot, when should i use my 5 iron, what about swing speed for a 5 iron, 5 iron distance charts, how far do pros hit a 5 iron.

When you begin playing golf, the five iron is one of the first clubs that you try and hit. After all, it enables you to get the ball down there without turning to your woods or drivers and is easier to hit for most players.

But how far can you reasonably expect to hit a 5 iron? And when should you turn to your 5 iron when you’re out on the golf course?

In this article, we take you through everything you need to know about your 5 iron and provide you with some top tips that will help you hit your iron harder and longer this season.

Most male recreational golfers can expect to hit a 5 iron between 150 and 170 yards. There are several factors that affect this distance, including swing speed and launch angle, as well as ball striking consistency.

What’s more, many beginner golfers use cavity-backed irons, which typically don’t go as far as bladed clubs. So, when you’re pulling the 5 iron out of the bag, it’s really important to take these factors into consideration.

Don’t forget that every single golfer is different, so the distance that you can hit a 5 iron is likely to be different from your playing partner. This is nothing to be concerned about; it just illustrates the importance of working out your distances as far as course management is concerned.

So many recreational golfers struggle with their distances, and it’s largely down to the fact that they don’t know how far they can hit the clubs they carry in their bag. If you can dial in and have a good understanding of how far you can hit your irons, you will find that things become much easier from tee to green.

The main factor that influences your 5 iron distance is your swing speed. Recreational players are much more conservative when it comes to swing speed, which is why they don’t hit the same heights as the pros.

Professional players are capable of extremely fast swing speeds, which is what helps them to launch the ball so far and high.

Another factor that affects the distance that you can hit a 5 iron is the type of clubs that you have.

As mentioned, cavity-backed golf clubs that are popular with beginner players compromise some distance in favor of forgiveness, so you can’t expect to hit a 5 as far as someone who is using bladed irons.

Launch angle is another important consideration when it comes to the distance of your 5 iron.

The launch angle refers to the angle of your club throughout the swing, and it causes the ball to fly in a specific direction. If your launch angle is out, it will undoubtedly affect the distance you can hit a 5 iron.

Something else you should consider is the weather. When you’re playing golf in the winter months when the grass is wet, you won’t be able to hit the ball as far as you can in summer when the ground is dry. Although it will only influence your shots by a few yards, it’s still worth thinking about.

Hitting a good 5 iron shot requires practice, but here are some of our top tips for executing a great shot with this popular mid-iron:

  • Control your swing speed: Instead of trying to hit the ball too hard (which is a common mistake among recreational golfers), focus on controlling your swing speed and playing through the ball.
  • Play the ball from the middle of your stance: When addressing your ball with a 5 iron, you should play it off the middle of your stance. Make sure you’re not too far forward or back, as this will affect your ability to play the right shot.
  • Know your distances: While it might sound obvious, be sure to work out how far you can hit a 5 iron. So many recreational golfers just hit and hope, but this makes course management nigh on impossible.
  • Consider the weather : As mentioned, the weather can influence the way that you strike a 5 iron. If the wind is up, consider altering the trajectory of your shot, as you don’t want the ball to get caught up in the wind.

Watch this video from Golfers Digest, where they give you some great tips on how to hit a 5 iron to 200 yards plus!

You should use your 5 iron when you’re approximately 160 yards away from the green. This could be on the tee of a par three or down the fairway on a longer hole.

You can even use a 5 iron in the rough or out of a sand trap if you wish, but it’s difficult to achieve the desired ball flight from more difficult lies.

Some golfers also use a 5 iron to play chip and run shots around the green, which can be an effective way of getting the ball close to the pin if the conditions are right. That being said, pitch and runs are relatively difficult to execute, so it might not be the best shot choice if you’re new to the game.

Essentially, once you’ve worked out your distances, you can use a 5 iron when it’s appropriate to do so.

Just be mindful that because of its loft, you might find it difficult to play a 5 iron out of deep rough, so it’s helpful to opt for a higher lofted club just to get you out of trouble.

Knowing your distances is super important for course management, and when you get into the swing of things, you will instinctively know when it’s appropriate to play your 5 iron out on the course.

The average male golfer can expect to hit a 5 iron with a swing speed of around 94 mph. So, if you have a Trackman or any other launch monitor, you can use 94 mph as your target club head speed when using a 5 iron.

However, if you don’t have the means to track your swing speed, you don’t need to worry too much about this metric. After all, golf is all about feeling comfortable and improving your consistency, so you don’t need to increase your swing speed just for the sake of it.

It’s much better to focus on the dynamics and tempo of your swing, as this will help to improve the consistency of your ball striking. If you’re overly concerned with the speed of your club, you can fall into the trap of prioritizing speed over quality of strike.

As you might expect, this can lead to your swing being out of sync and is likely to have a negative impact on various other aspects of your game.

As every golfer is different, it’s important to realize that not everyone will be able to hit a 5 iron the same distance. The 5 iron distance chart is a helpful guide to get started with and showcases how far you can reasonably expect to hit a 5 iron on the golf course:

The distances that professional golfers achieve with their mid-irons are seriously impressive, and the fact that players on Tour regularly hit a 5 iron in excess of 200 yards is staggering!

They achieve such impressive swing speeds, and the mechanics of their swings are so pure, which enables them to achieve such big distances with irons.

For mere mortals, a 5 iron is a mid-iron that can be called upon from the 160-yard range and often comes into play on par 4s. But if you’ve got a particularly fast swing speed, you might be able to hit your 5 iron further than what is considered standard, which is why it’s so important to calculate your own distances.

Again, every golfer is different, so be sure to consider how far you can hit your 5 iron before taking to the course this season.

Professional golfers can hit a 5 iron in excess of 200 yards. When he’s at the top of his game, Tiger Woods regularly hits a 5 iron 210 yards.

As he’s widely considered to be one of the greatest of all time, it’s no surprise that Tiger can achieve such distances with a mid-iron.

Another player who has a super impressive distance chart is Dustin Johnson.

DJ is widely regarded as one of the longest players on Tour, and he can hit a 5 iron around 225 yards. That’s outrageously far and just goes to show how impressive his clubhead speed and ball control are.

As for the popular Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, he falls somewhere between the two Americans and is known to hit his 5 iron around 220 yards.

These guys are all at the top of their games on the PGA Tour, and their numbers give you a rough idea of how far most Tour pros can hit their irons.

So, even if you don’t think you’ll be able to smash your 5 iron more than 200 yards, there’s no doubt that with a bit of work on the range and some additional practice, you can start striking your 5 iron sweetly out on the golf course.

The 5 iron is one of the most important clubs in your golf bag. It comes into play in various instances out on the course, so hitting it true is really important. It’s also crucial that you know how far you can hit a 5 iron, so you can improve your course management.

We hope this guide has provided you with detailed insight into hitting the 5 iron distance out on the golf course. Make sure you spend some time out on the range working on your irons and be sure to note down how far you’re capable of hitting each club.

THE GOLFY CLUB

How Far Do Most People Hit a 5 Iron? How about the Pros?

  • Ethan Fairway
  • November 14, 2023
  • No Comments

Table of Contents

  • The average distance for a 5 iron shot is around 160 to 180 yards for amateur golfers.
  • Factors such as swing speed, technique, and ball positioning can influence the distance.
  • Professional golfers can hit a 5 iron around 200 to 220 yards due to superior skills and physical abilities.
  • Proper swing techniques and optimal ball positioning can help improve 5 iron distance.
  • Selecting the right golf balls and increasing clubhead speed can maximize distance.
  • There are common misconceptions about 5 iron distance that we'll debunk.
  • Amateur golfers typically hit shorter distances than pros due to differences in skill level and technique.
  • Weather, terrain, and physical fitness also impact 5 iron distance.

Introduction:

As a retired professional golfer, I have spent years honing my skills and mastering the intricacies of the game. One question I often get from fellow golf enthusiasts is, "How far can an average person hit a 5 iron?" Well, today, I aim to provide you with the answers you seek, shedding light on both the distances most people achieve with a 5 iron and the astonishing power of professional players.

Through countless hours on the course, training sessions, and studying the game, I've gathered valuable insights into the capabilities and limitations of a 5 iron. In this article, I will delve into the factors that affect distance, divulge the average yardage for amateurs, and unveil the impressive lengths the pros can achieve with this versatile club.

From swing techniques and clubhead speed to the choice of golf balls, I will explore all the components that contribute to maximizing distance with a 5 iron. Whether you are an aspiring amateur golfer looking to refine your game or a seasoned pro seeking to gain an edge, this article will provide you with the knowledge and tools needed to understand just how far a 5 iron can take you.

So, grab your favorite beverage, sit back, and prepare to embark on a journey through the world of golf distances with the trusty 5 iron by your side. Let's dive in!

Deciphering The 5 Iron Distance For Average Golfers

Identifying the average distance.

Understanding how far an average golfer can hit with a 5 iron is crucial to enhance gameplay significantly. The 5 iron is a mid-iron golf club often used for distances between 160-170 yards by players with an average skill level. However, these numbers are not absolute as various factors influence the distance an individual can achieve with a 5 iron.

Factors Influencing 5 Iron Distances for Amateurs

Amateur golfers' average distance covered using a 5 iron is significantly affected by several elements. Firstly, the player's swing speed plays a crucial role in determining how far the golf ball will travel. A more robust and faster swing can result in a greater distance.

Another contributing factor is the golfer's physical strength and fitness. A golfer with a strong core and strong upper body is more likely to hit the ball farther than a player with less physical strength. Here is an insightful article on how both age and skill level affect an amateur golfer's average swing speed.

The quality of the golf iron used also comes into play. Newer irons with advanced technology and design can help a golfer achieve a greater distance. The state of the golf course, including factors such as the wind speed and direction, can also impact the distance of the shot.

In addition to these physical and technical factors, a golfer's execution of the shot significantly affects the distance achieved. Aspects like the alignment, angle of attack, and connection at impact all contribute to the distance that a 5 iron can cover.

By understanding these influencing elements, amateur golfers can work on improving their average distance with a 5 iron. While innate capability plays a part in golf performance, remember that practice and technique refinement can significantly boost your average distance. For some target exercises to improve your long game, explore the drills on Golf Digest .

Unleashing The Power of a 5 Iron: Professional Golfer's Distance

In the realm of golf, the vast difference between the skill levels of professionals and amateurs is often most discernible in their iron distances. Particularly, the power that professionals can unleash with a 5 iron is exceptionally noteworthy. The honed skills, precise technique, and unquestionable strength of professionals allow them to cover significantly more distance with their 5 iron shots. However, the question that piques the curiosity of many is: How far do they actually hit?

How Far Do Pros Hit a 5 Iron?

On average, a professional golfer can hit a 5 iron between 190 to 210 yards. However, distance covered can vary drastically among professionals, depending largely on their physical strength, swing speed, and the quality of their equipment. Rory McIlroy, a renowned professional golfer, once hit a 5 iron 225 yards during a tournament, showcasing the raw power and technique at play in the professional circuit. You can learn more about professional golfers' distances here .

What Enables Pros to Hit Farther?

Professional golfers' ability to hit further boils down to a combination of factors. They possess superior clubhead speed, which stems from their physical conditioning and exceptional swing techniques. Moreover, their understanding of golf physics allows them to strike the ball at the optimal angle and maximize the distance covered.

They also heavily consider external factors including wind conditions, course setup and the position of the hole before each shot. Last but not least, their equipment is typically top-tier, with tailor-fitted irons designed to match their swing speed and hit style. These factors collectively enable them to hit the ball further.

Besides these skills, it's their commitment to continuous learning and improvement that sets them apart. Many professionals invest in on-going training with golf instructors and use technology like launch monitors in their training regimen. This article succinctly explains what enables pros to achieve such large distances with their 5 irons.

Elevating Your 5 Iron Distance: Tips and Techniques

With proper understanding of the swing techniques and ball positioning, you can drastically improve your 5 Iron distance, inching closer to professional golfer's territory. This section is dedicated to providing you valuable tips and essential techniques that can help boost your 5 Iron shot distance.

Essential Swing Techniques for Improved Distance

One of the fundamental aspects of elevating your 5 Iron distance lies in mastering several key swing techniques. Developing a consistent and proper swing mechanic is critical to enable the club to hit the golf ball squarely and at the correct angle. This will optimize launch conditions and maximize the distance of your 5 Iron shots.

Firstly, maintaining a steady spine angle during your swing is crucial. It ensures consistent contact with the ball while enhancing your body rotation. Secondly, the relationship between your clubhead speed and ball striking efficiency is directly proportional. An increase in one means an improved performance in the other. Thus, it is essential to work on improving your clubhead speed . Lastly, having an ideal tempo is vital as it aids in keeping your swing under control, therefore, enabling better contact and increased distance.

Optimal Ball Positioning for 5 Iron Shots

An equally important aspect of boosting your 5 Iron distance is the position of the ball. The optimal placement is typically in the middle of your stance. However, it should be noted that the ball positioning might vary slightly depending on the individual golfer's style and body mechanics.

For a clean contact, it is recommended to place the ball around two to three inches inside your left heel (for right-handed golfers). This position helps in striking the ball in the descending motion of your swing, essential for solid iron shots. Positioning the ball too far forward might result in a 'fat' shot, where the golf club hits the ground before it makes contact with the ball, resulting in a loss of distance. PGA coaching tips are a great resource for improving your ball positioning.

By applying the above-mentioned swing techniques and ball positioning tips, you can surely elevate your 5 Iron distance, making your golfing sessions more enjoyable and rewarding.

Role of Equipment in Maximizing 5 Iron Distance

When it comes to maximizing your 5 iron distance, the selection and effective use of correct equipment play a crucial role. From the ball you choose to the way you employ your clubhead speed, these factors significantly influence your game and the distance you can achieve.

Selection of the Right Golf Balls

The choice of golf balls substantially impacts your 5-iron distance. All balls are not created equal; some are designed for distance, some for spin, and some aim to offer a balanced blend of both. If you aim to enhance your 5 iron golf distance, a distance ball might be preferred. This type helps the golfers to hit the ball farther by reducing the spin and maximizing energy transfer during impact. Websites such as Golf Digest provide detailed reviews and buying guides to help you choose the right golf balls suited for your game.

Importance of Clubhead Speed in Distance Achieved

Clubhead speed is another critical determinant in achieving more substantial 5 iron distance. Higher clubhead speed translates into launching the ball farther in the air. However, maintaining consistency with a fast clubhead speed can be challenging, and it requires good timing, balance, and considerable practice. You can consider tracking devices like Swing Speed Radar to measure and improve your speed over time. Remember, combining the right equipment with excellent swing techniques is key to maximizing your 5 iron distance.

Misconceptions and Myths Surrounding The 5 Iron Distance

There's no shortage of myths and misconceptions when it comes to the distance one can attain with a 5 iron. These erroneous beliefs can often hinder golfers from improving their game. Let's debunk some of these prevalent mythologies and examine what factual realities lie behind them.

Common Misbeliefs About 5 Iron Distances

A widespread misconception among many golfers is that the longer the backswing, the farther the ball will travel. This is not entirely true, as an excessively long backswing can hamper the control of the swing and lead to mis-hits. Additionally, another fallacy is that power solely comes from the arms and shoulders. According to Golf.com , power should originate from the body's rotation and the player's ability to shift weight efficiently during the swing. There's also a belief that hitting 'down' on the ball will increase the loft and resultantly the distance. But in reality, hitting down excessively will impact the contact and reduce distance.

The Reality Behind These Myths

Firstly, a controlled and well-synchonised swing results in a high and direct hit, producing longer distances with a 5 iron. As Golf Digest points out, power should come from a combination of rotating your body and swinging your arms. In essence, a good golf swing is a blend of the correct movements of hands, arms and the body. Secondly, while it's essential to have a descending blow at the point of impact, too steep a hit does not necessarily increase distance. Rather, hitting the ball at the right attack angle and having a precise ball-to-face contact significantly contribute to the distance achieved.

Mastering the art of the 5 Iron swing, whether you're an average golfer or a seasoned pro, involves a multifaceted understanding of various influential factors. Statistics show that recreational players can expect a 5 Iron distance of approximately 140-150 yards, while professional golfers can reach a staggering 200 yards or more. This disparity is acknowledged and can be bridged by adapting systematic swing techniques, correct ball positioning, and selecting suitable equipment.

It's equally important to debunk prevailing myths surrounding the 5 Iron distance and instead focus on empirical evidence and individual case studies which present insightful comparisons across skill levels. Lastly, recognizing the impact of physical and environmental conditions, such as player's fitness level, weather, and terrain, is vital. Embracing all these parameters will not only optimize your 5 Iron distance but also enhance your overall golfing proficiency.

Our comprehensive guide offers all these perspectives, and we hope it serves as a catalyst to prompt further exploration and development of your golfing skills. We aim to continually provide in-depth, relevant content to aid in your golfing journey, particularly focusing on mastering '5 Iron Distance'. So, stay tuned for more!

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pga tour average 5 iron

From the Magazine

The PGA Tour's best in driving, iron play, putting and more share their secrets

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Illustrations by Sam Hadley. Photographs by Getty Images

T hanks to PGA Tour’s ShotLink technology, it’s easier than ever for players to keep detailed statistics of their game. The tour tracks every single shot during competition, and therefore is able to collect hundreds of different stats in multiple categories from tee to green.

That made our job of identifying the very best in the most vital aspects of golf a little easier. However, it wasn’t as simple as looking at who was No. 1 on tour in the strokes gained/putting statistic and anointing that player as the top putter. There were other factors to consider such as the average number of putts per green in regulation, who avoids three-putts the most, who is the best from inside 10 feet and beyond 20 feet, etc. (The tour tracks 98 putting statistics.)

After hours and hours of analyzing all the tour data from 2021, we’ve singled out the best pros in six key categories: driving, iron play, chipping, scrambling, bunker play and putting. Some of the names that follow might come as a surprise—and some might not. Turn the page to see who Golf Digest ranks as the best in class, and then learn from the player and his coach how to better various parts of your game. —The Editors

BEST DRIVER JON RAHM

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LOAD THE TRAIL LEG FOR LONGER DRIVES

A big reason why I’m so consistent with the driver is because my swing is very simple. Because there’s not much going on, there’s not much that can go wrong. I think of my swing as short and efficient. It’s mostly the result of having limited mobility in my right ankle and a right leg that’s shorter than my left. I was born with a club foot and had to have the bones in that leg broken and re-cast, so I can’t control the club very well if I swing it back any farther. But that also makes it easy to repeat.

As far as technique, I prefer to fade the ball, and I usually hit it pretty high, but I can draw it and hit it lower, whatever the hole calls for. I might change my stance, ball position or tee height to produce the shot I want, but the one thing that doesn’t change is the mental part.

I forget about my surroundings and just find something to aim at. When I do that, especially under pressure, it’s as if I’m back on the range mentally and can just swing without fear.

I don’t hit a lot of drivers when I practice, but when I do need to straighten things out, I usually focus on two things. The first is making sure the clubhead stays in front of me on the takeaway.

If I suck it too far inside the target line and it gets behind my hands, I lose control. One other thing: I make sure I load into my right hip on the backswing. I don’t sway off the ball. I want to feel really stable and loaded so I can push off my back foot on the downswing and hit the ball hard. —With Ron Kaspriske

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Stuart Franklin

COACH'S TAKE

“Jon’s swing proves you don’t have to move off the ball to generate power. That feeling he has of being loaded into the trail leg is a good one for amateurs to copy. Another thing we watch is that he’s not standing too far from the ball. You want to see the butt end of the club over the top of your shoelaces. This will help you to turn better going back and clear out swinging through, allowing the driver to come into the ball on the proper inside path.” — DAVE PHILLIPS

JON RAHM was second on the PGA Tour in strokes gained/off the tee in 2021 and first in total driving, a stat that combines distance and accuracy. He also was first in strokes gained/tee to green.

HONORABLE MENTION: RORY MCILROY ✶ BRYSON DECHAMBEAU ✶ SERGIO GARCIA ✶ SUNGJAE IM

BEST IRON PLAYER COLLIN MORIKAWA

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SWING YOUR IRONS LIKE YOU’RE IN NO RUSH

I ’ve always felt that iron play is the strength of my game. It’s the reason I’m OK giving up 10 or 20 yards to the bigger hitters—I’m confident I can hit my 6-iron just as close, if not closer, than they hit their 8-irons.

My first tip to being good on approach shots is sticking with the swing you trust the most. For me, it’s a mid-high cut. Whatever shot you like to play, remember that you don’t have to hit it to six feet to be a great iron player. There’s nothing wrong with putting it somewhere on the green and relying more on your putter. Only go flag hunting when the situation matches your go-to shot.

As far as Xs and Os, my coach, Rick Sessinghaus, and I like to keep it pretty simple. One aspect we focus on is rhythm. I have a pretty deliberate tempo, and sometimes I get quick in transition trying to manufacture speed. I’ve found that if I focus on finishing the swing in perfect balance—the trophy pose—I subconsciously make a smooth transition and maintain good rhythm from start to finish.

One drill I keep coming back to is a simple one I’ve done since childhood. I’ll put a glove under my left armpit and try to keep it pinned there for as long as I can during the swing. This helps my arms stay more connected to my body on the backswing. I have a tendency to pick the club up rather than turn with it, which results in a wipey fade that always comes up short and right of the target.

I also hit a ton of half-swing punch shots, which is a great way to identify any issues you might be having through impact because it’s a smooth, controllable motion. —With Dan Rapaport

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David Cannon/R&A

“Every golfer can benefit by implementing some keys to Collin’s iron play. The first is Collin’s patient, deliberate takeaway, which helps keep the club and arms in front of his body all the way to the top of the swing. Next is how he keeps the clubface square through the impact area while maintaining the extension in his arms. Finally, Collin swings at about 80 percent. With less than max effort, you’ll find it easier to stay in control.” — RICK SESSINGHAUS

COLLIN MORIKAWA led the PGA Tour in strokes gained/approach the green in 2021, and was No. 1 in approaches (average distance from hole) from 125 to 150 yards, 150 to 175 and 175 to 200.

HONORABLE MENTION: JON RAHM ✶ PAUL CASEY ✶ DANIEL BERGER ✶ CAMERON PERCY

BEST CHIPPER KEVIN NA

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CHIP IT CLOSE WITH MY ‘DEAD SOFT’ TECHNIQUE

F rom a closely mowed lie, such as a collection area, I believe I’m one of the best chippers in the world. Because I scoop my chips, my ball comes off softer than most everyone else’s and lands with almost no roll.

During the third round of last year’s Northern Trust at Liberty National Golf Club, the ball mark of my playing partner, Xander Schauffele, was on a spot on the green where I wanted a chip to land, so I asked him to move it. Then I chipped the ball right over that spot and into the hole. I’ll never forget the look on Xander’s face! He said he’s never seen a player ask to move a ball mark for a chip and then have the ball go in. It was the fourth time I chipped in that week!

What’s nice about my scooping technique is it’s roughly the same method I use from the rough or a greenside bunker. I chip with my 60-degree wedge, setting the handle neutral—not pressed forward—and the shaft perpendicular to my target line. The goal is to return both into the same positions at impact. The clubhead passes the handle, and my right hand works underneath, sliding the clubface under the ball. What I’m doing is dumping the clubhead and releasing it at the bottom, trying to ground the back perfectly to the turf, so it doesn’t dig. There’s not a lot of speed. As a result, there’s less compression to the ball at impact, and it comes off the face dead, with no threat of racing past the hole. —With Dave Allen

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Stacy Revere

“The great thing about Kevin’s short game is, it’s very effective on all types of grass. He has the ability to keep moving forward and rotating with no fear of the leading edge digging into the turf, which is a common mistake for amateurs. He also has very little tension throughout his motion. It’s a free-fl owing acceleration allowing him to be aggressive.” — DREW STECKEL

KEVIN NA led the PGA Tour in the strokes gained/ around-the-green stat in 2021 (.702 strokes per round), becoming the first player to lead this category three times (2011, ’15 and ’21). Na also ranked fourth in scrambling and 12th in sand-save percentage.

HONORABLE MENTION: PATRICK CANTLAY ✶ PATRICK REED ✶ BRIAN HARMAN ✶ SEAMUS POWER

BEST SCRAMBLER PATRICK CANTLAY

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SHAKE OFF THE MISS, THEN GET AGGRESSIVE

S crambling starts with forgetting what put you there in the first place, locking in on the present, and feeling the urgency to hit a quality shot. It’s a mentality almost as much as it is a technique.

Around the green, I focus on producing the right energy to get the ball to my target. In the rough, you have to hinge your wrists early on the backswing, accelerate the club into the ball and keep the clubface from closing as it goes through the thicker grass. You also have to read the slopes on the green accurately to leave the ball in a spot where you know you can make a positive putting stroke. Above all else, you have to leave the previous shot behind. Confidence starts with staying in the present, knowing your strengths and playing to them.

When playing approach shots from the rough, don’t take more risk than necessary. In general, birdies aren’t made from the rough, so take your medicine and play a smart shot. Gauging how shots are going to come out of the rough mostly comes from experience, but I don’t think it makes much sense to hit any club out of the rough that you have a tough time hitting from a clean lie. In other words, no fairway woods and no long irons.

Make a steeper backswing than normal and accelerate the club through the turf without trying to help the ball into the air. The more you flip your hands through impact, the more likely the grass will close the clubface and send the ball well short and left. It’s also likely that even a good shot from the rough will roll out a fair distance after it lands, so factor that into your plan. —With Mike Stachura

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“Patrick’s really good at knowing when to hold them and knowing when to fold them. He knows if he hits it in the rough and has eight feet of green right of the flag and 60 feet to the left, it’s best to aim away from the hole on the left side, and then roll one down there to make an easy par save.” — JAMIE MULLIGAN

PATRICK CANTLAY ranked first on the PGA Tour in scrambling (67.3 percent), sixth in scrambling from the rough (65.1 percent) and 12th in approaches greater than 100 yards from the rough (43’4”) in 2021.

HONORABLE MENTION: CHARLES HOWELL III ✶ CAMERON TRINGALE ✶ ABRAHAM ANCER ✶ LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN

BEST BUNKER PLAYER XANDER SCHAUFFELE

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‘BREAK THE TEE’ IN THE SAND

W hen I was a kid, I routinely did this drill where I would bury a tee under my ball in a greenside bunker and try to break the tee with my swing. My dad had me do it so that I would learn how to make an aggressive swing through the sand, which would carry the ball out every time. It’s a great way to learn how to hit bunker shots when you’re just starting out.

Over time, I’ve learned how to hit a number of shots in greenside bunkers. I can change my weight distribution, ball position, height of my hands at address, angle of attack, length of swing, clubhead speed—even how much bounce I use to hit the right shot for that particular lie. For example, with a fried-egg lie, I use less bounce and feel like the club is entering the sand closer to the hosel. If I want to create more spin and less roll, I add a little more speed and enter the sand closer to the ball than normal.

I realize you don’t practice in the bunker enough to be able to execute a variety of shots, so I would recommend getting good at this one: Open the face of your wedge before taking your grip and dig your feet into the sand. Your weight should favor your front leg, and the ball should be roughly in line with your shirt buttons. Then hit two inches behind the ball, keeping your speed up as you swing through the sand and into a full finish position.

Remember, be aggressive but don’t lose your posture as a result of swinging too hard. You might miss the entry point in the sand and dump it or blade the shot. With a smooth swing, you’re not going to get the ball to stop as quickly, so allow for some rollout. —With Ron Kaspriske

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Alex Goodlett

“One of the main reasons Xander is very good out of the sand is the fact that he turns the ball both ways in nearly all parts of his game. Xander plays golf with a variety of hand and clubface positions. In other words, an open clubface with a weak grip—the standard way taught to set up in the bunker— doesn’t look outlandish to him. Where others might lose confidence holding the club that way, he certainly doesn’t.” — STEFAN SCHAUFFELE

XANDER SCHAUFFELE was second on the PGA Tour in sand-save percentage (64.7) in 2021, and his average proximity to the hole from the sand was 8’1”.

HONORABLE MENTION: BROOKS KOEPKA ✶ CAMERON SMITH ✶ WEBB SIMPSON ✶ WYNDHAM CLARK

BEST PUTTER PATRICK REED

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LEVEL OFF FOR A BETTER ROLL

I ’d love to talk about the intricacies of my putting stroke and give you some analysis of how I approach things on the green, but I just don’t think about it that way. For me, it’s much more of a feel thing. To be clear, I have a few practice drills, and I’m constantly checking my alignment. But when I’m on the course, all I’m thinking about is break and speed and seeing the ball go in the hole. Even on long putts, I’m not trying to cozy it up there; I’m seeing it go in.

Besides my alignment, if there’s one other thing I’m checking from time to time, it’s making sure my shoulders are level over the ball. I’m not sure if it’s a product of setting up over every other shot with my trail shoulder lower than my lead shoulder, but I have to be careful that doesn’t creep into my putting posture. If your trail shoulder (right for righties) is lower than your lead shoulder, the tendency is to make a stroke that is too low to high, and the ball comes off the face a little hoppy. That can really impact your accuracy.

A great thing you can do to make sure your shoulders are level is to first set up with a cross-handed grip (lead-hand low). This keeps you from tilting away from the hole. Then, before you make your stroke, go back to your normal grip. Now you’re in position to strike the ball on a more level path and get a better roll.

My other advice for putting is to develop a pre-shot routine that you use every time you putt. That means doing the same things in the same amount of time on every putt. (If your routine takes 10 seconds, it should always take 10 seconds). A repetitive approach will get you in the mind-set of treating every putt the same, which takes the pressure off. —With Ron Kaspriske

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Cliff Hawkins

“Patrick is very non-analytical with putting and probably wouldn’t putt well if he thought about that stuff. Aside from having great vision and feel on the greens, a key ingredient to Patrick’s success comes from the roll he puts on the ball. To copy that aspect of his game, try to get your putterhead to stay low to the ground after you strike the ball.” — DAVID LEADBETTER

PATRICK REED was fourth on the PGA Tour in strokes gained/putting and first in one-putt percentage (45.1) and three-putt avoidance (1.57 percent) in 2021.

Honorable Mention: Louis Oosthuizen ✶ Cameron Smith ✶ Sam Burns ✶ Jordan Spieth

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Home » Clubs » Irons » How Far You Should Hit A 5-Iron ?

How Far You Should Hit A 5-Iron

How Far You Should Hit A 5-Iron ?

Understanding a golf hit distance is important; otherwise, it may become a challenging issue for golfers. Some players think they have hit the right distance required for a particular hit under certain situations. If we particularly talk about a normal 5 Iron club, the ideal hit should travel a distance of around 160 yards on average . However, it further depends on the swing speed, the type of player, and his skills or talent set.

Let us find out how far a 5-iron can hit.

How Far Should A 5-Iron Hit?

It’s complicated to say how far a 5-Iron should hit. As it varies from player to player, the course conditions and even the skill sets play a vital role. However, generally speaking, male golf players hit a distance of 160 yards on average. As for female golfers, they should hit a distance of 140 yards at least .

Further, a golf player with good experience should go for a 195-205 yards distance. Those who play extremely well may even reach a distance of 235 yards.

Next, the players have a different range of swing speeds. On average, a player with fast speed should cover 180 yards distance and perhaps even more. A square strike can add a few more yards to the hit distance.

How Far Should PGA Golfers Hit Their 5-Iron?

How Far Should PGA Golfers Hit Their 5-Iron?

Players with good skill sets and experience should cover a farther distance than an average golfer. Due to their higher smashing factor , they can hit the ball with a higher speed. It doesn’t necessarily mean that average golfers should not or aren’t capable of hitting a higher distance with a higher smash. They just don’t come up with that far hit too commonly.

PGA Tour Golfers

Mostly, PGA tour golfers can achieve a distance of around 200 yards from their 5-Iron hit. On average, it ranges between 190 to 210 yards. But some PGA golfers can even cover a little more distance than average numbers. An interesting fact about these PGA golfers is that they use many different types of lofts as compared to average golfers.

Let’s be straight; it’s all about talent and skills. Some PGA golf players have a 5-Iron with 2 or 3 degrees more loft than average golfers. Despite that, they still manage to hit the ball at a far distance comparatively.

LPGA Tour Golfers

LPGA players usually don’t hit the ball at the same speed level as the PGA players. But that doesn’t mean they are any less of a player. They can attain the club head with a comparatively higher speed. On average, most LPGA players with a normal speed can achieve a hit distance of 175-200 yards.

Compared to male players, the distance gap of hit is greater for LGPA amateur and professional players. This is probably due to their training or the PGA tour golfers’ efforts to achieve their desired distance coverage.

Can You Hit 200 Yards With A 5-Iron?

Can You Hit 200 Yards With A 5-Iron

Achieving longer distance hits is possible if the players have the right factors to add up. Check a few things below required to complete a 200 yards hit.

Right Golf Shaft

Your 5-Iron golf shaft should be a match for the game. Try considering the impacts of longer shaft length instead of relying on the shaft weight and flex. This can affect the hit carry distance range. A lot of good players recommend going with a golf shaft that can best match your game, which is true to achieve good performance.

Increasing The Ball Speed

Another effective way to increase the hit distance is to increase the speed with which you hit the ball. Obviously, the higher the speed, the farther the ball can cover. It can produce a par-distance golf hit if you can achieve more swing speed.

However, most amateur golf players must work properly over the swing speed. They rather swing it out at their shoes. Of course, if the swing isn’t balanced, the hit will not come from the center of the clubface, which will not give a better distance.

Center Strike

A hit in the center of the clubface can make a huge difference in the distance coverage. Most golfers who hit the toe or the heel part of the clubface tend to lose 10 yards or even more distance.

Try hitting the center of the clubface, as it can optimize the spin rate and launch angle to give a far-distance hit result.

The Right Loft on The Club

As mentioned above about the PGA golfers who use an Iron with blade style, each iron will have a different set makeup and loft. A lower lofted 5-Iron may have a lower spin but can make the ball travel farther away than a higher lofted Iron.

Tips to Hit Further With Your 5-Iron

There can be different issues you can face in a far-distance hit. Therefore, you must figure them out to correct them for better results. Below are some tips you can use to hit further with your 5-Iron.

1. Position of The Ball

Try positioning the ball a little forward at the center. This way, when the ball is back in your stance, you probably would be struggling with its accuracy and unable to exert enough force you had produced with the backswings.

2. Try A Club That Has More Forgiveness

Many golfers, even amateurs, realize that playing with a long Iron is relatively more difficult than wedges or short Irons. It is because of their length and a lower loft that makes them unforgiving to play with.

So, any player who wants to hit a further distance shot should try something more forgiving. In addition, it can help to make it easier to increase the speed of those club heads.

3. Transfer Your Weight Forward

Keeping your weight on the back foot may also make you lose swing and, ultimately, the hit distance. Therefore, you must transfer the body weight forward to achieve further distance hit. A golf player should work to make enough room from backswing to down at impact.

This way, they can have some weight transferred on the left at impact. You can even check some professional golfers playing with a 5-Iron to see how they move their distance to achieve far-distance hit results.

My Favorite 5-Iron

Below is my favorite 5-Iron that helps me get far-distance hit results.

Callaway Golf Rouge St Max Os Individual Iron

Callaway Golf Rouge St Max Os Individual Iron

The Callaway Golf Rouge ST Max OS Individual Iron is my favorite 5-Iron available in the market. It is better and faster than the Golf Rouge ST Max model. With more forgiveness, it gives me the right required length for higher speed release and the right trajectory.

The 450 steel and AI Flash Face help for a high launch to get more swing for far-distance results with consistent spin. It further optimizes landing angles and boosts the ball speed to unthinkable levels.

Moreover, it locates its center of gravity at the center with its high-density tungsten. This helps further to improve launch conditions along with the speed of its entire face.

With the microspheres being shifted farther, they benefit from urethane that can absorb unwanted vibrations and improve the feel and sound.

However, it still retains a huge COR of flash face cups, next, up to 49g of tungsten usage ( which is 188% higher than MAVERIK), plus wider soles, Great offset with the thick top line. All these features make it one of my best 5-Iron to achieve a far-distance hit.

Why Is It Hard To Hit With A 5-Iron?

The reason why some golfers struggle to hit with a 5-Iron is that it relatively has a longer club with less loft. The 5-Iron is less forgiving compared to other Iron types. It requires more precision and only sometimes provides a high and right trajectory. Most amateurs usually need help to play with a 5-Iron and fail to achieve far-distance hit results.

Where Should A 5 Iron Be In Your Stance?

Before you get to the 5-Iron, you should be at one or two balls at the center or with a club head inside the left foot with a wide stance. However, it will again lead towards a shallow but downward attack to ensure the contact is not chunky and leave hands wringing.

Start playing in the middle of the stance if you struggle with long irons to hit a solid ball. You can go to the center for a ball or two ahead with an 8-Iron.

The farthest distance tiger wood has covered with a 5-Iron is 210 Yards.

Yes, although hitting a distance of 200 Yards is difficult but not impossible. Some skilled and experienced PGA golfers have been able to achieve this distance.

Carry a 5-Iron only when you can achieve a distance of 150+ yards with your 7-Iron. Otherwise, try a hybrid or a 6-Iron as an alternative to hitting longer distances.

Yes, you can certainly hit a stinger with a 5-Iron. It can be a great way to learn to shoot longer distances before moving toward a longer iron.

A 5-Iron, if handled correctly with skills and experience, can deliver a farther hit on the green in three compared to a 7-Iron that only takes you to 120-130 yards least at the green in four.

If you want to achieve big scores, you must start to learn and practice hitting the ball at a far distance. So, to achieve that with 5 Irons, you must first learn how to handle and play with it. Otherwise, there are other options to use for similar results. Every golfer has their own game. Therefore, you must first know your potential before choosing a certain option.

We hope our guide has helped you to understand 5-Irons well and how to use them effectively. Keep them in your bag only when you are ready for them.

  • What Are The Different Types Of Golf Irons ?
  • 10 Best Irons For 10-Handicap
  • How To Choose The Right 9-Iron Golf Club For Your Game ?

Matt Stevens

Matt Stevens is the founder of Golfrough.com. He holds a Postgraduate in Sports Marketing and has played golf since he was four years old. Having experienced every high and low golf has to offer, his writing helps the average golfer avoid the mistakes he has made in 28-years on the course.

Related posts:

  • Why Do I Hit My 5-6 And 7 Irons The Same Distance? Know The Truth!
  • How To Hit An 8 Iron: Top Tips Doing It Like A Pro
  • 10 Best Irons For 10-Handicap In 2024

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Power Rankings: THE PLAYERS Championship

Power Rankings

Scottie Scheffler looks to become the first person to go back-to-back at THE PLAYERS Championship. (Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR)

Scottie Scheffler looks to become the first person to go back-to-back at THE PLAYERS Championship. (Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR)

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It’s the Big 5-0 otherwise known as the 50th edition of THE PLAYERS Championship.

We all should look as stylish and sharp as the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, which hosts the PGA TOUR’s flagship event literally in the backyard of the headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. And we all should be treated to the kind of celebration in store for the 144 who have qualified.

Oh, and the presents ain’t too shabby, either. They’re as golden as the anniversary. Those details and much more can be found beneath the ranking of those projected to contend.

No matter how deserving Scheffler is to sit No. 1, slotting him there stands flush against the face of fact, because a winner of THE PLAYERS never has successfully defended his title. For as familiar as TPC Sawgrass is to participants who have competed on it annually, to professionals who have practiced on it regularly and to even those who have learned about it in a video game, it’s as neutral a site as any on the PGA TOUR.

Since TPC Sawgrass first hosted in 1982, only five golfers have won THE PLAYERS more than once, each of whom exactly twice, and that hasn’t happened since Tiger Woods prevailed in 2013. He won his first in March of 2001. (This is the fifth consecutive edition since the tournament returned to March after a dozen years in May. The 2020 staging was canceled after one round.)

Yet, experience almost always matters. Excluding the inaugural edition, only Hal Sutton (1983) and Craig Perks (2002) won in their debut. Sutton also is among the quintet to win it twice, and that took 17 years and for his 6-iron to “be the right club today” in 2000.

No doubt that the construct of the field governs the possibilities for a first-timer to win, but while each faces his own uphill battle against those odds, he’s still emboldened by the fact that TPC Sawgrass doesn’t discriminate.

John Swantek and Rob Bolton | Talk of the TOUR | THE PLAYERS Championship

The stock par 72 once again tips at 7,275 yards. Putting surfaces are a little smaller than average at 5,500 square feet, and the ubiquity of water hazards injects a premium into course management back to the tees. This fact supports why debutants aren’t expected to win, even quick studies among them, but also why the sharpest of irons typically define the champion’s road to victory. Confidence in approaches upon arrival is a superpower.

Overseeded rough can be expected to stretch to 4 inches and TifEagle bermudagrass greens overseeded with Poa trivialis should flirt with 13 feet on the Stimpmeter. Seasonable weather in northeast Florida is expected, so TPC Sawgrass will flash its teeth. Winds won’t confuse too much as they’ll be prevailing from a primarily southerly direction. Rain and the threat of storms cannot be ruled out once the tournament extends into Friday. On the warmest of days, the high temperature might not touch even 80 degrees.

Put it all together and you have the reasons why the champion will deserve the spoils at the end of the rainbow, in this case the arc of the competition against the strongest field he’ll face on the PGA TOUR.

He will earn $4.5 million of a $25-million prize fund. He’ll also bank 750 FedExCup points, which is equivalent to the winner’s cut in every major. He’ll also be fully exempt as a PGA TOUR member via this victory through 2029 and secure exemptions into all four majors through 2026.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

MONDAY : Power Rankings TUESDAY *: Sleepers WEDNESDAY : Golfbet Insider FRIDAY : Medical Extensions SUNDAY : Points and Payouts; Qualifiers; Reshuffle

* Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.

Rob Bolton is a Golfbet columnist for the PGA TOUR. The Chicagoland native has been playing fantasy golf since 1994, so he was just waiting for the Internet to catch up with him. Follow Rob Bolton on Twitter .

Which is the toughest? A tour of the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, hole-by-hole

pga tour average 5 iron

A hole-by-hole description of the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, which will host The Players Championship for the 40th time March 10-13. Scoring averages and rank (from 1 for most difficult hole to 18 for easiest) are for the 2021 Players.

Par-4, 423 yards

On this slight dogleg to the right, a drive to the right side of the narrow landing area will give the player a good angle to approach the long and narrow green. A long fairway bunker, a lateral water hazard and grass bunkers await errant drives to the right, and dense trees guard the fairway to the left. Large maintained bunkers protect the front and left portions of the green. Grass bunkers in the front right, right and rear areas of the green protect the remainder of it. 

2023 average: 4.016 (13th) 

Key stat: Players seemed content with making a par and heading quickly to the second tee. The hole yielded the fourth-most pars on the course last year. 

Par 5, 532 yards  

On this relatively short par-5, a high draw off the tee for right-handers is required and most can reach the green in two. A small pond and a large fairway bunker on the right guard the fairway and green from 175 yards out. Deep maintained bunkers are on both sides of the green, along with numerous grass bunkers. The mounds located around this green give spectators a good view of players attempting to reach the green in two shots and players attempting to save par. 

2023 average: 4.664 (17th) 

Key stat: It was the only hole in the 2023 Players that did not give up a double or a triple bogey. 

Par 3, 177 yards  

A maintained spectator mound to the left of this medium-length par 3 offers a view of the entire hole. A shot requiring a middle to short iron is needed to reach the two-tiered green which slopes from back to front. A bunker fronting the green and grass bunkers to the right protect the putting surface, with a large maintained bunker to the left and rear left portion of the green.

2023 average: 3.126 (7th) 

Key stat: This is the par-3 hole on the course that players ace less than Nos. 8, 13 or 17, with only five in tournament history. The last was by Denny McCarthy in 2021. 

Par 4, 384 yards  

This short par 4 requires accuracy on every shot. The drive must avoid a lateral water hazard and a deep meandering fairway bunker on the right. Very large and severely sloped mounds protect the left side of this narrow landing area. A well-struck long iron or fairway wood from the tee will enable the player to hit a middle to short iron to one of the toughest greens on the course. Numerous treacherous pin placements on this very undulating two-tiered green make this a protected target and a tough shot. A water hazard protects the front and the left side of the green, while small but deep maintained bunkers protect the green on the right and in the rear. 

2023 average: 4.183 (5th) 

Key stat: Surprisingly, no eagle-twos last year. There have been 32 eagles at the short hole, the last in 2022 by Brian Harman. 

Par 4, 471 yards  

This dogleg right offers a generous landing area for the drive, as it is the longest par-4 on the golf course. A long fairway bunker down the right side and beyond the landing area for the drive protects the fairway. After hitting a driver from the tee, the players will use long to middle irons on their second shots to this deep, narrow and rolling green. The green is protected by grass bunkers, maintained bunkers, a waste area and palm trees. This will be one of the hardest holes to play, and par will be a very welcome score. 

2023 average: 4.188 (4th) 

Key stat: Annually one of the most deceptively difficult holes on the Stadium Course. The 50 birdies made at the fifth were the fewest on a par-4 hole on the front nine. 

Par 4, 393 yards  

One of the best examples of target golf on the course and one of architect Pete Dye’s favorites. The drive must avoid dense palm and pine trees on the right and two fairway bunkers and a lateral water hazard on the left. The slightly elevated green is protected by maintained bunkers, grass bunkers and clustered palm trees. The specific landing area on this hole offers players a level lie for their approach to the two-tiered green, which slopes down from right to left and back to front.  

2023 average: 4.071 (12th) 

Key stat: The last time a player eagled this hole in a tournament played to completion was Andy Sullivan in 2016. Anirban Lahiri hole out from the fairway in 2020 when the tournament was canceled after the first round. 

Par-4, 451 yards

A long hole with a slight dogleg right is bordered down the left side by a large fairway bunker and a lateral water hazard and trees on the right. The green is protected by maintained bunkers in the front and to the left, and severe slope off the back. The wind direction on this hole can make it very difficult to score well.  

2023 average: 4.085 (10th) 

Key stat: Take a par, pray for a birdie but don’t approach a second shot with too much wishful thinking. This hole has given up the fewest eagle-twos of any par-4 on the course (even No. 18, which has six), and there’s never been a 2 in the first of fourth rounds.

Par 3, 237 yards  

The longest par-3 on the course requires a long iron or fairway wood to carry a myriad of obstacles. The deep, narrow and sloping green is protected by numerous maintained bunkers and grass bunkers.  

2023 average: 3.22 (3rd) 

Key stat: In no shock, the field made the fewest birdies on any hole at the eighth last year with 35. 

Par 5, 583 yards  

The ninth hole is the longest on the course and rarely reachable in two, and a new tee was introduced last year to give rules officials the option to extend it past 600 yards. A large lake and bunker to the right of the fairway collect stray drives, while woods to the left hinder second shots. It’s one of the most difficult second shots on par-5 holes on Tour, and the third shot isn’t easy, to a small green that is sloped from the front to the back right. A severely banked maintained bunker guards the left and rear of the green, along with a small maintained bunker.  As this hole progresses from the tee to the green, it becomes narrower. 

2023 average: 4.854 (14th) 

Key stat: The longer tee didn’t trip the players up too much and the ninth remained a birdie hole, albeit well-earned. We’re still waiting for the first albatross in tournament history. All other par-5 holes on the course have at least one. 

Par 4, 424 yards  

A dogleg left features a large bunker down the left side of the fairway and very dense trees to the right, with a narrow landing area for the drive. Most players will select a fairway wood from the tee to set up a middle or short iron approach to the green, which is protected by two maintained bunkers in the front right. Grass bunkers crowd the entire left side of this deceiving green. From the landing area, the green seems large; it is narrow and fades away from the players. This green offers a variety of pin placements, making the position of the drive very important. 

2023 average: 4.078 (11th) 

Key stat: There’s an area 28 yards deep in the middle of the fairway, from 154 yards to 126 from the hole, where 70 percent of the players have historically landed their tee shots during the ShotLink Era. 

Par 5, 558 yards  

Players attempting to reach this green in two shots need a long, accurate drive down the right side. The large fairway bunker stops shots hit through the left of the fairway, and dense trees knock down shots hit left of the driving area. Large overhanging trees crowd the preferred right side. Because the fairway is split by a lateral water hazard and two large bunkers, the player can elect to hit a middle iron to the fairway area on the right, which is guarded by a large oak tree. From this position, a short iron to wedge is needed for the third shot. A more daring alternative is to approach the green from the left side of the split fairway. The large maintained bunker runs the length of the second shot landing area and continues up and around the green. The lateral water hazard that splits the fairway continues around the back of the green. One maintained bunker covers the front of the green. 

2023 average: 4.675 (16th) 

Key stat: Ollie Schneiderjans hit a 368-yard drive in 2019. 

Par 4, 302 yards  

Players will be able to drive the green most days but it comes with perils: A water hazard guards the left side of the green and several pot bunkers and difficult terrain protects the right side. A large fairway bunker stretches the length of the left side of the fairway and forces an accurate shot off the tee for those that do not attempt to drive the green. The green has several tiers, and slopes dramatically toward the water, penalizing wayward drives and approaches. 

2023 average: 3.854 (15th) 

Key stat: More players made birdie or eagle (34 birdies, one eagle) in the final round at the 12th than pars (34). 

Par 3, 181 yards  

A water hazard protects this picturesque par-3 down the left side. The three-tiered green slopes drastically toward the water on the left side and is protected by two small and deep maintained bunkers. Spectators can get a great view from all the mounded areas on this medium-length par 3. Short-to-middle irons will be the choice of most players. 

2023 average: 3.092 (9th) 

Key stat: There were five aces on this hole in the 2006 tournament. Since then there have been only three, the last coming in 2021 by Corey Conners in the first round. 

Par 4, 481 yards  

This hole rivals No. 18 for its difficulty. The narrow two-tiered driving area is paralleled down the left side by a narrow fairway bunker and a lateral water hazard. The right side is overshadowed by large, deep grass bunkers in a large mound. Between the driving area and the green is a vast bunker. The green is very large with severe undulations and long slopes. A maintained bunker protects the front left side of the green and a few other maintained bunkers hide among very large grass bunkers to the right and the rear of the green. 

2023 average: 4.249 (2nd) 

Key stat: The field made only 38 birdies on the hole in 2023, the fewest on any par-4 hole and the second-fewest after No. 8. 

Par 4, 470 tards  

This dogleg right begins with a drive through a chute of trees and over water. The fairway bunker extends down the right side of the fairway to a paved path, then resumes to the left of the path and extends almost to the green. A large maintained bunker to the left and a small maintained bunker to the right front protect the green. There are grass bunkers to the right and rear of the green. 

2023 average: 4.094 (8th) 

Key stat: No triple bogeys came at this hole in 2023, joining No. 7 as the only par-4s without anyone recording a 7. 

Par 5, 523 yards  

This short par-5 is reachable in two shots for almost every player and offers a chance to make up ground. The second shot still must carry a large lateral water hazard, a maintained bunker and a bulkhead. All these obstacles are to the right of the hole and start 150 yards from the green. To the left, a cluster of oak trees blocks a clear path to the green. Players who do not choose to attempt the green in two shots must direct their second shot to the narrow area protected by a grass bunker, a water hazard and the cluster of oak trees. The green has two tiers, sloping left to right toward the water that wraps around the rear of the green. 

2023 average: 4.522 (18th) 

Key stat: Every now and then, rumors surface about shortening this hole to a par-4. The players might revolt if they didn’t have this breather before tackling Nos. 17 and 18. Sixteen eagles and 209 birdies easily led all other holes. 

Par 3, 137 yards  

Quite possibly the most recognizable hole in golf. The Island Green is two-tiered and has a small maintained bunker in the front. Club selection on this hole is critically important; with the tricky winds of spring, the championship could be won or lost here. 

2023 average: 3.13 (6th) 

Key stat: The aces have come in hot the last two years, with four. There has been only one other two-year period in the history of The Players when there were as many as two, in 2016 and 2017. 

Par 4, 462 yards  

The dogleg left bordering the lake tempts players to hit as close as possible near the water to get a better angle and a shorter iron shot to the green, or play it safe to the right, but risk rough and trees. A collection of grass bunkers is in the front-right section of the green, while a lone maintained bunker stops shots hit left and long. This 18th has become one of the premier finishing holes in golf. 

2023 average: 4.348 (1st) 

Key stat: Mark McCumber, the 1988 Players champion, said it best when asked how to play No. 18: “With a two-shot lead.” There were only five birdies in the final round in 2023, and four double-bogeys. 

2023 front nine average: 36.405 

2023 back nine average: 36.041 

2023 scoring average: 72.446 

Sports Betting

Sports Betting

2024 Players Championship odds, picks, sleepers: Scheffler aims for history, Max Homa among best bets

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 08: Scottie Scheffler plays his shot from the ninth tee during the second round of The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 08, 2022 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

The PGA Tour heads to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, for the 50th anniversary of The Players Championship — golf’s “fifth major” — on a course that can stymie even the best game.

Only six players have won at TPC Sawgrass more than once, none more than twice, and debutants have clinched a win on only two occasions, most recently Craig Perks in 2002. No player has ever defended their win in the following calendar year.

Until this year?

Scottie Scheffler is the returning champion and is coming off a dominant win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He gained more than 16 strokes on the field last week while gaining more than 5 strokes off the tee and an amazing 4.3 strokes on the greens. Scheffler finally caved and gave the mallet putter another try, and he seemed to have found some magic. Rory McIlroy may be the least popular player in the locker room right now after talking Scheffler into changing putters.

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TPC Sawgrass is a difficult golf course for anyone to master. Players need to be accurate off the tee to avoid long roughs and follow a game plan to attack smaller greens that are firmer than the average golf course on the PGA Tour. Short games will be tested with firm, fast greens and strategic mounds. With Atlantic coast weather in spring bringing wind and rain, the players must be wary of club selection when water is in play.

Pete Dye designed this jewel in the PGA Tour’s crown on swamp land that Deane Beman and the PGA Tour purchased in 1978 for $1. The golf course opened in 1980 and has been a challenge for the best of the best on the PGA Tour ever since.

My model this week will weigh driving accuracy a little more than usual. I will also weigh Pete Dye-designed courses and TPC Sawgrass results a little heavier than I usually do. Some players may be hurt by this, with players like Harris English missing a bunch of cuts here, but recent success should give a bump in my final results. The pricing this week is very interesting, with players priced as low as $5,000 on DraftKings, so building lineups should be a lot of fun.

go-deeper

2024 Players Championship golf pool picks, field: Collin Morikawa, Tony Finau among our picks

2024 Players Championship Details

Course: TPC Sawgrass — Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.

Designed by: Pete Dye

Yardage: 7,275 yards

Average green size: 5,500 square feet

Features:  Grass is Tif Bermuda overseeded with Celebration Bermuda. The rough can reach four inches in spots, and water will come into play throughout the golf course.

Past champions: Scottie Scheffler 2023, Cameron Smith 2022, Justin Thomas 2021, Rory McIlroy 2019, Webb Simpson 2018, Si Woo Kim 2017, Jason Day 2016, and Rickie Fowler 2015.

Scoring: No one has won The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass more than twice. (Jack Nicklaus won The Players three times, but none were at TPC Sawgrass.) The tournament scoring record is 264.

Betting Slip

Max Homa +2800 finished T8 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational despite not driving the ball well on Sunday. His ball striking hasn’t been as dominant as it was in the fall, but I like that he gained over 1.6 strokes on approach on Sunday and seemed to find a rhythm. His around-the-green game and putting have been top-notch, so if he can be closer to his best with the ball striking, we are getting him at a very nice number. He has finished 13th and 6th here in the last two years with nice Sunday finishes.

Sam Burns +4000 blew up in his fourth round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational with two triple bogies, but his play Thursday through Saturday excited me to look up his price for this week. His putter has been his greatest weapon lately, and he has figured out how to play TPC Sawgrass the last few years with two straight top-35 finishes.

Shane Lowry +4000 backed up his fourth-place finish at the Cognizant Classic with a steady third-place finish at the Arnold Palmer. Lowry is striking the ball better than he has in a long time, as he has gained over 10 strokes combined on approach in his last two starts. I like the way he is plotting his way around the golf courses as well.

Min Woo Lee +5500 struggled with his putter at the Arnold Palmer, but I’m not too worried. He gained more than 2.5 strokes on approach for the week, which was important for him to build on his success with his irons at the Cognizant Classic. He finished T6 here last year on his first try.

Doug Ghim +11000 didn’t qualify for the Arnold Palmer but was on fire before last week. He has four straight top-16 finishes and has gained 2.3 or more strokes on approach in each of those tournaments. He has had some success here, with a sixth-place finish in 2022.

Scottie Scheffler $12,800 finally got the putter going with a little help from Rory McIlroy. Scheffler gained more than 4.3 strokes on the greens with his new mallet putter and will be looking to be the first player to defend a Players Championship win. The second-best player on the PGA Tour is closer (Rory McIlroy) to the 20th-best player than he is to Scheffler when it comes to ball striking this year. I’m guessing at that stat but I bet I’m not far off. (Editor’s Note: We looked this up, and it is true using the last 60 rounds.) With so many low-priced values this week, you have to play Scheffler pretty heavily.

Justin Thomas $10,600 shook off the aberration that was his performance at the Genesis Invitational. He finished T12 at the Arnold Palmer but looked a lot better than that for most of the tournament. He gained more than 2.5 strokes on approach and putted well again. I’m not sure how much I will use Thomas, but in the 11K to mid 10K range, he will be my first choice.

Viktor Hovland $10,100 is back to struggling around the green after making great strides in 2023. I’m not sure if he is nursing an injury or if an old injury led to his backslide. He has lost over 1.7 strokes around the green in three straight. I want to be on Hovland at this price, but it’s tough to play him too much with his current form.

Will Zalatoris $9,900 looked like he was on his way to his first win since his back surgery until he stumbled on the back nine on Saturday at Bay Hill. He bounced back with a solid round on Sunday and finished T4 to build on his great run of form. When healthy, he has played well here without contending on Sundays, but no reason that won’t change this week.

Hideki Matsuyama $9,800 has two top-eight finishes here in his last three tries and comes into this week in excellent form. He backed up his win at the Genesis Invitational by finishing T12 at Bay Hill. He gained more than 3 strokes on approach and putted well.

Max Homa $9,600 See above.

Sam Burns $9,200 See above.

Shane Lowry $9,100 See above.

Sahith Theegala $8,700 is driving the ball really well, gaining over 2.6 strokes off the tee in two out of his last three tournaments. He has gained over 1.5 strokes with his short game in four straight tournaments. His iron play has been inconsistent, and he has struggled here with a missed cut and 74th-place finish, but we can’t ignore his current form.

Tony Finau $8,500 didn’t play the Arnold Palmer Invitational and instead teed it up at the Seminole Pro-Member last week. I found that decision a little odd, but I’m sure he had his reasons. He hasn’t had the best luck here, but this price stands out as a value in my model. He has gained over 3.1 strokes on approach in four straight and just needs to right the ship with his putter.

Corey Conners $8,300 has long been one of my favorite plays here with how good he is off the tee and with his irons, but he continues to struggle around and on the greens. He gained over 6 strokes on approach at Bay Hill after gaining over 3.5 strokes in each of his previous two tournaments. He has lost 1.3 or more strokes with his putter in nine of his last 10 tournaments. I can’t pay this price for him this week even though I think one day he will put it all together here. I’m going to sprinkle him in some GPPs instead.

Byeong Hun An $8,100 gained strokes across the board last week at Bay Hill on his way to a T8 finish. He has gained over 3.2 strokes off the tee in two straight and he has gained over 3.6 strokes ball striking in three straight tournaments. Min Woo Lee should soak up a lot of the ownership that An would garner if he wasn’t priced so close to Lee.

Min Woo Lee $8,000 See above.

Si Woo Kim $8,000 won here in 2016 and is playing well from tee to green right now. He lost over 8 strokes on the green at Bay Hill and still finished with a top-30 finish. Kim has gained strokes off the tee in every tournament since early August 2023. He has made eight straight cuts despite losing strokes with the putter in seven out of eight of them. He’s a nice pivot from An and Lee with the thought of not going too heavy with his current struggles with the putter.

Brian Harman $7,900 has made four straight cuts here with two top-eight finishes in 2019 and 2021. He has struggled a bit with consistency this year but looked good at Bay Hill gaining over 5.5 strokes on approach.

Harris English $7,800 hasn’t made a cut here in the last five years, but his current form and the way his game fits in the model are tough to ignore. He has gained strokes off the tee in seven out of his last nine tournaments and he would be priced higher if he didn’t struggle on Sunday at Bay Hill.

Tom Hoge $7,800 has a very good course history here, with four straight top-33 finishes, including a third-place finish last year. He has gained 3.7 or more strokes on approach in five straight tournaments.

Adam Scott $7,600 missed the cut last week as a highly owned option and may be overlooked this week because of it. He wasn’t as dominant off the tee or on approach so his lackluster around-the-green game caught up to him. I believe he will bounce back this week and he will be in play among the others priced close by.

Adam Hadwin $7,500 has two straight top-13 finishes here and comes into this week in decent ball-striking form. He has gained strokes on approach in five out of his last six tournaments, and he has gained off the tee in two straight. He has two top-six finishes in the calendar year already.

Keith Mitchell $7,500 has made the cut here in four out of his last five tries with his best finish being a 13th in 2022. He has three straight top-19 finishes and he has gained over 10 strokes combined off the tee in those tournaments. He gained over 8 strokes on approach in Mexico, but he forgot to pack his short game for that particular tournament.

Emiliano Grillo $7,400 hasn’t made a cut here since 2019, but he’s playing too well right now to ignore. He has gained strokes off the tee in five straight tournaments and he has gained strokes on approach in five out of his last seven tournaments. He will lose some strokes around the green, but he has made up for it with his putter as he has gained consistently on the greens since The Sentry in January.

Erik van Rooyen $7,300 continues to build on his solid resume in 2024. He followed up his T2 at the Cognizant Classic with a solid T25 at the Arnold Palmer. He has gained on approach in six out of his last seven tournaments and finally gained some strokes around the green at Bay Hill. He finished T13 here in 2022.

Nick Taylor $6,900 has gained strokes on approach in six straight and around the green in three straight. He has made the cut here in three out of his last four tries, with his best showing a T16. He seems priced too low to ignore this week.

Doug Ghim $6,800 See above.

Low-Priced Options

If you want more information on these players, drop a note in the comments and I’ll fill you in. 

Matthieu Pavon $6,700

Billy Horschel $6,600

Austin Eckroat $6,500

Brendon Todd $6,500

Aaron Rai $6,400

Andrew Novak $6,400

Chan Kim $5,800

Robert MacIntyre $5,600

Ben Silverman $5,500

Carson Young $5,500

Nico Echavarria $5,400

One and Done

Each week, we will pick in reverse order of the standings, and we can’t duplicate picks in the same week. Reference this spreadsheet tracking who we have used.

Hugh Kellenberger:  $2,488,190.80 Dennis Esser: $1,591,517 Brody Miller:  $874,132.83

Brody Miller: It’s time to use the golden pick. Normally one wants to be selective with picking somebody after a win, but considering the improvements to Scottie Scheffler’s putting (even if a small sample size) and the fact he dominated Sawgrass last year, Scheffler is such a strong favorite that there might not be a better time to take him. I don’t want to save him for the majors when LIV guys playing only adds top competition. I’ll call my shot. Scottie defends and wins by two.

Dennis Esser: Rory McIlroy gave me some hope when he drove the par-4 10th green on Saturday and rallied his way into contention by making huge putts from off the green. He then killed all of that momentum by playing the front side on Sunday with more squares on his scorecard than I have after hitting the bottomless bloody mary bar. I went back and forth this week with Shane Lowry and Max Homa and can make a good case for either. In the end, I decided to take Max Homa and hope he can build on the iron play he showed on Sunday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Hugh Kellenberger: Ludvig Åberg has continued to impress in his first full year on the PGA Tour, including a second-place finish at Pebble Beach and a top 20 at the Genesis Invitational. He’s so good off the tee that I think he’ll find himself in the right places at TPC Sawgrass to attack the greens and hunt birdies.

(Photo of Scottie Scheffler: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

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Dennis Esser is a contributor to The Athletic, covering golf through the lens of sports betting and fantasy sports. A resident of New Jersey, Dennis' writing has appeared in numerous fantasy and betting outlets.

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2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational leaderboard, grades: Scottie Scheffler cruises as putter finally comes alive

Scheffler found his groove on the greens as the world no. 1 secured the five-stroke victory on sunday.

You know the phrase by now because it has been uttered ad nauseam over the last year: If Scottie Scheffler make putts, he will win . Well, this week at Bay Hill Club & Lodge, Scheffler did just that. The world No. 1 was a class above the rest at the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational, finishing the tournament at 15 under for a five-stroke victory over Wyndham Clark.

Scheffler's triumph marks his second in the last three years at Bay Hill and his first on the PGA Tour since the 2023 Players Championship, a title he is set to defend next week. Since raising the trophy at TPC Sawgrass, Scheffler has displayed a level of consistency not seen in the golf world in quite some time.

During his 19-tournament winless drought on the PGA Tour, Scheffler collected 15 top-10 finishes, seven of which saw him finish on the podium. The tee-to-green numbers were baffling -- and continue to be -- but it was almost equally as stunning the Texan did not collect a trophy during this span as his putter often held him back.

"I was just sticking to my process," said Scheffler. "I had a good couple off weeks at home. I had a good time with friends and family and kind of reset. Going into this week, I tried to have a good attitude and Teddy [Scott] I think did a really good job of keeping me in a good headspace and, yeah, we played well."

After finding himself as many as five strokes adrift in the third round, Scheffler battled back thanks in part to some timely putting and began the final round in a share of the lead with Shane Lowry. Clark added a birdie on No. 1 to make the twosome at the top a trio, but that is as close as Scheffler would let his competitors get as his newly introduced mallet putter transformed a glaring weakness into a scary proposition for the field.

A birdie from 12 feet on the first hole set the tone for the day, and the gap turned into a two-stroke lead when Lowry dropped a shot on the opener and Clark did the same up ahead on the par-3 2nd.

The reigning U.S. Open champion seesawed with numerous exchanges of birdies and bogeys while Scheffler remained his steady self. A conversion from 7 feet on the dangerous par-5 6th added Scheffler's second birdie of the day before another nice putt from just inside 8 feet allowed him to remain at 2 under on the round and 11 under for the tournament.

A third bogey from Clark on No. 9 dropped him to even par as he made the turn. Of those who started Sunday inside the top 10, Clark was one of two players to not card an over-par opening nine. The problem was Scheffler was the other, and he was only getting started.

After turning in 2-under 34, the 27-year-old tacked on birdies on Nos. 10-11 to push his lead to five. It was enough to put this tournament on ice as Scheffler strolled through the back nine with five pars and two more birdies for good measure to cap off a final-round 66 that clipped the field average by more than seven strokes.

Contending in spite of his putter over the last year, Scheffler slipped on his second red cardigan this week because of that very club. Called upon countless times over the weekend -- Scheffler gained +1.50 strokes putting on Saturday, four more on Sunday and didn't miss inside 15 feet in Round 4 -- the mallet shined and gave the top player in the game another tool at his disposal.

The only player to navigate Bay Hill in a bogey-free fashion Sunday, Scheffler once again displayed that when he has all aspects of his game firing -- even that pesky putter -- there is no one in the world who can extinguish him. Grade: A+ 

Here is the breakdown for the rest of the leaderboard at the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational.

T4. Will Zalatoris (-7): I thought on Saturday that you could make him the Masters favorite, and I would have zero problems with it. Obviously, Scheffler took that off the table, but the point with Zalatoris is that he's way ahead of schedule, at least in my mind, in terms of where I thought he might be at this point in his return from back surgery. He's a real threat at every big event and every difficult golf course, and if he's, say, longer than 10-1 to win Augusta, that's something people should probably consider. Grade: A

T13. Justin Thomas (-3):  Thomas was good all week just as he has been all year. He's striking the ball consistently well (although he does have a bit of a left miss going right now), and only five bogeys over his last eight holes kept him from a top-five finish here. Following a one-off missed cut at Riviera, this is (somewhat quietly!) his fourth top-12 finish in five starts. Grade: B+

T21. Rory McIlroy (-1): What a weird week for McIlroy, who got within a few of the lead at one point on Saturday. He drove it like he's been driving it all year, but he nearly finished last in approach play, which marks the third time in four PGA Tour starts where his approach play has lacked.

  • Pebble: 14th in driving | 76th in approach (of 80) (two measured rounds)
  • Riviera: 1st | 36th
  • PGA National: 1st | 31st
  • Bay Hill: 1st | 55th (of 58)

Is it a concern? I don't know. He drives it well enough to mostly make up for it, but it's something to keep an eye on going into the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass next week. Grade: B-

MC. Collin Morikawa (+6): I don't know that there's cause for concern here, but Morikawa has missed two of his last four events going into the Players Championship next week. One of his calling cards when he first joined the Tour was his consistency from week to week. That may not have been correct. He actually appears to be somebody whose ceiling is quite high but might also have a low floor. There's nothing wrong with this, of course, and all things considered, it is probably preferable if your goal is winning high-level events. It's just not who I necessarily thought he was going to be. Grade: F

Five clear with four to go

Some nice pars on a couple tough holes have Scottie Scheffler five clear of the field with four holes to play. He currently ranks second in the field in strokes gained putting for the day and sixth for the week. Combined with leading in strokes gained tee-to-green and you get Scottie Scheffler in a rout.

The Iron Scheff

Scheffler goes five clear.

The putter is hummin' and the rest of the field has zero chance. Another birdie on No. 11 marks Scheffler's second straight to begin his back nine and his lead is stretched to five. This has been a masterclass. Scheffler is the only player from the final handful of groups to be under par (and he's 4 under!!!).

Don't let this blowout distract you from Jordan Spieth doing Jordan Spieth things.

Scheffler makes the turn with a three-stroke lead

Birdie putts on Nos. 8-9 fall a few revolutions short and lead to pars for the world No. 1. He is one of two players not to make a bogey today and he heads to the final nine with a three-stroke lead at 11 under over Wyndham Clark. Shane Lowry finally got a putt to drop on the 9th as he is four back in solo third at 7 under.

pga tour average 5 iron

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The Players Championship Round 1 Update: Jordan Spieth Finishes Over Par

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The Players Championship Round 1 Update: Xander Schauffele Shoots 65 (-7)

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The Players Championship Round 1 Update: Rory McIlroy Finishes With 65 (-7)

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The Players Championship Round 1 Update: Scottie Scheffler

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Players Championship: Round 1 Update

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The Players Championship: Best Bet

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Course Preview: TPC Sawgrass (Stadium Course)

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Will Zalatoris Gaining Momentum Heading Into The Players

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Scottie Scheffler Looks To Go Back-To-Back At The Players

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Players Championship Preview: Pick To Finish Top 20

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Jay Monahan Addresses The State Of PGA Tour

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Scottie Scheffler Wins Arnold Palmer Invitational

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Cognizant Classic Sunday Recap: Erik Van Rooyen Cards 8-Under 63 In Final Round

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Cognizant Classic Sunday Recap: Breaking Down Top Of The Leaderboards

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Cognizant Classic Sunday Recap: Outlook For Rory McIlory Heading Into Monday

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pga tour average 5 iron

Players Championship star suffers meltdown and launches club into water to the delight of fans

Adam Hadwin has won the hearts of the average golfer after the Canadian launched his club into the water on the 18th hole.

TPC Sawgrass can often make or break players on the PGA Tour with the course not suiting one type of player.

There's the trademark 17th hole that shouldn't cause too many troubles for professionals as a short 130-yard shot with a wide green to aim for.

But the pressure of the hole in tournament format gets the better of some and Hadwin, who had an up-and-down round up to that point, was unable to land his tee shot on the short stuff.

Hadwin ended up walking off with a double-bogey on the historic hole and that clearly put him in a bad mood heading to the tricky 18th.

The 36-year-old played with fire with his tee shot only just avoiding falling into the water.

It left him with an awkward approach shot with the one-time PGA Tour event winner forced to stand on wooden slats right next to the water.

He opted to play a low hook with the ball bouncing short of the green before taking a wicked bounce left.

That sent the ball racing towards the body of water before it dropped in and Hadwin let his frustrations get the better of him.

Cameras panned back to Hadwin, who launched his iron into the water with fans relating to his pain.

One X user tweeted: "Adam Hadwin just tossed his club into the drink. He's one of us."

Another asked: "Is this a perfect club throw from Adam Hadwin?"

A third posted: "Tremendous form on the Adam Hadwin club throw."

One other person wrote: "Adam Hadwin with the very relatable reaction."

Another said: "Adam Hadwin, I feel that so hard!"

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The 18th hole has caught out several players already at TPC Sawgrass with the huge body of water on the left hard to ignore.

Hadwin ended up managing to salvage a bogey after taking his drop shot near the green.

But he's now left himself with plenty of work to do to make the cut on Friday after ending his round three-over par.

Adam Hadwin launched his club into the water on the 18th

IMAGES

  1. REVEALED: PGA Tour average CARRY DISTANCES

    pga tour average 5 iron

  2. PGA Tour player average distances: Driver, irons, wedges through the bag

    pga tour average 5 iron

  3. REVEALED: PGA Tour average CARRY DISTANCES

    pga tour average 5 iron

  4. Tour Averages On PGA & LPGA Tour

    pga tour average 5 iron

  5. Get your Golf Fix: PGA & LPGA Tour Averages

    pga tour average 5 iron

  6. REVEALED! Trackman launches 2019 PGA Tour and LPGA Tour stats

    pga tour average 5 iron

VIDEO

  1. AVERAGE GOLFER Plays Golf With THE BEST IRONS of 2023!?

  2. iron practice

  3. Best Golf Players Irons 2023

  4. Thirst Most Forgiving Irons in 2023

  5. Can I gain shots against the PGA TOUR???

  6. The Most POWERFUL Golf Irons EVER!?

COMMENTS

  1. TrackMan PGA Tour Averages Stats

    The PGA Tour 8-iron goes 160 in the air for a couple of reasons. One, they usually hit weaker lofts than high school players (like I) do. Secondly, they spin their 8-iron at 7998 RPM to stop the ball on fast greens. ... I'm about a half club off of PGA Tour average distance wise. Technically I'm a 1 handicap, but more like 4 or 5 when the ...

  2. REVEALED: PGA Tour average CARRY DISTANCES

    PGA TOUR AVERAGE CARRY DISTANCES 2021. DRIVER - 275 YARDS. 3 WOOD - 243 YARDS. 5 WOOD - 230 YARDS. HYBRID - 225 YARDS. 3 IRON - 212 YARDS. 4 IRON - 203 YARDS. 5 IRON - 194 YARDS. 6 IRON - 183 YARDS.

  3. Golf Club Distances w/ Chart

    5-Iron: 138 yards: 160 yards: 180+ yards: 161 yards: 194 yards: 6-Iron: 127 yards: 150 yards: 170+ yards: 152 yards: ... look at the correlation of club head speed vs carry distance for PGA Tour players in the scatter plot below: 2020 PGA Tour Players Average Club Head Speed vs Average Carry Distance, Data Source: ...

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

    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. ... 5 iron: 94: 194: 6 iron: 92: 183: 7 iron: 90: 172: 8 iron: 87: 160: 9 iron: 85: 148: PW: 83: 136 *Data compiled from TrackMan's 2017 PGA TOUR Data Points.

  5. 5 Iron Distance

    5 Iron Average Club Head Speed. The average clubhead speed for a male golfer hitting a 5 iron is a little under 80 mph. That number is significantly higher for professional PGA Tour golfers that hit their 5 iron around 100 mph. With that said, it's crucial to remember that every golfer has different clubhead speeds, and the range is very wide.

  6. 5 Iron Distance

    How Far Do The Pros Hit A 5 Iron? GolfWeek's M.L Rose explains that the average Pro on the PGA Tour hits a 5-iron between 195 to 205 yards. Of course, this is nothing compared to Bryson DeChambeau, who sends his 5-iron an average of 235 yards. What Is The Fairway Wood Equivalent? Andrew Tursky from Golf.com tested his 5-iron against an 11 ...

  7. What Is the Average Distance With Each Golf Club?

    A PGA Tour player hits a 7-iron between 172-215 yards. Meanwhile, a short-hitting amateur male golfer averages 120 yards with the same club. In this article . ... According to TrackMan, the average PGA Tour player has a driver club speed of 113 MPH, resulting in a 275 yard carry. Meanwhile, LPGA Tour players average 94 MPH with driver, and ...

  8. 5 Iron Distance [Average to Tour Pro]

    A 5 iron is one of the most versatile clubs in a golfer's bag, and knowing the average distance a golfer can hit with it is crucial for a successful golf game. The average distance golfers hit a 5 iron is between 160 to 200 yards, depending on their skill level, swing speed, and ball speed. PGA Tour players, on the other hand, can hit their 5 ...

  9. How Far Should You Hit A 5 Iron? (Complete Overview)

    The average PGA Tour player will hit his 5 iron around 194 yards (carry distance) with a swing speed of 94 miles per hour. There are many amateurs that struggle to swing their driver 94 miles per hour. The average LPGA Tour player will hit her 5 iron 161 with a swing speed of 79 miles per hour.

  10. Five-Iron Distance: Where Do You Rank

    What Is the Average Five-Iron Distance? If you watch golf on television, you'll see players on the PGA Tour hitting five-irons in excess of 230 yards depending on the conditions. But keep in mind these are the best players in the world and they're finely tuned athletes.

  11. PGA Tour player average distances: Driver, irons, wedges through the bag

    When the PGA Tour has an event in Denver, the ball flies closer to 5 percent farther. PGA Tour player average distances: Driver, irons, wedges Driver: 275-350 yards

  12. How Far Do Most People Hit a 5 Iron? How About The Pros?

    Most PGA Tour golfers get more than 200 yards out of their 5 iron. The average is typically between 190 and 210, and of course, some can probably hit it further than these numbers. One of the things that I find most interesting about these numbers is that PGA tour players are using golf irons with many different lofts than an average golfer.

  13. 5 Hybrid vs. 5 Iron: Differences, Pros, & Cons

    The PGA tour average statistics determined that the 5 iron distance is between 195 yards and 205 yards and achieves an apex of 31 yards. The LPGA tour reports average statistics for a 5-iron to indicate that a professional can achieve 170 yards on average and achieve an apex of 23 yards.

  14. 5 Iron Distance Tips: Hit Harder and Longer!

    Average 5 iron distance : Amateur male: 140 - 170 yards: Amateur female: 90 - 135 yards: Professional male: 195 - 245 yards: ... These guys are all at the top of their games on the PGA Tour, and their numbers give you a rough idea of how far most Tour pros can hit their irons.

  15. Golf Stat and Records

    Birdie Average. Scottie Scheffler. 5.48. Avg. 1. Justin Thomas. 5.18. Avg. 2. Byeong Hun An. 5.15. Avg. 3. ... PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR Champions, and the Swinging Golfer design are registered ...

  16. How Far Do Most People Hit a 5 Iron? How about the Pros?

    TL;DR. The average distance for a 5 iron shot is around 160 to 180 yards for amateur golfers. Factors such as swing speed, technique, and ball positioning can influence the distance. Professional golfers can hit a 5 iron around 200 to 220 yards due to superior skills and physical abilities. Proper swing techniques and optimal ball positioning ...

  17. A PGA Tour fitter says choosing irons that go *shorter* might actually help

    "The common number that gets thrown around is you need to spin your 7 iron at 7,000," Oates told Fully Equipped.. "There's so many different characteristics. Like Tony Finau could probably ...

  18. How swing data can help you get the most from your irons

    Parente found that hitting down on the ball at 7 degrees, which is typical of a tour pro's attack angle, would give the average golfer 10 to 23 more carry yards with a 7-iron and 16 to 26 more ...

  19. What clubs do the best iron players on the PGA tour use?

    His approach play was 20-shots better in 2022 compared to 2020. He gains nearly three-quarters of a shot a round on the average PGA Tour player. That's three shots in 72-holes of stroke play. Lowry loves a combo set in his irons. This year he has the Srixon ZX5 in his 4 and 5-iron before switching to the Srixon ZX7 irons for the rest of his set.

  20. This is how high pro golfers hit all of their golf clubs

    For that we're turning to a handy article on Trackman's website, which shows the PGA Tour average for every club. With a driver, the average maximum height is just over 30 yards into the air.

  21. The PGA Tour's best in driving, iron play, putting and more share their

    COLLIN MORIKAWA led the PGA Tour in strokes gained/approach the green in 2021, and was No. 1 in approaches (average distance from hole) from 125 to 150 yards, 150 to 175 and 175 to 200.

  22. Golf Stat and Records

    PGA TOUR Stats is the ultimate source for golf stat and records. You can find out how the top players perform in various categories, such as par5scoring, driving accuracy, putting average, and ...

  23. How Far You Should Hit A 5-Iron

    PGA Tour Golfers. Mostly, PGA tour golfers can achieve a distance of around 200 yards from their 5-Iron hit. On average, it ranges between 190 to 210 yards. But some PGA golfers can even cover a little more distance than average numbers. An interesting fact about these PGA golfers is that they use many different types of lofts as compared to ...

  24. Power Rankings: THE PLAYERS Championship

    The stock par 72 once again tips at 7,275 yards. Putting surfaces are a little smaller than average at 5,500 square feet, and the ubiquity of water hazards injects a premium into course management ...

  25. 2024 Players Championship picks, odds: Expert predictions, favorites to

    In fact, the PGA Tour's flagship event offers a $25 million purse with $4.5 million going to the winner. That's more than will be payed out at the Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open or Open ...

  26. Which is the toughest? A tour of the Players Stadium Course at TPC

    2023 average: 3.126 (7th) Key stat: This is the par-3 hole on the course that players ace less than Nos. 8, 13 or 17, with only five in tournament history. The last was by Denny McCarthy in 2021 ...

  27. 2024 Players Championship odds, picks, sleepers: Scheffler aims for

    The PGA Tour heads to Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, for the 50th anniversary of The Players Championship — golf's "fifth major" — on a course that can stymie even the best game.. Only six ...

  28. Players Championship course history, best 10 players last 5 years

    If his new-found confidence on the greens carries over to the PGA Tour's flagship event, it could spell trouble for the rest of the field. Some of the players teeing it up come Thursday include 2019 champion Rory McIlroy, 2021 winner Justin Thomas, Max Homa, Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Viktor Hovland and Jordan Spieth. ...

  29. 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational leaderboard, grades: Scottie Scheffler

    During his 19-tournament winless drought on the PGA Tour, Scheffler collected 15 top-10 finishes, seven of which saw him finish on the podium. The tee-to-green numbers were baffling -- and ...

  30. Players Championship star suffers meltdown and launches club into ...

    Adam Hadwin has won the hearts of the average golfer after the Canadian launched his club into the water on the 18th hole. TPC Sawgrass can often make or break players on the PGA Tour with the ...