How Far Should You Hit Your Irons? (By Handicap, Age + Swingspeed!) 

I am now 75 and recently measured my driver distance,and to my suprise I hit several drives over 300. Then I looked at the distance finder and found it was measuring in feet ! Ah well, for just a few minutes I thought I should turn professional.

I have always swung slow and easy. I do that on purpose. When I get quick, that is when I play poorly. 7 iron, 145-150. PW-100-110. Driver about 230-250. All with a gentle fade. I play to a real 8 handicap. I'm 62 and better than I was when I was 42. I dont care about distance.

I am 73 yo and I hit a 7 iron only 120 yards. Now days I only hit my Driver around 180 yards. So my longer irons and woods have really fallen off at my age. I try to make up for it by a good short game. Long par 4's are now really a par 5 and once and a while chip up and 1 putt for a 4. Golf is just for walking exercise now, but when I was younger I did shoot in the 70's for eighteen holes quite allot - those days are long gone.

Everyone should keep in mind that losing distance with age just comes down to your body deteriorating with age and there is one thing that has been proven time and time again to slow it down and even reverse it: Lifting weights. You would do best to start lifting and lifting heavy as soon as possible and try to maintain your strength as much as possible but even starting into your 30s or 40s you might end up being stronger than yourself in your 20s and also hitting the ball longer. It's also great to fight against the muscle imbalances golfers typically suffer from.

I’m 75. Handicap index 12.8. I hit my 7 iron 135 to 140, driver about 230tops. Swing speed is 65 to 70mph. I have played with Senior shafts in my Callaway Razr x black irons and woods for about 8 years. Don’t know what all this means, but in essence, I try just to enjoy what I find I can do. Michelle Low has a golf channel (golf with Michelle) in which she describes a technique for shortening your swing as you get less flexible with age. I can recommend it.

I was an 11 handicapper and I am now playing off of 7. I didnt change my swing or clubs nor did I take any lessons or watch youtube tutorials but I did change 2 things. Firstly I stopped thinking or even considering how far I hit my drives off the tee and started focusing on hitting the fairway. I then started taking 1 extra iron when I played my iron shots. So if I used to hit a 7 iron 145 meters I started hitting a 6 iron at 145 meters. Taking a 6 iron resulted in better accuracy and far better consistency. These two changes in my thinking dramatically lowered my handicap. A 280 meter drive is no good to your score if you only hit the fairway with it 40% of the time. Much better to hit a 260 meter drive and hit the fairway 90% of the time. It doesn`t matter what iron number you hit into the green. What matters is that you consistently hit the green.

Very nice vid. Helps us casual golfers get a gauge on how long we should be hitting. I am in the 160+ range for the 7 iron, but I am getting older and the distance will certainly go down every year I golf.

I really enjoyed that. As a numbers person in general, i like being able to see how many factors influence outcome. Keep up the good work. Cheers!

Ball compression, delofting the face at impact, and the variability of lofts on clubs with the same number are huge factors. I play Callaway x2 hot pro with traditional lofts, and with my friend who plays TM M2s and his clubs are 2.5⁰ stronger. That said I hit the ball on average just about the same distance as I did when I was playing competitively in high school, and I'm 39. However the feel and consistency just isn't there because I have too much stuff to do and can't practice all summer like I used to and my body is a bit more broken down with less flexibility. So I club up often to what I think I should hit. More important to hit it straight than far and I'd rather have a good short game than hit bombs these days.

These videos help answer so many questions straight and forward. Very informative.

this makes me feel better. every teaching pro i on the web seems to hit their 7 iron 170+ and sez something like 'and i'm barely swinging at all', all you have to do is this........ spare me....

Well done video. At 53 and having injured my back a few years ago I have definitely seen yardage losses, but have switched to stronger lofted and more “forgiving “ irons to help compensate. 29 degree 7-iron compared to 35 degrees in my old AP2 set. It’s helped me mentally to see the gains in yardage but I know it’s the equipment. I miss the feel and short iron control in my old set and thinking of putting lighter shafts in my old set and see if I find some happy medium. At a 6 HCP, I can still play decent but got sucked into chasing distance.

I'm 61 and hitting 7-iron 155-165 yards. Holy crap I didn't know I still have a chance to join the PGA tour :)

back when i played competitively, (in my late 50’s early 60’s) i carried a 9 hcp and only hit my 8 iron 130 yard carry. back then my mantra was it doesn’t matter how far you hit your irons as long as “you know” how far you hit your irons. now at 71 yrs old i thought my new skytrak launch monitor was way off when my current 8i carry distance was averaging only 115 yards! of course I’m still hitting my old 690.CB’s with dynamic gold regular shafts from 2004 and the loft is 40 degrees compared to modern Titleist T-150’s loft of 36 degrees. I still think my old mantra holds true tho. As long as I know how far I hit my clubs I think I’ll be happy. BTW, love practicing on my back yard driving range and a solid shot still feels solid with those clubs.

What I gathered from this video is we all are searching for distance and buying very expensive clubs, balls, lessons, training aids etc LOL and find out we are pretty much average over all. One thing that will help is play the correct tees, stop trying to hit from the tips and move up, it will make the game much more enjoyable. Just my 2 cents and as the Scottish man said "GO PLAY"

Nice info. Another factor that was not included is contact. When I was in my 30s, I swung for the fences and from time to time, it went far. As we age and hopefully become better golfers, improvement in consistancy, contact, and equipment can lead to greater distance even with a slower speed.

I'm 58 years old and hitting the ball farther than ever thanks to new clubs. New club technology (Ping G425, in my case) is such an advantage for mis-hits and solid strikes compared to older clubs. According to Garmin, my 5-iron average distance is 182 yards; 7-iron is 163, 9-iron is 142. I'm currently a 16 handicap.

I am 60 and have never played better in my life. Driving the ball farther too. It helps that I moved to FL last year and never had to put the clubs away for 7 months a year!

At 67, I've been retired for just over a year. I got fitted for my irons and woods almost 3 years ago. That work thing got in the way of my steady playing days and I was never that good. Now, I can spend at least 2 or 3 days practicing and I generally play 2 or 3 times a week. I'm knocking at the door of the low 80's with that double and triple in the mix. The game is so much more enjoyable. I also took a few lessons from a local pro, now I know exactly what I'm doing when I hit a good shot as well as a bad shot.

Very interesting post. There is a Mizuno video here with Faldo showing something similar. His TP-11 irons from the 90's compared to the Mizuno irons of a a few years ago. The 'hot' 7 iron of the contemporary range is 7 degrees stronger than the TP-11, effectively making it a 5 iron with a '7' stamped upon it. For the vast majority of us the important thing is to know how far one hits each club. Any comparisons to tour pros is doomed to failure for they have every possible advantage of the club maker at their disposal plus youth, talent and time on their side.

At age 58, I am fortunate that through a combination of forking on my strength, flexibility, fitness, and swing speed, I was able to make significant improvements in my distance and accuracy in all club, but it was finding a coach who helped me truly understand my the swing and what I am supposed be doing in in the swing that made the biggest different in my mall striking . I also made a change in irons (from 2008 ping Rapture to a first gen TM Sim that I was able to increase my carry in most irons by 20-24yard ….my 9I carry was 129 but today it is 154. I got carried away with distance…and now AI have had to take a step backwards to eliminate my bad habits. Although I have lost 10 yard, I can hit it straighter and I learn how to transfer weight, keeps the face open through the hitter zone. And finally make a divot in from of the ball:)

A SIM2 8 Iron is 31.5 degree and 7 iron Adams blue is 31.5 degree, your spot on about the loft issues. My 7 iron is optimum 152 yards using GPS tags over 80 shot. My personal launch monitor show a swing speed 80-90 MPM.

Very informative and helpful! Thank you!

I just turned 60 and I still hit my 8 iron almost exactly 150 yards .. driving occasional 300 yrd. .. My distances haven't changed (except for driver) for many years and still playing the same type of irons for the past 30 years (Mizuno muscle back blades). Can't hit my driver quite as far as I used to (used to be pretty long) but I still hit irons just about the same as always.

That, old boy, is an excellent video and certainly jibes with my own observations of my own lengths over the last year. As a (currently) 20 handicapper I now accept that at a push on a good day I can squeeze 7 iron out to about 145 yards max. I now accept this as an iron law (so to speak) and tailor the rest of my shots on this understanding. And though it embarrases me to admit it only after 6 months did I realise my Garmin FitBit measures golf courses in meters as opposed to yards. My shot selection has improved vastly since then!! All of which is a moot point as I live in Ireland and it is mid-December and there is NO golf at the moment.....

I am 22 with a heavy sports background. I started around Febuary of this year. I hit my 7 like 165 i hope that once i get more consistent i can make it do that more regularly.

Depends on ball flight. If you hit the ball high it will be up to 15 yards less. If you hit low and have run out it will be much longer. I hit the ball high and stick greens but only hit a 7 iron about 135 to 140 yards. I am 64 years old. When younger I hit an 8 iron 150 yards and hit a low draw. Now I hit a high straight shot.

Unfortunately the ego in most golfers won’t allow them to tell the truth about their distances! I’m amazed at the amount of people on RU-vid who can hit their drivers 275yds+. Really? Sure if you’re playing at altitude, in the desert, tail wind, hard fairways or just indoors on a golf monitor it’s possible, But in the real world when the wind is blowing from different directions, it’s wet, middle of winter, you’re wearing 3 layers, the drive is uphill, grips are damp……….. Let’s see you rip it 275yds! Remember guys, the distance you should be thinking about is your Average, not the once in a blue moon! To work out your true distance on the hole your playing, You take your average CARRY and then start adding or subtracting as per the conditions! So if you carry it 220yds and it’s hard underfoot, add 25yds for roll, minus 5 for slightly uphill, minus 10 for wind in your face, gives you a 230yd drive - if you connect properly! Golf is not just hitting a little ball, it tests your character and honesty, you can tell a lot about someone out on the course.

Excellent video, I am 70 and I would say charts and comments are pretty much right on. I myself fall into the 60-69 range. Loft comment is 100% accurate. Do not pound balls at range anymore, I do practice short game, chipping and pitching is where I practice, no putting anymore either. Wish I had listened to people in my younger years. Don't care how far you hit the the ball or what age anyone is, want to score, short game, short game, short game. That old saying there is no substitute for distance is bull, short game is where it's at.

Turned 66 this year and getting back into golf more now that I am retired. I hope to get to a single digit hcp and one thing that will help get me there is knowing how far I can hit each club - along with some good course management and solid short game - things I did not have when I was younger. Still strong and athletic with decent swing speed, but not getting the gaping between clubs I once did years ago. So I have learned to do the job more efficiently with less clubs and changing my back swing to get the distance I need for the shot. Also trying out some of the newer game improvement clubs this year and building a pretty customized set using hybrids a lot more for long approach shots. I enjoy golf a lot more taking an easy, controlled, variable speed, swing - except for driver where you need to let the big dogs out 💪

Glad to see I'm about on target for my handicap and age. My mid 90's Cleveland irons have a more traditional loft than the newer irons. I took advantage of some "demo days" and I gained 10 - 20 yards over my old clubs, but did I really? I say no, because the lofts have changed so much. New Callaway "game improving" irons are stronger lofted by 2 of my clubs. Their 7 iron has the same loft as my 5 iron. Now there's a need to add 1-2 additional gap wedges. There are a couple of club manufacturers that show the loft under the club number or only the loft. I'd like to see more manufacturers doing that. I'm fine hitting my 7 where others with newer clubs are hitting their 9. I know my clubs and I'm pretty accurate with my club choices for the distances I need. To me, that's much more important than hitting further than my golf buddies.

I AM 77, hit PW 90 yards, 9-105, 8-115, 7-130, 6-140, hybrd 155, hybrd 170, hybrd, 180, 3W 200 and driver 220-250. not a long hitter, but this year i have shot my age 8 times, with a low of 73. Its how stright you hit it and not how far. I practice chiping and putting more than anything else, at least 70% of my time on the range is with my pitching wedges.

Great video. Gave me a little bit more hope 😂. I’m 48 yrs old with a 90mph club head speed and my numbers are almost 2 clubs ahead of the averages listed here. I am a bigger player tho at 6’2” & 208lbs. I think I can comfortably stop trying to compare my distances to scratch golfers now & focus way more attention on my chipping & putting. Thanks again.

Thanks, I’m right where you said I should be.

Just found your channel over here in the 🇺🇸 USA love it !! Kudos.

I believe swing speed is one component of distance, but the other -is where the release is happening in the swing. Obviously the earlier you release the club (Flip) , you lose distance. The Pros are at proper club loft or more like delofting the club at impact (a 7 iron is more a 5/4 iron loft at impact ) where is an amateurs adds loft (a 7 iron is a 9 iron /pw loft at impact).

Very good information, well presented as well.

Top video! Very informative. Its uncanny to see them numbers, I have a set of DTR's from 1991 and the yardages i hit with 90mph swing speed are almost identical to each iron. Got me wondering what i could hit with the latest golf tech + 15 - 20 yards on each club ill estimate.

Not a criticism but, it's almost impossible to have this discussion in a meaningful way given the vast differences in club specs. My Mizuno's are fairly close to "normal" or "conventional" specification but, even in them my gap wedge starts at 50 deg which is what a PW used to be. Most clubs, particularly those marketed for the masses are designed to hit the ball farther because farther sells more clubs. What you really want are clubs that have consistent gaps between them. It doesn't really matter how far you hit any individual club (within reason of course) It matters that you know how far you hit any individual club and your set provides a good choice for the progressive yardages you encounter while playing. It's more important to have the right club for short shots than long.

Excellent report

A fantastic informative video,well done

I gave up golf 20 years ago, in my late 40's, and took it back up again this year. After a few months on the range, I'm striking the ball reasonably consistently, but not surprisingly, my distances are much shorter. Based on the chart, I'd say that I used to have a swing speed of 104 or so, and today it is closer to 84, however, I'd like to add two thoughts. The first one is that what is important is the swing speed after contact with the ball, not the speed before. If you swing really fast, but don't have the strength and striking position to maintain it through contact, it's not going to do a bit of good, so a smooth, comfortable swing will work better than trying to swing hard. The second comment is so important, that I'm going to put it in a separate comment.

My local has a par 3 at 143y, through a ‘tunnel’ of trees that requires less loft- a nice, relaxed 7 iron gets me there every time.

Very interesting , Thank you. I'm almost 72 but I'm a pretty big guy and keep quite fit despite dodgy hips, back and shoulders. My irons are traditional lofts e.g. PW is 46degs and 7 Iron is 34degs. They are however an 1 inch longer than std. My comfortable max distance with a PW is 125yds and 150yds with a 7. Of course there are variables in terms of weather and atmospheric conditions. I have played golf for a very long time and my current hcap is 6. The swing speed data is actually pretty accurate, more so perhaps than the other info in the age comparison chart. I'd love to access that data in a way I can print it off for future reference. Many thanks again.

69 years old hcp of 5.7 just achieved one of my golfing goals shot gross par (71) in my club competition. keeping fit and supple, knowledge of the golf swing, good practice is the key to playing good golf, remember golf is a scoring game not a distance game

Ahhh…..the days of hitting my 7- iron 150 yards. That’s in the past for me. Still play pretty well at 62 because I leave my ego in the car and club up.

I hit my 7 iron 180 ish on a normal swing. Not enough spin though. Handicap is 18 but it's my first ever looking to get that to sub 10

I'm 53 and i hit my 7 iron about 160m or 175 yards. The largest factor in distance is actually Ball speed, not swing seed. Swing speed obviously gives you potential for big distance but wont give you ball speed unless you dead center it. It's more about solid delivery and contact. I swing at the same speed as other people who only hit 7 iron 140m or 153 yards. Maximize whatever speed you have by proper delivery to the sweet spot on the club.

Adding comment May 23, 2023. A LOT depends on how hard you work at improving your swing, a LOT depends on whether a lighter shaft might give you more speed, and a LOT depends on the ball you use. The results are striking, so please forgive my length. If you have the patience to follow the details it may help you. I will be 82 in June. I have been working hard at the PGA Superstore practice bays since December. The screens provide data and you can export tables with the results to your email. I am still playing Chicago Classic forged blades with a 7 iron with a 34 degree loft (one fitter measured 34.5). My current Rifle Lite stiff flex shafts weigh 120 grams. I have been trying out lighter shafts, namely Nippon NS Pro Zelos 7 stiff flex and Zelos 8 stiff flex. The Zelos 7 weighs 77.5 grams. The Zelos 8 weighs 87.5 grams. I had to buy the shafts and have the club maker at my range, who has boxes of the Chicago Classic heads in his workshop, make me a new iron for each shaft. Makes sure I can compare apples with apples. Huge difference from the Rifle shafts. I have been hitting my own balls. In the past ten days I hit Titleist Pro V1 balls one day and Taylor Made TP5x balls another day. Then I changed to a very different ball, the Callaway Super Soft. I also had worked on improving my weight shift so my swing was better. So, what were the results? My 7 iron with Rifle Lite stiff 120 gram shaft: with ProV1 carry 121, total 136, ball speed 89.9; with TM TP5x carry 113 total 126 ball speed 86.3 (swing was off that day); with Callaway Super Soft carry 126.2 total 141, ball speed 94.2 (best 4 shots avg was carry 131.9 total 144.1 ball speed 95.4). My 7 iron with Nippon Zelos 8 stiff 87.5 gram shaft: with ProV1 carry 125 total 139 ball speed 91.2; with TM TP 5x carry 126, total 139.7 ball speed 93; with Callaway Super Soft avg for 17 shots carry 132 total 148.8 ball speed 94.7 (for best 11 shots it was carry 135.2 total 150 ball speed 96.3). My 7 iron with Nippon Zelos 7 stiff 77.5 gram shaft: did not use ProV1; with TM TP5x carry 123 total 135.5 ball speed 91.2; with Callaway Super Soft avg of 24 shots carry 131.4 total 147.2 ball speed 96.4. But avg of best 15 shots was carry 135, total 150.3 ball speed 97.8. And avg of best 9 shots was carry 137.4 total 151.2 ball speed 98.8. So it seems clear that regardless of the ball used, my avg carry with my current 120 gram shafts was 121 to 126 yards, and total 136-141, with ball speed 90 to 95. With the lighter shafts my carry distances were 123 to 126 and total 136 to 140 with the premium balls, with ball speed 91 to 93. A little improvement, but not anything spectacular. However, with the Callaway Super Soft balls I got better results with my current 120 gram shafts, including four that got 10 yards more carry and 8 yards more total. And with the two lighter shafts I got 10 yards more carry and 10 yards more total distance than with the premium balls. So I'd say we can all improve and hopefully beat the averages shown, but it takes work and attention to both the shaft and balls.

I was using Players Irons Semi Bladed. Due to age at 69 I was loosing swing speed so was fitted for a forgiving set. I was recorded on trackman out on a range and was carrying a 7 Iron 165 yards, although on Course I have been controlling it to hit targets of 150 yards, glad I changed my Irons but I know I won’t have the same feel as Blades and expect to occasionally over carry some shots

hcp 28 64 years old 7 iron 34 loft carry 110 yards on a good day half swing only.

35 years old, 21 index and I hit my 7 iron 160 yards on average (it is 31 degrees tho) 260-270 with the driver (swing speed : 102-103 mph) I'm quite happy with my distance, considering I'm teeing from the yellows, it's often only a wedge (56*) shot next.

I must be an exception. I'm 65, currently playing to a 4.0 hdcp. I hit my 8-iron 155-160 total, carry about 145-150. I am 6'-2" tall and weigh 220lbs. I play Callaway Rogue X irons which are a bit stronger lofted. But, I am a much better golfer at 65 than I was at 35 (started playing at age 30). I took lessons at GolfTec when I turned 60 after years and years of being tired of not improving. My handicap then was about 15, now down to a 4 and was even down to 3 earlier this season. I can't imagine needing a 5 iron to hit the ball just 145 yds at my age. I'm longer now with these Callaway clubs than I've ever been in my life. I play with a friend who is just 6 months younger than me (he's the same height but thinner) and when he's reaching for his 5 hybrid I'm grabbing my 8-iron. He's about a 14 hdcp.

I’m 76 years young. 9 handicap. Driver, 240, Ping rescue, 200-210, 5 iron, 185-190, 6 iron, 170-180, 7 iron, 155-165; 8 iron 145-150, 9 iron, 130-140, P wedge, 120-125, gap wedge, 115, 52 degree, 110, 56 degree, 100. Stay healthy and never stop turning :)

Great data and analysis…

I thought the distances would be a bit higher but the video was very informative, I am a 16-year-old high school student and I carry my 7 iron about 175-185

I bought a set of Titleist DCi Irons (PW-3), Xtra-stiff shafts in '92...dropped 15 points from my game over night. Turned around and ordered a 2-Iron of the same brand and make. First time I hit the 2-iron was off the tee-box...285 yards. I use to play a lot of golf in those days...but most rounds were without a "wood" in my bag. Still have the Irons...beautiful set...I dream of replacing the shafts if only to visit the driving range once in a while. I had an 11 handicap, never had a lesson, never shot over a 60 on any 9-holes I ever played (came close a couple times). But in '93 I had a string 30 rounds of 11-over on two courses. In one small tournament I was sitting at 9-over after nine holes, had a single beer and joked that my long streak of 11-over rounds was probably at an end...only to shoot a +2 on the back...and keep the string alive. That +2 back gave me the confidence that I could play better, and the next week I shot a short string +7, then +5, then +2. Life and the changes it can bring shifted my attention away from golf though. But, I still dream of how that 2-iron use to feel as it kissed a ball off the Tee.

I’ve lost 30-40 yds off tee just this year(69yrs old)..got my first ace.. shot many rounds in 70’s..for my $$$..it’s that 2nd shot and the putter..only bought drinks after that ace..pray to play another decade at least..🙏⛳️

Very interesting information. You might take altitude into consideration.

I’m a 20 handicapper at age of 70. At age of 45 same handicap. I don’t hit the driver 275 any more but some times 225-250 My sand 55 wedge - 95 yards max. Gap wedge - 100 yards PW - 115 - 120 9i - 125-135 8I- 145-155 7I- 150-160 6I- 160-165 5i- 170- 180 3w- 190-220 DW-200-250 I’ve determined that your short game makes the difference and playing more than once per week. Practice practice practice!

I have Mizuno forged irons. I hit 7i 175/180

I was clearing 180 with a 7iron.... The first hole at the club I grew up on was 190 yards.

One thing that is ignored in swing is the rhythm. One day I came to the range and I just felt lose and confident and my rhythm, stopping the back swing at right point and then transition to downswing, it was just so perfect everything felt effortless. My yardages went up 15-20 yards on all irons it was crazy. Never replicated it again at that scale but it showed me what really matters.

10 years ago i hit my kzg 36* 7 iron 155 yds. Today, at 71 yo, i hit my ping g425 32* 7 iron 140 yds.

That makes sense. I hit an 8 iron well over 150 yards. In saying that, my clubs are 20 years old. So it’s more likely a 6 iron.

But I should add that the chart showing distances with different irons by handicap is both eye-opening and right on the mark for higher handicap players. The distance gaps, especially with the long irons, really get compressed. So much so that there is hardly any use carrying a full set. At my handicap level, and the same for the 20 handicap, we cannot strike the ball in the dead center regularly enough to constantly hit one iron exactly 5 yards further than the next higher one. In fact, when you take into account perfect hits, average hits and toe or heel or thin hits, or pulled hits versus pushed fade hits, we are probably hitting three irons all within the same wide circle. A perfect 7 will go as long as a poor 5, and the gap will double in case of a poor 7 versus a perfect 5. When the average gap is only 5 yards, one might as well just carry every second iron.

Phoenix Arizona, 57 y/o 4 hdcp. Dr: 280 ish average 5 iron- 205 7 iron- 177 9 iron- 148 Wedges P-G-S-L all differ depending on what the shot calls for but generally I try mostly half to 3/4 punch shots rather than full swings. Seem to have much better outcomes. I play Maxfli Tour yellow balls PXG 0211 irons (2022) Cobra Radspeed XB 10.5 X flex HZDRS Jumbo grip Driver Speed 101-107 Side note, PXG Irons are generally one club strong on loft

Good thing that as the Great Gary Player said, "golf is played from 100 yds in". So theres hope in all of us. What a game huh !!!!

Ha,,that brings a smile to my face. nice to see that list confirms what everybody tells me,, You can't hit yet,your a long hitter. I'm 63 and I'm an 8hc, and I do hit my 7 iron 155 meters,, my 5 iron 178 meters Pitch 117meters. that's my current winter distance.

This is all interesting to me as I am 62 this December and I have been playing from age 7 Just went out with my wife and played 9 holes with 3 balls Missed just 2 fairways over 21 Tee Shots (Par 4 & 5), direction has increased as I aged with distance drop off The other part of he game that has gotten better is my Chipping from 30 yrs in I put that on my two clubs I have for this range depending on the type of shot requires both are NOT of the same brand as are my Driver, 3W, Hybrids that replaced my 3-5 irons or my 6 - PW (Cobra Set) Putting has never been a problem in my game, ever My only issue is the 6 - PW, where I have to guess at the range, carry distance and total distance Now at age 61 and with only my second set of irons I have ever purchased I have to go back to school on my Irons I will print the chart at the end and see how I rate Thanks James ps - HandyCap 16

I hit my 7 iron about 145 yards. I am 67 and play to a 5 handicap from senior tees on the municipal courses I play. I keep the ball in play most of the time. My score is determined by how well I am driving the ball and chipping and putting. I work on my putting a lot but need to work on the other parts of my short game a little more. Driving the ball well consistently and 50 yards and in are vital to good scoring.

I hit my 7 iron 165, the thing is I hit the 6,5 and 4 all 150 yards lol

So much depends on the loft and lofts on the same number iron vary wildly. I'm 81, play to a 16-17 handicap. I have forged blade irons with traditional weak lofts. My 7 iron has a 34 degree loft. I can hit it 130-135 yards Occasionally with an absolutely perfect swing I can get it to 140, but can't count on that. I have Rifle Lite stiff shafts. Must admit that I should change to graphite regular flex shafts but there's always cost. Today fooling around at my range, I happened to hit a Callaway Epic forged black star 7 iron with a senior flex Attas graphite shaft. It went 15 yards further than my present 7 iron. Temperature was 53, with a little wind against. Kind of blew me away. But then I looked up these clubs. Besides the high cost, $2,600 for a set of 8 clubs, the loft on the 7 iron is 26 degrees. Yes, 26. My previous Mizuno MP-33 iron lofts are 25 for a 4 iron and 28 for a 5 iron. My current irons have the same lofts. So no wonder these clubs go further. The 7 iron is equivalent to a strong 5 iron, almost a 4. So trying to say how far we should hit our irons is complicated because we don't all use the same lofts, shafts and clubhead types.

I was lucky to have a scratch golfer teach me how to golf 25 years ago. Once I got pretty consistent and much better he helped me measure my iron distances how far I land each iron and roll out. I have won closest to he pin several times and people are always surprised when they hear which iron I hit to do it. At 163 to 168 I hit a 6 iron into a flag because that’s where I land it. If the greens are hard I hit an 8 or a 7. Both my sons land their 6 irons 188 yards I 195. My oldest hits his 5 iron 210, seriously, something to see .

Great video.

So true, my iron set is from 2008; my 7 iron has 34 degrees of loft; which would be considered an 8 iron in most sets, and a weak one at that. Sometimes even a 9 iron.

I'm 58 with many injuries, I absolutely love players irons if not blades for scoring clubs, lofts are traditional, apex TCB,Wilson staff CB, Ben Hogen fort worth Black talk about a butter knife lol, I'm a low teen HC but a pretty good ball striker , that said a pure shot with the better forged irons nothing like it ,unbelievable feel and sound, but I've also gamed callaway apex ,ZX 5 srixzon,p790,770,ZX7, and a newer model the rogue ST pro etc,all lofts on players distance iron category are jacked up a 7 iron is really a 6 and 8 iron has 7 iron lofts etc I'm sure you understand what I'm getting at, distance is unbelievable compared to standard lofts, but the feel and the sound I can't take omg , lol, ill lose distance all day with correct spin ,flight, and distance smaller forged profile no doubt in my mind, find the middle of the club face before you chioce any Iron and get fitted please makes all the difference in competition in your swing! Thank you for video eye opener, And they say 90 % of club golfer under club in all area of golf! But rather be short with a chip then long in the water lol !

Having started playing golf at 10 when only blades were made I can attest to the fact that irons and woods have become easier to hit and more forgiving. Fast forward with new tech, clubs can now be tailor made to each individual’s strengths and compensate for their weaknesses. The common goal for young and new golfers is distance. Bragging rights on how far a drive goes or PW. But in my experience, I was a much better golfer when I focused less on distance and more on accuracy. Possibly due to maturity. The key is not how far a specific iron goes, 7-150 or 9-150, but how close to the flag stick you can command your irons. If you can can hit an iron shot from 150 to 5ft of the stick, then it matters not if you hit PW-150 or 7-150, what matters is you only have a 5 footer left to finish the hole.

I hit my 35* 7 iron 161-164. My handicap is 3.2 so it seems the data is reasonably accurate. The altitude I play at (3600 msl) no doubt help the carry by a few yards. My 7 iron spins 6200-6800 rpm and zips back 0.5-1 yard average on a receptive green.

I'm 66 and play of 9 with a swing speed of 87 MPH for driver yet all my stats line up with the 100 MPH swingspeed table eg: 110 Metres for PW (120 yards),140 M for 7 iron (153 yards) and all the rest are similar as I have a 10 Metre gap between my iron from PW up.. Driver is only 200/210 Metres but my short game is good. I've been playing for 35 years and just before Covid hit here in 2020 I got down to my lowest handicap ever and was playing to six so age doesn't always determine loss of distance.

I am 56 years old and I hit my 7 iron 168 yards, 8 iron 157 yards, 9 iron 140 yards, PW 130 yards, 52 deg 120 yards, 56 deg 110 yards and 60 deg, 100 yards... My problem is anything shorter than 100 yards is an issue, especially over water or sand traps as I cannot then pitch short of the green and roll....When I open the face on the 60deg lob wedge I sometimes hit it thin or thick.... I guess the remedy is practice, practice and more practice...

My distance decreased significantly when I turned 75. I adjusted by a club or two.

64. I play traditional loft forged irons. 8 iron 150.

I'm 78 and play 1980s Spalding Tour Editions, the Greg Norman ones. The 7 iron is 138 degrees and about the same length as a modern 9 iron...so, you see loft creep over that time is about 2 clubs worth. No idea what my Swing Speed is, never had it measured, but I get 130 yards out of it. I don't like the much lighter graphite shafts, it feels like swinging a piece of damp cloud., no feel at all.

I never cared how my distances compared to others. My foursome nearly always plays 2 on 2 match play, best ball, and my usual partner is always 2 clubs under me in distance (ie, he'll hit a 9 where I'll hit a 7). All I really care about is consistency in my range so that I select the right club. Granted, being able to hit a higher loft club further has advantages on your approach, but unless I am wanting to actually compete, I'll never realize that disadvantage. The only place where it hurts me is on par 5 or long par 4. My fairway club is always shorter, so if I was playing my own ball, then that would make things more difficult once I get into approach range, because I will typically be further away than others. But overall, I don't care about iron distances compared to anyone else. I've actually long forgotten the standard expected distances for each club. I only know my distances. That being said, that doesn't apply to my driver... because who doesn't like smashing a long drive? :)

The true measure of our distance should be (how far we hit it from the tee - how far it is from the actual target)! I can hit my 7i 165, but the spread is the issue! That’s why I’m a 13 handicap! It is NOT my lack of distance, it is the SPRAY!

22HCP, 49, in decent shape. PW:100-110, 9: 120ish, 8: 130, 7:140ish, 6: 150ish. 3W off the tee usually, with about 200 carry for a great strike.

Play links golf here in Scotland , sub 8 deg and into a stiff breeze .. 7i lucky to go 100yds 😀. Seriously tho temperature does affect carry distance and the one thing that NEVER gets tested is low temp and about 5 layers of clothing on.. and I don’t mean £££ worth of hi tech golf clothing that cost more than your clubs and trolley put together .. real clothes, lots of them like normal people wear in winter golf.

as mentioned, newer irons have stronger lofts. On my old Ping i20’s the 7 iron has 33 degrees of loft. I’m 70 now and typically carry my 7 150-155 yards. I typically shoot 87-92 scores so Im by no means a low handicap player.

So at 60 years old, I'm still hitting my irons in the 20-29 year old distance range. I'll take it.

@Golfing Focus - I really enjoyed your video but I am confused. I am 63 yrs of age, an 18 handicap and I hit a 7-iron 160 yds (consistently). That may drop to 150yds but that’s during the winter here on the north coast of Northern Ireland. My ‘go-to’ Iron for 150 yds is always an 8-iron. I hit a 5-iron 180-185, again consistently, my PW (48degrees) 120 yds, my 50 degree gap wedge 100 yds and my 10.5 degree driver 265-285 but on occasion I can get close to 300 yds. My clubs are Red dot Ping G-410s and after a break from golf of over 35 years and having retired 5 years ago I enjoy my golf once or twice a week. I have no idea what my swing-speed is but it’s quite fast. My question is this, where am I going wrong?!! According to your video, I appear to be hitting the ball (Srixon AD333) too far!! 😜✌️☘️⛳️

The only thing that matters is that you know how far you hit your 7 iron. If the distance is only 135 yards. Thats the club you hit at 135 yards. If amateurs would hit more club and swing at 75 percent they would become more consistent. Most amateurs just don't get it. My playing partner hits his 9 iron 150 yards but has no idea where it's going.

Hard to mix age + handicap for all. However, for reference, I'm 62, HCP 14 and my average distance on a mild day is roughly (in yards) : P=110 / 9i = 120 / 8i = 130 / 7i = 140 / 6i = 150 / 5i = 160 / Driver = 210. In line with your table.

I bought my last set of clubs,on line. Went to the range,5-6 balls not good,but happy with the clubs.. I'm 60,don't expect to play like I did,when I first started.. I don't compare my game to anyone,I don't care much for golf tech..

In terms of age, I am proof that it is more of a factor if you also consider late life changes in health and fitness. I have a history of CAD and thyroid issues that caused me to shed 30 pounds over about a year, mostly muscle tissue. This year, for the first time, I saw a 20 yard drop off in driver carry distance and that was sudden! My iron set is traditionally lofted, so I see it there too. But my iron carry distance is more in line with the 50-59 age bracket ( I am 71). I no longer carry any irons longer than a 6 iron, and the top three spots are all hybrids, because they are longer and the head/sole design of hybrid clubs make them much easier to hit well and get them airborne. So, loss of body mass, decline in my swing speed, and less physical strength can be countered with choosing different club designs.

I'm more concerned about trajectory than distance. I hit a 7, 140-145 but my trajectory seems low. If I'm playing to a shallow green, I'm not hitting it high enough to hold the green. I'm sure my ball position is correct so that's not an issue.

When I broke my left elbow my golfer Surgeon told me that I lost 2 club lengths for each club! He was correct! When I had 3 disks in lower back, my surgeon told me that I lost 5% turning motion . I asked what this meant, he said about 20 yards! Eventually, this meant going from about 6800yds to about 5500yds! At 72 I was able to shoot my age! Distance is all relative! Sr graphite shafts do wonders!

I'm 65 and must have a 100mph swing speed according to this. That's almost exactly the distances I hit. The difference is I have hybrids from the 3 to the 6. All are Adams clubs from almost 15 years ago.

Even in current models the same iron # can very a couple degrees across different sets even in the same brand

I’m soon to be 65 years old and will be playing from the gold tees in tournaments this spring. 7i = 165 yards Driver = 260 3w = 225 4.8 hcp from the white tees currently, and I use “players” irons made by Honma. Little forged TW747V irons and I love them. Game improvement irons go too far and make it harder for me to control distance and work the ball.