Irons Distances
It is said that you drive for show and putt for dough. By comparison, Irons are the work horses of golf clubs. Even professionals do not often sink an iron shot nor do they hit the irons as far as they go. Irons are all about precision. You want your iron to land close to where you are aiming, and that is why knowing the distance of your irons is so important.
Irons are rarely hit with full strength, and can often be hit with a half swing or less, depending on the exact job for which you are using it.
The table below shows indicative distances for irons when hit with their normal swing. The distances are displayed in yards. You can also estimate iron distances with our club distances calculator.
Club |
Loft (degrees) |
Distance for men (yards) |
Distance for women (yards) |
1-iron |
15 - 18 |
177-215-242 |
108-139-177 |
2-iron |
18 - 20 |
161-195-219 |
98-126-161 |
3-iron |
21 - 24 |
148-180-202 |
90-117-148 |
4-iron |
25 - 28 |
140-170-191 |
85-110-140 |
5-iron |
28 - 32 |
132-160-180 |
80-104-132 |
6-iron |
32 - 36 |
124-150-169 |
75-97-124 |
7-iron |
36 - 40 |
115-140-157 |
70-91-115 |
8-iron |
40 - 44 |
107-130-146 |
65-84-107 |
9-iron |
45 - 48 |
95-115-129 |
58-75-95 |
Pitching wedge |
48 - 52 |
87-105-118 |
53-68-87 |
Gap wedge |
52 - 54 |
78-95-107 |
48-62-78 |
Sand wedge |
54 - 58 |
66-80-90 |
40-52-66 |
Lob wedge |
58 - 62 |
58-70-79 |
35-45-58 |
Here is a complimentary tip for you. When you hit your irons, move your back foot so it is angled at right angle to the direction of the target. This will slightly restrict you back swing, giving you more consistency over the distance that you hit the ball.
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