How Far Do Pro Golfers Hit Each Club? A 2022 Guide
When you watch the PGA Tour or any major championship on TV it is hard not to notice how far pro golfers hit the ball.
Their drives seem to always go miles and I don’t know about you but I’m always checking myself to think whether I indeed heard the commentator correctly that they are actually hitting that high an iron for that 200+ yard approach shot.
So just to confirm what we are indeed up against we took a detailed look at just how far the top pros are hitting their clubs.
On average pros drive the ball a total of 296.6 yards (yds) according to official PGA Shotlink data. They hit a 3-wood an average carry distance of 249 yds, a 5-wood 235 yds and 3-hybrids 230 yds. 3-irons average 217 yds, 4-irons 208 yds, 5-irons 199 yds, 6-irons 188 yds, 7-irons 177 yds, 8-irons 164 yds and 9-irons 153 yds.
These high-level numbers of course don’t always tell the whole story as the pros like us are faced with an infinite variety of golf shots which don’t always mean they are hitting each club as far as they possibly can for every shot.
But if you take the averages over a season you are going to get more than a good idea of how far the pros are hitting each club.
What is fascinating also though as you dig more into the figures is the distance control options the best players in the world have with almost every club in their bag!
How Far Do Pros Hit Their Driver and Woods?
When it comes to talking about distance in golf the easiest and most obvious place to start is of course always with the longest club in the golf bag – the driver.
And as it is highly unlikely even the best pros in the world never want to hit their driver as far as they can so it is clearly the club we are going to get the best idea of the maximum distance they hit the ball.
So how far do pros drive?
PGA Tour players hit their driver a ‘total’ of 296.6 yards on average with a ‘carry’ distance of 284.3 yards according to official 2022 Shotlink data. The longest player hits it 320 yards on average and the longest recorded drive in 2022 is 460 yards. On the LPGA Tour the top pros hit their driver an average of 257.7 yards.
| CLUB | AVERAGE TOTAL DISTANCE (PGA Tour) | AVERAGE CARRY DISTANCE (PGA Tour) |
| Driver | 296.6 yards | 284.3 yards |
| 3-wood | – | 249 yards |
| 5-wood | – | 235 yards |
| Hybrid | – | 230 yards |
When it comes to how far the pros hit a 3 wood and the other longer clubs in the bag including their hybrids the distance analysis gets a bit more complicated because clearly the pros are starting to use these clubs for a wider variety type of shots than they do for their driver.
The pros, like the rest of us, will be hitting a driver as far as they can 99% of the time but when it comes to their 3-wood, 5-wood and hybrids they can be using those clubs off the tee and for approach shots and will not always be aiming for their maximum yardage with those clubs.
The best distance comparison we have for those clubs is therefore the ‘carry distance’. In other words the distance from where they hit the ball to the point of impact on the ground.
On average PGA Tour pros hit a 3-wood a ‘carry’ distance of 249 yards. By comparison a 5-wood carries 235 yards and hit a 3 hybrid, which measures from 19º to 21º, an average carry distance of 230 yards. On the LPGA Tour the top women pros carry a 3-wood 195 yards, a 5-wood 185 yards and a 7-wood 174 yards on average.
For those of you interested in how these averages compare to individual pros we have listed in the table below the average ‘stock’ carry yardages for a selection of the top pros when it comes to how far they hit their driver.
| PLAYER | DRIVER (Average Total distance) | DRIVER (Average Carry Distance) |
| Bryson DeChambeau | 323.7 yards | 318.6 yards |
| Justin Thomas | 303.9 yards | 289.1 yards |
| Brooks Koepka | 310.7 yards | 293.6 yards |
| Dustin Johnson | 312.9 yards | 299.9 yards |
| Rory McIlroy | 319.3 yards | 311.7 yards |
| Jon Rahm | 309 yards | 293.8 yards |
| Matthew Wolff | 315.9 yards | 303.1 yards |
| Bubba Watson | 304.6 yards | 289.5 yards |
| Collin Morikawa | 295.2 yards | 281.7 yards |
| Rickie Fowler | 297 yards | 289.9 yards |
| Sergio Garcia | 309.4 yards | 296.5 yards |
| Ann Van Dam (Longest LPGA Tour) | 290.8 yards | 268 yards |
| Tiger Woods | 303.6 yards | 291.9 yards |
In the following table the list shows how far a selection of PGA and LPGA Tour pros hit their 3-wood, 5-wood and hybrid clubs.
| PLAYER | 3-WOOD (Avg. carry distance) | 5-WOOD (Avg. carry distance) | HYBRID (Avg. carry distance) |
| Bryson DeChambeau | 295 yards | – | 275 yards (4H) |
| Justin Thomas | 275 yards | 250 yards | – |
| Brooks Koepka | 275 yards | – | – |
| Dustin Johnson | 282 yards | 267 yards | – |
| Rory McIlroy | 293 yards | 273 yards | – |
| Jon Rahm | – | – | – |
| Matthew Wolff | 280 yards | – | – |
| Bubba Watson | 270 yards | – | – |
| Rickie Fowler | 260 yards | – | 230 yards (3H) |
| Sergio Garcia | 270 yards | 250 yards | – |
| Ann Van Dam (Longest LPGA Tour) | 253 yards | 235 yards | – |
| Tiger Woods | 275 yards | 255 yards | – |
[Note – If you are interested in what drivers and fairway woods the top 100 PGA Tour players are using check out the in-depth analysis we have done here.]
How Far Do Pros Hit Their Irons? Remember to Take Stock
Looking at how far pros hit their irons is a much easier task these days due to all the tracking technology that exists however it still does not make it an exact science.
And that is for the simple reason that pros will hit all manner of a variety of different shots with their irons, especially for their approach shots, and as such, they will hit the same iron a variety of different distances.
A look at Brooks Koepka’s yardage book below gives us a great insight into this and highlights how many types of shots pros can play with their irons.
For example for a 170 yard shot into the green a quick glance at his iron yardages shows he could decide to play either a three-quarter 8-iron or try to hit a 9-iron as far as he can – his ‘max’ distance for that club.
When you account for factors such as wind, elevation, ground conditions and also the context in which the shot is being played Koepka, like all the pros, has a number of options for each iron shot which makes the question of how far he hits each iron a bit more complex than at first you may think.
However the pros have what is called a ‘stock’ yardage for their irons, which equates essentially to the average distance they will hit a full shot with each iron swinging normally.
When we compare these ‘stock yardages’ for irons between the pros we get a consistent view of yardage which we can accurately compare across the players.
On average PGA pros hit a 3-iron a ‘carry’ distance – the distance from strike to point of ground impact – of 217 yards. They hit 4-irons 208 yards and 5-irons 199 yards on average. For 6-irons the average is 188 yards, for 7-irons it is 177 yards and 8-irons, 9-irons and pitching wedges go 164, 153 and 141 yards respectively.
| CLUB | AVERAGE CARRY DISTANCE (PGA Tour) | AVERAGE CARRY DISTANCE (LPGA Tour) |
| 3-iron | 217 yards | – |
| 4-iron | 208 yards | 169 yards |
| 5-iron | 199 yards | 161 yards |
| 6-iron | 188 yards | 152 yards |
| 7-iron | 177 yards | 141 yards |
| 8-iron | 164 yards | 130 yards |
| 9-iron | 153 yards | 119 yards |
| PW | 141 yards | 107 yards |
Different pros however clearly hit their irons different distances but in the table below we have listed the ‘stock yardages’ of some of the top pros, including Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas and Bryson DeChambeau, to let you see how they compare against the average.
And when it comes to how far Tiger Woods, arguably the greatest iron player of all time, hits his irons?
Tiger hits his 3-iron a ‘carry’ distance of 240 yards on average while his 4-iron goes 225 yards and 5-iron 210 yards. When it comes to his mid-irons he hits his 6-iron and 7-iron 195 and 180 yards. As for his short irons his 8-iron yardage is 165, he hits his 9-iron 150 yards and his pitching wedge 135 yards on average.
| PLAYER | 2-iron (yards) | 3-iron (yards) | 4-iron (yards) | 5-iron (yards) | 6-iron (yards) | 7-iron (yards) | 8-iron (yards) | 9-iron (yards) | PW (yards) |
| Bryson DeChambeau | – | – | 255 | 235 | 220 | 205 | 190 | 175 | 160 |
| Justin Thomas | – | – | 228 | 212 | 200 | 185 | 172 | 160 | 142 |
| Brooks Koepka | – | 250 | 230 | 218 | 205 | 194 | 178 | 166 | 148 |
| Dustin Johnson | 261 | – | 236 | 225 | 212 | 200 | 186 | 172 | 158 |
| Rory McIlroy | – | – | 240 | 219 | 207 | 192 | 175 | 163 | 148 |
| Matthew Wolff | 250 | – | 235 | 220 | 205 | 195 | 180 | 170 | 155 |
| Bubba Watson | 255 | – | 232 | 220 | 207 | 195 | 180 | 165 | 148 |
| Rickie Fowler | – | – | 215 | 200 | 185 | 170 | 160 | 145 | 133 |
| Sergio Garcia | – | 235 | 220 | 205 | 192 | 178 | 166 | 156 | 138 |
| Ann Van Dam (Longest LPGA Tour) | – | – | 208 | 195 | 182 | 170 | 158 | 146 | 134 |
| Tiger Woods | – | 240 | 225 | 210 | 195 | 180 | 165 | 150 | 135 |
How Far Do Pros Hit Their Wedges
When it comes to looking at how far the pros hit their wedges the stock yardage they hit each club is again obviously only one of the multiple yardages they can hit the most versatile clubs in any player’s golf bag.
As we can again see from Brooks Koepka’s yardage book above he has 5 different yardages listed for each of his specialist wedges which highlights just how much distance control the best golfers in the world can exert with their wedges.
Another added complication when it comes to comparing the distances that the pros hit their wedges is the differing lofts each of them often carries for seemingly the same club.
For example while one pro’s ‘gap wedge’ may be 50º another may choose 53 or even 54º for that same ‘gap wedge’ club and with such a difference in lofts it becomes very difficult to compare with any meaning how far the pros hit the same-named wedge.
Assuming however the pros are hitting ‘standard’ lofted pitching, gap, sand and lob wedges we found the following stock distances for how far the pros hit them.
As a whole PGA pros hit their pitching wedge an average carry distance of 141 yards. They hit 52º gap wedges a stock carry distance of between 126 and 135 yards and carry 56º sand wedges an average distance of 119 to 124 yards. Standard 60º lob wedges meanwhile carry 95 to 105 yards on average.
While these yardages will give you a general guide as to how far pros hit their wedges it is important to remember how particular all the pros are about these clubs especially.
It is vital for them to know exactly how far they hit their wedges with a variety of different types of shots because feel is so important from those short distances, especially at the top level of the game, where a yard or two can make the difference between winning or losing a tournament.
That is why you will find some pros’ wedges measured up to 0.5º or even 0.25º when listed and it is also likely that some of the actual strengths of the wedge lofts they use may in reality be stronger (i.e. a lower loft) or a touch weaker (i.e. a higher loft) than the actual degree loft number shown on their club.
To help however answer the question as well as we can the table below shows the varying distances some of the top pros, including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson, are hitting their wedges, together with the degrees of loft their clubs are listed at.
| PLAYER | PITCHING WEDGE | GAP WEDGE | SAND WEDGE | LOB WEDGE |
| Bryson DeChambeau | 160 yards | 145 yards (47º) | 127 yards (53º) | 110 yards (58º) |
| Justin Thomas | 142 yards | 126 yards (52.5º) | 112 yards (57º) | 100 yards (60.5º) |
| Brooks Koepka | 148 yards | 130 yards (52º) | 119 yards (56º) | 105 yards (60º) |
| Dustin Johnson | 158 yards | – | 135 yards (54º) | 118 yards (60º) |
| Rory McIlroy | 148 yards | – | 115 yards (54º) | 106 yards (58º) |
| Matthew Wolff | 155 yards | 135 yards (51º) | 125 yards (55º) | 105 yards (62º) |
| Bubba Watson | 148 yards | 135 yards (52º) | 124 yards (56º) | 95 yards (60º) |
| Rickie Fowler | 133 yards | 120 yards (51º) | 105 yards (55º) | 85 yards (59º) |
| Sergio Garcia | 138 yards | 126 yards (52º) | 108 yards (58º) | – |
| Tiger Woods | 135 yards | – | 120 yards (56º) | 100 yards (60º) |
Before you go …
While it is great to find out how far the top players are hitting the ball it is even better to know the reasons why they achieve the huge distances they get.
Is it simply down to the fact that they have access to the latest and best equipment or is it something else?
Read our next article to discover the real reasons the pros hit the ball as far as they do, and how you can potentially add 20 to 30 yards to your drives!
How Do Pros Hit the Ball So Far?
Other top articles related to this topic:
- How Far Should You Hit a Driver? FULL GUIDE By Age, Handicap etc.
- How Far Does a 3 Wood vs 5 Wood Go? Tee and Approach Shots!
- How Far Should I Hit My Hybrids? 2 vs 3 vs 4 Hybrid Distances
- Hybrids vs. Fairway Woods – FULL Distance and Comparison Guide
- How Far Should I Hit My Irons? By Handicap, Age & Swingspeed
- How Far Should You Hit Your Wedges? Be Sure to Fill the Gaps!
- Why Don’t Your Drives Go Far? Slow and Steady Loses the Race
- How Far Should Your Driver Swingspeed Go? 60 to 120 mph Guide
- Average Driver Swingspeeds? COMPLETE GUIDE by Age, Handicap etc.
- Ideal Spin Rate and Launch Angle for Driver? That’s Personal!
- How Far Should Your Ball Speed Go? 100mph All the Way to 210mph!
- The PGA Tour’s Rising Driver Ball Speeds Mean One Thing – $$
- What Should Your Driver Attack Angle Be? Try Not to Be Negative
- How Much Does Driver Loft Affect Distance? Loft is Dynamic Too!
- 10 Ways to Get More Distance off The Tee With & Without Speed!
- What Determines Driver Distance? Skill Triumphs Over All!
- Are Driving Range Distances Accurate? Golf Balls are a Problem
- Do All Golf Balls Go the Same Distance? Physics First
- What Affects Golf Ball Distance? Beware ALL the Uncontrollables!
- Do Certain Golf Balls Go Further? Brand and Cost Considerations
- Do Distance Balls Go Further? Marketing Matters
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