C
Clarity News Hub

Should I use carry or total distance?

Author

Mia Kelly

Published Jan 08, 2026

The standard assumption for total comes from the TrackMan Optimizer. For the driver, a club speed of 94 mph, attack angle of 0 degrees, and optimized carry results in a total of 244 yards. In general, total is ignored for iron shots. Carry is the most important distance measurement for non-driver shots.

Is distance or accuracy more important in golf?

Distance contributes 60 to 65 percent and accuracy about 30 to 35 percent when measuring strokes gained driving. It's no wonder the world top ten is packed with players well above average in driving distance and only slightly below average in driving accuracy.

What is a carry distance?

What is Carry Distance? Carry is the distance the ball travels through the air. An important thing to know about carry is that the value is given for a landing area that is the same height as where the ball is hit from. Then the golfer can adjust for uphill and downhill shots on the course.

What distance should I hit my irons?

As we know the average driving distance (217 yards, which would be a swing speed around 85mph) we can extrapolate the following averages: 4 iron: 154 yards. 5 iron: 147 yards. 6 iron: 139 yards.

What is the difference between carry distance and total distance?

Total is carry plus or minus any bounce and roll.

Total is a calculated value based on the landing angle, landing ball speed, and spin rate. A flat surface (ground) and “normal” hardness is assumed to calculate total distance.

45 related questions found

How far does Tiger Woods hit a 7 iron?

Tiger Woods is a legend of golf but on average, how long does he hit a 7 iron? Tiger hits his 7 irons approximately 172 yards. This is an average figure and there will times when Tiger hits the ball closer to 200 yards.

How far do average golfers actually hit it?

Driving distance figures from the R&A and USGA's most recent Distance Report show that the average hit by an amateur male club golfer is 215 yards. Five handicaps and below average 240 yards, 6-12 handicaps average 220 yards, 13-20 handicaps average 204 yards and 21 and overs average 187 yards.

How do I get accurate golf?

Easy Tips to Improve Accuracy

  1. Keep Flex in Your Wrist at Impact. ...
  2. Club Head First Followed By Your Feet. ...
  3. Practice With Low-Trajectory Shots. ...
  4. Point Your Knee to the Ball. ...
  5. Improve Your Visualization Methods. ...
  6. Use Speed to Control the Trajectory. ...
  7. Use a box to get Rid of That Slice.

Is driving important in golf?

For example, players who hit the ball above-average distances on the PGA Tour are also above-average approach players. Therefore, the simple correlation between a golfer's average driving distance and their performance in part captures the fact that longer players are, on average, better approach players.

What is bomb and gouge?

Slang term for a style of play where the golfer tries to drive the ball as far as possible off the tee, with little regard for accuracy, then “gouge” it from the rough onto the green.

How far should a 70 year old man hit a golf ball?

A 70-year-old man should be hitting a driver anywhere from 180 to 190 yards. This number has grown a bit in the last few years with the introduction of improved driver and shaft technology. At 70 years old, some golfers are having no trouble getting the ball to fly 200 yards or more.

Is 300 yards a long drive?

This may come as shock to you, but 270 to 300 yards is a long way! The average drive on the PGA Tour isn't 300 yards. Yet, there's a group of Golfers – a massive group of 90 and 100 Shooters – that believe they can hit the ball 270 to 300 yards.

How far does an average golfer hit a 7-iron?

But what about more normal shots? As you can see, most golfers are hitting their 7-iron between 147 to 159 yards on average.

How Far Can John Daly drive a golf ball?

John Daly can drive a golf ball 300 yards. Three hundred yards is undoubtedly a ton of distance even though, today, many people can drive the ball further than 300 yards. In his prime, John Daly was one of the longest drivers of the golf ball.

How far can Charlie Woods drive?

However, there isn't much information available about Charlie's golf game. Whatever we know is from the 2020 PNC Championship. So, according to ESPN, last year, Charlie Woods was finding fairways consistently with a driving distance of about 200 yards.

How far does Bryson drive the ball?

Bryson DeChambeau, who led the PGA Tour in driving distance this season (323.7 yards), can use his great length to create an incredible advantage at times.

What is a good carry in golf?

Female Amateur (Driver)

The standard assumption for carry comes from the TrackMan Optimizer. For the driver, a club speed of 94 mph, attack angle of 0 degrees, and optimized carry results in a carry of 222 yards. For a 6-iron, a club speed of 80 mph and mid-trajectory results in a carry of 153 yards.

How far do pro golfers hit each club?

They can hit 5-iron shots 195 to 205 yards; 6-iron shots 180 to 190 yards; 7-iron shots 165 to 180 yards; 8-iron shots 150 to 170 yards; and 9-iron shots 140 to 155 yards. The average distance for a pitching wedge is 130 to 135 yards; for a sand wedge 115 to 120 yards; and for lob wedges 75 to 95 yards.

How do I know what club to use in golf?

Again, this will all depend on experience, skill and club head speeds:

  1. 2-iron = 105 to 210 yards.
  2. 3-iron = 100 to 205 yards.
  3. 4-iron = 90 to 190 yards.
  4. 5-iron = 80 to 175 yards.
  5. 6-iron = 70 to 165 yards.
  6. 7-iron = 65 to 155 yards.
  7. 8-iron = 60 to 145 yards.
  8. 9-iron = 55 to 135 yards.

Why do I hit my 3 wood farther than my driver?

Players who hit their 3- or 5-wood as far or longer than their driver are typically using too little loft with the driver for their clubhead speed. You know, it's a funny thing with the driver and its loft compared to the other clubs in the bag.

How far does the average golfer drive the ball?

How far does the average golfer drive the ball? According to the USGA and R&A insights report, the average distance for amateur male golfers was around 216 yards in 2019. Lower handicap players, however, precisely those with 21+ handicaps, showed an average driving distance of 177.

How far should I be able to hit a golf ball with a driver?

Here's an interesting fact: While PGA Tour pros hit their drives anywhere from 280 yards to 320 yards on average, and LPGA Tour pros hit their drives from 230 to 270 yards on average, most recreational golfers, according to Golf Digest, average somewhere around 195-205 yards with their drivers.