Golf Club Distances for Women
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Golf Club Distances and Driving Distance for Females
Distance in the golf game is all the rage right now in golfing news and entertainment.
Leading the charge is Bryson DeChambeau, who has made some huge changes in his distance and power game and has recently added a major championship, winning the U.S. Open, to his list of growing wins on tour.
When it comes to golf club distances and statistics, there is a lot of good information for our counterparts, but I find it hard to find it for women in golf and especially the distance game for females.
While it might not be a good idea to compare ourselves directly with other golfers as everyone has a different game, it is good to have a baseline.
It can answer questions like:
- What is the average distance a female golfer hits each of her clubs?
- How far does a woman usually hit a driver?
- What is a good distance to drive for female beginner golfers?
- How far does the average LPGA player hit?
I’m not sure about you, but I like to know this so I have a good idea of where I fall into this average.
It’s also an important part of the golf game to know yardages and distances of your particular golf clubs. If you are interested in learning more about how to track your own distances, read this article or post on How to Know What Club to Use When Playing Golf
In the next few sections, we’ll look at these average distances for female recreational and amateur golfers as well as elite female Tour level golfers.
Statistics on Golf Club Distances for Females
Average Club Distance In Golf for Women
Foresight Sports wrote a great article showing distances for the average female amateur from the driver, to fairway woods, irons, and wedges.
Based on what I have seen in the industry and in other resources, I thought the ranges they provide looked strong.
Keep in mind there are many different factors that play into club distance. These yardages below provide a good starting point for any women looking for a baseline.
Here are a few of the average distance ranges they provided:
- Driver: 140 – 200 yards
- 3 wood: 120 – 185 yards
- 5 wood: 105 – 170 yards
- 5 iron: 80 – 135 yards
- 7 iron: 65 – 115 yards
- 9 iron: 55 – 95 yards
- Pitching Wedge: 50 – 85 yards
LPGA Tour Averages in Golf Club Distance
Now, let’s also look at average club distances on the LPGA Tour. Or for female professional golfers.
These are elite women and young women who live, breathe, practice, and play golf professionally. This gives us a good sense of the very best women golfers at the top of their game.
Just keep in mind that it isn’t quite apples to apples if you compare the list above with the chart below on average golf club distances.
As you can see from the chart below, what I have listed is the “carry”. Carry means how far a ball travels in the air and is measured where it first lands.
For example, the average carry with a driver for an LPGA Tour player is 218 yards. The actual average LPGA Tour player driving distance is 254 yards. The extra yardage or difference is the roll that the ball moves once it lands on the ground.
Average Female Amateur Driving Distances Based on Handicap
Because everyone seems to want to know about driving distance, let’s look at the average distance that women hit their driver.
According to the 2019 USGA Distance Report, the average drive for a female amateur is 147.9 yards.
As shown in the chart below, the average drive for a female amateur beginner (handicap higher than 29) is 119 yards.
Also, listed are the longest drives recorded at these skill levels or handicaps so you can see the gap. Some lady golfers will be higher and some will be lower than the average distances, but this should provide a nice statistical average.
We all know that there are many different factors that account for a golf handicap, skill level, and performance.
Interestingly as you can see from the chart, distance does seem to be a factor in handicap levels. As the average driving distance increases, the overall handicap level decreases.
How Driving Distances Have Changed Over the Years
With all the technological advances in golf equipment like the addition of titanium and graphite in golf clubs as well as aerodynamics in golf balls and upgrades in the core, average driving distances for all golfers has increased over the last century.
Here’s how they have changed for the recreational female golfer as well as the elite or tour level female golfer over the last 100+ years.
Much of this is due to the equipment improvements, however it can also be attributed to the advancements in golf as a sport and overall athletic performance.
Professional golfers, male and female are now athletes more than ever before and are looking at what they can do to get an edge over their competitors. And distance is becoming an important factor as you’ll see below.
Top 10 LPGA Tour Average Driving Distances
I am providing this list of the top 10 LPGA Tour players and their individual “average driving distance”.
| 1 | Bianca Pagdanganan | 287.462 |
| 2 | Maria Fassi | 282.867 |
| 3 | Anne van Dam | 281.057 |
| 4 | Nelly Korda | 272.746 |
| 5 | Nanna Koerstz Madsen | 271.429 |
| 6 | Jessica Korda | 271.130 |
| 7 | Linnea Strom | 270.726 |
| 8 | Lexi Thompson | 270.592 |
| 9 | Jennifer Kupcho | 269.304 |
| 10 | Madelene Sagstrom | 267.625 |
The top 5 players on this list are some of the newest female players on tour.
I have a feeling in the years to come, male and female elite tour golfers will continue to look at distance as a major component of their game.
This article from the UK Telegraph talks about how women are hitting the ball further and further and will most likely continue as golfers are looking for that extra edge in their golf game.
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