Average Golf Club Distances: Amateurs vs. Professionals

Average Golf Club Distances 

As golfers we all want to know how we measure up to other players, we all watch the professionals on TV with their monster 350-yard drives, and 200-yard pitching wedges, and we know we can’t compare ourselves to them (I can’t anyway!). 

Well, in this article we’ll share with you our analysis from Arccos Golf and Shot Scope showing just how far you should be hitting your clubs as an amateur golfer. We’ll be exploring average distances for each club, breaking down the numbers between amateurs and pros, and giving you insight on how to improve your game. 

Understanding your club distances is a game-changer, and it can guide you to make better choices on the course. Keep reading and we’ll share how you compare and why using some of the best tech out there can help you take shots off your scores. 

Why Does Average Club Distance Matter?

Understanding your average golf club distances isn’t just about comparing yourself to the pros or your friends, it’s important for anyone serious about improving their golf game. Expert advice from professional golfers encourages us to know how far we can hit with each club. If you know your exact yardage, you’ll feel more confident standing over the ball.

Also, if you know how far you can hit with each club, you can make informed decisions. Decisions like whether you should go for the green or lay up? (I never lay up). This insight can help you decide to take a risk or play it safe. Knowing your average distances will help you make better course-management decisions.

Arccos Golf’s data and Shot Scope’s “Performance Average” statistics offer interesting insights into the average club distances. These platforms help you gauge your performance and compare it against benchmarks. You get to see where you stand—literally—in terms of distance, accuracy, and much more.

Shot Scope and Arccos have analyzed thousands of golfers’ rounds and distances across the World. We’ll get into the data in more detail, but one stat I found really interesting, and very reassuring, is that the data shows 70% of amateur players are driving less than 250 yards – even low handicappers. It’s not just about how far you can hit; it’s about how smartly you play each shot based on your skill level.

Average Golf Club Distances: Amateurs vs. Professionals

So, we all want to know how we measure up against Professional golfers such as Rory or Bryson. Well, below we’ve shared a table with the average amateur distances vs. the average Professional distances from Shotlink data. How do you compare?  

Understanding how you measure up against a professional golfer can be interesting, but also slightly demoralizing. Rory McIlroy for example, is a huge hitter off the tee. According to Arccos Golf, 

“Rory McIlroy is undeniably an anomaly when it comes to driving the ball. Despite his modest stature of 5’9″, over 65% of his drives on tour exceed, an astounding, 320 yards.” 

Wow! This is a clear example of how far ahead professionals like McIlroy are to us ordinary golfers!

If you look further into the Arccos stats, you’ll see from the numbers that it’s not just about the crazy distance. Professional golfers also have amazing accuracy. Russell Henley last year, for instance, topped the PGA driving accuracy charts, hitting the fairway over 71% of the time. Think about your own game – how much easier would it be if you hit the fairway this regularly? 

Amateur Golfers: Where Do You Stand?

If you’re like me, you’re probably only interested in your driving distance and how this compares to other amateur golfers. This is where Shot Scope comes in with their analysis. In a recent study, they specifically focused on driving distances among amateur players.

One of the key takeaways from Shot Scope’s data is an interesting stat that I mentioned earlier: “Nearly 70% of amateur golfers have an average driving distance of less than 250 yards.” Given the focus on driving distance in the professional game, this shows just how far the average golfer is from the yardage numbers the pros manage each week. In the table below you can see what percentage of amateur golfers drive the ball on average. How do you compare? 

What makes Shot Scope’s data particularly interesting is their use of what’s called a “Performance Average.” This metric eliminates all outliers, whether spectacularly good or woefully bad, providing a more realistic average distance that you could expect when hitting a shot well. I use Shot Scope and I’ve found this a really useful stat that gives me a better understanding of my distances and averages.

You can easily find this data for your own game by using Shot Scope products, such as their latest X5 GPS watch. I use this watch and have found it helpful as it not only provides accurate GPS distance measurements but also uses tracking tags at the end of the clubs to analyze each shot, including my putting which helps with post-round analysis. 

Comparing Amateurs and Professionals: Conclusion

What does this mean for the average golfer? Well, we might not have the ability to match the distance and accuracy of professional golfers on tour, but these stats can provide a guide to what’s possible. This for me is one of the great parts of golf, you’re able to compare yourself against the best in the World, and even play on the same courses as these top players in a way that isn’t possible in other sports.

So if you work hard, and keep practicing with the best golf training aids, or expert coaching you too might be able to continue to improve your game. After all, professionals like McIlroy didn’t achieve these stats overnight; they did so through a dedicated, data-informed approach to improving their game.

In summary, comparing amateur and professional stats helps us set realistic goals and highlights the areas that we can work on to improve. When I started tracking my game with equipment like Arccos and Shot Scope, I found it incredibly motivating, celebrating my improvements, and focussing on parts of my game that needed extra work. I’m sure that with practice, training, and using data, you too might close that gap for yourself.

There you have it, the average distances and how they compare to the top professional golfers. I hope next time you tee it up you bomb some 300-yard drives, but if you still need some help, you should probably check out the other articles on Sunday Red such as the best irons for beginners and the best putting mats. 

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