How Far Should You Hit Your Golf Clubs? (By Handicap)

Distance in golf is massively important to improve your scores. So how far should you hit your golf clubs? In this video Coach Lockey gives you the answers on how far you should hit your driver, how far you should hit your irons and how far you should hit your wedges. Plus gives you a simple golf tip to hit the golf ball further if you are struggling with distance.
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Hi I’m Matt Lockey, welcome to my Coach Lockey KZbin Channel. This KZbin channel is designed to help you play better golf, and to help you enjoy your golf more!
I specialise in golf course vlogs, golf challenges, golf tips, golf lessons, golf club reviews and the odd golf club unboxing. So pretty much everything golf!
I want to help you play better golf by providing coaching videos on all topics about golf. How to fix your slice, fix your hook, help you drive the golf ball longer, hit your irons more pure, hit your irons closer to the hole and help you draw and fade your golf shots.
As well as helping you produce the best long game you can have, I will help you lower your scores by chipping better, stopping duff and thin chips, pitching the ball closer and creating backspin like the tour pros. Finally, I will provide you help to putt better and hole more putts too!
If you enjoy the channel make sure you hit subscribe and also tap the notification bell so that you are always notified when I release a new video.
00:00 How Far Should You Hit Your Golf Clubs? (By Handicap)
00:43 Distances You Should Hit Your Golf Clubs - The Data
03:08 Simple Golf Tip To Hit The Golf Ball Further

[@ianburton9223]

Heard about these parameters, but this content helps understand what they mean and what to change for which desired result. Thank you for the concise review of these numbers. At 78 years of age and a 20 handicap I'm shorter in all clubs in your initial table - more like the 25 handicap column. But I rarely take a divot out of the ground - except for my gap and sand wedges. So I'm not reducing dynamic loft to much less than the natural loft of each club. But I don't really have a problem with distance, I just take one more club than the younger players.

[@mikewilliams1479]

4.2 hcp. 7i 188 yards Driver 293 yards

[@pdickinson6985]

Thank you lockey.. straighter / longer.. I never leave a review.. brilliant

[@andre1022c4]

Beginner golfer 33H here: 7i carrying about 135-140 and driver 220 carry.

[@WisconsinJimmyN]

The production of this video is great. There is clearly a lot of work involved.

[@nedsrove]

Fantastic explanation of the wrist at work Coach.

[@stugoodman7407]

No official handicap currently but would consider my self mid to late 20's. I use Shotscope. Driver 189 currently. 7 iron 135. Great video.

[@CoachLockey]

Good stuff. Thanks for watching.

[@peterruggiero4553]

Driver 180 7-iron 105 Hadycap 18-24

[@SolomonLi]

Love the visuals Coach! Knowing how my wrist is working is something I’ve been working on so I can get a handle of that face! Always glad for these vids you put out!

[@CoachLockey]

Fantastic! No problem either Soly

[@Murf1802]

Thank you, ,yes I'm trying to change my wrist condition right in transition, it's helping my swing plane get a little flatter/ shallower, but the key is proper body rotation with proper wrist condition, to be honest I'm finding if I get my wrist more into flexion, more forearm suppernation the body automatically responds to what path your club and arms are taking,im really learning that i can't create a position, let the force's take it course and let it happen naturally.when I become mechanical nothing feels or works out properly. I hope some of that makes sense, I'm sure it does, your a great coach.

[@ucanbreakpar]

What an absolutely wonderful video! Complex concepts explained in a powerfully simple fashion. Well done.

[@CoachLockey]

Glad you liked it!

[@Cornwall1888]

Unless you track your shots with a garmin or shotscope your average driving distance is probably less than you think 5 handicap my average driver distance is 238 yards my 7 iron is 157 yards My longest drive was 315 My playing average which deletes the very bad shots are 261 yards and 170 yards

[@user-fm3hh8mo8z]

Currently working in Norway and only 100m of driving range open!! So hit my PW 100 yds and lazy 9i 110yds. Hitting better than ever but my oh my do I hit high!! It's ballistic off the face, great for stopping the ball but I know I'm losing distance. Maybe the dasterdly dynamic loft is my downfall........another thing to think about whilst I swing away!! Great vid matey!

[@CoachLockey]

Hitting high will be dynamic loft 👍

[@jaxongolf]

Driver: 235 yards (carry) 7-iron: 145 yards (carry) last recorded index of 9

[@deadgum11]

This just shows how shite I am with driver, 7i 155, Dr 220, 12HC

[@jaxongolf]

@@deadgum11 Can I tell you, my friend, that the thing that got me out of the driver doldrums (used to only carry about 215-220) has been watching a client of mine, an amateur that has competed in US national long drive comps? I used to use drivers with 12° or even 14° of loft to get the peak ball height I needed, but there was so much spin that the ball was backing up on the fairway on landing; working with long-drive mentality, I've since switched to a 9° but am now adding dynamic loft (i.e. "hitting up on ball") and with club speed still sub-95mph, just optimizing loft, launch and spin now gets me that 235-245 carry with lots of run. I hope this info piece can help you out. Cheers! remember, you're never that far.

[@deadgum11]

@@jaxongolf Thanks for the insight, im glad you're hitting it well. I've filmed myself hitting driver into a net at home, and can see that I'm casting it and losing nearly all of my lag just after left arm parallel in the downswing. Something is fundamentally wrong with my swing that is making me cast in order to hit the ball, from that point I'm dragging the handle through instead of stopping my hands and whipping the clubhead. I know what I'm doing wrong, I'm just struggling to get the feels of how to fix it😅

[@jaxongolf]

@@deadgum11 It sounds too simple to even work, but I'm going to guess your right hand's muscle memory is causing an early ulnar deviation and elbow firing away from the body... and the easiest way to begin getting this to feel proper is to mentally deactivate your right hand focus on your left hand's role in controlling the whole thing: a simple poem (completely just a "feel" versus "real") is, "Let the Left Lead, Long and Languidly". Try it sometime when you've got an open range & bucket of balls, even try one-handed, left-handed driver swings, accepting that it'll be awkward AF & that a drill doesn't need to be a "good shot", but rather, only needs to be the desired result. It has been working with all of my students, and my favorite discussion is neuroplasticity & how to overcome our "natural, bad moves". Cheers, mate, and thank you for engaging in proper conversation. I appreciate your feedback a lot. I'm Tyler from Somerville, MA and my business is Jaxon Golf.

[@bogushavis]

​@@deadgum11On filming your golf swing; digital cameras can't capture the golf club accurately. The shaft will appear to bend drastically showing the club head getting to ball ahead of the hands. This is a camera issue, shafts bend isn't that drastic.

[@okovarik3]

I am 33 hcp. My numbers are between 15hcp and 20hcp, but length is not everything :-D consistency and accuracy is probably more important than this. It's worse to hit 250yards to the out of bounds rather than 180yards on a fairway...

[@baggins1900]

Got my handicap this week and i'm starting out as a 23.2, my irons distance always seem to be stronger than friends I go with but I can't seem to transition the same power into my drive, like my 5 wood goes roughly the same distance at around 220. Driver : 225 Yards 4 Hybrid :195 9 iron : 145 7 iron : 170 60 degree : 75

[@isaaccrawford4004]

My distances are almost exactly the same as the 0 handicap. Unfortunately, due to my short game and decision making, I’m a 8 handicap. 😂

[@lkae4]

Chart fits me pretty well. I'm about a 15 and driver total is 250, 7 iron 155. I've been -1 through 5 holes a few times, trying to shoot -1 through 9.

[@ScrivyRL]

I am a 12 to 15 handicap at 51 yrs old and hitting the distances from your P-avg chart of the 0 hcp. I must be needing to make the putts on the first stroke instead of the occasional 2 and 3 putt to get to the 0 hcp... Great explanation of the wrist movement that should be achieved... Not new but have not been focused on that. I will now though, thanks Coach Lockey

[@CoachLockey]

You’re welcome. If you’re hitting lower handicap distances you need to think about all the other aspects that might be letting you down not to be a scratch. Accuracy, approach play, short game, putting. You don’t need to hole every putt that’s for sure. Start collecting stats 👍

[@retailtraitor1516]

This is 100% me.

[@ScrivyRL]

@@CoachLockey Thank you and yes, accuracy is a big part in my chipping and putting. I will work on it. Thanks again...

[@ncphenom2309]

I’d say you need to work on your chipping and piloting. If you are really hit those distances you must be really really bad around the green.

[@ScrivyRL]

@@ncphenom2309 You are correct sir, chipping practice net is on it's way, for real. lol I really do hit those distances and that is what I have been working on. Now it is time to work on the chipping part of the game. Pitching is ok but short chips I tend to rush instead of calmly swing as a putt type stroke. Getting there though piece by piece... Thanks for your accurate insight...

[@danielcohen3159]

1:00 - OR, do what I did and share this video with your buddies who hit it 30 yards past you and play off 13, and you're a 4 HCP. 😄 7-iron: 145 carry and driver 230 carry.

[@CoachLockey]

😂😂😂😂😂 even better

[@matthewthompson6329]

This is a great explanation. I swing 7 iron at 90+ mph and only carry it 160. Went on quad and I’m delivering 30+ deg of loft which I know is too high. Any drills you recommend??

[@CoachLockey]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppbIkHiglLycnposi=4uqsmnIHxUNB-ECg

[@chrisdickson895]

Just watched this video. I’m launching my 7i at 22 degrees with an average flat carry of 183 yards. What would you say is the ideal launch angle? (Though I understand everyone will be slightly different). I’d be intrigued to see a table of launch angles through the bag, like the one you created of yardages, is that something you could do?

[@petemajor5693]

HM is out of my price bracket. Would be great to get hold of one for a few days.

[@andrewlaw8121]

The wrist info, though interesting is probably the hardest thing to change during swing consistently. Hack motion is information and not a direct cure for any swing faults.

[@francoisdesmoulins-lebeaul4273]

hcp fluctuating between 5 and 10, 7i (34°) carries 178 yards, driver carries (when decently hit, which is rare) 275 yards

[@BrokeBrewKnow]

7 iron 175. Driver 260-285 depends on strike

[@joeperez3520]

I fluctuate between 10 and 13, and my distances are good 20-30 yards shorter than the ones shown. Perhaps playing from the senior tees just lets me get my driver within mid/short Iron range, and misses are close enough to get up and down a good number of times.

[@CoachLockey]

Might find your short game and putting is decent too 👍

[@grahamfox7568]

HC is 28 using the whole bag. Last 3 9 holes I've played have been played with no woods at all cos I currently just can't hit them at all. I was always inconsistent but I can barely get the ball off the tee box at the moment. Iv always been decent with 3 and 5 wood off the fairway or light rough but these too have gone to rat shit lol. Back to my last 3 nine hole rounds. No woods and teeing off with a 6 iron and working more on accuracy and course management iv shot 41, 44 and today a 42. Stick woods in my bag and I'm shooting as low as 90 but also as high as 120. Take the woods out and I'm suddenly a sub 15 handicap based off those last 3 9 holes rounds lol. Currently I'm very confused. My distances using the chart suggests currently around a 15 handicap. I'm tempted to put a 4, 5 and driving iron in the bag and ditch the woods. I have a bad back, pushing 60 and feel like I'm beyond help with my woods.

[@matthewbr29]

I need to work on this because I have and in-to-out swing but leave the face open to path. So I have a slice now and the side spin has the ball going 90 degrees when it lands going even further off target.

[@CoachLockey]

Practice practice 💪

[@cory9752]

4 hc, 7i carrying 165, Driver 270-290

[@dboyswitten82]

Short right. Thats what my buddies call my golf game lol

[@WhoDeyFan123]

7i-31.5 degree- low 90s club head-175 yards, driver- 10.5 degree- 105-107mph club head- 250 carry… 40 yards left of target

[@Chris-yj1zg]

0.4 handicap - I’ll hit just short of those 5 handicap distances to 4 iron, 7 iron down I’m somewhere between 0-5 handicap. But since using ShotScope I realise I hit no where near as far as I once thought. But as with everything, it’s subjective. Out in Portugal my longest drive was 348, at home it’s about 285 down wind 🤔

[@markcook4693]

Around 160 yards with my 7 and 250 yards with my driver.

[@rickcudmore8156]

At 5'3" I have always hit my irons shorter than my playing partners but can outdrive them. Driver 240 yards, 7i 140 yards, 12 hcp.

[@markstringer5555]

Driver, usually, 240 carry, 311 record. 3 wood, usually 220, record 260. 7 iron, usually 175, record 205. 50 year old, 2 years in.

[@markstringer5555]

It's frustrating to know what I can do, but hardly ever do it. Distances recorded via Garmin GPS.

[@donaldwilcoxjr.5212]

Driver carry 240 ....7 iron carry 150 .....pw 110 ......handicap 5.3 ....47 years old .....but I do play ping s55s with a more traditional loft ....and I usually do not play from the pro/ back tees....usually the next ones up ( white tees ) at most courses I play .....

[@jonathancraven1163]

10 hcp. Driver: 260 7i: 155

[@johnfrancis757]

I'm a 10 handicap, my distances are all in / around the 0 - 5 handicap range but have always been a longer hitter --- for me it's around and on the greens where I lose all the shots.

[@CoachLockey]

Get practicing 😉

[@petekenny3774]

7 iron 148 carry ...driver 231 Carry

[@daveed1446]

7 iron - 140 M. 154 yds. Driver - 210 M. 230 yds. My playing handicap is 17

[@leftyjcw7173]

Distance isn’t the game. Knowing your distances is the game. 9 iron 100, 9 iron 160. Doesn’t matter. The only thing that really matters is that you KNOW YOUR DISTANCES.

[@MrExcitement111]

Nope scoring or coming in closest to par is literally the game of golf. More distance makes it easier to get on greens in reg and get closer. If you’re hitting a 100 yd 9 iron you are going to need more shots to get to the green vs a 160 9 iron. And you will be farther from the hole needing more putts on average. That’s the whole point of that graph.

[@Gigity1107]

7.7hcp I'd say my distances are all a little closer to a 12.5hcp looking at that chart( I'm assuming they're carry distances.). But then I do turn 60 in just over a month, ugh!

[@Ratkiing]

7 iron 160 driver 260, i needa work on less spin on the driver

[@helendodsworth1702]

165 carry and 5 ha dicap with 7 iron

[@simmitson6287]

Driver 220 to 250 with roll out 7 iron 140 to 150 age 63 10 year old irons 3year old Driver 14 handicap

[@eazyeach1876]

Driver 215-230 7 iron 138-148 14 handicap

[@frog2210]

Driver - 240 Yds Total 7i - Carry 136 yds 6.5 Handicap

[@tuckleberryfin75]

But what about irons and the category. Like some super game improvement irons are like 4-5 degrees stronger than players irons. I play t100s and my 7iron is around 150-154, but when I played my last set of game improvement irons, I was probably 10-15 yards longer, but the lofts were also 3-4 degrees stronger.

[@georgekmorash4313]

7 iron 155

[@pan0568]

Any data for women golfers at those handicaps?

[@1976axerhand]

48 yrs old 7 iron 150-155

[@edwardbrown6245]

I hit a 7 iron 168.. driver 245..wish I had more

[@Fightfortruth2024]

7I 195 carry average Driver 270 carry average 14 handicap

[@dsc-nr5zy]

7 carry 160 Driver carry 250 I'm about a 4 or 5 handicap.

[@aubreyharmer8848]

160/175 7i cannot strike driver! 210/225 3w carry. Nearly 65 yrs old been striking balls for just over 18 months.

[@channell9292]

15 hcp 7i 145y Dr 210y (age 47, just a guy, no interest in fighting, IYKYK)

[@xeverogaming]

I hit in the 0 hcp range but am a 15 hcp :( consistency is not my strongest part of my game

[@CoachLockey]

Find a go to shot that keeps it in play. Mines a punch draw. Works in so many situations 👍

[@fretless05]

Sadly, I think this tells me loud and clear what I've long feared... that my putting must really suck. My yardages for nearly all my clubs line up pretty closely to the 10 HC column, 7i-160, Driver257, yet I'm playing at 15 right now.

[@CoachLockey]

Accuracy, approach play, short game or putting. Start collecting stats and find out my friend 👍👍

[@fretless05]

@@CoachLockey I've got Arccos to track stats and according to its strokes gained stats, the issue is clear... compared to 8 HC, SG stats are Driving -2, Approach, -2.3, short game +1.8, and putting, -7.2. The putting stat is actually better than it was! My previous 10 rounds, putting was -9.5, but my short game improvement has been saving my putting stats.

[@adrianscott6005]

10hc but hitting all the yardages of a 15 HC - but I am 57 so, I guess that answers that

[@supertroop3rs]

Is the table carry right?

[@CoachLockey]

No

[@1991Sweeney]

Handicap: 10.7 (bit out dated maybe) 7i @ 31°: 165-170yards carry Driver @ 9°: 260-265yards carry Been trying to work on wrist angles at top of back swing from a lesson I had recently

[@donalddopp1257]

140 and 200

[@jareddixon3978]

7iron on average 170yrds driver average 240yard I struggle with driver 15handicap

[@bh5606]

Those averages do not describe my handicap. My handicap is 10 strokes better than my driving distance according to this chart.

[@joeperez3520]

Same here. I'm a senior who only drives the ball about 210-230 but playing from forward tees allows me to hit some pretty decent approaches to the point where my hcp fluctuates between 10 and 12. My 7 Iron is only 135, and my PW tops out at 100.

[@CoachLockey]

You must excel in accuracy or short game and putting is 🔥

[@mufc778]

driver 250 ...7 iron 160 ..10 hcp

[@sumitagg1]

Pete cowen’s says the same thing in his “opposite forces”

[@xCoachDx]

Avg putts per round should be factored in here, IMO

[@craigroberts7013]

7 Iron - 160 yds Driver - same

[@Ri_Guy]

So I have to hit my 4 iron 223 to be a 0 handicap? i530 here I come.

[@beniteztheconman]

Can you simplify this please. My head is spinning. Wrist angle at impact should be...

[@CoachLockey]

Depends on your grip. Weak grip in lots of flexion, neutral grip in a little flexion, strong grip in a little extension

[@retailtraitor1516]

16 handicap. 170ish 7 iron. 280 driver. I can’t putt to save my life..

[@CoachLockey]

Why you watching this then 😂

[@retailtraitor1516]

@@CoachLockey so I can see where I SHOULD be :). It looks like I should be at about a 3 once I get better at reading breaks.

[@redhed9776]

love this guy's channel...gotta admit.. he looks like Buster Scruggs !!

[@jbacker1190]

You should be hitting your clubs as far as you hit them. Long hitter, short hitter, all different swings - doesn’t matter. I've played all over the world, and not one of the course's scorecards have any spaces on them except "Name" and "Score". The game of golf doesn’t care how. It just cares how many.

[@dominiquevanvoorhis5162]

Hmmm. I play with a lot of 10 handicap golfers and not one of the them hits it 259 yards off the tee.

[@CoachLockey]

Ok 👍

[@brendanmchale4424]

According to foresight Max carry 294 with a stealth 2 158 carry with a mp37 7 iron 169 carry with a t100s Handicap 20+

[@richardmarsh1769]

I’m 48 during the US open - 7i at 96 club goes 170-175 big dog at 112-115 club carry like 275 on a good day

[@al1356]

So I’m a 9 handicap with scratch distances. That means my aim is crap then 👍

[@CoachLockey]

Something in your game is weak, I don’t know what it is though. Go collect stats 👍

[@al1356]

@@CoachLockey consistency coach. I can have crazy blow up holes 😱

[@bryankean8521]

Driver? 235-260 7 iron? 155-160. Handicap? Currently 19 but that is bit high. Typically play around 16.

[@CoachLockey]

You have the distance to be lower!!!

[@bryankean8521]

@@CoachLockey Thank you.....Absolutely agree. And at one point 20 years ago I was approaching 10. Working on getting back to that this year. 2 core issues for me 1) Blow up holes from horrific tee shots 2) chipping. The first one is my current bugaboo. Working to deliver the club consistently

[@mightye.d.c.2059]

Your handicap number should never exceed the distance (yards) you throw your driver.

[@peterhammer6915]

those numbers looked really high imho. I doubt a 15 hcp hits irons longer than professional ladies. edit. or are those full distances, not carry? A 7-iron can easily roll-out even 10 meters if you dont spin it well.

[@skajme]

I get around 175/180 yards carry with 7 iron....and about 220 yards carry with Driver. Tried it all, watched all the videos, but i cannot hit driver upwards at all. Golf is great, ha

[@pbateman62]

Wrist angles bruh

[@paulhunt674]

I hope all the data for club distance wasn't collected on a mat, indoors. No wind, no fat shots, thin shots. All are not correct if indoors as it would be outside in different playing conditions 😁

[@CoachLockey]

Millions of shots outdoors

[@jasonpaulharmanbyrne7991]

My yardage with a 7 iron is around 155-165, driver, to be honest I’m not really sure, but I put it out there

[@p4fizzle]

There is NO correlation between HC and distance...at all

[@drohvac4583]

Motion would be cool, but it’s way overpriced

[@Ron-hj1or]

Hit slow, short but straight…. Just play the game

[@Mihigo26]

Disagree with the data.By this reckoning I should be off 20, I'm off 8.

[@anthonyrichardson7543]

Really like your content; however, would appreciate if you didn’t use the Lord’s name in vain (when discussing dynamic loft).

[@Pud56]

Not another hack motion advertisement, every KZbinr in the UK golf fraternity are doing the same, it is so annoying. We will not spend over £800 for this nonsense, those that are trying to improve have lessons. I unsubscribe from all hackmotion pedlars. Goodbye

[@CoachLockey]

Didn’t ask you to buy it 😂

[@peteratherton897]

So you’ve been ok with coach using and showing us stuff on the 10 grand Trackman, but now you’re annoyed with a hack motion, he wasn’t selling you the item, just showing you with visible data how to hit the ball better, you must of got out of bed on the wrong side today

[@Drouse1986]

Yeah… I plan to try and use the information that he gathered and tested (also broke down how it would effect different player’s grips… and offered solutions) so, I didn’t have to buy a product to gather results. Thanks! Now, in another not for profit move, I will subscribe. It costs me nothing, and helps the page. (If I don’t want to watch a video, I don’t have to… either way, I’m unaffected) 👍🏻 got a sweet golf tip out of the exchange, though. (Regardless of subbing, buying, or even commenting)

[@mb28540]

Cool story bro. Just let me know where he said you should buy one. What I notice is UK coaches adopting new tech much faster than American coaches. Good on them.

[@davidprice579]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but did I just hear you call the name of God in vain?

[@fontyyy]

this golf tip is good enough for Jehovah

[@blackheart7886]

A 7 iron can vary from 36 to 26 degrees, so all nonsense really.

[@CoachLockey]

I literally say lofts have changed over the years 😂

[@tourrhythmgolf-3to1]

10 hcap. driver 240 7i 165