What golfers actually hit, by handicap

Driver numbers by handicap

Trackman publishes averages from its Combine test, grouped by handicap. The "average golfer" in Trackman's data is a 14.5 handicap. Trackman does not publish a 20 or 25 handicap group, so we don't either.

Male amateur driver averages by handicap (Trackman Combine)

Sources: Trackman club speed, Trackman ball speed, Trackman launch angle, Trackman spin rate (all Sep 2024). Some third-party sites quote 92 mph for the average golfer's club speed; Trackman's current page says 94.

Notice the pattern: from scratch to bogey, club speed drops about 18 mph but ball speed drops about 30. Better players are not just swinging faster, they are finding the middle of the face more often. That is exactly the kind of gap Pickle Shot is built to show you.

Women's driver numbers by handicap

Female amateur driver averages by handicap (Trackman Combine)

Sources: the same four Trackman pages as above (Sep 2024).

7 iron and driver distance by handicap

Arccos tracks real on-course shots from its sensor users. Its figures are distances hit on the course, not on a range mat.

Median 7 iron distance by handicap (Arccos, 2020)

Source: Arccos, Smart Distances and handicap (Apr 2020). Metres converted by us and rounded.

• Arccos also reports average driver distance of 243 yards (222 m) for golfers with a 0 to 5 handicap and 209 yards (191 m) for 16 to 20 handicappers. Source: Arccos, Apr 2020.
• A separate Arccos analysis says the average 10 handicapper drives it 226.6 yards (207 m) in total. Source: Arccos, Jun 2023.

The average male amateur: actual vs optimal

In 2014 Trackman looked at the average male amateur (a 14 to 15 handicap) swinging the driver at 93.4 mph with a slightly downward attack angle, and compared what he gets with what he could get from the same speed.

Average male amateur driver at 93.4 mph club speed (Trackman, 2014)

Source: Trackman, Performance of the average male amateur (Aug 2014).

Same swing speed, 24 more yards of carry. That is the point: most amateurs are not short of speed, they are short of a plan for the speed they have.

How to use these numbers

• Pick the next rung, not the top of the ladder. If you are a 22, compare yourself with a 15, not with scratch.
• Look for the biggest gap, not every gap. If your ball speed is well below target but launch is fine, strike is the job.
• Use carry, not total. Roll depends on the ground. Carry is the honest number.
• Watch your spread. Averages hide dispersion. A 150-yard 7 iron that finishes 25 yards either side is not a 150-yard 7 iron.

Pickle Shot does this for you, club by club, from your own launch monitor data. Related reading: How far should you hit your 7 iron, by handicap