My club distances: iron yardage calculator and printable card
One carry in, an iron ladder estimate out, and a printable card.
Enter one number, your 7 iron carry, and get a planning estimate for the irons from the 4 iron to the pitching wedge. Print it as a pocket yardage card.
Your estimated iron ladder
| Club | 9 yd gaps | 10.5 yd gaps | 12 yd gaps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 iron | |||
| 5 iron | |||
| 6 iron | |||
| 7 iron (your number) | yd carry | ||
| 8 iron | |||
| 9 iron | |||
| Pitching wedge | |||
Illustrative estimates for the 4 iron through the pitching wedge, not measured distances. The three columns assume 9, 10.5 or 12 yards between irons; they are not statistical ranges.
How the estimate works
Each iron is counted in steps from your 7 iron: the 6 iron is one step longer, the 5 iron two, the 4 iron three; the 8 iron is one step shorter, the 9 iron two, the pitching wedge three. A step is worth 9 yards (low), 10.5 yards (mid) or 12 yards (high). Longer clubs add steps to your 7 iron carry, shorter clubs subtract them. Each result is rounded to the nearest whole yard, halves up.
Illustrative estimate. The gap between irons is commonly quoted as about 10 yards. The 9 and 12 yard bounds are derived from the usual 3 to 4 degrees of loft between irons and a rule of roughly 3 yards per degree (other sources quote 2 to 4), and 10.5 is simply the midpoint of that range, not a sourced figure. These are not typical or measured gaps. See golf club gapping for the rule of thumb and where it is discussed.
What it leaves out
Long irons often compress, so real gaps between your 4 and 5 iron may be smaller than this shows. Replace any number with a carry you have measured at the range or on a launch monitor. Gap wedges, sand and lob wedges are not estimated here because no step source has been confirmed: see the wedge distance chart for wedge spacing. Driver and woods are not estimated either: for the driver, use the swing speed chart.
Nothing you type is stored or sent anywhere. See also the club distance chart and average golf club distances.