What each club is for and how far it goes
What each golf club is for
In short
A golf bag holds up to 14 clubs (Rule 4.1b), in five families. The driver has the least loft and goes farthest, for tee shots on long holes. Fairway woods (3-wood, 5-wood) and hybrids hit long shots from the fairway or rough. Irons, numbered roughly 4 to 9, cover mid and short approach shots: the higher the number, the more loft, the higher and shorter the shot. Wedges (pitching, gap, sand and lob) are for short approaches, chips, pitches and bunker shots. The putter rolls the ball on the green. As a rough guide each iron goes 10 to 15 yards farther than the next shorter one. Our distance chart gives tour averages and turns your own 7-iron into a yardage chart.
Woods and hybrids
The driver usually has 8 to 12 degrees of loft and the longest shaft in the bag. Fairway woods start around 15 degrees for a 3-wood. Hybrids replace long irons for many players because their wider sole and lower center of gravity get the ball in the air more easily.
Shot shapes: draw, fade, hook and slice
Every club can curve the ball. For a right-hander a draw curves gently right to left and a fade left to right; their exaggerated versions are the hook and the slice. Our guide to draw vs fade explains, with Trackman's face-to-path data, what makes the ball curve.
Irons and wedges
Iron lofts vary by manufacturer, and modern sets have stronger (lower) lofts than older ones, which is one reason a 7-iron today can go as far as a 6-iron did decades ago. Wedges run from the pitching wedge, which comes with the set, to the lob wedge at about 58 to 60 degrees. The wedge loft chart lists typical lofts and how to space them.
How far each club goes
Distances depend mostly on swing speed. On the PGA Tour the average 7-iron carries about 176 yards; most club golfers carry it somewhere between 120 and 160. The distance chart shows the full tour table and builds your own chart from one club you know, and the driver distance calculator turns your swing speed into an expected carry.
The 14-club rule
You may start a round with fewer than 14 clubs and add clubs up to 14, but never more. The 14-club rule page covers the penalty and what counts as a club.
Frequently asked questions
How many clubs can you have in a golf bag?
A maximum of 14 (Rule 4.1b). Carrying more is a penalty of two strokes per hole, up to four strokes, in stroke play.
How far should I hit my 7 iron?
It depends on swing speed. Trackman's PGA Tour average is about 176 yards of carry; many amateur men carry a 7-iron 120 to 160 yards. Use the gaps from your own 7-iron to estimate the rest of your bag.
All clubs guides
Draw vs Fade in Golf: What Each Shot Is and What Causes ItWhich way each shot curves, what causes it, and the hook and slice.
The 14-Club Rule: How Many Clubs You Can Carry in GolfThe limit, the penalty in stroke play and match play, and what to do if you find a 15th club.
Wedge Loft Chart: Pitching, Gap, Sand and Lob Wedge DegreesPitching, gap, sand and lob wedge lofts, and how to space them 4 to 6 degrees apart.
Coming to this guide
Being written and checked against the Rules and other primary sources now.
- Which club to use for chipping
- Hybrid vs iron: which to carry
- How to measure golf club length
- Parts of a golf club
- What is inside a golf ball