3 iron vs 4 iron distance
At tour speed a 3 iron carries about 212 yards and a 4 iron about 203 yards, a gap of 9 yards on the published table. For a 15 handicap the gap is 7 yards: 168 yards against 161 yards. They sit next to each other in the bag, so the gap is the band of yardages between two full swings.
At tour speed
The 3 iron row is 98 mph, 142 mph of ball speed and 212 yards of carry; the 4 iron row is 96 mph, 137 mph and 203 yards. Roll is 4 percent of carry for the 3 iron and 4 percent for the 4 iron on a fairway landing, so the total gap is 9 yards.
By handicap
Both clubs at each handicap step on the handicap model. The gap narrows a little as speed falls, because the shorter club loses fewer yards per mile per hour.
3 iron and 4 iron by handicap
| Handicap | 3 iron | 4 iron | Carry gap | Total gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scratch | 197 yards | 189 yards | 8 yards | 9 yards |
| 5 handicap | 187 yards | 179 yards | 8 yards | 8 yards |
| 10 handicap | 177 yards | 170 yards | 8 yards | 8 yards |
| 15 handicap | 168 yards | 161 yards | 7 yards | 7 yards |
| 20 handicap | 158 yards | 151 yards | 7 yards | 7 yards |
| 25 handicap | 149 yards | 142 yards | 6 yards | 7 yards |
| 30 handicap | 139 yards | 133 yards | 6 yards | 6 yards |
By driver speed
The same pair for golfers who know their driver speed: each club at the same fraction of its tour speed.
3 iron and 4 iron by driver speed
| Driver speed | 3 iron | 4 iron | Carry gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 mph | 144 yards | 138 yards | 6 yards |
| 90 mph | 164 yards | 157 yards | 7 yards |
| 100 mph | 185 yards | 177 yards | 8 yards |
| 110 mph | 206 yards | 197 yards | 9 yards |
What the gap means
A gap of 7 yards at 15 handicap means every yardage inside it is a shot for neither full swing: the 4 iron needs more than it has and the 3 iron needs less. That is a normal gap, and the cost inside it is small: the published fairway table moves only 0.01 of a stroke across half of it. The free launch monitor analyzer reads a session in the browser and flags gaps over 20 yards.
Distance decides less than the pattern around it. Two clubs that carry the same number can spread very differently, and the spread decides whether a target is safe; PinFlag measures the spread from your launch monitor sessions and your logged shots and draws it on the hole.
In PinFlag
Import a session and both clubs become Measured patterns in PinFlag: on the course the aim is priced with the pattern of the club in hand, and switching clubs redraws Shot Cloud with the other pattern around the same target, so the comparison is between two real spreads on the real hole, not two yardages.
Frequently asked questions
How much longer is a 3 iron than a 4 iron?
Do a 3 iron and a 4 iron overlap?
Which rolls more, the 3 iron or the 4 iron?
What is the gap for a 25 handicap?
Which golf app does this on the course?
Related
Sources
- PGA TOUR statistics
- Golf simulator and launch monitor, Wikipedia
- How PinFlag calculates strokes gained
Every figure on this page is computed from the published baselines, the same ones PinFlag prices your shots with. The scope of the figures: Both clubs are the published tour anchors scaled by the handicap and speed models stated on the page; the pattern around each carry, which decides the choice, comes from your own shots.
Get PinFlag for iPhone
PinFlag shows you this number on the course, for the shot in front of you, before you swing: any target priced with your own dispersion and the lie read from the course map, your real shots drawn on the hole, and two taps to log. Golfer is $14.99 a month or $99.99 a year, with a 14-day trial on the annual plan through the App Store.