3 iron distance, 5 handicap
A 5 handicap carries a 3 iron about 187 yards on the model, at 88 mph of club head speed, and totals 195 yards on a fairway landing. That is 10 yards behind the scratch figure of 197 yards and 25 yards behind the tour average of 212 yards.
The number
The handicap model puts a 5 handicap’s driver at 101 mph and swings every club at the same fraction of its tour speed, which gives the 3 iron 88 mph. At that speed the smash factor is 1.43, the ball speed 125 mph, and the carry 187 yards: ball speed multiplied by the club’s 1.49 yards per mile per hour from the published tour row. Roll on a fairway landing adds 4 percent, for 195 yards total.
The clubs either side
At 5 handicap the hybrid carries 11 yards more and the 4 iron 8 yards less, so the 3 iron covers about 183 yards to 193 yards with a full swing.
The 3 iron and its neighbours, 5 handicap
| Club | Club head speed | Carry | Total | Against this club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | 90 mph | 199 yards | 211 yards | +11 yards |
| 3 iron (this page) | 88 mph | 187 yards | 195 yards | 0 yards |
| 4 iron | 86 mph | 179 yards | 187 yards | -8 yards |
Against every handicap
The same club across the handicap steps. The spread from scratch to a 30 handicap is 58 yards of carry on the model, which is real but smaller than the spread in where the shots finish: the pattern around the number separates handicaps more than the number does.
3 iron carry by handicap
| Handicap | Club head speed | Carry | Total | Against this page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scratch | 92 mph | 197 yards | 205 yards | +10 yards |
| 5 handicap (this page) | 88 mph | 187 yards | 195 yards | 0 yards |
| 10 handicap | 84 mph | 177 yards | 185 yards | -10 yards |
| 15 handicap | 80 mph | 168 yards | 174 yards | -20 yards |
| 20 handicap | 75 mph | 158 yards | 164 yards | -29 yards |
| 25 handicap | 71 mph | 149 yards | 155 yards | -39 yards |
| 30 handicap | 67 mph | 139 yards | 145 yards | -48 yards |
What the yards are worth
Being 10 yards behind scratch costs about 0.03 of a stroke per approach on the published fairway table, because every approach starts that much further back. Over the fourteen long shots in a round the model adds it up; the fix that pays is knowing the real carry and playing tees that keep approaches where the table is flat.
From 187 yards in the fairway the tour average needs 3.12 strokes to hole out and 3.35 from the rough, so a 3 iron approach that finishes 25 feet from the hole is worth +0.19 against the tour average for a 5 handicap, and one that finishes 40 feet away +0.06.
The bag at 5 handicap
Every club at the same handicap, so the 3 iron can be read against the rest of the set.
Every club for a 5 handicap
Driver speed 101 mph on the handicap model.
| Club | Club head speed | Carry | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | 101 mph | 242 yards | 262 yards |
| 3 wood | 96 mph | 214 yards | 227 yards |
| 5 wood | 92 mph | 203 yards | 215 yards |
| Hybrid | 90 mph | 199 yards | 211 yards |
| 3 iron | 88 mph | 187 yards | 195 yards |
| 4 iron | 86 mph | 179 yards | 187 yards |
| 5 iron | 84 mph | 171 yards | 178 yards |
| 6 iron | 82 mph | 162 yards | 168 yards |
| 7 iron | 81 mph | 152 yards | 158 yards |
| 8 iron | 78 mph | 141 yards | 147 yards |
| 9 iron | 76 mph | 131 yards | 136 yards |
| Pitching wedge | 74 mph | 120 yards | 123 yards |
| Gap wedge (modeled) | 73 mph | 110 yards | 112 yards |
The gap wedge row continues the pitching wedge trend and is labeled modeled; every other row is the published tour anchor scaled to the speed.
In PinFlag
Import a launch monitor session and PinFlag turns your 3 iron into a pattern of your own carries, labeled Measured, that stands behind every target you price on the course. Shot Cloud draws the real shots around the spot you are considering, on the hole in front of you, so a tucked pin is compared with the middle of the green on your real spread, not a single yardage.
Every shot you log with the 3 iron on the course records the target and the result, so the pattern keeps growing from real rounds, and Insights shows the club’s proximity, the shots it cost and the shots it won across a season.
Frequently asked questions
How far does a 5 handicap hit a 3 iron?
What club head speed does a 5 handicap swing a 3 iron at?
How far is a 5 handicap behind scratch with a 3 iron?
Which clubs sit either side of the 3 iron for a 5 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: The carry is the published tour 3 iron anchor scaled to the club head speed the handicap model gives a 5 handicap; the app replaces it with your own launch monitor carries.
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.