5 wood vs 3 iron distance
At tour speed a 5 wood carries about 230 yards and a 3 iron about 212 yards, a gap of 18 yards on the published table. For a 15 handicap the gap is 14 yards: 182 yards against 168 yards. They are not neighbours, so the clubs between them share the band.
At tour speed
The 5 wood row is 103 mph, 152 mph of ball speed and 230 yards of carry; the 3 iron row is 98 mph, 142 mph and 212 yards. Roll is 6 percent of carry for the 5 wood and 4 percent for the 3 iron on a fairway landing, so the total gap is 23 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.
5 wood and 3 iron by handicap
| Handicap | 5 wood | 3 iron | Carry gap | Total gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scratch | 214 yards | 197 yards | 17 yards | 22 yards |
| 5 handicap | 203 yards | 187 yards | 16 yards | 21 yards |
| 10 handicap | 192 yards | 177 yards | 15 yards | 19 yards |
| 15 handicap | 182 yards | 168 yards | 14 yards | 18 yards |
| 20 handicap | 171 yards | 158 yards | 13 yards | 17 yards |
| 25 handicap | 161 yards | 149 yards | 12 yards | 16 yards |
| 30 handicap | 151 yards | 139 yards | 12 yards | 15 yards |
By driver speed
The same pair for golfers who know their driver speed: each club at the same fraction of its tour speed.
5 wood and 3 iron by driver speed
| Driver speed | 5 wood | 3 iron | Carry gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 mph | 156 yards | 144 yards | 12 yards |
| 90 mph | 178 yards | 164 yards | 14 yards |
| 100 mph | 200 yards | 185 yards | 16 yards |
| 110 mph | 223 yards | 206 yards | 17 yards |
What the gap means
A gap of 14 yards at 15 handicap is shared by the clubs between them, so the question is usually which of the two to carry. The published fairway table prices the yards themselves: being 14 yards closer on an approach is worth about 0.06 of a stroke, which is the size of the decision.
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 5 wood than a 3 iron?
Do a 5 wood and a 3 iron overlap?
Which rolls more, the 5 wood or the 3 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.