Hybrid distance, 20 handicap
A 20 handicap carries a hybrid about 168 yards on the model, at 77 mph of club head speed, and totals 178 yards on a fairway landing. That is 42 yards behind the scratch figure of 209 yards and 57 yards behind the tour average of 225 yards.
The number
The handicap model puts a 20 handicap’s driver at 87 mph and swings every club at the same fraction of its tour speed, which gives the hybrid 77 mph. At that speed the smash factor is 1.41, the ball speed 109 mph, and the carry 168 yards: ball speed multiplied by the club’s 1.54 yards per mile per hour from the published tour row. Roll on a fairway landing adds 6 percent, for 178 yards total.
The clubs either side
At 20 handicap the 5 wood carries 4 yards more and the 3 iron 10 yards less, so the hybrid covers about 163 yards to 170 yards with a full swing.
The hybrid and its neighbours, 20 handicap
| Club | Club head speed | Carry | Total | Against this club |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 wood | 79 mph | 171 yards | 182 yards | +4 yards |
| Hybrid (this page) | 77 mph | 168 yards | 178 yards | 0 yards |
| 3 iron | 75 mph | 158 yards | 164 yards | -10 yards |
Against every handicap
The same club across the handicap steps. The spread from scratch to a 30 handicap is 62 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.
Hybrid carry by handicap
| Handicap | Club head speed | Carry | Total | Against this page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scratch | 94 mph | 209 yards | 222 yards | +42 yards |
| 5 handicap | 90 mph | 199 yards | 211 yards | +31 yards |
| 10 handicap | 85 mph | 188 yards | 200 yards | +21 yards |
| 15 handicap | 81 mph | 178 yards | 189 yards | +10 yards |
| 20 handicap (this page) | 77 mph | 168 yards | 178 yards | 0 yards |
| 25 handicap | 73 mph | 158 yards | 167 yards | -10 yards |
| 30 handicap | 69 mph | 148 yards | 157 yards | -20 yards |
What the yards are worth
Being 42 yards behind scratch costs about 0.20 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 168 yards in the fairway the tour average needs 3.02 strokes to hole out and 3.26 from the rough, so a hybrid approach that finishes 25 feet from the hole is worth +0.09 against the tour average for a 20 handicap, and one that finishes 40 feet away -0.04.
The bag at 20 handicap
Every club at the same handicap, so the hybrid can be read against the rest of the set.
Every club for a 20 handicap
Driver speed 87 mph on the handicap model.
| Club | Club head speed | Carry | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Driver | 87 mph | 204 yards | 221 yards |
| 3 wood | 82 mph | 181 yards | 192 yards |
| 5 wood | 79 mph | 171 yards | 182 yards |
| Hybrid | 77 mph | 168 yards | 178 yards |
| 3 iron | 75 mph | 158 yards | 164 yards |
| 4 iron | 74 mph | 151 yards | 158 yards |
| 5 iron | 72 mph | 145 yards | 151 yards |
| 6 iron | 71 mph | 137 yards | 142 yards |
| 7 iron | 69 mph | 128 yards | 133 yards |
| 8 iron | 67 mph | 119 yards | 124 yards |
| 9 iron | 65 mph | 110 yards | 115 yards |
| Pitching wedge | 64 mph | 101 yards | 103 yards |
| Gap wedge (modeled) | 62 mph | 92 yards | 94 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 hybrid 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 hybrid 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 20 handicap hit a hybrid?
What club head speed does a 20 handicap swing a hybrid at?
How far is a 20 handicap behind scratch with a hybrid?
Which clubs sit either side of the hybrid for a 20 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 hybrid anchor scaled to the club head speed the handicap model gives a 20 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.