How Far Should Senior Golfers Hit Each Club?

Are you hitting it short? Or just normal for your age?

Chances are, as a senior golfer, you’ve stepped onto the tee and asked yourself: How much distance am I losing, and how fast is it happening?

Maybe your playing partner is outdriving you for the first time ever. Maybe your 7-iron keeps coming up short when you pull it for what used to be its stock number. And maybe you’ve been thinking about whether switching to senior flex shafts would help.

Here’s the truth: Distance absolutely changes with age. Knowing what’s realistic not only gives you peace of mind, it also helps you choose the right equipment and set the right goals.

Let’s break it down with real data from credible sources like the USGA and Arccos, so you can see how your game stacks up.

Why Senior Golfers Lose Distance

The main culprit? Swing speed.

The USGA’s Golfer Performance Measurement 2023 Update found that club speed accounts for about 92 percent of the variation in driving distance among amateurs. And as we age, swing speed naturally declines due to changes in flexibility, muscle mass, and overall athleticism.

In fact, the USGA quantified that golfers gain or lose about 2.84 yards for every 1 mile per hour change in driver speed.

So yes, Father Time has a say in your yardages. But that doesn’t mean you can’t adapt.

Average Male Driving Distance by Age (Arccos Data)

Thanks to Arccos’ massive on-course shot-tracking database, we have one of the clearest pictures of how male driver distance changes across age groups:

• Golfers in their 50s: 216 yards

• Golfers in their 60s: 205 yards

• Golfers in their 70s: 194 yards

So if you’re  68-year-old hitting your driver 200 yards, you’re right in line with the averages. That’s not “short.” That’s normal.

What About Swing Speed Benchmarks?

Swing speed drives distance, and shaft flex recommendations are often based on speed. Here’s a quick look:

• Senior (A-flex) shafts are generally designed for swing speeds in the 70 to 85 mile per hour range.

• By comparison, the average male amateur swing speed (all ages) with a driver is about 93 miles per hour.

That means many senior golfers benefit tremendously from switching to lighter, softer shafts that help launch the ball higher and keep distance up even as raw speed declines.

Senior Distance Benchmarks by Club: Anchoring on Driver + Relative Ratios

The most credible data we have for seniors relates to the driver — via Arccos and USGA studies. For other clubs, the published numbers by age are sparse. To stay accurate, we’ll anchor on driver distances and use widely accepted “drop-off ratios” to estimate the rest of the bag.

Step 1 — Driver Benchmarks by Age:

• Arccos data suggests average male drivers: 216 yards (50s), 205 yards (60s), 194 yards (70s).

• USGA notes driver speed is tightly correlated with distance, about 2.84 yards per 1 mph of swing speed change.

Step 2 — Apply Drop-Off Ratios for Other Clubs:

• 3-wood: 85-90% of driver carry

• 5-wood/hybrid: 75-85%

• 7-iron: 55-65%

• Pitching wedge: 35-50%

Example (for a 65-year-old driving about 200 yards):

• 3-wood: 170-180 yards

• 5-wood/hybrid: 150-170 yards

• 7-iron: 110-130 yards

• Pitching wedge: 70-100 yards

These are approximate ratios, not absolutes. Two players may both hit 200 with the driver but differ in their iron distances depending on technique, strike quality, and equipment. This framework gives you a logical, data-backed way to set expectations across your bag.

What About Senior Women?

Reliable data for female seniors is harder to find, but the USGA does provide helpful averages: Women amateurs average 144 yards with the driver, 98 yards with a 7-iron, and 80 yards with a pitching wedge. Those are across all ages, so senior golfers will often fall somewhat below them.

The key takeaway is that women’s senior yardages tend to be 20 to 40 percent shorter than men’s at each club. The best approach is the same — track your own numbers and make sure your equipment matches your swing speed.

How to Measure Your Own Yardages the Smart Way

The only way to know for sure is to track your actual shots on the course, not just on the range. That’s where technology can help.

Arccos Smart Sensors automatically track every shot and build a personal distance profile.

The Garmin Approach S70 GPS golf watch shows you real-time distances and tracks performance trends.

And an affordable launch monitor (there are a lot of them to choose from) gives you a way to measure swing speed and carry distance.

With tools like these, you can stop guessing and actually know your true yardages.

How Equipment Choices Can Help Seniors Gain Distance

Even if you’re losing a little swing speed, equipment can give you yards back.

Senior flex shafts that are softer and lighter are designed for 70 to 85 mile-per-hour swing speeds. If that’s you, don’t fight it. Get into the shaft that’s actually built to help you hit if further more consistently.

High-launch drivers with more loft and forgiveness are another way to gain carry distance even with slower swing speeds.

And hybrid clubs that are easier to hit than long irons are a great alternative for gaining far greater consistency.

There are solutions out there that are designed to help seniors maximize distance without swinging harder. Don’t assume that your game is stuck where it’s at. The results of an equipment overhaul could be shocking.

The Big Takeaway

If you’re a senior golfer hitting your driver around 200 yards and your 7-iron about 130, you’re right in line with the averages. That’s not a weakness. That’s just the math of aging.

What matters most is understanding your own benchmarks, using the right equipment for your swing speed, and leveraging technology to measure and improve.

So the next time you stand on the tee and watch your buddy hit it past you, just smile. Chances are, he’s younger, faster, or is playing more optimized equipment.

But your day is coming. Patiently await your sweet revenge.

About PlayBetter Golf Reviewer Marc Sheforgen

Marc Sheforgen is a golf writer whose passion for the game far exceeds his ability to play it well. Marc covers all things golf, from product reviews and equipment recommendations to event coverage and tournament analysis. When he’s not playing, watching, or writing about golf, he enjoys traveling (often golf-related), youth sports coaching, volunteering, and record collecting.