Why is my golf so inconsistent?
Practice
All golf questions
Distances
How far should I hit my golf clubs?
The short answer
There is no single correct distance for each golf club. Speed, strike, delivered loft, equipment and conditions all affect the result. For course decisions, the most useful number is your normal carry and its spread, rather than a tour player's distance or your longest-ever shot.
What to check first
01
Separate carry from total distance
Carry describes the flight distance; total includes the run after landing. A shot that rolls 20 extra yards on a firm fairway does not establish the carry needed to clear a bunker. Record which measurement you are using.
02
Measure a representative group
Warm up, use the same ball type where possible, and collect a group of ordinary shots with each club under similar conditions. A launch monitor can help; a safely measured practice area can also provide useful evidence. Range balls and wind may make the numbers different from on-course carries.
03
Keep the normal miss visible
Use the middle of your ordinary results as a starting stock number and retain a realistic short-to-long range. Clearly separate obvious misreads from actual mishits. Deleting every short result makes the bag look more dependable than it is.
04
Check gaps rather than chasing a chart
Two adjacent clubs that carry similar distances may leave a practical gap elsewhere. Confirm the pattern across more than one session before changing equipment. Long irons often become harder to separate when launch or strike is inconsistent.
Try this in practice
Collect ten usable measurements for one club, recording strike and conditions. For illustration, carries of 138, 140, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 146, 148 and 150 yards have a median of 144.5 yards. Keep the 138–150 range visible alongside that centre; it is a sample, not a guaranteed future spread.
What to measure
Test the stock carry against on-course approach outcomes: did the shot cover the front edge, and where did an ordinary miss finish? Refresh your numbers after a meaningful equipment or swing change.
Keep the conclusion proportionate
A single yardage cannot account for every lie, wind or temperature. Use the measured baseline to make an informed adjustment, and avoid interpreting ordinary distance differences as a personal failure.
Sources and further reading
The definitions and coaching principles above draw on these primary resources. Practice tasks and numerical examples are STROKES GPD educational illustrations.
Bring evidence to your next review.
Review your swing on video for a movement question, or use the free golf scorecard to identify a recurring on-course pattern.