Wondering if your long irons are going as far as they should?
The 4- and 5-irons are your traditional long irons but we’ve included the 6-iron here, too. For many mid- to high-handicap golfers, it’s the longest iron still in the bag. With more players switching to hybrids, and with the 2- and 3-iron all but extinct, this is a part of the bag where yardage often gets left on the table. Use this chart as a ballpark idea of where you stand.
Shot Scope provided updated distance performance averages based on handicap, which filter out mishits and reflect a solid strike. Take a look at the numbers below.
25 handicap
At the 25-handicap level, long irons can be a real weak spot. The gaps between clubs start to compress. Many golfers struggle to get consistent launch and carry distance. With a greens-hit percentage of just six percent using a 5-iron and proximity over 230 feet, it’s no surprise that this is one of the least effective clubs in the bag. If you’re seeing similar patterns, it may be time to consider a hybrid or more forgiving iron in this range.
| Club | P-Avg Distance (yards) |
|---|---|
| 4-iron | 151 |
| 5-iron | 143 |
| 6-iron | 137 |
20 handicap
The 20-handicap isn’t all that different from the 25 when you look at the long iron stats. Yardages are higher, but the gaps are still tight, and the overall effectiveness remains low.
From the 150-175 yard distance, the 20-handicap hits the green just 15 percent of the time, and proximity to the hole averages over 100 feet. When the 20-handicap golfer moves back to 175–200 yards, the green-hit rate drops to just nine percent.
| Club | P-Avg Distance (yards) |
|---|---|
| 4-iron | 169 |
| 5-iron | 162 |
| 6-iron | 151 |
15 handicap
At the 15-handicap level, long irons start to show progress. Distance improves and players gain a bit more control, but hitting greens is still tough. Only about 11 percent of 15-handicap golfers can hit the green from 175–200 yards. Many shots still come up short and the gaps between clubs can still feel inconsistent.
| Club | P-Avg Distance (yards) |
|---|---|
| 4-iron | 186 |
| 5-iron | 169 |
| 6-iron | 162 |
10 handicap
By the time golfers reach a 10 handicap, long iron performance improves. The distance gaps start to widen (up to 28 yards between 4- and 6-iron) and greens-hit percentages move into the low 20s from 175–200 yards.
| Club | P-Avg Distance (yards) |
|---|---|
| 4-iron | 199 |
| 5-iron | 187 |
| 6-iron | 171 |
5 handicap
At the 5-handicap level, long irons become a functional scoring tool. You’ll notice the average 5-iron distance for a 5-handicap (183 yards) is slightly lower than that of a 10-handicap (187 yards). This is likely a reflection of many better players switching into less forgiving, lower-launching irons with weaker lofts.
Misses remain common from 175–200 yards, with only 23 percent of greens hit and nearly half of shots finishing short.
| Club | P-Avg Distance (yards) |
|---|---|
| 4-iron | 201 |
| 5-iron | 183 |
| 6-iron | 172 |
Scratch golfer
The average 5-iron for the scratch golfer goes 200 yards but, more importantly, proximity drops to just 95 feet and greens-hit percentage climbs to 31 percent. That’s a huge leap in effectiveness compared to higher handicaps. Scratch golfers hit 37 percent of greens from 175–200 yards and 33 percent from 200–225 yards.
| Club | P-Avg Distance (yards) |
|---|---|
| 4-iron | 223 |
| 5-iron | 200 |
| 6-iron | 185 |
Final thoughts
Use this long iron distance chart as a realistic benchmark. If your numbers are way off or if your 4-, 5- and 6-irons all seem to go the same distance, it could be a sign that your long iron setup isn’t working.
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