Equipment
Golf 101: How far should my clubs go? (AKA gapping)
“I’m a new golfer, and I’m confused.” My buddy said this to me via text one day.
How do I know what club to choose? How far should my clubs go? It’s like learning how to drive on the freeway and knowing when to change lanes. Seems a bit overwhelming as a kid (new golfer) watching your parent do it with such ease.
It’s an honest question, concern. I have 13 clubs and a putter in this satchel, and all I really know is the driver is supposed to go far—but what else? How do I organize this mess?
The answer is actually pretty simple, however, if it’s your first time playing I’d like to give you a simple remedy to getting through. We will get to that in a second…
If you are a few rounds in and are becoming comfortable having all these options, you now realize that all the clubs go a different distance and have a different job.
How far should my clubs go?
To learn how to start dialing in your clubs/yardages try this at the range.
- Go through the whole bag; 10 shots with each club. Starting with the highest-lofted club, start to pay attention to where the ball is landing (most of the time). After 10 shots, compare the result to the yardage marker closest. For example, if you hit 10 8-irons and of the 10, eight of them land at or around the 125 marker, your 120-125 club is your 8-iron.
- After you have gone through the bag to start, jot down the result on a piece of paper and refer to it when you play.
- Now, next time you are at the course, pay attention to how your on-course yardages compare to what you found on the range. There will be some differences because the environment has changed. Jot those numbers down.
The point is until it becomes consistent you have to journal what is happening. Over a short period, you will begin to see patterns.
- Basic stock yardage for all your clubs
- How the environment affects your golf ball
- An understanding of what clubs you hit well vs the others
Now for the brand new player…
You were given a rental set with 14 clubs?
Grab the driver, hybrid, 7-iron, PW, SW, and putter. Those six clubs will allow you to get around and have some fun. Why make it complicated your first time?
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
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Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Pingback: Gapping at the top of the bag for longer hitters – GolfWRXers discuss – GolfWRX
Lefthack
Dec 12, 2020 at 8:58 pm
The first learned and competed with a starter set. Driver, 3 wood, 3, 5, 7, and 9 irons and a putter. I bought a nicer putter and a sand wedge.
Once I got a real set, it actually took a few years before I could hit even clubs, thought.
Peter Albertsson
Dec 1, 2020 at 10:23 am
First you need to groove your swing so that you have a consistent swing speed.
Then try to hit every club as far as you can, and write that down. Then on the course make sure you max distance of the club you pick does not go over the green. Then start to take notes on when you were pin high and make adjustments. So you eventually know what the range is
Paul
Nov 16, 2020 at 2:16 pm
I highly recommend playing on a launch monitor, get all your distances that way. You will always know how far your clubs go in perfect conditions. Then when you are on the ground you subtract a couple yards, in the rough 5-10 less, up hill shot add a half club or so. This is the easy part for anyone who plays at all. You just have to work it out once.
Rich
Nov 2, 2020 at 9:52 pm
I can’t see that far. Seriously.
I know my carry distances from having played the same irons over the past 4 years. But I’m upgrading in a couple of weeks and I’ll have to go to a simulator to get the lofts right, and then experience them on the course for awhile to know the carry distances.
But I can’t see far enough to see if my 6-iron flies 180 or 185 (it does).
Then there’s the issue with range balls. There’s no way you’ll get a reliable, nor valid, result with them.
(Note: “valid” means the results are accurate. “Reliable” means the same strike will create the same result each time. The range isn’t valid because range balls don’t produce the same result as your brand does. They probably fly less. And they’re not reliable because range balls vary so much in terms of quality from ball-to-ball. Two identical strikes will likely produce different results.)
You have to get out on the course, hit shots with your balls, and see where they land. Toss out outliers, especially those from poor strikes. Then yes, write them down and use them.
Then forget about pin placement and aim for the center of each green. You’ll be happy you did.
Paul
Nov 16, 2020 at 2:12 pm
I got my distances from a launch monitor, works great.
BiGBilly
Nov 2, 2020 at 11:43 am
69, playing since age 10, HCP 7
I play and get distances from a GPS, currently an Approach G80 Garmin whish also has a decent make-do Launch Monitor.
I measure on the ground every single shot I play so I have confidence in now only how far my ball goes on every shot, I also know where a miss might be and where to look.
I, too say use at most every other club and have fun when starting, but measure everything not to see how macho far everything goes, but to know with confidence where you CAN hit it. No wishing, woulda, coulda shoulda.
Bob Jones
Nov 2, 2020 at 9:06 am
Easy way to figure out your iron distances. Sign up for a session with a launch monitor and find the distances you hit a 9, 7, and 5-iron. Interpolate for the rest of your irons. Take these distances to the course and start adjusting for hitting actual golf balls instead of the range balls you hit with the monitor. After a few rounds you will know.
Tim
Nov 4, 2020 at 3:11 pm
I’d say have all your irons checked. The loft and lie will change over time. I have had fittings in the past and was amazed at how just a degree or 2 can alter distance. I have a 20 yard distance gap between my 8 iron and 9 iron that needs to be addressed.
DougE
Nov 2, 2020 at 8:52 am
A beginner first needs to get comfortable hitting the ball somewhat consistently. Club distances are irrelevant at this level. If the new golfer can make decent contact with a 5i or hybrid, a 7 or 8 iron and a PW, that’s really all they need, plus a driver and putter. 5 clubs total. Period. Once they get more consistent and you can actually see a very distinct distance on nearly every swing off a turf lie (not off a tee) between those three clubs, then you can add another couple irons to the mix.
Having taught many pure beginners (mostly children and older, unathletic women), when they ask what club should they hit in a certain situation, I think of how well they have been able to hit each of the few clubs they have. I will then usually suggest the longest club if the distance they’d best benefit from is over 120 yrds, knowing the odds of them making clean contact from a turf lie is slim. (Yes, they could get lucky and hit it further, but if so, it would probably be a good thing. With a shorter distance of maybe 90-100 yards, the odds are better for cleaner contact with a 7 iron, and even better still with a pitching wedge when the best distance is 50-80 yards. We aren’t worried about GIRs at this stage. Just moving the ball forward. Until we get close enough to the green, there is rarely ever a reason to use anything other than a hybrid (or 5i) for most of these beginner-level players.
George Fletcher
Nov 2, 2020 at 8:44 am
There are plenty of factors affecting how far the ball flies. Clearly the most important is how good the strike is. Nobody hits it as far when not making clean contact with the middle of the club. And obviously the ball goes further downwind than it does into the wind.
Air temperature also affects the distance a ball flies, and many people do not realize how much of a factor this is. As a rough guide, the ball flies 1 yard further for every 2 degrees Fahrenheit the air temperature rises. So a shot that flies 200 yards at 32F would fly 220 yards at 72F.
Peter
Nov 1, 2020 at 11:51 pm
Start with 6 clubs
Driver
3 wood
5
7
9
S
I’m not counting you putter, although, you should look at that part of your game too
Joe
Nov 2, 2020 at 10:32 am
I would swap the 3W out for a 4 or 5 Wood for most beginners… Better gapping… I would also consider a 5 or 6 Hybrid after that especially for lower swing speed players.
Been there
Nov 1, 2020 at 7:08 pm
This isn’t “gapping”. It’s yardage. Gapping is knowing the differences between clubs. It’s should you have 8 yards or 15 yards between irons.
This is handy for a dead beginner who bought a box set, but “which one to hit” isn’t a good thing here. Granted ranges are often limited flight, the better advice is this:
Hit a ball 10 yards. What’s easiest to do that. Then 20, 30, and all the way to 200. Experiment. Jot those down.
These articles are all about “how far do you hit it” – that’s not the goal, EVER. The goal to golf is to hit a certain distance. Figure that out.
Johnny P
Nov 1, 2020 at 6:28 pm
Never judge your distances at a range, the balls are old, some newish, been sitting in water and rain for God knows how long and probably some have fluid in them and are water-logged, some are hard as rocks and most of them I wouldn’t use if u paid me.
Juan R.
Nov 1, 2020 at 5:26 pm
Yup. This makes a big difference knowing your clubs. This has been very helpful in breaking 90’s, next will be staying in low 80’s and better. As a weekend golfer has been awesome to know my gaps. Now I’m looking at the wedges bounce!!!
Curt
Nov 1, 2020 at 4:24 pm
It’s the most important thing when buying clubs. As I get older found that gapping of ten yards requires more loft gaps. From 4 to 5 to make it work in my 7 thru GW.
Max Houck
Nov 1, 2020 at 12:40 pm
It is a tricky thing. Range balls are not great for judging distance but it’s a starting point; they will always be SHORT. On-course conditions vary, so it’s always an estimate plus variance. I made a card for my wedges with 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and 1/1 swings so I have an idea when I get to the approach shot and can reduce my swing thoughts–just concentrate on the green, etc. It will take time and several sessions.
Acemandrake
Nov 1, 2020 at 11:46 am
Great overall advice. Every golfer should take the time to know their club’s distances.
Your 6 club setup (D, H, 7, PW, SW, P) for beginners is perfect. I use this setup & I’ve been playing for over 50 years. Seems like I’ve gone full circle.
Dennis
Nov 1, 2020 at 8:54 am
DO NOT put 14 Clubs in your bag if you are a beginner! A putter, one wedge, a 7 iron and a 5 or 7 wood is enough. When you get better you could add clubs for certain distances. Leave the driver out of the bag until your handicap drops below 20!