Club Yardage Calculator

Golf Club Yardage Calculator

var clubData = { "Driver": { carryRatio: 1.00, rollRatio: 0.10 }, "3-Wood": { carryRatio: 0.90, rollRatio: 0.08 }, "5-Wood": { carryRatio: 0.85, rollRatio: 0.07 }, "3-Hybrid": { carryRatio: 0.80, rollRatio: 0.06 }, "4-Hybrid": { carryRatio: 0.78, rollRatio: 0.06 }, "5-Hybrid": { carryRatio: 0.75, rollRatio: 0.05 }, "3-Iron": { carryRatio: 0.78, rollRatio: 0.06 }, "4-Iron": { carryRatio: 0.75, rollRatio: 0.05 }, "5-Iron": { carryRatio: 0.72, rollRatio: 0.05 }, "6-Iron": { carryRatio: 0.68, rollRatio: 0.04 }, "7-Iron": { carryRatio: 0.65, rollRatio: 0.04 }, "8-Iron": { carryRatio: 0.60, rollRatio: 0.03 }, "9-Iron": { carryRatio: 0.55, rollRatio: 0.03 }, "PW": { carryRatio: 0.50, rollRatio: 0.02 }, "GW": { carryRatio: 0.45, rollRatio: 0.02 }, "SW": { carryRatio: 0.40, rollRatio: 0.01 }, "LW": { carryRatio: 0.35, rollRatio: 0.01 } }; // Simplified driver carry lookup based on swing speed (MPH) // These are average carry distances for a driver at various swing speeds. var driverCarryLookup = { "60": 150, "65": 165, "70": 180, "75": 195, "80": 210, "85": 220, "90": 235, "95": 245, "100": 255, "105": 265, "110": 275, "115": 285, "120": 295, "125": 305, "130": 315 }; function getDriverCarry(swingSpeed) { var speeds = Object.keys(driverCarryLookup).map(Number).sort(function(a, b) { return a – b; }); if (swingSpeed = speeds[speeds.length – 1]) return driverCarryLookup[speeds[speeds.length – 1]]; for (var i = 0; i = s1 && swingSpeed <= s2) { var c1 = driverCarryLookup[s1]; var c2 = driverCarryLookup[s2]; // Linear interpolation return c1 + (c2 – c1) * ((swingSpeed – s1) / (s2 – s1)); } } return 0; // Should not happen } function calculateYardage() { var driverSwingSpeed = parseFloat(document.getElementById("driverSwingSpeed").value); var targetClubType = document.getElementById("targetClubType").value; var windSpeed = parseFloat(document.getElementById("windSpeed").value); var windDirection = document.getElementById("windDirection").value; var temperature = parseFloat(document.getElementById("temperature").value); var altitude = parseFloat(document.getElementById("altitude").value); if (isNaN(driverSwingSpeed) || isNaN(windSpeed) || isNaN(temperature) || isNaN(altitude) || driverSwingSpeed <= 0) { document.getElementById("result").innerHTML = "Please enter valid numbers for all fields. Driver Swing Speed must be greater than 0."; return; } var clubInfo = clubData[targetClubType]; if (!clubInfo) { document.getElementById("result").innerHTML = "Invalid club type selected."; return; } // Step 1: Estimate Base Carry for Driver based on swing speed var baseDriverCarry = getDriverCarry(driverSwingSpeed); // Step 2: Scale for Target Club to get initial estimated carry var estimatedCarry = baseDriverCarry * clubInfo.carryRatio; // Step 3: Apply Environmental Adjustments (multiplicative factors) // Wind Adjustment var windEffectFactor = 1; if (windDirection === 'Headwind') { // Roughly -0.7% to -1% per MPH headwind windEffectFactor = 1 – (windSpeed * 0.008); } else if (windDirection === 'Tailwind') { // Roughly +0.4% to +0.6% per MPH tailwind windEffectFactor = 1 + (windSpeed * 0.005); } estimatedCarry *= windEffectFactor; // Temperature Adjustment (colder air is denser, reduces distance) // Reference: ~0.1% reduction per degree F below 70F var tempEffectFactor = 1; if (temperature !== 70) { tempEffectFactor = 1 – ((70 – temperature) * 0.001); } estimatedCarry *= tempEffectFactor; // Altitude Adjustment (higher altitude, thinner air, increases distance) // Reference: ~1% increase per 1000 feet above sea level var altitudeEffectFactor = 1 + ((altitude / 1000) * 0.01); estimatedCarry *= altitudeEffectFactor; // Step 4: Calculate Roll Distance var estimatedRoll = estimatedCarry * clubInfo.rollRatio; // Step 5: Calculate Total Distance var totalDistance = estimatedCarry + estimatedRoll; document.getElementById("result").innerHTML = "

Estimated Yardage for " + targetClubType + "

" + "Carry Distance: " + estimatedCarry.toFixed(1) + " yards" + "Roll Distance: " + estimatedRoll.toFixed(1) + " yards" + "Total Distance: " + totalDistance.toFixed(1) + " yards"; } // Calculate on load with default values window.onload = calculateYardage;

Understanding Your Golf Club Yardage

Knowing how far you hit each golf club is one of the most fundamental aspects of course management and scoring well. A precise understanding of your club yardages allows you to make smarter club selections, avoid hazards, and hit more greens in regulation. This Golf Club Yardage Calculator helps you estimate your distances by taking into account key personal and environmental factors.

Why is Club Yardage Important?

• Accurate Club Selection: Prevents overshooting or undershooting greens and targets.
• Course Management: Helps you plan your shots, lay up strategically, and navigate doglegs or water hazards.
• Confidence: Stepping up to a shot knowing your club will get you there builds confidence and improves execution.
• Consistency: Tracking your yardages helps identify inconsistencies in your swing or equipment.

Factors Affecting Golf Club Yardage

While your swing speed and the club's loft are primary determinants, several other factors can significantly alter how far your ball travels:

• Driver Swing Speed: This is a crucial baseline. A faster swing generally translates to greater ball speed and thus more distance across all clubs.
• Club Type: Different clubs (driver, woods, hybrids, irons, wedges) are designed with varying lofts, shaft lengths, and head designs to produce different trajectories and distances.
• Wind Speed & Direction: A headwind will significantly reduce your carry distance, while a tailwind will add yards. Crosswinds can also affect trajectory and overall distance.
• Temperature: Colder air is denser than warm air, creating more drag on the ball and reducing distance. Conversely, warmer temperatures can lead to slightly longer shots.
• Altitude: At higher altitudes, the air is thinner, resulting in less air resistance. This allows the ball to travel further than at sea level.
• Ball Spin & Launch Angle: While not direct inputs in this simplified calculator, these are critical factors influenced by your swing, club loft, and attack angle. Optimal launch and spin maximize distance.
• Roll: The distance the ball travels after landing. This is heavily influenced by the club used (drivers roll more than wedges), turf conditions, and landing angle.

How to Use This Calculator

1. Enter Your Driver Swing Speed: This is your average swing speed with your driver. If you don't know it, you can get it measured at a golf simulator or estimate based on your typical driver distance (e.g., 100 MPH often correlates to ~250-260 yards total distance).
2. Select Your Target Club: Choose the specific club you want to calculate the yardage for.
3. Input Environmental Conditions: Enter the current or expected wind speed, wind direction, temperature, and altitude.
4. Click "Calculate Yardage": The calculator will provide an estimated carry distance (how far it flies in the air), roll distance, and total distance.

Example Scenario:

Let's say you have a Driver Swing Speed of 95 MPH. You're playing with your 7-Iron. There's a 10 MPH Headwind, the temperature is 50°F, and you're at an altitude of 2000 feet.

• Base Driver Carry (95 MPH): Approximately 245 yards.
• Initial 7-Iron Carry (scaled): 245 yards * 0.65 (7-Iron ratio) = ~159.25 yards.
• Headwind Adjustment: -8% (10 MPH * 0.8%) = ~12.7 yards reduction. New carry: ~146.55 yards.
• Temperature Adjustment (50°F): -2% ((70-50)*0.1%) = ~2.9 yards reduction. New carry: ~143.65 yards.
• Altitude Adjustment (2000 ft): +2% (2000/1000 * 1%) = ~2.87 yards increase. Final carry: ~146.52 yards.
• Estimated Roll: 146.52 yards * 0.04 (7-Iron roll ratio) = ~5.86 yards.
• Total Distance: 146.52 + 5.86 = ~152.4 yards.

This shows how environmental factors can significantly impact your effective yardage, requiring adjustments in club selection.

Limitations and Tips

This calculator provides estimates based on common averages and simplified models. Your actual results may vary due to:

• Individual Swing Dynamics: Attack angle, club path, face angle, and smash factor are unique to each golfer and shot.
• Ball Type: Different golf balls have varying spin rates and flight characteristics.
• Course Conditions: Fairway firmness, grass length, and elevation changes on the course itself.
• Equipment: Club fitting, shaft flex, and clubhead design.

Tip: Use this calculator as a guide, but always combine it with your personal experience and on-course observations. Practice with a launch monitor to get precise data for your own clubs and swing.