Most amateur players believe they have a “stock” amount for each iron in their bag, eg, “I know my 7 iron goes 160 and my 8 iron goes 145.” The numbers feel repetitive and predictable. Practice sessions reinforce this belief. But golf isn’t played on a windless mat and perfect lies.
So how often do amateurs actually hit their stakes on the course?
Using Shooting range course data, we only looked at 7-iron performance. Rather than focusing on how far the ball traveled, we measured consistency: specifically, how often a golfer finished within ±5 yards of their average performance distance.
This includes everything that real golf throws at you: wind, uneven lies and elevation changes. Here’s what Shot Scope data shows.
How often do golfers hit their “stock” 7 iron
| Handicap group | % of punts within ±5 yards of P average |
|---|---|
| scratch | 18.5% |
| 5 Handicap | 17.2% |
| 15 Handicap | 14.0% |
| 25 Handicap | 12.5% |
Those numbers, with a 7-iron in hand, were lower than I expected. While the stamina steadily improves as the handicap goes down, it’s still not that high. Golfers with handicaps hit their stock 7-iron about six percentage points more often than golfers with 25 handicaps.
The best players in this group land within five feet of their layup less than 20 percent of the time. True repeatability in a “stock” scope is rarer than most hobbyists expect.
Why this matters for golf course management
Knowing your yards is still critical. But the mistake many amateurs make is to assume that their average distance represents what will happen most of the time.
There isn’t.
If your 7-iron performance average is 160 yards, that means your typical swing is centered around 160. That doesn’t mean 160 is what you can expect every time you pull that club.
Let’s say the pin is 162.
Many golfers immediately think, “That’s a 7-iron.”
But if you only finish within five yards of 160 about 14 percent of the time (Average with 15 handicaps), a large proportion of your shots are shorter than that number. A slightly low putt, a touch into the wind or a slight drop in ball speed can easily turn that 160-yard club into a 152-yard putt.
Now you miss the green, bringing the front bunkers and short fairways into play.
This is where the best players are divided. They lose their number less often and manage distribution more intelligently.
Think in strings, not single numbers
The fastest way to apply this to your game is to start thinking in intervals.
Instead of saying, “My The 7-iron is 160,” switch to: “My 7-iron usually holds between 152 and 165.”
This range will vary by player, but the principle is the same. Your mean is the center of your distribution, not the number you should expect every time.
If your 7-iron averages 160 and your common misses are six to eight yards short or long, your effective carry window may actually be 152 to 165.
Now let’s get back to that 162-foot pin.
If your last carry is 152 and a significant percentage of your shots land there, the 7 iron becomes a probability decision. This is where amateurs get into trouble. They match the club to the laser number instead of matching it to their delivery pattern.
The takeaway point is not that stockpiles are useless. It is that they are probabilities. The better you understand your spread, the smarter your decisions become, and these little consistency gains are exactly what help you move to a lower handicap.
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