How many times have you called your yard, picked what you thought was the perfect club, and still come up short—leaving yourself a tricky lie to catch and save?
If you’re like me, it’s happened too many times to count. And often, the culprit is a common misunderstanding among amateurs: not knowing the difference between carry distance and total — or not understanding how to use that information on the course.
Understanding the difference between these two data points—and the crucial role of the fairway—can transform your game, helping you hit more greens and avoid costly mistakes on the course.
Carrying vs. total distance
Put simply, carry distance is how far the ball flies in the air. Total distance is how far it travels overall, including any spins or jumps after landing. To calculate your carry number, launch monitors use relatively constant factors such as swing speed, launch angle and contact quality. Total distance, on the other hand, is determined by adding dependent variables, or variables that can change from shot to shot, such as slope, ground firmness, or wind.
Stop focusing on the wrong numbers
Many amateurs obsess over total distance, but this can backfire during a round. Total yardage changes with course conditions.
For example, if you only know that your 8-iron’s total distance is about 142 yards, you might select it for a 137-yard front pin with short problems, thinking that’s enough to get you there. But if your average carry is actually 135 yards, you run the risk of reaching a little bit if the ball doesn’t bounce or roll as expected.
Relying on total span alone also makes club selection more complicated when adjusting for conditions such as strong winds, strong and fast conditions, and changing temperatures. Instead, by using average shipping rates, you’ll have a solid base to work from. Helping you make smarter decisions on the course.
How to find your shipping yards
As someone who, until recently, didn’t know average carry distances, I can tell you that it’s easier to figure out than you might think – especially if you have access to the latest technology.
THE define my carry stringsI used mine Full Swing KIT Launch Monitor and focused particularly on my irons during a practice session. I started with my 9-iron, hitting about 10 shots and noting both the carry and total distance for each. Then I threw in the outliers – both the ugly ones and those “perfect” stealth shots that travel a few feet farther than normal. Once I had a consistent set of shots, I added up the carry distances, divided by the number of shots, and just like that, I had my averages.
After calculating my average carry distances, I was able to sneak in a few rounds before my local courses started winterizing, and I was pretty happy with my results. Armed with this vital information, I had a newfound confidence in my game. My course strategy was smarter, I made better club choices, and as a result, I found myself second-guessing those decisions a lot less than usual, which translated into more pars on the scoreboard.
