A big thank you to our sponsors who keep this newsletter free to the reader:

Today's issue is brought to you by Adam Young Golf.

His new 8 week course launches in less than two weeks on June 4th. I have personally been through it and I HIGHLY recommend it. It's FANTASTIC.

Use code STAGNER for 10% off.

Get started here.

Iron vs Iron

I hope you are doing well, and thank you for subscribing!I have published a ton of data looking at amateur players at every skill level and how they perform from a given distance. One of the questions I often receive are golfers wondering how players of different skill levels perform with the same club. When providing info from a certain distance, 150 yards for example, scratch players will tend to use a shorter club than a higher handicap player will use. This is because as handicap improves, players tend to hit the ball longer, and will be able to use a shorter club.

Many golfers that have commented on twitter threads or reached out via DM on this topic have speculated that a scratch player with a 7 iron will perform very similar to a 10 index player with a 7 iron. I took a deep dive into the Arccos Golf database to see what this looks like (use code DATALOU15 to save 15%!).

The short answer is that performance between handicaps with the same club is not even close! Scratch players are way better, which is what makes them scratch!

Let's check out some data!

The Stats

There are three tables below. The first shows the median distance that each iron is hit. Please note this is the TOTAL distance the ball went and is only for shots from the fairway.

The second table shows the hit green percent (only shots from the fairway). The third table shows the median proximity in feet (only shots from the fairway).

What Does This Mean For You?

These tables should drive home the gap that exists between different handicap levels even when they are using the same club. They should also give you some good guidelines for iron performance by skill level.

I definitely have more thoughts on this topic, and will revisit at some point, but I am still recovering from my first bout with COVID and it's definitely time for another nap. Statholing is physically and mentally exhausting! (haha).

Thank you!!

If you are enjoying the newsletter, you might also enjoy the podcast I co-host. It's called "Hack it Out Golf".

We just finished releasing an 11-part series titled:
"Learn to Consistently Score in the 70s"

We just started a new 10-part series titled:
"Ultimate Guide to Gaining Distance"

We interview multiple experts and no stone is left unturned. You will add yards!

Please give it a listen!

Subscribe here:
Apple
Spotify

Thanks so much and have a great week!

— Lou