Golf swing speed calculator
No launch monitor? Estimate your driver club head speed from how far you hit the ball. Enter your driver carry, total distance, 7-iron carry or ball speed, and we'll work out your swing speed, the shaft flex that usually fits it, and which golfers swing like you. Played at altitude? Tell us where, so thin air doesn't flatter the numbers.
Your swing speed
Estimated driver club head speed
7-iron club speed
Driver ball speed
Swing speed reference chart
Approximate driver club head speeds, and the carry our model gives them at sea level.
| Player type | Swing speed | Driver carry | Shaft flex |
|---|---|---|---|
| PGA Tour average | 114 mph (183 km/h) | 275 yds (251 m) | X-Stiff |
| Scratch golfer | 105 mph (169 km/h) | 253 yds (232 m) | Stiff |
| LPGA Tour average | 95 mph (153 km/h) | 229 yds (210 m) | Regular |
| 10 handicap | 95 mph (153 km/h) | 218 yds (199 m) | Regular |
| Average male amateur | 93 mph (150 km/h) | 202 yds (185 m) | Regular |
| Bogey golfer | 90 mph (145 km/h) | 196 yds (179 m) | Regular |
| Senior male | 85 mph (137 km/h) | 185 yds (169 m) | Regular |
| Average female amateur | 78 mph (126 km/h) | 170 yds (155 m) | Senior |
How we estimate it
We run our club distance calculator backwards. First we take out the air: a drive at 5,000 feet carries about 9% farther than the same swing at sea level, so we convert your distance to a sea-level, 70°F day. A driver's total includes about 10% roll, and a 7-iron carries about 62% as far as a driver. Then the swing speed is the one that gives that carry for your strike quality: a well-centred strike turns each mph of club speed into more ball speed and more yards, so the same distance means a slower swing for a good ball striker.
Shaft flex follows the usual guide (Regular up to about 95 mph, Stiff to 105, X-Stiff above), but tempo and transition matter too: a fitting on a launch monitor is the way to be sure. These are estimates for a typical golfer, not measurements.