The distance you hit your 9 iron will depend greatly on your clubhead speed and the quality of the contact you have with the ball. As your golf game changes, you will notice that distances are also impacted.

Beginner

Beginner golfers are the most inconsistent, and therefore distance is not something you can calculate quite as easily. Some beginners have very high clubhead speeds, while others are slow.

However, most beginners can get about 115 yards of distance from their 9 iron. You may start slow with this club and notice only about 100 yards, which is entirely acceptable.

Once you start making contact with the center of the clubface, you can expect to reach 115 yards more consistently from each of your swings with a 9 iron.

High Handicap

Higher handicap golfers have some of the same issues that beginners have. They may hit a 9 iron shot that travels 120 yards and then another that travels 110. Most average swing speed high handicappers will try to get the 9 iron to fly between 115 and 120 yards.

The key for golfers in this handicap range is to ensure that they are getting more consistent distance and slightly higher clubhead speed.

Mid Handicap

Mid-handicap players will consider the 9 iron to be a 125-yard club. Some mid-handicappers start to develop a lot of clubhead speed, and you could end up seeing a 130-yard shot from this group.

However, the mid handicappers will still want to ensure they are getting a higher trajectory, plenty of spin, and control with the total distance of the 9 iron.

Mid-handicappers often start to pay more attention to things like carry distance and total distance. Although your total distance for your 9 iron may be 125 yards, the carry distance may only be 120 yards. Keep that in mind when going over a hazard.

Low Handicap

Low handicap players often get about 130-140 yards of distance from the 9 iron. Most lower handicap golfers have more consistency in their swing, and they can get the ball to make contact with the center of the clubface quite often.

Low handicap players with higher speeds can see distances up to 150 yards with their 9 iron.

It’s important to remember that lower handicappers playing with power lofted clubs will see more distance than lower handicappers playing with blade style golf irons. The golf club you are playing with certainly comes into play when determining total distances.

Here’s a summary of what we covered above:

PGA Players

PGA Players have tremendously high clubhead speeds. Although it’s not a requirement to be a professional, it’s nearly impossible to compete on the PGA Tour unless you have high clubhead speed.

The PGA Tour Players will hit a 9 iron anywhere from 150 to 190 yards. A golfer like Bryson DeChambeau can get up to 190 yards of distance with his 9 iron because of his incredibly high clubhead speeds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YevOs-c5nlE

At some point, I think PGA Tour players are more concerned with their accuracy than their total distance. If you think about it, when your 9 iron can travel nearly 200 yards, what will be your 100-yard club?

The point is only a certain amount of distance is beneficial. At some point, it makes sense just to have control and spin and a distance you can trust.

Tips for Hitting Your 9 Iron Further

If you feel like you’re not currently maxing out on distance with your 9 iron, there are a few ways that you may be able to increase it.

Recently, I had trouble with distance and determined that it was actually the golf ball I was using that was causing the problems for me. So let’s start there…

Check Your Golf Ball

Some golf balls are distance golf balls, and others are built for spin and control. If your swing speed is not entirely high and you are using a four or five-piece golf ball, you may not be maximizing your distance potential.

I encourage you to have a good idea of your swing speed and the compression of the golf ball you are playing with. For slower swing speed golfers, the lower compression golf ball is a better fit.

Ensure Full Rotation

The 9 iron is a shorter club than your long irons or driver. Sometimes when golfers have this shorter club in their bag, they rotate a little less and struggle to get that full turn in their swing.

I like to think about my left shoulder turning underneath my chin. If my left shoulder makes it to that position, the club will be in the right place at the top. This full rotation gets your club to parallel and allows for a bit more extension and speed.

Work on Accuracy

Speed is often the ultimate factor in increasing distance in your golf shots. Speed is essential, but so is the accuracy of the strike.

In fact, if you have a ton of speed and you apply it to the clubhead and miss the sweet spot, don’t expect impressive results.

The closer you strike the ball to the center of the clubface, the easier it is to get the distance. It’s as simple as that.

Clubhead sweet spots have gotten bigger, but the golfer still has to do quite a bit of the work.

Practice Smart Strength and Conditioning

Golfers that spend some time in the gym almost always have higher clubhead speeds than those that don’t. When you work out and spend time increasing your speeds, you will see more distance from your 9 iron.

I highly recommend sticking with golf-specific exercises. If you take things too far with muscle building, it can result in a lack of mobility. Speaking with a trainer and letting them know you want to gain distance in your game is also a smart idea.

Proper Ball Position

I like to play the ball in the middle of my stance. When I do that with the 9 iron, I seem to have the best chance for solid turf interaction, a good divot, and improved total distance.

When the ball is too far forward, the shots are thinner and don’t have as much total distance. Hitting the ball from too far back in the stance can cause issues with the clubface angle.

Hit Down and Through

We need the 9 iron to go up high when we hit shots, but to get this ball flight. It is essential to hit down and through the golf ball. For golfers that are still trying to lift the ball up in the air, long distance becomes an issue.

If you need some help learning how to hit down and through and compress a ball, simply lean a little on your left side and take some half swing shots. This should give you the feeling of compressing the ball to get a higher and longer final result.

Hitting down and through the ball is a challenging concept at first, but all great players will need to learn it.

Brittany Olizarowicz

Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children. Current Handicap: 1

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You can play approach shots, chips, bump and runs or bunker shots. You can play approach shots, chips, bump and runs, flops, and bunker shots.

In this post, I reveal the best chipping wedges for all skill levels.

You’ll find that I have included super game improvement wedges to keep high handicappers straight. Also, I have included semi-forgiving high-spinning designs for players with mid-handicaps and buttery-soft, playable wedges for superior golfers. These clubs have a high degree of loft and spin, which will help you to gain control on the green. Low handicappers can use a variety wedges to achieve different chip shots. For example, they may use a 56-degree wedge for a standard chip and a 60-degree for shorter plays, with little green to work with.

4 Best Chipping Wedges for High Handicappers

Before you dive into the list below, I suggest bookmarking our review on the 10 best wedges for high handicappers.

1. Cleveland RTX ZipCore

Cleveland RTX Zipcore

ZipCore increases MOI while shifting the CG. It also adds spin, improves control and consistency, and enhances your shot. UltiZip grooves are deeper, sharper and narrower. They are more aggressive, more able to channel debris and closer together, allowing for greater groove contact.

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Pros

Generates straighter shots

Increases friction at impact

Cons

• The design is chunky
• It is not the highest-spinning wedge I have tested
• The Cleveland RTX ZipCore emerges as a highly forgiving wedge that helps high handicappers produce straighter chip shots. In addition, I found that this cavity back design generated exceptional spin and the grooves were highly durable.
• You’ll notice that the wedge takes its name from the Zipcore technology the engineers used to alter the center of gravity (CG). As a result, the wedge possesses an advanced moment of inertia (MOI) to remain stable at impact and reduce spin drop-off.
• Next, the Ultizip grooves impressed me with their ability to boost friction at impact and impart increased spin on my ball. Cleveland engineers designed the grooves on the clubface to be deeper, sharper and narrower. They bite into your cover and impart consistent revolutions per minute on the ball.

Finally, you’ll appreciate the durability of the heat-treated grooves that will extend the lifespan of your wedge.

• 2. Tour Edge E522

Tour Edge Hot Launches E522 Wedge

The E522 wedge’s super-wide sole, combined with its heavier head weight, helps eliminate flubs and improve contact. The E522 Wedge is designed to be versatile by adding extreme performance to chipping and pitching, explosion shots from the sand or rough, flopshots, bump-and run shots, and flop shots.

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Pros

Extremely affordable

Provides optimal turf interaction

Carries a high MOI

Prompts straighter shots

The oversized head construction does not appeal to everyone

• Tour Edge E522 delivered superb performance during testing despite its entry-level price tag. In my experience, it offered reduced turf interaction, amplified forgiveness, and consistent spin across the clubface.
• You’ll immediately spot the Super Wide Houdini Sole, which Tour Edge claim limits turf interaction by 35%. It was impressive to see it make clean, consistent contact with the ball and glide across the turf. The extra-large clubface is designed to increase MOI and improve accuracy on the dancefloor. High handicap golfers will appreciate the added forgiveness to keep their ball on target on mishits.
• Lastly, the Tour Edge engineers impressed me with the Full-Face Maximized Grooves construction. It was able to produce impressive spin when hitting the sweet spot, and maintained my revolutions per second on off-center hits. Cleveland CBX

• Cleveland Golf CBX4 – 56 Degrees

• Lightweight, low-density cores work in conjunction with the cavity design to reduce vibrations, while also shifting weight, and boosting MOI, for increased feel, consistency, and forgiveness.

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Pros

• It possesses a high MOI
• Optimal forgiveness

Fights misses to the right

Engulfs vibrations on off-center strikes

Produces ample spin

Cons

Chunky profile

Only one sole grind option for sand wedges

Maximum Forgiveness

• Delivers consistent spin
• Produces crisp turf interaction
• Prevents spin drop off
• Perimeter weighting increases MOI for straighter shots
• Cons

It is only available in one sole grind

• The oversized profile is not pretty at setup.
• The Callaway Mack Daddy CB is my final chipper recommendation for high handicappers. It provided consistent spin and accuracy on every shot. In addition, it gifted me with clean turf interaction to encourage a sweet strike from anywhere on the golf course.

You’ll learn soon enough that the Groove-in-Groove technology powers your spin and control with this wedge. I enjoyed maximum spin for a game improvement golf club, improving my control and consistency around the dancefloor.

My only gripe with this wedge is that the weaker lofted wedges are only available in a single-sole grind. This may upset some players like me, but it takes the guesswork out of the process for a beginner unsure of the best option.

4 Best Chipping Wedges for Mid Handicappers

1. Callaway Mack Daddy 5 JAWS

Callaway Mack Daddy 5 Jaws Wedge (54 Degrees)

New, tour-tested C and W grinds have been updated to allow for a greater variety of greenside shots. The head shape progresses away from the traditional shaped lob and sand wedges towards a compact design for pitching & gap wedges. This allows a seamless transition to an iron set.

• Pros
• Soft feel
• Two sole grind choices
• Generates enhanced friction
• Prompts rampant ball speed

Moderate forgiveness

• Cons
• I do not enjoy the presence of the medallions on the back

Expensive compared to other mid-handicapper wedges

The Callaway Mack Daddy 5 JAWS is admired by the average golfer demanding aggressive friction and spin without sacrificing feel. I also found that the moderately sized clubhead enables an element of workability for improved control.

You’ll see that this wedge is constructed with 8620 mild carbon steel, which creates a soft feel for increased feedback at contact. I find this additional feedback helps me better judge the force required to execute my shot.

Furthermore, the Mack Daddy 5 JAWS offers you two sole grinds in the sand wedge department, the W and S-grind. The W-grind is best for soft turf, and it’s also great for golfers who have a steep angle. Conversely, the S-grind fairs superbly on soft to medium ground and suits all attack angles.

Lastly, you’ll produce enhanced friction off the clubface thanks to the JAWS MD 5 Groove Micro Features. The aggressive, sharp grooves are closer together to increase traction and bite your ball cover in order to impart increased spin.

Cobra Snakebite

The Cobra Connect grip analyzes each shot for deeper insight into your game

• Enhanced stability at impact
• 3 sole grind options
• Cons
• Some golfers may not enjoy the oversized profile
• The thicker Cobra Connect grip will not appeal to everyone.

Mid-handicappers will find the Cobra Snakebite wedge a high-spinning build designed to amplify your control on short game shots. The Cobra Connect Grip is a great grip. I liked the friction, feel and shot analysis. I felt the impact of the technology in the spin and could better control the roll and flight of my chip shots.

• Moreover, I found the Progressive face grooves managed to optimize my spin and launch for the ideal flight and control. The sand wedge and the lob wedge are also fitted with full-faced grooves that impart optimal spin to all shots made with an open face. You can avoid spin-drop. I believe more golfers will benefit from the versatile grind, which suits different conditions and attack angles. The sole cavity ensures optimal weight distribution
• Prompts a low, controlled launch

Provides a soft feel

Cons

Reduced forgiveness

The face rusts over time which may not appeal to some golfers

The TaylorMade Hi-Toe RAW

Pros

Classy-aged copper finish

• 3 sole grinds to choose from
• The sole TaylorMade Hi-Toe RAW
• Pros
• Classy-aged copper finish
• 3 sole grinds to choose from

The sole cavity ensures optimal weight distribution

• Prompts a low, controlled launch
• Provides a soft feel

Cons

Reduced forgiveness

The face rusts over time which may not appeal to some golfers

The TaylorMade Hi-Toe Raw is an attractive wedge with an aged copper finish, built to produce low, controlled flight and rampant spin. The Hi-Toe RAW is a wedge that’s perfect for golfers with a mid-handicap who want centered, higher CG to encourage lowered flight and more spin. I felt it improved my distance control, as my ball launched lower and rolled as intended, compared to a ballooned shot that landed short of the mark.

Furthermore, you’ll find TaylorMade offers the Hi-Toe Raw wedge in 3 sole grinds, ranging from a low to mid and high bounce angle. Low bounce is best for players with shallow attack angles. Conversely, those with a steep swing may prefer a high-bounce option.

Lastly, I noticed that the full-face scoring lines produced incredible spin around the green. The PXG 0311 Forged

Pros

• Single versatile sole grind
• Generates optimal friction
• Produces increased spin on short shots
• Offers a soft feel
• Delivers maximum feedback

Cons

• The medallions on the cavity back wedge are an eyesore
• The clubface is partially Precision milled

The PXG 0311 wedge PXG 0311 Forged

Pros

Single versatile sole grind

Generates optimal friction

Produces increased spin on short shots

Offers a soft feel

Delivers maximum feedback

• Cons
• The medallions on the cavity back wedge are an eyesore
• The clubface is partially Precision milled
• The PXG 0311 wedges are suitable for the average golfer seeking additional spin, a soft feel, and a consistent sole. PXG engineers decided it was tedious crafting different sole grinds for players, so they concocted a single versatile design that delivers crisp turf interaction.
• You’ll notice that the 0311 is forged from 8620 carbon steel, which creates a soft feel for improved feedback off the clubface. I could feel the ball leave the face and get a better feel for the force needed to execute the chip. PXG engineers created a high-density, friction-promoting pattern by engraving score lines into the precision-milled surface. You’ll find this increases your spin on chip shots for precise results.

Finally, the single versatile sole worked well in all conditions by producing sufficient bounce for steep attack angles while lowering it for neutral swings.

• 3 Best Chipping Wedges for Low Handicappers

1. Titleist Vokey SM9 Tour Chrome

Pros

Compact profile

Encourages clean contact on all shots

Durable grooves

Produces rampant spin

4 sole grinds to choose from

Cons

• Reduced forgiveness on off-center hits
• Expensive compared to other wedges
• Titleist Vokey wedges need little introduction, and the powerhouse team continues its innovation with the SM9 Tour. This wedge has the perfect balance of spin, soft feel and clean contact. The lob wedge comes in 5 lofts, whereas the sand is available in 4.0. The high-bounce D grind is a good choice for players who like to take deep divots. Alternatively, the M-grind suits golfers seeking a versatile grind for various shots, lies, and turf firmness.
• Furthermore, Vokey and his team heat-treated the grooves of the SM9 Tour Chrome to deliver a robust spin rate and enhance their durability. The compact profile will also make this wedge more enjoyable to use at address. However, it may reduce the forgiveness of mishits. Mizuno T22 Satin Chrome

• Mizuno T22 Satin Chrome Wedge

  Finely tuned head geometry provides ideal feedback and impact feel. Milled grooves with narrow/deep grooves for lofts that are stronger and wider/shallower grooves for lofts that are higher.

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Pros

• Super soft feel
• Prevents spin drop off

4 sole grinds to choose from

Attractive tear drop profile

More affordable than other wedges for low handicappers

Cons

The glare was an issue with the satin chrome

The face may rust sooner rather than later, but it does not impact your greenside performance.

• Pros
• Produces a soft feel on all shots
• Delivers clean turf interaction
• Reduces spin drop off
• More affordable than other tour-level wedges

Generates rampant short-game spin

• Cons
• The wider sole is unattractive

Limited forgiveness

I have always found that Wilson makes excellent value-for-money golf clubs and balls aimed at the average golfer. However, in recent years they have released equipment for superior golfers, and the Wilson Staff Model is one example.

Wilson soft forged the Staff Model wedges from 8620 carbon steel to create a muted feel off the clubface. The soft-touch enabled me to better judge my distance on each shot for greater consistency and enjoyment around the dancefloor.

You’ll see that the engineers crafted a Precision Milled Face to encourage consistent contact with the golf ball from any lie. Wilson engineers engraved score lines on the precision-milled surface for a more dense pattern. As a result, you’ll enjoy consistent contact and less spin drop-off.

Finally, I did not enjoy the appearance of the wider sole. It soon proved me incorrect as it allowed clean turf interaction between the fairway and greenside rough. He has seen the highs, and the lows of the game and is now a professional writer. He has a Postgraduate degree in Sports Marketing. He’s played golf for over 28 years. Current Handicap : 8

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