120 yrds

[Scouser]

I received this email today (its been anonymised)

This week, PGA Professional, and one of the regions best players, ............ played with 3 regular golfers. ........ played their shots from 120 yards and in to see what score they would shoot. With driving wind and rain, conditions were most unpleasant. However, they all bravely completed 9 holes. The 3 golfers; ......., ................ and ........... play off 9, 13 and 16 handicaps respectively. Well ....... improved......... score by 5 shots,........ by 4 shots and ....... by 9. Over 18 holes this would have resulted in all the golfers losing most if not all of their handicaps.

Interesting reading.

 

[G1BB0]

I am ok from 120 and in, if Quiros could hit my tee shots I would be off scratch

(scratch ish)

does make you wonder though, I bet he had a fair few shots in 1 putt range

 

[CMAC]

yes that is interesting

 

[Scouser]

yes that is interesting

Glad u thought so......... (i think)

 

[bluewolf]

On a slightly (only just) related note, Today I took the 51 and 60 degree wedge out of the bag, and played all my pitches with the pitching wedge. Little knock downs, bump and runs, 3/4 swings....Coincidentally, I shot my best round of the year... Cany you work out if the wedges are going to make it back into the bag?

 

[StrangelyBrown]

On a slightly (only just) related note, Today I took the 51 and 60 degree wedge out of the bag, and played all my pitches with the pitching wedge. Little knock downs, bump and runs, 3/4 swings....Coincidentally, I shot my best round of the year... Cany you work out if the wedges are going to make it back into the bag?

Bob will be crying with joy

 

[Snelly]

Bob will be crying with joy

Me too.

Less decisions to ponder over wedge selection equals less doubt and you instead focus on the actual shot and landing zone rather than the yardage and a full swing. Playing shots from 120 yards with the same club each time develops feel with the club and accuracy/scoring improves. Shot making ability increases too with different shots possible with the same bat.

This has always held true. The dissenters from this view are either the marketing departments of golf manufacturers or those that are convinced by their utter tripe!

 

[StrangelyBrown]

You've lost me Snelly, 120 yards is a 9i or a PW for me depending on the weather. Taking out the gap wedge and lob wedge would made naff all difference from this range

 

[bluewolf]

Exactly right Snelly. The situation that made me change my view was when I had a 60 yard pitch to the green and couldn't make the decision between 4 different clubs. Now, it's an easy decision and more time can be spent visualising the actual shot. It was also noticeable that I didn't leave 1 single pitch short. Everything was either pin high or a couple of feet long. Much much better. Bob, I'm converted.

 

[Snelly]

You've lost me Snelly, 120 yards is a 9i or a PW for me depending on the weather. Taking out the gap wedge and lob wedge would made naff all difference from this range

80 yards and in then for you. I am generally talking about pitching with feel through using the same club for different kinds of shot. The distance involved has less relevance as I am talking about most shots ranging between 25 and 130 yards depending on how far you hit the club you choose to concentrate on.

Essentially, I am advocating getting an innate sense for distance with your favourite pitching club rather than being mechanical and thinking a certain yardage equates to a certain wedge.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

With you now

I'm not a 'feel' player and I really struggle with pitching distances so I prefer to hit different wedges with the same swing, rather than different swings with the same wedge

 

[needmoreclub]

Used to carry a couple of 'extra 'wedges, but my brain's not big enough to cope with the choice, so it had to be, learn to do different yardages/shots with my wedge and sand iron (old school i know). I had to take the vokey spin milled out the bag as i couldn't control the spin, it was good to watch but cost me on many an occassion. Just my tuppence worth gents.

 

[Snelly]

With you now

I'm not a 'feel' player and I really struggle with pitching distances so I prefer to hit different wedges with the same swing, rather than different swings with the same wedge

I understand completely. That said, I am of the view that perserverance with the approach I suggest is something worth trying. I think it produces better results.

I also think that you are not born with good feel for distance, you acquire it and quite quickly through a bit of practice.

Downside is if you don't play often (like me!) then it can desert you. It comes back pretty quickly though as you hit more shots.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

I simply have not been able to practice enough in the last two years to acquire good feel, hopefully this is something I can change.

I agree that hitting different shots with the same club will make the individual a more creative and more successful golfer, something I certainly aspire to be

 

[CMAC]

plus if you dont play much AND you have 3 or 4 wedges then your on course experience with each wedge will diminish, therefore it makes far more sense to play the same club and get a 'feel' for what it can do with various swings as the loft/bounce is a constant as opposed to the variables you have to factor in with different clubs as well as everything else.

Professor DathVega

 

[StrangelyBrown]

Food for thought

 

[jasondransfieldgolf]

This to me shows you can never practice your short game enough and all amateurs could drop their handicaps easily if they swapped the range for the short game area.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Played the Forest of Arden yesterday which has six par fours over 400 yards. Even hitting it well off the tee these all needed woods to get home and so I played into withing 80-120 yards and wedged on. Apart from a three putt on one of these I made nett par everytime. I carry a PW 52 and 58 degree wedge and so I had perfect tools for the job. Much better to be hitting full shots from these kind of distance than fiddling around from close and playing ahlf shots

 

[kid2]

plus if you dont play much AND you have 3 or 4 wedges then your on course experience with each wedge will diminish, therefore it makes far more sense to play the same club and get a 'feel' for what it can do with various swings as the loft/bounce is a constant as opposed to the variables you have to factor in with different clubs as well as everything else.

Professor DathVega

Bob is gonna love that post....

 

[bayjon14]

I love the way everyone has a different approach to these distances. I adore my PW and use it for 70% of the 100 yards in. From 120 in it is a 9I, from 70 to 80 yds is the 52 then it is the PW unless close to the green,when anything from a 7I to a 5 deg is used.
I agree with the opening quote, I am going to practice all winter long from 120 yards in,I am lucky, I have over 120 yards from one end of the garden to the other. I am organising some yardage flags, wait for the grass to stop growing and let the practice commence.