Choking up or gripping down?

[kid2]

Afternoon fella's....
The thread is kind of self explanitory really.....
Im thinking of experimenting with this for a month os so to see if there is any benefit to it......

Is it a wise thing to do....iv read lots about it and apparently it gives better control as well as finding the middle of each club far more often which in turn gives more distance than a shot thats hit with a full swing that misses the sweet spot marginally......I witnessed this myself last weekend mind you it was only with a 9 Iron and a PW but i hit both shots very well.

Would this also translate into the longer Irons as well....
Has anyone any success with this or am i running down the wrong road.

 

[chris661]

Afternoon fella's....
The thread is kind of self explanitory really.....
Im thinking of experimenting with this for a month os so to see if there is any benefit to it......

Is it a wise thing to do....iv read lots about it and apparently it gives better control as well as finding the middle of each club far more often which in turn gives more distance than a shot thats hit with a full swing that misses the sweet spot marginally......I witnessed this myself last weekend mind you it was only with a 9 Iron and a PW but i hit both shots very well.

Would this also translate into the longer Irons as well....
Has anyone any success with this or am i running down the wrong road.

I tend to do this with my driver if it windy just for that little more control, mind it is usually windy at the seaside!! (or just use my 3 wood),with irons tend not to bother unless I am in between clubs.

 

[Losttheplot]

Agreed with the driver, it works well. If I'm imbetween clubs I club up and choke down a touch.
I wouldn't say it's a waste of time at all. Try it and see what you feel comfortable with.

 

[Aztecs27]

Would this also translate into the longer Irons as well....
Has anyone any success with this or am i running down the wrong road.

In short, yes.

On my old black cats, I couldn't hit my 3 iron when I was younger (and shorter). My uncle said "hit your five iron". So I did and I smoked it (it was my favourite iron). He then took my 3 iron and stuck some white tape around the grip more towards the bottom of the grip to shorten the club to the same length as my 5 iron. The result was more control, more consistency and better ball striking. Simples really.

 

[Alex1975]

Hmm, ill give it a try on the range.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I do it anyway particularly on the short irons and wedges if I'm between clubs. I'd rather hit a smoother 8 for example gripping down than lashing at a 9 and missing the target.

 

[Potor_36]

Definately going to give this a go next time I'm at the range, but for a different reason. I'm pretty convinced my irons are too long for me (backed up by another round today where I didn't leak a single iron shot right yet pulled at least 50% of them about 10-15 yards left) so I figure if I get better results gripping down then I'm probably correct.

Interesting to hear that you don't necessarily lose distance by doing this though, I thought that was almost a certainty

 

[kid2]

Interesting to hear that you don't necessarily lose distance by doing this though, I thought that was almost a certainty

Not according to some articles iv read Potor.....
Its written that the sweet spot is found far more often when the club is under control....
Sort of proves the theory about swinging at 80% and you'll find your longest shots come at this pace.

 

[RGDave]

I reckon there's no right or wrong. I don't often grip a club down the grip for anything other a special shot, like hitting a 4 iron 7 iron distance under trees or something. Now and again, I might grip down on a 3 wood for a long par 3 where a 5 wood seems not quite enough.
t.b.h. I find the results don't usually justify the experimentation, I'll happily hit too much club and be long....or be just about holding the back of the green rather than flirting with bunkers etc.
I'm playing a new course a.t.m. and there are 2 short par 3s. Both are decidedly between clubs; I haven't even been remotely tempted to do anything other than take the longer club.....get pin high on both with the first bounce and say goodbye to bunkers and water, and make par from the back!

 

[jeffc]

You can also use a shorter swing. I use a shorter relaxed swing playing into the green from 9 iron down.Hands approximately to shoulder height. You get the sweet spot so the ball goes just as far but with more control. Try it on the range you'll be surprised.

I also use my caddie lite, If the pin is near the middle I check the distance to the back of the green and use the longest club which will not go beyond this and usually this gets me mid to back of green.But if you don't get it sweet you still get there. (excluding complete horrors)
If pin is at the front I use the distance to the middle.
Obviously you have to consider the size of green and other factors but it's generally a system that gives me the highest percentage at hitting the dancefloor which I believe is what us hackers need.

 

[USER1999]

I have read that 80 % of the distance between irons comes from the loft, and 20% from the length. If you have a 10 yard gap between clubs, then 8 yards of that is due to the loft, and 2 yards due to the shorter shaft. The shaft is only 1/2" different between irons, so 1/2" = 2 yards. You probably aren't consistent enough to notice 2 yards.