Club selection

[rapper]

I am a 21 handicapper oap and hit an eight iron about 135 yards carry off the fairway.
If i am in the rough and I'm 135 yds away should i select a longer club ,say a seven iron? Is there a rule of thumb for this?

 

[MrC]

For me depends on lie....

Good lie - same club (will role out more potentially)

Ok lie - one club more (6 iron is ok I wouldn’t try anything more from the rough unless hybrid)

Bad lie - would take a wedge to try and get on in two

 

[jim8flog]

No simple answer

As per MR C depends on the lie and what you normally expect the ball to do.

e.g. for me with that sort of club in my hand from the fairway I expect to get drop and stop but coming from the rough with a lie I know I can hit the ball reasonably well I expect the ball to land and run so actually take one less club.

When looking at a ball in the rough the first question always is "what is the maximum club I can take from this lie and guarantee to get out of it?".

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I am a 21 handicapper oap and hit an eight iron about 135 yards carry off the fairway.
If i am in the rough and I'm 135 yds away should i select a longer club ,say a seven iron? Is there a rule of thumb for this?

No hard and fast rules. It would definitely be lie dependent but also what is between you and the green/flag. Some lies will let the ball come out, land short and run up so ideal if there is nothing in front. If you need to carry it depends on the lie and I'de definitely club up. Better to be long and on back of the green than short and in hazard. If the lie is bad then wedge it out and then play on. Google the traffic light approach for shots

 

[Orikoru]

I think you have to base it on experience. Personally if there's a lot of grass around the ball I tend to go up a club, the theory being I might not hit it 100% cleanly. But another guy I was talking to at my club said he goes down a club in case he gets a flyer and goes too long. So it depends on what your experience tells you.

 

[Grant85]

I am a 21 handicapper oap and hit an eight iron about 135 yards carry off the fairway.
If i am in the rough and I'm 135 yds away should i select a longer club ,say a seven iron? Is there a rule of thumb for this?

There is not a rule of thumb. In the main you will struggle to hit a ball from the rough the same distance because the rough will give you a poor contact. Selecting a longer club might not help as a less lofted club will be even harder to hit out of the rough.

But as you become a better ball striker you will start getting what is called 'a flier'. That is when you hit a good strike but some grass gets trapped between the club face and the ball, reduces the spin and the ball flies about 10% further and rolls on a bit when it hits.

Unfortunately this is just one of those known unknowns that every golfer has to struggle with and there is no right or wrong answer.

I'd say if you can see the back of the ball, then try and play your normal shot. If there is no chance of getting to the back of the ball, then accept that you'll have to come up short (either with the same club or a shorter club) and take your penalty for missing the fairway as opposed to trying to take a more difficult shot on and leaving yourself in similar or worse trouble.

 

[robinthehood]

It's all down to the lie. If the ball is buried in thick damp rough then I'd be dropping down to a wedge and putting my ball in a spot that leaves the easiest up and down. Conversely if it's just whispy dry stuff then I'll probably play the same club as normal. There are no hard and fast rules, just take each shot as it comes and assess what the possible outcomes maybe be if you don't hit it clean.