distances

[jeffc]

whilst playing/practising yesterday when I was approaching the green a thought crossed my mind whilst choosing my club.
I was say 20yds behind the 150yd marker so thinking something like a 5 iron when I asked myself "when did you last go through the back of a green" and apart from the occasional par 3 the answer was never the next question was "when did you last land short" answer 8 out of 10 times. So I took out my 3 iron hit it quite well and ended middle of the green about 10yds past the flag which was half way up the green.

The point that really struck home was that I was reducing the target by about 75% in terms of distance, I was 20 yds short of the 150 marker (which I assume is to the front of the green and are not always accurate) and the green is 25 yds long I was going to try to hit a pefect 5 iron to maximum.
I judge a distance and choose a club but as an amateur I delude myself. Personnaly I'd much rather slightly overshoot occasionally than fall 5 - 10 yds short all the time.
Just sharing some thoughts would be interested what you guys think.

 

[EchtLoon]

whilst playing/practising yesterday when I was approaching the green a thought crossed my mind whilst choosing my club.
I was say 20yds behind the 150yd marker so thinking something like a 5 iron when I asked myself "when did you last go through the back of a green" and apart from the occasional par 3 the answer was never the next question was "when did you last land short" answer 8 out of 10 times. So I took out my 3 iron hit it quite well and ended middle of the green about 10yds past the flag which was half way up the green.

The point that really struck home was that I was reducing the target by about 75% in terms of distance, I was 20 yds short of the 150 marker (which I assume is to the front of the green and are not always accurate) and the green is 25 yds long I was going to try to hit a pefect 5 iron to maximum.
I judge a distance and choose a club but as an amateur I delude myself. Personnaly I'd much rather slightly overshoot occasionally than fall 5 - 10 yds short all the time.
Just sharing some thoughts would be interested what you guys think.

You've learned what most amatuers never do.

Also I would check those markers, usually (though not always) they are to the middle of the green not the front.

 

[jeffc]

[/QUOTE]

Also I would check those markers, usually (though not always) they are to the middle of the green not the front.

[/QUOTE]

I was wondering about that actually

 

[Dodger]

I played with my club pro a couple years back and after 6 holes of either hitting front to middle of green or being short he told me exactly your thought then asked me every shot afterwards what club I was planning to hit and 9 times out of 10 corrected me to 1 more and low and behold I was hitting middle to back of greens,now the only time I do not think of this tip is when there is trouble big or hitting it big will short sight myself.More people should take note as it does work well.

 

[Doh]

Yes it appears that as far as distances go a lot of us delude ourselves how far we hit the ball? lots of people boast about being able to drive 300yrds + but the truth is they dont.

I have played lots of golf with low single and plus players, never have i heard one boast about how far they hit the ball, and i mean never.

What i do hear them gripe about is where they have put the ball, they are much more concerned about picking the right club for the right shot and putting it in the right spot.

 

[Dodger]

oh careful Doh plenty on here claim they regular hit it 300plus!!
Whatever! is always my take on them.

 

[forefortheday]

I hit the ball 300 plus on just about every hole!!

Usually takes me 7 strokes to achieve it though

 

[madandra]

I agree with the clubbing thing and I am guilty of trying to get there with the least amount of club but that is why my handicap has gone up this year. I can hit the odd bomb but to be perfectly honest I am now trying to hit the short stuff rather than the biggy. When I play against my mate (off 5) he never beats me cos he is too concerned about out driving me and cannot get a score together. He hasn't beaten me in 5 years but as long as he has the longest drive he feels quite happy with himself.

 

[Cernunnos]

Though its also interesting to note when I was on a playing lesson with my pro I'd have normally have used an 8 iron, yet for that particular 136 yard hole he got me to use my 9 iron & I was in the front half of the green 2ft short & 4ft left of the pin as oposed to in the back half or out the back of the green.

Having said this the conditions at the time were very dry

On the next parr 3, which is quite a long one, where I'd have picked out my 4 iron or even a hybrid or 5 wood.

Instead he got me to use my 5 iron which I thought must be for layup, as I was sure I didn't have enough club. So I just swung it sweet. Next thing is its on a gentle fade into the front fringe of the green, close enough to take out the putter & have a go at the pin from there.

Later on further round there was another longish parr 3 where I know its a definite 3 iron to the back & 4 iron to the middle of the green, he had me using the 5 iron yet again, even though there was a water hazard between tee & green to clear. Now, I was hardly convinced, but thought well if it falls short & in the drink I'll use the 4 iron especially as I had wind in my face, to my suprise, I was just off to the right of the green & level with the front third of the green. My pro admited tome that due to the wind condition it was the wrong club really, but both of our shots got away with it.

I know why he was getting me to club down, as I do have a tendancy to carry through greens & off the back, especially over recent months.

But I must concur with the first poster in that where a long green is being taken on, if you've got a 30 or more yard green in length its worth taking that extra club. My only word of warning is if there is trouble out the back of a green its probably worth taking the risk of coming up short on occasion, especially if your short game is good.

 

[USER1999]

It also depends how well you hit the club you are going up to. If it is a 3i, I am better off being short with the 4i, as I find this so much easier to hit consistently. The overall result will be better.

 

[jeffc]

Hi Cernunnos

yes if theres trouble at the back I'd agree 100%,
the real points I learnt was
a)think about the percentages i.e I rarely hit out of the back and usually fall short
b)don't delude myself on how far I can really hit it with relative control.
I've only just started playing again after many years so it's great to discuss these things on here.

 

[Sam]

Agree with Jeff and wonder if influence is also:
1. More lofted club generally easier to hit
2. More lofted club less run on; more control

 

[viscount17]

another thought may be that the front of a green
is in view
may be better maintained
may offer an easier option if you can avoid bunkers etc

 

[Cernunnos]

Hi Jeffc,

re point a) Yep pecentage shots... some shots are high percentage & some low, this goes for particular clubs or how difficult something is going to be to carry off, especially when offline. We are always taught to not go for the high percentage shot.

My own priviso is unless we feel confident with that which normally for most people high percentage shot, in which case it is not as high percentage shot as others may consider it may be

re point b)Ah, ha. Distances are strange things, we can all think we can hit a particular club further than sometimes we actually do. Or for that matter how good the disperion is likely to be with a particular club. We are all different & have different strengths & weeknesses & these strengths & weeknesses can have little to do with a handicap a player has. Something some people have preconceptions about.

Now the last time I had a handicap its fairly high, so that's what I tend to quote, but when they see me swing a club, then their preconceptions about a high handicap player need to be revised, as to what they would have imagined I can & cannot do.

I think the thing about my game is that yet again for another year I've added at least another 5 yards to my average 7 iron distance, to the degree that when I was playing at Uttoxeter the other week with some mates from work that although my putting was letting me down (something that's usually excellent) I was hitting my Irons well & on one particular hole I decided a 5 iron was the right tee shot for me, I actually out drove all my mates who'd ironically taken driver. Something that supprised initially, but instantly taught me a lesson on that day & a positive one at that.

So Jeffc, what are your weeknesses & strengths currently & the positives in your game?

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Have to say its one of the advantages of my sky caddy. Gives me an accurate reading to front middle and back of each green and so takes the guess work out. There are several greens where the difference is definitely one and maybe two clubs especially if the wind is blowing.

I've been cunning and gone out with the SC and stood on the par 3's and marked the distances from the back tee position into the yardage book so I have it with me even in comps when the SC is banned. At least when I stand there I know I have the right bat in hand. Sadly the idiot holding it isn't competent enough to get the ball going where its is suppose to go

 

[medwayjon]

oh careful Doh plenty on here claim they regular hit it 300plus!!
Whatever! is always my take on them.

Some of us have had 300+ yard drives witnessed and verifiable by other forum users remember

 

[Cernunnos]

Yep some yardage books def' want updating & I see nothing wrong with making your own notes on a yardage chart of your own or onto a course guide. Especially where the course guide is less than helpful. When I sell a few of my spare golf irons, One pressie I'm going to buy myself is a skycaddie or similar. A mate of mine has a skycaddie & the only critisism is there is no true map of each hole on the 2.5 model, which is the one I'd pay money on, in their range.

 

[medwayjon]

course yardage posts worry me, at the track we did our last society at there were a couple of 150yd markers that were seriously more like 110/120.

Whether people had been dicking around my moving these flimsy wooden poles was the question we asked as they were definately wrong on these holes.

 

[Doh]

oh careful Doh plenty on here claim they regular hit it 300plus!!
Whatever! is always my take on them.

Some of us have had 300+ yard drives witnessed and verifiable by other forum users remember

Sorry John dont want to get into that one

 

[Cernunnos]

oh careful Doh plenty on here claim they regular hit it 300plus!!
Whatever! is always my take on them.

Some of us have had 300+ yard drives witnessed and verifiable by other forum users remember

Though that would not be all the time though.

I've had 300+ yard drives in the past & last year was regularly getting drives of around 270+ yards. I've even been witnessed hitting a 6 iron off the tee on a 250 yard hole right into the front fringe, be it with a tail wind to help, but I certainly would not want to claim that as a regular distance. This year appart from winning the companies Long drive a few months ago I've certainly not been that long this season with the driver.

Ok if we're going to quote current distances with clubs. Now I'll have to quote these with my Yonex Irons, not sure yet what the Pings are going to do yet.

Driver 250 - 260
3 wood 240 - 250
5 wood 215 - 230
21'Hyd 200 - 220
3 iron 190 - 210
4 iron 180 - 200
5 iron 170 - 180
6 iron 160 - 170
7 iron 150 - 155
8 iron 135 - 145
9 iron 125 - 135
P Wdge 105 - 125
G Wdge 90 - 100
S Wdge 75 - 85
L Wdge 50 - 70

These are current best estimates bassed on rounds played recently when the various clubs have been in the bag depending on the course & conditions (NB. not all are in at same time, as that would be rule violation)