Struggling

[Owen_Thomas_14]

Ive relised over the last few rounds my weakness is from 100 yards and in. I tend to over hit them and when i try to shorten my swing i leave it 10 yards short. Im getting good contact but just distance control is the problem so has anyone got any good tips for this or is it just plain boring practise that i need to do?. Any tips would be appreciated and will try them out on Friday when im back home.

 

[USER1999]

It's just hours of boring practice I'm afraid. No short cuts. Find a mate to practice with, and have a few little bets, 10 balls, nearest the pin with 5 wins it, etc. Makes it more interesting, even if there is not much on it. A coke or packet of crisps is enough. Bragging rights too.

 

[Smiffy]

As Murph says, practice, practice practice.
This is where "feel" comes into it, and is (along with putting) one of the big differences between a "so so" golfer and a good one.

 

[pokerjoke]

I dont think a quality golfer will have this minor problem for long,by looking at your wedge combination it looks like you got all basis covered,i too sometimes struggle to choke down on a shot and hit it 90%,my tip would be take a gap wedge and hit a full shot.My 54 degree wedge goes 105 yards so a full shot would be fine for me.Being a 7 handicapper you must know how far each wedge goes.

 

[Region3]

The first thing I would do would be to find out how far you hit each of your wedges with half and three-quarter swings, and make anote of the distances.

As long as the shorter swings are repeatable then you should end up with yardages you can be confident of hitting down to about 50yds.

 

[bobmac]

my tip would be take a gap wedge and hit a full shot.

For shots under 100 yds?

Simple answer....learn the clockface drill

 

[Fyldewhite]

Don't want to re-open a debate we were having last week but I'm with Pokerjoke on this one. I've got a 58 wedge which goes 75-80. A 54 which goes 90-95 and will shortly be upgrading the other to a 50 which will go 105-110. I pick the right club and hit it with a normal swing and have learned over time to take just a bit (not 3/4 etc) off each when necessary. Result - distance control from 70 yards out is probably the strongest part of my game. I very rarely come up short.

I'm not saying feel doesn't have it's place, it has to be a feel shot from 70 yards in for me but it's another variable that can be eliminated for shots between 70 and 120 yards which is a very common shot. That's why I have 3 specialist wedges instead of 2 and it has paid dividends for me. Each to their own though.

 

[Region3]

What do you do if you have 50yds to go? Or do you purposely leave yourself further away than that?

 

[USER1999]

50 yards is a feel shot, with what ever club I get out.

I usually try to leave 100 yards, as that is a solid 50 degree wedge. Less than 100, and rather than hit a full on 54 or 58, I would punch a 9 or PW. I find I get better results this way.

 

[Fyldewhite]

What do you do if you have 50yds to go? Or do you purposely leave yourself further away than that?

Obviously depends on what I have to go over but assuming a straightforward approach from 50 yards I would generally take my 54 and try to land front edge of green, check a bit and run out.

I'm not saying all the advice about learning clockface drill etc isn't any use, it is. The point I'm making is that 'feel' shots are harder than 'full' shots. By having 3 wedges I can hit full shots more often thus improving my overall accuracy and probably more importantly my confidence on the shot.

 

[Fyldewhite]

What do you do if you have 50yds to go? Or do you purposely leave yourself further away than that?

Sorry, didn't answer the second bit. How I lay up depends on the risk factors in the lay up shot only. If there is a lot of risk but I can get to 100 yards with a shorter club then I generally will take this option. If I can get to 30-40 yards with little risk then I'll do that.

I'm a big believer that the closer you are the easier it gets. I accept there's an argument about favourite lay-up distance but how many do you hole or leave a tap-in from 100 yards comapared with 40? Obviously there are hundreds of different hazards that can affect this thinking but assuming straightforward positions on average holes I always play as above.

 

[RGDave]

I reckon getting really accurate distances is very hard indeed. Many years ago, I put in lots of work in the hope of turning three shots into two from 110 and less, but I found the difference between being safely on the green (5 yards short/long) and spot on for direction, as opposed to definitely-1-putt territory was HUGE. To accomplish my goal of always having a chance of a 1-putt eventually got boring.
Off 7.2 though, you do need to start thinking this way. If you hit the ball a fair way (no pun intended) then all those short par 4s are real birdie chances. Check out the length of the hole, pick your tee shot (and position) and try to leave the right distance in.

We have 4 or 5 "gift" holes at mine, where you can take a 3 wood or 5 wood (utility/rescue for the better player) and know that on a bad one, you'll have 100 and on a good one, maybe 70-80 to go.

I use 3 wedges which go about 80/95/110. I can put a shorter swing on these to give about ten yards less. Three clubs, two swings, much easier than all the "clockface" stuff which I haven't got time (or talent) for.

Get into the extensive multi-distance work if you want to, but it sound to me as if things are not good, so re-think and get settled with a basic plan before getting ambitious.

Even with my bad vision and terrible judgement of distance, once I'm closer than 60-65 yards, the "formulaic" approach goes out the window. Unless I've GOT to lob a ball over trouble, everything under this distance is played like a big chip n run most often with the in-between Gap Wedge.

Good luck. Go for a lesson if things get too bad.

 

[bobmac]

I often teach people the basic 50yd pitch shot.
This one shot can then be altered to cater for those multi distance shots by either changing clubs, changing the length of the swing or the grip.
Much more accurate than a chip and run from 65 yds.
The pros on tour are so good at this shot because they practice it
Just my opinion of course
Owen, the next time you go to practice, place an open umbrella 50 paces away, take out your PW hold the it at the bottom of the grip and swing back half way. Hit the shot and finish the swing half way so the length of the follow through mirrors the backswing.
HTH

 

[USER1999]

Where does the umbrella fit in?

 

[bobmac]

Where does the umbrella fit in?

Thats what you aim for.
Land the ball just short and bounce it in

 

[USER1999]

Sounds like a reciepe for a new umbrella.

 

[Owen_Thomas_14]

Well thanks for all the replies, looks like its just practise then. I hit my 56 about 110 yards and my 60 about 70 yards so its looking like choking down on my 56 and just hit 3/4 shots. Will try all tips out tommorrow if the course is open as its snowing here

 

[Region3]

Just to give you a starting point, I lose about 10% using a 3/4 swing, 15% 3/4 swing with an open stance, and 35% with a half swing.

You must still commit to the shot though. I find if I try to deliberately ease up on the shot I don't accelerate through the ball and that's when the miss-hits happen.

Also, as Bob says, limit your follow through to the same distance as your backswing.

 

[inthecup]

Really stupid question here,.

As its quite difficult to get accurate yardages from the driving range due to sh*t balls and the practice range at the club has no set out yardage markers how do you guys work out how far you hit?

Is it just a simple case of hitting a few balls and pacing out your average distance?

Cheers in advance.

 

[RGDave]

Really stupid question here,.

As its quite difficult to get accurate yardages from the driving range due to sh*t balls and the practice range at the club has no set out yardage markers how do you guys work out how far you hit?

Is it just a simple case of hitting a few balls and pacing out your average distance?

Speaking for myself only, I use the club range for shots around 100 yards (+/- 30) and the pitching area for anything up to about 40 yards. Might explain why I can't get good at the 50-70 distance!!!

I pace out to find averages (discount the long and shot and find the "cluster").

I use the club range quite often just with a 7 iron. I aim at the 150 marker (which is spot on) and take it from there. Last year I averaged 147, last week I was up towards 155!....weird. Next week? maybe different again.