Understanding your distances

[barrybridges]

I've been playing golf seriously for about a year now and I've got my handicap down quite nicely in that time. I've had lessons every week, practiced hard, but I'm really struggling with distances.

I know it's a simple and stupid question, but how do you learn your distances?

I don't live close to anywhere with a launch monitor - and I never really trust driving range markers as a) there's no guarantee they're correct, b) the distance often differs depending on which bay you're in, c) driving range balls are cheap and don't travel as well and d) if you're shot falls between markers then it's difficult to judge the distance accurately because of the perspective.

I could go out and measure it with GPS during a round, but how accurate will that be either - as my shots won't be consistent each time and the lie, quality of strike, conditions etc make a difference.

What's the best way of 'learning your distances'? Is it worth paying to be measured?

I feel that it's the single biggest thing holding me back at the moment - I'll play some nice shots, well struck, but I'll either over-club or under-club because I'm unsure as to my distances. I know I hit a relaxed PW exactly 100 yards, but that's all!

 

[BTatHome]

Pick a very quiet time on the course. Hit 10 balls or so with the one club and measure (with GPS/laser) the average ball length.

Or use a huge open field to achieve the same

 

[barrybridges]

Sorry - I should also have said, I'm more interested in just the carry than the carry + roll - that's the tricky bit. Walking between shots with a GPS doesn't really let you remove the roll.

 

[BTatHome]

Well a trackman session will give you carry distance ... if you believe the setup etc then its probably the only way your going to get that info.

One more alternative would be to hit your practise shots into a green (you can then see the pitch marks for carry distance). We can do this on our course as we have some practise holes but its not feasible at many places, and requires an awful lots of pitch repairs to cover your whole bag

 

[bobmac]

The next time you're at the course and it's quiet, stand at the 150 yrd marker and hit some clubs into the green and see which club lands nearest the middle. Start with a 7 and go either up or down till you land on the green. That will give you a starting point. From there, it's generally 10 yrds per club difference

 

[brendy]

Barry, even if course markers are a yard or two out, they are enough for handicap golfers.
You are definitely putting too much though into this "game". Find out what you hit 100 yards, 150 yards and 200 yards then fill in the gaps and you wont be far away
Example
100 yard wedge
150 yards 6 iron
200 yards 3 wood

This will give you a decent estimate of what each club in between does which should be accurate enough for your needs, remember if in doubt take an extra club.

 

[MadAdey]

Find out what you hit 150 yards then go from there. Most shots on a course are hit from around that sort of range anyway. I know I hit a smooth 9 iron 150. Like has been said already clubs are roughly set up to have 10 yards of difference between them. So for instance I am 160 yards out into the wind going uphill. 160=8 iron, +1 club for the hill +1 club for the wind that makes it a 6 iron and I can put money on it being on the green now.
As long as you hit around the middle of the green then you are never gonna be far from the hole anyway. Average green in the Uk is never gonna be any bigger than 50x50 foot. So going on that if you hit the middle you are never further than 25 foot from the edge. Holes normally cut no closer than 10 foot from edge so now you are within 10 to 15 foot of the hole guaranteed everytime, making it an easy 2 putt maybe even a good birdie chance.

 

[BTatHome]

As long as you hit around the middle of the green then you are never gonna be far from the hole anyway. Average green in the Uk is never gonna be any bigger than 50x50 foot. So going on that if you hit the middle you are never further than 25 foot from the edge. Holes normally cut no closer than 10 foot from edge so now you are within 10 to 15 foot of the hole guaranteed everytime, making it an easy 2 putt maybe even a good birdie chance.

Wow, golf is easy. I guess I should work on my putting

 

[bobmac]

Wow, golf is easy. I guess I should work on my putting

Especially if all your greens are 50 ft x 50 ft oo:

 

[MadAdey]

Especially if all your greens are 50 ft x 50 ft oo:

Not all greens are that big but you do not really find them much bigger in the british isles than that without going on Links courses. But hey is my philosophy not a good??? Got me down to Cat 1 with it.
Golf is easy anyway. It is just fools like us that make it hard......

 

[bobmac]

Not all greens are that big but you do not really find them much bigger in the british isles than that without going on Links courses. But hey is my philosophy not a good??? Got me down to Cat 1 with it.
Golf is easy anyway. It is just fools like us that make it hard......

I wasn't having a go, I agree with your philosophy.
But there are times I'd rather club myself to the back of the green as some of the greens I play on are nearer 35/40 yds back to front.

 

[MadAdey]

I wasn't having a go, I agree with your philosophy.
But there are times I'd rather club myself to the back of the green as some of the greens I play on are nearer 35/40 yds back to front.

I use to be a member at St Andrews when I lived up there so I know about big greens. Bloody hell I remember getting my clubing wrong several times and then did really naughty things and played 7 iron chips and runs from on the green as I really do not know how to do 60 yard putts......lol. But my Idea does work doesn't it though. So all you have to do if you know what it is to the middle is add one more to get up the back on a large green.

 

[Jonny]

I wasn't having a go, I agree with your philosophy.
But there are times I'd rather club myself to the back of the green as some of the greens I play on are nearer 35/40 yds back to front.

Same here...with lots of tiers and undulations on them making two putting a nightmare from that range. It can be easier to have a pitch than a putt at times on the greens I tend to see week in week out.

 

[Oddsocks]

if you can find an old school field of playing field and mark with a GPS, this time of year they tend to be a bit longer and wetter so little to no roll at all. 5 ft of roll max i reckon on low-mid irons.

 

[DaveM]

I could go out and measure it with GPS during a round, but how accurate will that be either - as my shots won't be consistent each time and the lie, quality of strike, conditions etc make a difference.


Think that statment you made sums it up? You only need to have a idea how far you hit it. Because as you say, if you mishit, or cream one you will be out 10yrds either way. Stop over thinking your game. You will find you soon get use to your distances.

 

[G1BB0]

surely after a year you know roughly what you hit each club?

I do and I am excrement

 

[Mattyboy]

I am a fan of the Dave Peltz theory and would recommend his short game bible.

As you rightly say, range balls are rubbish and you should use your own brand of ball in decent condition for this.

 

[GeneralStore]

Get down to a field with long grass, use 10 of your own balls that you play with, all the same, and hit each club ten times...use a laser to work out the average distance and continue until you have worked through your bag

No roll because of the long grass, no ball discrepancies...just keep in mind the weather obviously...rain, wind, cold etc... and also the lay of the land, pointless doing it on anything other than flat ground

I remember someone telling me that there is a formula, 5 yards for every 10 degrees celsius...never verified that myself

Just the way I would do it, if you are taking it seriously