When should you be expected to hit greens?

[MadAdey]

now i know where im going wrong i cant hit the ball far enough

must be why i am still playing off 18

driver - 240
3 wood- 200
hybrids 180
170
160
6i 150
7i 140
8i 125
9i 115
pw 100-110
48w 90-100
52w 75-85

must send message to self belt it harder

Nothing wrong with those distances mate. Some of us do hit the ball a good distance with all clubs.

You though have enough bat in your bag to be on or around most par 4's in 2 shots which is what is important from your handicap. Maybe sharpen up your short game is what is needed, if you are getting around par 4 greens in 2 shots then you need to start getting up and down in no more than 3 shots, but giving yourself a chance of doing it in 2. You can get to all par 5's in 3 shots and all par 3's in one. So on a standard course of 4 5's and 4 3's you have got a good chance of 8 pars on those holes. SO that only leaves 10 holes to worry about. Do not get hung up on distance, I have seen plenty of single figure players that do not hit the ball a long way, but then again they make up for it with fantastic short games.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Sorry, I have been away for a few days with my parents in Linconshire, seems there has been a little misunderstanding. I finished this in a hurry as I was called away for dinner.

I meant you should hit the green every time after a good drive, ie when you hit the ball 270ish into the middle of the fairway and leave under 150 yards into the hole on a par 4 or hit two good shots and leave less than 150 into a par 5.

He was saying that for a 12 handicapper your 7 irons to wedges should find the green and give you a birdie chance or an easy par.

He did NOT mean you should find 100% of greens in regulation.

Sorry I was not around to clarify my statement but I have had a busy Easter weekend.

 

[HickoryShaft]

To be fair to SB I had read it exactly as he says - his uncle was making the point that when you have the chance to hit a GIR its important that you take it to play at the HC level you are at.

This then allows for blow ups etc on other holes.

Its a bit different to saying you should hit every GIR!!

Mind you round Waltham maybe that how they think :ears:

 

[Foxholer]

Sorry, I have been away for a few days with my parents in Linconshire, seems there has been a little misunderstanding. I finished this in a hurry as I was called away for dinner.

I meant you should hit the green every time after a good drive, ie when you hit the ball 270ish into the middle of the fairway and leave under 150 yards into the hole on a par 4 or hit two good shots and leave less than 150 into a par 5.

He was saying that for a 12 handicapper your 7 irons to wedges should find the green and give you a birdie chance or an easy par.

He did NOT mean you should find 100% of greens in regulation.

Sorry I was not around to clarify my statement but I have had a busy Easter weekend.

Indeed you should - at least most. But if you are able to hit 270 off the tee, why are you a) not able to hit the green from the <150 and b) not able to hit 245-260 consistently well. Seems likely that consistent (or its opposite erratic) striking could well be what's preventing lower scores, so swinging at less than 100% every time could well help scores. Always helps to have the big tonk in the armoury though!

Even though my 7 GIRs from 18 yesterday was disappointing, I only missed 2 greens from within 160 where I wasn't in a bunker or ditch and one of those was only by inches. Pushing that out to 180 or so would make a big difference to my scores - well probably a couple of shots.

 

[SGC001]

...
He was saying that for a 12 handicapper your 7 irons to wedges should find the green and give you a birdie chance or an easy par.
...

Statistical analysis hasn't backed that up.

 

[Foxholer]

Statistical analysis hasn't backed that up.

Lies, damn lies and.....driving distances!

Breaking out of the statistical 'norm' is how to improve your scores/handicap - which, of course, puts you into a different statistical 'norm'!

 

[ScienceBoy]

Well it was my 2nd round of 18 since August 2011. I have not forgotten how to swing a club, although I did not belive I could hit the ball well.

No confidence in my swing = choosing the wrong club = over the back and OB.

I know now I can have confidence in my swing, I need to worry less where it might go and more where it needs to go.

And whoever said the thing about always swinging 100%, I was guilty of that. Its a skill I have lost since last year. He also said I should hit more 90 and 80% shots and keep the 100% swings in reserve.

I will now go to the range with that in mind and know now that I can once again trust that a 7 iron is 150, 8 is 140 and 9 is 130.

To those who say I should be hitting a 7 more, I am using a forged set with soft lofts and I hit the ball high with a steep swing. What I gain in stop on the greens I loose in distance. If I grabbed a set of TM cast irons I probably could whack a 7 iron 170!

I cannot wait for the day when I can clear my mind and swing again, I still focus on not flipping my hands all over the place during my swing.

 

[SGC001]

Always liked that quote or one similar to it anyway, it reminds of of those sayings like out of sight out of mind and absence makes the heart go fonder. I'm just amazed how they're always right.

I'm aware of the vagaries of statistics as it formed aprt of my degree, where I also had (no longer unfortunately) access to journals with amongst other things golfing stats and studies in them. You'd have to jump a few statistical categories to start regularly hitting greens with 7 iron and below, leaving yourself birdie chances and easy pars and due to the nature of scoring in golf, you'd need to be exceptionally poor in other categories.

 

[leaney]

I am getting a gentle whiff of something round here......you may also get the same smell around a field that farmers keep bulls in.

So you are saying you hit the ball consistently 280 and sometimes in well in excess of 300 sometimes. Fair enough mate if that is what you are thinking. I can get the ball over 300 yards and I did it on Thursday on our 5th hole (340 par 4), got fined in the swindle for nearly hitting someone on the green. But lets look at it, I had about 2 or 3 clubs of wind up my back and I smoked it right out the centre of the club. So can you actually hit the ball that far or are you just looking at holes that have downhill fairways that play downwind?

People in dreamland rant over and back to the opening thread.

Look at it realisticly. If you could hit every green you had a chance to you would be a scratch golfer. Do you watch much golf on TV? How often do all the pros hit every green that they have a chance to? Sometimes they do and that is when they shoot in the low 60's. Take very hole as it comes. I know it is irritating when you hit your best drive of the day then miss the green but do not get too hung up on it, or it will wreck your scorecards.

The fairway was completely flat but I had a little wind behind me. I'm not sure why this has annoyed you so much? Hence why you said 'rant over'.

In less than a year of playing, I'm almost down to 16, And if I could putt better, I'd be a lot closer to a single digit handicapper. But over the last 10 months, I've mainly been practising with my irons and woods and simply haven't had the time to practise my putting as much as I'd like. I'm a very strong person from the gym work I do, plus I'm fairly young ...so if why is it such a surprise that I've been able to hit the ball this far?

 

[pokerjoke]

The fairway was completely flat but I had a little wind behind me. I'm not sure why this has annoyed you so much? Hence why you said 'rant over'.

In less than a year of playing, I'm almost down to 16, And if I could putt better, I'd be a lot closer to a single digit handicapper. But over the last 10 months, I've mainly been practising with my irons and woods and simply haven't had the time to practise my putting as much as I'd like. I'm a very strong person from the gym work I do, plus I'm fairly young ...so if why is it such a surprise that I've been able to hit the ball this far?

Im not trying to have a dig here,but you are contradicting yourself.
One minute your saying you cant hit a 9 iron 135 but you can hit a driver 300 yrds.
Now you say youve been practicing your irons and woods for 10 months.
Its definately not a surprise you can hit a driver so far,the surprise is,if you can
hit a driver so far,why cant you hit a 9 iron 135.
Also now you have stated your a very strong person,not being able to hit a 9 iron
135 is even more baffling.
For me it must be a timing issue,or even that you tee the ball up really high,and your
not compressing the ball enough.
Also we had a guy on here a few months back that was banding around big driving distances,
and he could,nt hit a ball for toffees.
Please dont take these comments personally,its just stating a fact,if you hit your driver that far
you should be hitting a 9,135 quite comfortably.
It could also be your irons are not suited to your swing,when your driver is.

 

[BTatHome]

I missed 2 greens from <115 today

... Just saying.

 

[leaney]

Im not trying to have a dig here,but you are contradicting yourself.
One minute your saying you cant hit a 9 iron 135 but you can hit a driver 300 yrds.
Now you say youve been practicing your irons and woods for 10 months.
Its definately not a surprise you can hit a driver so far,the surprise is,if you can
hit a driver so far,why cant you hit a 9 iron 135.
Also now you have stated your a very strong person,not being able to hit a 9 iron
135 is even more baffling.
For me it must be a timing issue,or even that you tee the ball up really high,and your
not compressing the ball enough.
Also we had a guy on here a few months back that was banding around big driving distances,
and he could,nt hit a ball for toffees.
Please dont take these comments personally,its just stating a fact,if you hit your driver that far
you should be hitting a 9,135 quite comfortably.
It could also be your irons are not suited to your swing,when your driver is.

Earlier in the thread I did say that maybe I was doing something wrong with my irons as I'm still fairly inexperienced.

My irons do go quite high as my hands aren't always as far forward as they need to be - so I'm 'flipping' a bit at impact. With a driver this is less of an issue.

I was never trying to state that I was a big hitter, hence I was honest enough to say that my irons are shorter than most.

And when you say 'I am getting a gentle whiff of something round here......you may also get the same smell around a field that farmers keep bulls in' as you did in your previous post, it would be quite easy to take your comments personally.

 

[pokerjoke]

Earlier in the thread I did say that maybe I was doing something wrong with my irons as I'm still fairly inexperienced.

My irons do go quite high as my hands aren't always as far forward as they need to be - so I'm 'flipping' a bit at impact. With a driver this is less of an issue.

I was never trying to state that I was a big hitter, hence I was honest enough to say that my irons are shorter than most.

And when you say 'I am getting a gentle whiff of something round here......you may also get the same smell around a field that farmers keep bulls in' as you did in your previous post, it would be quite easy to take your comments personally.

Im sorry but if you look back at the posts it wasnt me that insinuated it was bulls poo.

I do agree however that flicking at the ball,instead of compressing will result
in loss of distance.
Try getting your weight on your front foot,instead of your back one.

 

[leaney]

Im sorry but if you look back at the posts it wasnt me that insinuated it was bulls poo.

I do agree however that flicking at the ball,instead of compressing will result
in loss of distance.
Try getting your weight on your front foot,instead of your back one.

Sorry. I thought that was you...apologies!

Thanks for the tip mate

 

[moogie]

Leaney.............Fairly serious bag of Clubs, for somebody just starting out.........been playing 10 months
Normally somebody would pick up a cheap starter set, 2nd hand, or pass me downs, to see if they picked the game up 1st, before splashing out
What made u jump in with both feet...........???

 

[duncan mackie]

Sorry, I have been away for a few days with my parents in Linconshire, seems there has been a little misunderstanding. I finished this in a hurry as I was called away for dinner.

I meant you should hit the green every time after a good drive, ie when you hit the ball 270ish into the middle of the fairway and leave under 150 yards into the hole on a par 4 or hit two good shots and leave less than 150 into a par 5.

He was saying that for a 12 handicapper your 7 irons to wedges should find the green and give you a birdie chance or an easy par.

He did NOT mean you should find 100% of greens in regulation.

Sorry I was not around to clarify my statement but I have had a busy Easter weekend.

no need to be sorry - this part of your original post was pretty clear.

add the word 'expect' (added by others in the thread to their situations!) and I would tend to agree - I expect to hit the green with a 7 iron or lower; it doesn't always happen but then again I have sunk it from 100+ more than once (and that doesn't always happen either!)

I'm not convinced that your distance judgement is down to that alone either - elements of your posts suggest that you may be 'going at it a little' and that there is a significant variation in how far it actually goes each shot with each club - come back a bit and find a comfortable repeatable swing

 

[leaney]

Leaney.............Fairly serious bag of Clubs, for somebody just starting out.........been playing 10 months
Normally somebody would pick up a cheap starter set, 2nd hand, or pass me downs, to see if they picked the game up 1st, before splashing out
What made u jump in with both feet...........???

Honest answer?....

When I was growing up, all of my mates played golf and played to a high standard in the end. I liked golf when I was at secondary School but unlike them, my parents were unable to provide/help me with any golf equipment. I had no hand me downs unfortunately and we didn't even have the money for a very cheap set of second hand ones, let alone the money for membership.

Nowadays are different for me and as such, I can treat myself (within reason). Plus, I knew how much I'd use them. I knew that playing golf wasn't a 'fad' and so I invested in some good clubs.

Looking back on it and had I have known more about the game when I started, I might have got the AP1's instead of the AP2's as they're a lot more forgiving. But a big part of me is glad that I got the AP2's because if I can hit these, then I should be able to hit most irons well.

 

[Scouser]

So look at it this way .....

forget the distance....you are stood on a par 3 that is a 7 iron for you......are you going to hit the green or not?

 

[Dave B]

I'm surprised that with all the posts on this topic nobody has highlighted the obvious.

If the majority of professional players, most of who can drive 280 yards consistently, hit less than 70% of greens in regulation it doesn't take too long to work out that a low handicap club player will be looking at hitting close to 50% of greens in regulation.

As for distances with the discrepancies in lofts,the variations in shafts and length it's dificult for most people to determine how long they actually hit the ball with any accuracy. In addition when you see a professionalhitting a 7 iron 185 yds as oposed to the normal 140-155yds how do you know that the loft has not been tweeked to suit his individual requirements?

Distance is and has always been relative to accuracy. There aren't many golfers who would say no to 10yds more accuracy left and right as opposed to 10 yds longer.

I've played with lots of players who think I'm a long hitter however the truth is a good drive for me is 240- 250 yds down the middle. A good 5 wood off the fairway os 190-200 yds. A good 7 iron is 150 yds and a good 54 degree wedge is 75 yds max. They aren't spectacular distances but they are acurate. Some people think I hit longer but there's a lot to be said for knowing how far you can hit each club without resorting to GPS which may be great for giving distance but in truth is useless for taking into account lie, gradient and conditions.

 

[MadAdey]

Sorry if you took it the wrong way leaney but it was a bit of a tongue in cheek reply to your post. Quite often you get on here people going on about being able to hit the ball over 300 yards. Had one a couple of months ago and people said that if he really could do that then we will meet you at the driving range and you can show us, surprise surprise he never did.

I just can't get it straight in my head that you can hit the ball that far with the driver and regularly get around 280 but can only hit a 9 iron 135 yards, it just does not make any sense to me. Hitting the ball that far consistently is probably 40-50 yards further than the average club golfer yet hitting it very average distances with your irons.

I do regularly hit around the 270/280ish mark from the tee but hit an easy 9 iron 150 yards. So you can see my confusion with what you are saying.