Working out yardages...

[NWJocko]

After a flurry of recent posts on knowing yardages and gps etc its something i think i'll get round to.

However, and this may be a simple question, whats the best way to do it?

Hit 10/20/50/100 balls with each club and take an average?
How do i measure the distance without a gps?

Thanks

 

[G_Mulligan]

hit 20 balls take out the longest four and the shortest four and average out the rest. If you don't have a range finder you will need to count your steps. Find a given distance (100 yards works well) and count how many steps it takes then it is easily divisible to find what you need.

 

[EZprophet]

I wouldnt take an average, and I would definitely do it somewhere where you can work out the exact yardages somehow, whether with a GPS, laser, yardage markers.

I think what you want to work out is a "range" for your distances as opposed to just one distance for each club. For example, when I'm deciding on what club to use for a shot, I know almost exactly the MAXIMIMUM yardage I can hit a club with my normal swing (Im not talking about trying to swing the club as hard as possible!) and I know that if I mishit it slightly, I'll usually lose about 5 or so yards. I dont include complete mishits (fats, thins) in my yardages, as that is completely useless imo, which is why working out an "average" yardage for each club is dangerous.

What I would do is hit 20 shots with each club, completely discard the complete mishits and then work out the minimum distance and the maximum distance of the rest of them, that is then your distance "range"... When you are then deciding what club to use, you want to choose the club where both the top of your range, and bottom, will end up in a decent spot (whether that be on the green, or in somekind of bailout area or whatever...)

I've seen lots of different methods for working out yardages but tbh most of them Ive seen seem flawed to me.

 

[viscount17]

first find a field, preferably flat
use only balls that you're willing to be seen with in public (ie not range balls)
hit a number of balls 10 or 20, discarding the longest and shortest (or widest).
measure from the centre of the rest back to where you started.
method 1 - just pace it out, and estimate
method 2 - beg, borrow or 'otherwise acquire' a pace stick from the local TA
method 3 - tie a length of string (long enough that you can walk, short enough that you can pace to its full extent) between your ankles. then measure the length of your stride.
method 4 - go to your local tool hire, see if they have a surveyors measure (the slightly less old one with the wheel, alternatively hire the more modern laser)

 

[bobmac]

Stand on a flat hole at 150 when there's no wind and there's no-one about and hit some balls at the green. When you hit an average shot for you and it lands on the green near the middle, that's your standard club. 6,7,8,9 or whichever.

Then add a club for 160, take off one club for 140 and so on.
Then repair all your pitchmarks

 

[Smiffy]

first find a field, preferably flat
use only balls that you're willing to be seen with in public (ie not range balls)
hit a number of balls 10 or 20, discarding the longest and shortest (or widest).
measure from the centre of the rest back to where you started.
method 1 - just pace it out, and estimate
method 2 - beg, borrow or 'otherwise acquire' a pace stick from the local TA
method 3 - tie a length of string (long enough that you can walk, short enough that you can pace to its full extent) between your ankles. then measure the length of your stride.
method 4 - go to your local tool hire, see if they have a surveyors measure (the slightly less old one with the wheel, alternatively hire the more modern laser)

Alternatively, hit three balls, pick the middle one as your average, sit down and have a fag and then bugger off home

 

[bobmac]

Alternatively, hit three balls, pick the middle one as your average, sit down and have a fag and then bugger off home

And in your case if you duff all 3?????

How many sleeps now ?

 

[Smiffy]

Alternatively, hit three balls, pick the middle one as your average, sit down and have a fag and then bugger off home

And in your case if you duff all 3?????

How many sleeps now ?

I'll take my "average" duff every time.

3

 

[NWJocko]

first find a field, preferably flat
use only balls that you're willing to be seen with in public (ie not range balls)
hit a number of balls 10 or 20, discarding the longest and shortest (or widest).
measure from the centre of the rest back to where you started.
method 1 - just pace it out, and estimate
method 2 - beg, borrow or 'otherwise acquire' a pace stick from the local TA
method 3 - tie a length of string (long enough that you can walk, short enough that you can pace to its full extent) between your ankles. then measure the length of your stride.
method 4 - go to your local tool hire, see if they have a surveyors measure (the slightly less old one with the wheel, alternatively hire the more modern laser)

Alternatively, hit three balls, pick the middle one as your average, sit down and have a fag and then bugger off home

Sounds much more up my street!!

 

[AyrHead]

You could use the golf monthly forum members yardage equation.

B = YA + (100)Y = D = BS

B = Nr of balls hit
YA = How many yards the ball goes approximately
(100)Y = The number of yards you add on to make you look good.
D = Distances you claim to hit the ball on the forum
BS = Bull S*it

Easy

 

[Losttheplot]

You could use the golf monthly forum members yardage equation.

B = YA + (100)Y = D = BS

B = Nr of balls hit
YA = How many yards the ball goes approximately
(100)Y = The number of yards you add on to make you look good.
D = Distances you claim to hit the ball on the forum
BS = Bull S*it

Easy

+1

 

[Losttheplot]

Stand on a flat hole at 150 when there's no wind and there's no-one about and hit some balls at the green. When you hit an average shot for you and it lands on the green near the middle, that's your standard club. 6,7,8,9 or whichever.

Then add a club for 160, take off one club for 140 and so on.
Then repair all your pitchmarks

+1 for this idea too....

Works well from the 100 yard marker to the green too for your wedges distances.

You should know your maximum distances and be able to ease up or choke down to adjust yardages between clubs.

 

[MashieNiblick]

Over the years I've use a combination of most of these methods. I think what can be difficult is working out carry which is hard to see when hitting on a flat field (unless it's really wet and you can see your ball just stops) and it is also affected by quality of strike. For that I think hitting shots to a green from a known distance will give you a good mark. No need to treat the course like a range. Just drop a couple of balls at the 150 mark (or whatever) on a few holes when out on a quiet evening.

 

[Mongoose]

Using a range with markers, or any place you can find a 150yd distance find out what iron carries that distance, from that your distance gaps will be about 7-10yds per club depending on your length, so check it out with a couple of other clubs, then refine as you play. Always work on carry distance.

 

[Flarkey]

or you could use this...

http://www.csgnetwork.com/golfclubdistancecalce.html

I just did it for a 5 iron = 170 yards, and the calculated results are not far off.

 

[evahakool]

Or use a gps

 

[ash01]

or you could use this...

http://www.csgnetwork.com/golfclubdistancecalce.html

I just did it for a 5 iron = 170 yards, and the calculated results are not far off.

I regularly measure my yardages as with warmer weather etc. things can change, ball distance and height, vice versa with colder weather.

Tried out the above link and it is really accurate for me.

Maybe a coincidence, who knows.

Good link though.

Ash!!