do you expect to mishit the ball ?

DG_1234

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Your ball lay in the fairway, 150 yards from a center of the green hole location. Good lie, level terrain, no wind. Front edge of the green is 140 yards, back edge of the green is 165 yards.

A seriously mishit 7-iron carries 120 to 130 yards.
A slightly mishit 7-iron for you carries 130 to 140 yards.
A well struck 7-iron carries 145 yards.
A very well struck-pure 7-iron carries 155 yards.

Your game is at a level where seven swings out of ten you either slightly mishit or seriously mishit the ball. Do you club yourself hoping/expecting for one of the three out of ten swings that will carry 145 to 155 yards? Or do you club yourself expecting a mishit and carry the ball 130 yards ?
 
At my home course, a majority of holes have big trouble long. I've never seen the sense in planning a shot where, if struck well, would result in a lost ball or other similar trouble.
 
At my home course, a majority of holes have big trouble long. I've never seen the sense in planning a shot where, if struck well, would result in a lost ball or other similar trouble.

If you club yourself so that a very well struck shot carries to the back of the green, the ball will not end up in trouble long.
 
Right now, I'm playing the average and trying to put the ball as far away from trouble as I can. When the swing is grooved and I'm confident, I'm going for the pin all day.
 
Right now, I'm playing the average and trying to put the ball as far away from trouble as I can. When the swing is grooved and I'm confident, I'm going for the pin all day.

Your game is at a level where seven swings out of ten you either slightly mishit or seriously mishit the ball. Do you club yourself hoping/expecting for one of the three out of ten swings that will carry 145 to 155 yards? Or do you club yourself expecting a mishit and carry the ball 130 yards ?
 
i expect to get my distance....but my aim (or my "super" draw) will sabotage that good strike :rolleyes:
 
If you have the thought of a mishit in your mind your playing the wrong game. With using the stated distances for the green and the 7 iron, wise choice in my opinion is grab it and make a confident swing knowing you can do it.
 
If you have the thought of a mishit in your mind your playing the wrong game. With using the stated distances for the green and the 7 iron, wise choice in my opinion is grab it and make a confident swing knowing you can do it.

If seven out of ten swings the player's 7-iron carry is 130 yards he should choose the 7-iron for a 150 yard target ? Even though this means his ball will come up short of the green seven out of ten times ?
 
Assuming the scenario, I am taking more club 100% of the time. Would rather be on the back of the green than short of the green.

Relying on a pure strike, I won't do. Would rather take more club and swing easy, and be on the green.
 
If seven out of ten swings the player's 7-iron carry is 130 yards he should choose the 7-iron for a 150 yard target ? Even though this means his ball will come up short of the green seven out of ten times ?
Sorry, was relating that to my game. After re-reading the OP I will change that to the smart move is to club up to a 6 iron and take a smooth easy swing.
Or, ask myself why I'm playing instead of taking lessons? 🤔😉
 
I club for the yardage I expect to hit it when struck well. Clubbing for anything else is setting yourself up for failure in my opinon.
 
Would rather take more club and swing easy, and be on the green.

You introduce an excellent point here. Specifically, the player who instinctively knows he has "plenty of club" nearly always makes a better tempo-rhythm swing (and shot) than does the player who knows he "has to hit it pure" to reach the target.
 
In the specific situation described (which aligns with my game shockingly well), I'm hitting the 7 iron. My reasoning is that there's no guarantee that a poorly struck 6 iron will end up better than a poorly struck 7 iron, but a well struck 6 iron will have me off the back of the green. The "club up and take an easy swing" approach never seems to work out for me. The easier I try to be, the more I typically screw it up.
 
depends how i am playing that day. i would hope that i am hitting the proper number and going to get the 7iron for that shot. BUT if i'm struggling with my irons that day then i might take a 6 iron and 3/4 swing it and keep it low
 
Or, ask myself why I'm playing instead of taking lessons? 🤔😉

About lessons............very few players have the time or the will to take lessons, learn and practice new technique etc... so lessons are great, but that is a separate subject.
I have no doubt that the majority of amateur players could significantly improve their swing, and number of greens hit in regulation, simply by improving their club selection.
Remember, in Pro-Ams Tour pros see their amateur partners choosing a club for which a near perfect strike would be needed to reach the hole. Consequently the Tour pros
see their amateur partners make too fast of a tempo swings while coming up short of greens all day long. This is why Tour pros say "amateurs don't take enough club".
 
I do not play to the back of the green unless the flag is there, then i may play a lower shot hoping for the run to the back. My scope gives mt the flag yardage, and it have built in GPS for front and back yardages. I look to hit something that is close to pin YDG, but that i know can't go over.
 
Unless there’s trouble up front, I’m taking my 150 club. I’m not mishitting my distances enough not to fire directly at a pin in the center of the green.
 
The "club up and take an easy swing" approach never seems to work out for me. The easier I try to be, the more I typically screw it up.

Your response is a common one. My suggestion is to give proper club selection a chance. In other words, it may take a round of golf or to for you to become comfortable with the concept of taking one more club than you are accustomed to playing from a specific yardage. My guess is that if you do give it a chance you will notice that your swing improves, that the game becomes more relaxing, and that you hit more greens.
 
first i need to decide does my miss need to be long (water in front of the green?) or short (OB, or hazards behind the green?) and club accordingly.
I don't "plan" for a mis-hit, per se, but at least i'll know, roughly, where the ball should end up based on that earlier decision.
 
I play for my really good strike to land on the back 1/3 of the green. That helps account for some of this.
 
In this scenario, take the longer club. Your odds of flushing the perfect club are not in your favor. If you flush the longer club (not too likely) be proud of your executed strike... then focus on your next shot.
 
I am never surprised by a poorly struck ball. It's golf, and less than well struck shots are a part of my game. I suspect everyone else's game too.

When playing, I see distances. If I were to see a 7i full swing distance, most likely, I'm going to hit a 6i. That way for any level of mis-hit I put on the ball, the extra club will provide some relief.

I know. Why not just see a 6i distance? I have no idea, other than this extra club idea has usually paid dividends for me. I'm fine calling it an ocd issue.....

My whole golf full swing is built around swinging the same way, everytime, regardless of what club I'm using. Same speed, tempo, timing, rythem, balance, or what ever. It's a repeatable, comfort thing for me.

I even practice using the same full swing speed on the driving range. I pick out my target, and use it as reference for ball flights for the various clubs I will be using.

Using the same swing speed, some clubs will fly the ball longer, some clubs will fly the ball shorter, and maybe one club will fly the ball the targeted distance. Just as long as the ball flies on or near the line to my target, I'm happy.
 
I play for my really good strike to land on the back 1/3 of the green. That helps account for some of this.

For sure that is better than planning for a really good strike to land on the front 1/3rd of the green.
 
I have gotten more comfortable with taking the club up on approach shots and swinging easier. I used to just club up and do a full swing and then go in the woods long. The only reasons I would be okay with going short would be 1.) it's gonna run off the back and need the shorter club for more spin to hold the green 2.) the trouble long is a worse consequence than the trouble short.

I will say, last season I played 2 different sets of irons (AP2s and Speedzones) and I changed my methodology to the play to hit it potentially further because most times it will land a little shorter. However, when I played Speedzone irons I HAD to play with the potential of being long maybe half the time. Reason being, I would catch a couple way too hot each round. I specifically remember this one time carrying a 7 iron 215 yards (strong lofts) (no it wasn't a bullet thin, was actually very high but was pured I guess), but I normally would carry that club like 190 yards.
 
I know I will mishit shots. I know I will hit well-struck shots. I don't choose a club based on a mishit.
 
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