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Thought process on picking a club

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mquinton1

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I watched the Feherty interview with Mickleson. I was overwhelmed as to what he analyzes each shot, how many factors go into his choice to hit a 145 yard target. Wind, time of day, grass grain, moisture, grass type, less spin to hold, more spin to back up, altitude, just to start.
Reflecting, I don't put enough thought into it. Nor do I practice going up in loft, down in swing speed to play the wind.
The interview will give me more options to practice on the range.
What were your thoughts on the interview?


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I’m not playing for that kind of money. I’m looking to hit a number and kinda guessing at what the wind is going to do. How wet the grass is, or the ambient temp are not things I take into account.
 
I will play to a distance to center of green and adjust from there. Wind comes in to effect whether it is with or against and how strong. Other wise I'm good.
 
I'd also say may game is just not to that level. I will adjust for uphill/downhill, heavy wind, or thick rough. Maybe the occasional course with rock hard greens that don't hold. Beyond that I'm playing a club to a number that I hit it to most often with a decent swing.
 
That was a great interview to listen too. I consider distance to pin, front and back yardage of green, lie, stance, wind, cooler or warmer temps
 
Phil is truly playing a game of inches. I’m playing a game of feet and yards I pick the biggest factors and choose a club...too many variables to consider will only give me a less confident swing. (And honestly, that takes way too much time)


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Learning how different lies affect distance is fundamental to becoming a better golfer.

I feel this is a neglected skill and time and time again I see golfers getting upset when their ball goes too far or too short and think it was because they picked up their heads.




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I don't travel much so my distances are for 500 feet or so. I consider where I want ball to land and the spin I want, from there trajectory I need, then start adding or subtracting yardage for elevation change, wind, temperature and choking down if need be. Guess if the ball will jump when not in fairway and the lie in general, from there hope I got all that right and try to make a good swing.
 
We are still all amateurs. My thought process on club selection has certainly changed over the years ie not just shooting the flag and going with that number.

Instead I always factor in the carry distance to cover the green especially with par 3s over water and when in doubt I always club up and smooth it...


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Distance and wind velocity/direction is more than enough for me to worry about. As far as temperature, Winter golf vs. Summer golf, I think my mind adjusts automatically to the seasons.
 
Its such a slippery slope in taking on more decisions on every shot. So so many golfers come up a club short on every hole. That alone should be their main goal in life,, hit the distance number.

If you yourself are a great player then you can start to layer in more factors,, but honestly, just keep it simple. If you can master hole high golf,, then start to work in more factors.

That's not to say don't practice different shots on the range. But on course, keep it simple. My $.02

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I have no delusions of being on Phil's level, nor do I have all the information available to me that he does. Having said that, the more my game has developed the more thought I put into each shot--especially approach shots. For me, the difference between putting my approach shot inside 10 feet vs. 20 or more feet from the cup is almost one stroke per hole. That's huge! But there is a lot more thought you have to put in to give a chance at putting your approach shot inside 10 feet. Occasionally, trying to do so presents a risk/reward that isn't worth it. All this needs to be taken into account.

Course play also informs me on what shot I need that I don't have or that I need to work on.
 
Enjoyed everyone's responses so far. I guess all the thought Phil puts in a shot, means he doesn't win because of physical talent......lol


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Easy answer. If a big danger I choose club less likely to go there unless playing really well.
 
Zbuechner4 said:
Phil is truly playing a game of inches. I’m playing a game of feet and yards I pick the biggest factors and choose a club...too many variables to consider will only give me a less confident swing. (And honestly, that takes way too much time)


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This is pretty much my thoughts on it. It was a great interview and I love Phil's thought process, but like ZB said, he plays a different game. Period.
 
I remember being overwhelmed just listening to what Phil takes into account before even deciding what yardage the pin is playing at. Then he does more thinking to figure out what club and what shot. I prefer thinking less for my shots, but I’ll add in a few extras when I give my son his yardage. He executes more consistently than I do so I can try to put him close instead of just trying to hit the green.
 
mquinton1 said:
I watched the Feherty interview with Mickleson. I was overwhelmed as to what he analyzes each shot, how many factors go into his choice to hit a 145 yard target. Wind, time of day, grass grain, moisture, grass type, less spin to hold, more spin to back up, altitude, just to start.
Reflecting, I don't put enough thought into it. Nor do I practice going up in loft, down in swing speed to play the wind.
The interview will give me more options to practice on the range.
What were your thoughts on the interview?


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Click to expand...



I wonder why the rounds are so slow on the pro tour....








I'll get me hat on the way out the door here
 
honestly you play this game long enough and i think you do most of this subconsciously. you can look down at the ball and pretty quickly know what it's going to do with a clean strike. you can feel how cold it is outside and adjust your yardages before you even step onto the first tee. pick up a few blades of grass and toss them in the air to get the wind. the whole process shouldn't take more than 15-20 seconds.
 
What club will get to or past the flag with a good, smooth swing. KISS principal, Keep It Simple Stupid.
 
Into a green? Adjust for lie and elevation and then club up. I don't take into account wind, green slope, green conditions, etc.
 
I agree with those who have said Phil has the kind of precision in his game that allows him to take those things into account. I put it this way: Phil wields a scalpel, I swing an axe - on a good day.

The best pro athletes have that kind of inner micrometer. I remember this anecdote from a New Yorker article about Bill Bradley:

Last summer, the floor of the Princeton gym was being resurfaced, so Bradley had to put in several practice sessions at the Lawrenceville School. His first afternoon at Lawrenceville, he began by shooting fourteen-foot jump shots from the right side. He got off to a bad start, and he kept missing them. Six in a row hit the back rim of the basket and bounced out. He stopped, looking discomfited, and seemed to be making an adjustment in his mind. Then he went up for another jump shot from the same spot and hit it cleanly. Four more shots went in without a miss, and then he paused and said, “You want to know something? That basket is about an inch and a half low.” Some weeks later, I went back to Lawrenceville with a steel tape, borrowed a stepladder, and measured the height of the basket. It was nine feet ten and seven-eighths inches above the floor, or one and one-eighth inches too low.
Click to expand...
 
Mach2 said:
What club will get to or past the flag with a good, smooth swing. KISS principal, Keep It Simple Stupid.
Click to expand...

That can be the worst possible thing on courses with crazy fast or sloped greens. Turn the 15 foot downhill putt into a 30 yard chip.
 
I practice hitting a few different clubs to the same distances, especially with my wedges. Once I started doing this, it actually took a lot of the guesswork out of the decision process. Also removed the "if I step on an 8 iron, I can get it there" failure from the bag. Makes more sense to choke down on the next club up than take a hard, inaccurate swing at an ego club.

Downside is that I constantly have to practice these shots to keep them effective, but that's the point of practice, right?
 
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