How do you go about dialing a specific club/distance

I have heard people mention they want to dial in their 150 yd club or their 100yd club, etc. When talking to or listening to different instructors we hear not to hit more than 5 balls with a club while on the range and to change targets all the time.

If you shouldn't hit more than 5 balls consecutively with the same club, what method do you use or would you use to dial in a particular club for a specific distance?

Back when I played a lot I used my GPS to track each shot and over time found my averages on some of my irons (mostly used clubs) and then just calculated 12-15 yard gaps from there...usually worked out pretty good???

Find a quiet time on the course. Throw 5 shots with a mid iron, track the distance. Adjust up and down accordingly. That's what I do at least.

blugold said:

Find a quiet time on the course. Throw 5 shots with a mid iron, track the distance. Adjust up and down accordingly. That's what I do at least.

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I subscribe to this as well. Easier said than done in the peak summer season, but on course with real balls where you can see ball marks and rollout is so much more valuable than range time.

With the GolfPadGPS Golf Tags, it's easy. Use it to track all of your shots and it will give you the average distance that you hit each club.

I have never heard that and I do not advise it. I also don't advise just beating balls on the range. Lets say your full 9 iron is 145. I mean you make a good balanced swing and it consistently falls in that 145 range, give or take a yard on either side. No reason to beat balls. Now its time to see what happens with the ball back in your stance, front, half swing, 3/4 swing...etc. You get the point. Dialing in a club takes time, knowing how far it travels on a full swing is the easy part.

emart2173 said:

I have heard people mention they want to dial in their 150 yd club or their 100yd club, etc. When talking to or listening to different instructors we hear not to hit more than 5 balls with a club while on the range and to change targets all the time.

If you shouldn't hit more than 5 balls consecutively with the same club, what method do you use or would you use to dial in a particular club for a specific distance?

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Tadashi70 said:

I have never heard that and I do not advise it. I also don't advise just beating balls on the range. Lets say your full 9 iron is 145. I mean you make a good balanced swing and it consistently falls in that 145 range, give or take a yard on either side. No reason to beat balls. Now its time to see what happens with the ball back in your stance, front, half swing, 3/4 swing...etc. You get the point. Dialing in a club takes time, knowing how far it travels on a full swing is the easy part.

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thanks Freddie. As always helpful insights from you

emart2173 said:

I have heard people mention they want to dial in their 150 yd club or their 100yd club, etc. When talking to or listening to different instructors we hear not to hit more than 5 balls with a club while on the range and to change targets all the time.

If you shouldn't hit more than 5 balls consecutively with the same club, what method do you use or would you use to dial in a particular club for a specific distance?

Click to expand...

I I have never heard this before and I wouldn't recommend doing that. But I am a huge believer in instructors so do what is best for you.

For me the best experience and way to really tell how everything is going to play for me is course time. Par 3's and shots from 150/100 yards out really help me gauge and dial in the right clubs for the shots. the reason I've improved so much this year (IMO) is because I've just been playing more instead of range time and have really dialed in what clubs I need not only for full shots, but lower runners, 3/4 held off wedges, and cut shots to fight the wind. That kind of stuff is hard to really dial in on the range, at least for me.

I guess it depends how long one has been playing with their current set of clubs but Simply play enough rounds imo and eventually by default the results collectively pile up in your head for just how far one is averaging with his clubs with his decent to well struck shots. I just never saw the concern to get so precisely "dialed in" down to basically the foot. I don't think anyone is that precise anyway. Than there are conditions, greens slopes, elevations, etc etc... Sure one should imo want to have an idea of his full shot yardages but I think many overthink it because from past discussions here finding yardages proves to be a struggle for some people. Imo its probably the inconsistencies in our swings combined with the other factors that causes the over thinking. Play enough golf with that set of clubs and simply by default of hitting enough respectably hit balls imo one will find his distances and also imo doesn't have much choice but to actually find them.

I know this can get somewhat advanced as well, like when tour pros and better players or even some lessor ability players who are actually able to do so may chose to hit a given iron from several different yardages for whatever reason they feel necessary. But trying to figure your basic shot yardages and gaps in general from iron to iron is not imo a hard thing so long as enough golf is played. As said I don't think there is much of a choice but to find those yardages simply by default of playing the game itself enough times.