Hit more club? Really?

[Petunia Sprinkle]

Dustin Johnson was just asked if there were a piece of advice he most commonly gives to his pro-am partners and he said "Take more club. They're always leaving it short...always *light chuckle*." So yeah, that's probably true. I, for one, know I'd score better if I hit more greens than trees, but if we're going to miss, aren't we generally better off being short than too long? I'm under the impression that there's less trouble, flatter surfaces and more grass than in the front of the green than in the back.

Of course, what he's probably saying is why not stop lying to yourself and find out how far you actually hit your clubs.

[NYC243]

you seem to have answered your own post.... :)

 

people that are playing with him are probably seeing him hit an 8 iron 200 yards and pull their 7 iron when in reality they need a 5 iron....

[larrybud]

There's a recent thread a million posts long about this. Just because you use more club doesn't mean you blast it over the green. Not like the greens are just 10 yards deep!

[jaymayor]

I'd say it's a combination of not knowing your distances and not flushing every shot, which in most cases leaves you short. What I do is not even worry about the yardage to the front or middle of the green, and just use the yardage to the back and pull that club. It solves both issues. Very rarely has it lead me to fly any greens at all. Depending on green size, using the yardage to the back gives you a lot of room to mishit if you properly know your distances with each club.

[rcain1us]

Most amateurs gap their yardage by the longest distance off a perfect lie with each club - not their actual average distance.

[bazinky]

I seriously doubt these guys are playing with very good golfers that often in pro-ams. If you're a single digit, that advice probably isn't meant for you ...

[Petunia Sprinkle]

All good points. Then, there's the dude who decides to take more club, relaxes, flushes it and blasts it into the swamp way behind the green and decides, because of that one instance, he'll never take more club ever again.

[Ferguson]

More club? Simply put, distance in large part is the result of striking it well. Let's face it - most am's struggle with striking it well.

 

Not putting words in his mouth, I think DJ is politely saying "if am's continue to mishit shots, then at least mishit a club that has a chance to hit the green."

 

 

 

 

 

Let's start with the right club.

[Petunia Sprinkle]

More club? Simply put, distance in large part is the result of striking it well. Let's face it - most am's struggle with striking it well.

 

Not putting words in his mouth, I think DJ is politely saying "if am's continue to mishit shots, then at least mishit a club that has a chance to hit the green."

 

 

 

 

 

Let's start with the right club.

 

I played with a guy who hit his 6iron 135yds. and his 4iron only 120yds. In actuality, he probably just should've played cards, or Bingo. I've actually played with a lot of dreadful players who'll hit their 8iron best and then distance falls off as the clubs get longer. But, I'm sure the amateurs DJ's playing with are at a more advanced level of dissatisfaction.

[Ferguson]

More club? Simply put, distance in large part is the result of striking it well. Let's face it - most am's struggle with striking it well.

 

Not putting words in his mouth, I think DJ is politely saying "if am's continue to mishit shots, then at least mishit a club that has a chance to hit the green."

 

 

 

 

 

Let's start with the right club.

 

I played with a guy who hit his 6iron 135yds. and his 4iron only 120yds. In actuality, he probably just should've played cards, or Bingo. I've actually played with a lot of dreadful players who'll hit their 8iron best and then distance falls off as the clubs get longer. But, I'm sure the amateurs DJ's playing with are at a more advanced level of dissatisfaction.

 

Fore sure. I was taught to find a club that you hit well and move in both directions. My 7-iron is still the second best club in my bag. Putter being #1

[Petunia Sprinkle]

More club? Simply put, distance in large part is the result of striking it well. Let's face it - most am's struggle with striking it well.

 

Not putting words in his mouth, I think DJ is politely saying "if am's continue to mishit shots, then at least mishit a club that has a chance to hit the green."

 

 

 

 

 

Let's start with the right club.

 

I played with a guy who hit his 6iron 135yds. and his 4iron only 120yds. In actuality, he probably just should've played cards, or Bingo. I've actually played with a lot of dreadful players who'll hit their 8iron best and then distance falls off as the clubs get longer. But, I'm sure the amateurs DJ's playing with are at a more advanced level of dissatisfaction.

 

Fore sure. I was taught to find a club that you hit well and move in both directions. My 7-iron is still the second best club in my bag. Putter being #1

 

Hm! That's an interesting idea. I read Seve's book early on and decided I'd play with one club to learn how to play better. I started with a 2iron, then moved up to 4, 5, 6, and finally, a 7. It just occurred to me, the times I played with each one of those clubs were the times I could hit each one about 180yds..

[North Butte]

That's the old joke, right. Guy's wife wants to learn to play golf. He takes her out to the course and says, "Here's the number one iron, the first club in the bag so we'll start with that. I'll even put it on a downslope to give it a head start. Now just relax and let the club do the work".

[Z1ggy16]

I find this to be true once I start to get over 180 or 185 yards. On a well struck shot, this is a 6i for me (with roll out), but I will admit I only get there about 50-60% of the time. However, if I take out 5i and I do happen to flush it... I'm on the very back of the green or in the rough behind it. In my world, I'm much better at chipping onto the green from a nice lie than I am trying to play an open faced touch shot from the rough.

 

I suspect this is true for almost all golfers, and is why you see so much of this.

[Cwebb]

You are usually better off missing short than long,......but if you're almost always short, then you rarely have a chance to get it close or even pin high.

 

Sorta similar to the guy on the green who never wants to leave any putts short, but always leaves himself with 3-5" footers, that he invariably misses some of. Instead of trying not to leave it short, why not try to always hit it the right speed....better percentages overall

[Z1ggy16]

You are usually better off missing short than long,......but if you're almost always short, then you rarely have a chance to get it close or even pin high.

 

Sorta similar to the guy on the green who never wants to leave any putts short, but always leaves himself with 3-5" footers, that he invariably misses some of. Instead of trying not to leave it short, why not try to always hit it the right speed....better percentages overall

I think this is DJ's point - If you're almost always short "take more club" = hey pal, you don't hit your clubs as far as you think....

[Petunia Sprinkle]

I had a friend who probably read more about golf than he played. "Bruce, why are you holding your club so loosely?" "Well, Sam Snead said...etc., etc.." "Dude, I don't think that bird's there anymore." So, one day, we're playing and he's getting frustrated with slicing the ball and ending up in the mess on the right all the time (it was actually a weak push fade). I told him to just aim at the trees on the left. He shrugged his shoulders as if to say "Huh! Ok.", then, proceeded to hit his ball dead straight into those trees. He turns around and demands "What the hell was THAT?" All I could say was "you forgot to get nervous."

[Ferguson]

I had a buddy with giant banana fingers and as a right-handed player he turned his right hand so much you could see his palm.

 

I said, "Vince, the V should point at your right shoulder." He said, "the wife buys me crew neck shirts."

 

Baffled with his answer - I'm like...............why the F- do I hang around with you? Just hit.

[playa]

I think this is a case by case argument, it all depends on the mindset of the player. For some players, definitely taking more club would be beneficial, but not everybody. Speaking personally, I can't feel comfortable standing over a shot unless I know that no matter how well I hit it I won't go long. I like to be agressive through the ball, taking more club and easing up leads to deceleration and misses right and left. Admittedly I am fairly consistent with my irons and am realistic about dkstances so I am usually arlund the middle of the green, but I'd rather have my mishits fall short than have flushed hits flying the green.

[Jwin323]

Dustin Johnson was just asked if there were a piece of advice he most commonly gives to his pro-am partners and he said "Take more club. They're always leaving it short...always *light chuckle*." So yeah, that's probably true. I, for one, know I'd score better if I hit more greens than trees, but if we're going to miss, aren't we generally better off being short than too long? I'm under the impression that there's less trouble, flatter surfaces and more grass than in the front of the green than in the back.

Of course, what he's probably saying is why not stop lying to yourself and find out how far you actually hit your clubs.

 

Every tour pro responds he same when asked this question.

[ThinkingPlus]

As with most all golf questions the answer is "it depends". If the greens are generally flat and/or not too speedy then short or long doesn't matter much. Taking an extra club has very little downside with plenty of upside by making mishits play better. However many places have considerably more trouble long than short and have fast slopey greens where staying below the hole even short of the green is preferable. At my home course if you put the ball above the hole on all 18 greens you may find yourself doing the 3-jack shuffle straight into the 80s.

[lowheel]

Dustin Johnson was just asked if there were a piece of advice he most commonly gives to his pro-am partners and he said "Take more club. They're always leaving it short...always *light chuckle*." So yeah, that's probably true. I, for one, know I'd score better if I hit more greens than trees, but if we're going to miss, aren't we generally better off being short than too long? I'm under the impression that there's less trouble, flatter surfaces and more grass than in the front of the green than in the back.

Of course, what he's probably saying is why not stop lying to yourself and find out how far you actually hit your clubs.

 

Ive played in plenty of pro ams and DJ is absolutely right. its insane how ego destroys golfers. They are always 1.5 clubs short at least unless they have wedges in. I have a student whos a 12 handicap, when we do on course lessons he always asks me what i hit as if he could club himself off that. i actually lie to him and he found out recently as his wife told him i do this to force him to hit more club. hes not happy with me but understands why i do it.

Even if the trouble is past the green if youre not below a 5-6-7-8 cap your strike is just not that consistent to be worried about airmailing greens if you flush one. just my 2 cents

[lowheel]

I think this is a case by case argument, it all depends on the mindset of the player. For some players, definitely taking more club would be beneficial, but not everybody. Speaking personally, I can't feel comfortable standing over a shot unless I know that no matter how well I hit it I won't go long. I like to be agressive through the ball, taking more club and easing up leads to deceleration and misses right and left. Admittedly I am fairly consistent with my irons and am realistic about dkstances so I am usually arlund the middle of the green, but I'd rather have my mishits fall short than have flushed hits flying the green.

 

You dont like to choke up and swing aggressively? each inch shaves about 4-5 yards off an iron

[gvogel]

I seriously doubt these guys are playing with very good golfers that often in pro-ams. If you're a single digit, that advice probably isn't meant for you ...

 

I worked at a golf course for a few years. One day, in the afternoon, I was putting sand in divots on a par 3. It was playing about 180. There was a qualifier going on for the New York State Mid-Am. I assume most of the guys playing were single digits. I knew some of the players, and they were very good.

 

There was water right, and short right of the green. There were bunkers short of the green. The green was relatively flat, with little trouble over the green.

 

How many players did I see hit past the hole, which was the safe shot?

 

None. In two hours, I saw no one hitting past the hole to the safe part of the green. I saw a lot of players short of the green, or in the bunkers, or a couple in the water.

[SoCalTitleist]

Almost all the places I usually play the back side has way more trouble .

[ptjn1201]

The pros don't worry too much about going long because the gallery is there, and often it's flat or there's a rise behind the greens for the spectators (or even better, the grandstand). It's rare that they run down the slope, bounce across the cart path and into the woods. Outside of Amen Corner at Augusta, they don't often face the same kind of trouble long that muni hackers do. A lot of public courses allow for run up shots, especially older courses, and most of the greens slope back to front, with a sharp drop off a few yards past the green. Yes, some players are delusional about distance, and plenty of ams just aren't consistent enough, but especially for those who don't use premium balls -- you are better off not playing for the back of the green.

[lhahn]

All good points. Then, there's the dude who decides to take more club, relaxes, flushes it and blasts it into the swamp way behind the green and decides, because of that one instance, he'll never take more club ever again.

 

Funny how that doesn't work in reverse. Humans are odd animals :rolleyes:

 

There's a recent thread a million posts long about this. Just because you use more club doesn't mean you blast it over the green. Not like the greens are just 10 yards deep!

 

100%

[Petunia Sprinkle]

All good points. Then, there's the dude who decides to take more club, relaxes, flushes it and blasts it into the swamp way behind the green and decides, because of that one instance, he'll never take more club ever again.

 

Funny how that doesn't work in reverse. Humans are odd animals :rolleyes:

 

There's a recent thread a million posts long about this. Just because you use more club doesn't mean you blast it over the green. Not like the greens are just 10 yards deep!

 

100%

 

I think it takes a lot of skill and a particular methodology to put consistent gaps between all the clubs in one's bag. I could never do it when I was a 7. I just played with as few clubs as I could and treated them all like wedges.

[sofc]

I've been trying the "take the club that gets you to the back of the green" for about three weeks. Only issue I have had was Tuesday when I flushed an 8 iron. It was 140 to the back of the green. I hit it about 20 yards past the green into the woods. Other than that one shot, I feel comfortable doing until I get better.

[disco111]

DJ's comment reminds me of a Sam Snead story that falls in with this topic..........

 

Sam's hitting a 5 iron to a practice green at 180 yds and backing the ball up...... A small statured guy was watching in total amazement and finally mustered up enough courage to approach Sam. He asked, "pardon me Mr Snead, but how do you back a ball up?"..........Sam looked at him and asked, how far you hit your 5 iron pard?.......the man puffed his chest out an exclaimed, 135 yds.......Sam then said, "why the hell would you want to back it up".......... :cheesy:

[lowheel]

I've been trying the "take the club that gets you to the back of the green" for about three weeks. Only issue I have had was Tuesday when I flushed an 8 iron. It was 140 to the back of the green. I hit it about 20 yards past the green into the woods. Other than that one shot, I feel comfortable doing until I get better.

 

Good stuff, keep it up.youre on the right track. Its like hitting a knock down all the time, your contact improves very quickly and so does your distance control