For years, I have talked about understanding how far we hit our clubs in order to shoot lower golf scores. There are many different reasons for having this knowledge and I am sure you can deduce them without too much trouble. The one aspect we did not discuss is how to use this information. It is not a pure binary equation because of the simple variables we need to apply in order to maximize the effectiveness of our club distances. The variables are not difficult, but should be considered when hitting an approach shot to the green or setting up your next shot from your favourite distance.
There are three things I want to discuss today relating to club distances. First is the over/under yardages for each club. The longer the club, the great chance of hitting the ball farther or shorter at any given time. For example, but over/under for my 4 hybrid is 10 yards. For my PW it is 5 yards. What this means is that on any given shot I could be plus or minus the distances mentioned. Any more or less and I would consider the shot a mishit. Knowing these yardages, I select the club needed to (as a minimum) reach a specific distance. In many cases I have to hit an extra club because the yardage indicates that it is the best distance for success. It is a shot to my ego, but that is the reality of my game.
The second is the distance we are hitting in order to be successful. Approach shots seem to garner the majority of missed shots due to hitting the ball short. If the pin is on the front third of the green, we amateurs have a tendency to under play our shot hoping to hit our all to our max distance. Well, this strategy has failed me more often than I can remember. The smart play is to aim for the middle of green and let our putter do its magic. It is hard to not go pin hunting, but we have a greater chance of success when putting our next shot vice chipping again.
Lastly, it is important to carry the proper clubs to cover the entire distances. For example, it makes no sense to carry a 5 wood and 3 hybrid if they go the same distance. My current gap wedge (52°) is right on the cusp of having to be changed I would likely need a 50° gap wedge, but I have not taken the time to ensure a change is warranted. Regardless of my challenges, using the over/under yardages of each club is needed to cover every distance. The last thing you want is to have a gap in your yardages for no reason.
Understanding your club distances is important. Is a fundamental skill that all amateurs should develop in order to maximize their golf game. It makes life on the links so much easier if you can confidently hit your ball to a distance without any guesswork.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
