Another question about club selection

[cdriver]

The thread about "On-course reporters" got me thinking...

During rounds with my friends, they invariably ask me "Whadda ya hit?' on the par 3's and sometimes on my approaches. My usual answer is, "I can tell you, but then I have to kill ya." I know it is against the rules to ask, or tell during a round, but I bet all of you have experienced the same thing.

How do you handle it?

Last week, I hit a 3 iron to within 6 ft on a par 3 from 224 and no, I am not superman, I just flushed the thing and got a good roll. No one said a word, but 2 holes later one of the guys said, "Ok, I can't stand it anymore. What did you hit on that par 3?" I just laughed and told him, "Usual 7 iron."

I can not in good faith put in print his reply...

[Wood]

When playing a round with a few $2.00 nassau's floating around, if someone asks me what I hit, I generally tell them. I don't see it as a big deal. Maybe it's a reflection of who I'm playing with, and we know each others games pretty well, but I really don't get asked that much.

I never ask what someone else hit as I don't want to be in the habit of doing so come tournament time.

[cdriver]

I never ask what someone else hit as I don't want to be in the habit of doing so come tournament time.

Good thinking... That is why I don't tell if I can avoid it. I do not want to get caught out in a tournament.

[biggsy]

I always think it's a bizarre question to ask someone on a course.

Generally we all know (approx) how far we hit our own clubs, so why does it really matter what someone else has hit?? If the answer you get is different to what you expect, all it is going to do is put a thought in the back of your head that you have the wrong club and that will probably make you take a bad swing.

[allin]

If it is your regular group I think you can tell without asking? I know how their distance relates to mine. The difference in ball flight and knowing the distance I can almost always tell what club they have hit. So there is no need to ask. If it is someone you are not familiar with, I don't see how the information can possibly help you anyway.

[Konrad]

This brings up a funny story.

I was playing in a high school match and my opponent kept taking my clubs. So, on one quirky par three,with O.B long and right. It's about 120 yards, but looks longer. I decided to mess with him. He was standing next to my bag, so I pulled the 8, so did he. When he wasn't looking, I went back and got the wedge. I put it on, he blasted two shots O.B and I won the match by one stroke.

Wrong? Naa...

[rembrandt]

If I can help someone better their score by telling them what I hit then I'm more than happy to do so. Club in my hand is right there for all to see. Why would anyone want to hide from others what iron they hit?

[allin]

If I can help someone better their score by telling them what I hit then I'm more than happy to do so. Club in my hand is right there for all to see. Why would anyone want to hide from others what iron they hit?

Because under the rules that is information that can not be asked for or offered. I agree it is no big deal in a casual round, but it is different in a competition.

[rembrandt]

Because under the rules that is information that can not be asked for or offered. I agree it is no big deal in a casual round, but it is different in a competition.

I understand that, but everyone hits the ball different and for different distances. I could ask Tiger on every shot and it wouldn't help me none cause he hits it twice as far as I do. I can't see it's such a big deal and I never ask folks what they just hit anyway. If they ask me, I'd be more than happy to oblige! I play mostly for fun with guys that play for a little money and take it setriously but not that seriously!

[jamesduncan]

usually i just tell em the distance i played the hole.

like "what did u hit?"

" i played it at 160 yards" or something like that.

thankfully its never happened in competition

[allin]

When I first started playing I had no idea it was uncool. My partners kept just saying "a golf club" I felt like a complete idiot when I finally figured it out, after about 6 weeks. So I always answer just tust yourself. Or don't worry you have the shot for this etc. Sometimes I might say tried to hit a knockdown etc. Maybe it just is just an axious habit. Those who have posted that it really won't help most people are right. How do you guys respond to those who ask how much a put will break or how fast is it. Thats probably even less help, given the variety of putting strokes, putters and balls out there.

[caveman]

I don't know. I think you sound like one of those stuffy golfers who only buy the top dollar stuff...not for its ability or quality, or even its game improvement allegations...but simply for the logo. Truth is, if you know golf, it doesn't really help anyone to tell them what club you use. I'm a 7 from 150, but since I ain't PRO I can't guarantee a 10 foot circle around the pin. Also I understand that the guys I'm playing with are all over the place anyway, who cares about the "tips". When was trhe last time you told someone about what made you a better golfer, and on the next shot, they sank it...then foolowed up the round with straight birdies and then took you for a beer If you're a scratch golfer then disregard...but come on...it's a game. Have fun, keep on working to get better, and maybe someday you and Tiger will hit side by side inside of 2 feet from 224 with your PW.

Caveman

[chingali]

I was playing in a high school match and my opponent kept taking my clubs. So, on one quirky par three,with O.B long and right. It's about 120 yards, but looks longer. I decided to mess with him. He was standing next to my bag, so I pulled the 8, so did he. When he wasn't looking, I went back and got the wedge. I put it on, he blasted two shots O.B and I won the match by one stroke.Wrong? Naa...

That's common behaviour for me. I play in a lot of interclub matchplay events and it is VERY usual to have conversations with your caddy just loud enough to be overheard about what you did or are intending to hit, none of it ever really factual but for your opponents "benefit". If you are up second it is also common to grab a 7 iron when you are going to hit 6 and hold it so your opponent can see what you are holding, of course you change clubs at the last moment before you play.

Sometimes it works and mostly it doesn't depending upon your opponent. But every now and then it wins you an easy hole The way I look at is, if you are stupid enough to watch or listen for what I'm hitting and pay any attention to it then you get what you deserve!

[cdriver]

My club selection changes with wind, humidity, how well I am striking it, etc, that I may be a club up or down on any given day. Yesterday, as an example, I hit 9 iron on one hole from 145 because it was slightly downhill, calm wind, great lie, and trouble over the green.

I also hit 9 iron from 125, severely uphill, breeze in my face, thin lie and pin back. How in the world could anyone use my club selection as a guage for their game???

[rembrandt]

Caveman and cdriver are "right on" concerning this topic.

[iacas]

Truth is, if you know golf, it doesn't really help anyone to tell them what club you use.

That's not true. I pay attention to what other people are hitting and I can guess what club they've hit by looking at the trajectory. Combine that with the ball flight and the contact, and I can tell a few things: how receptive the green is, how the wind is affecting shots, etc.

I don't even necessarily need to know what club they hit - and I never ask - but I play with the same guys enough I generally can tell by the trajectory anyway. The more information (visual confirmation of what the wind is doing, etc.) you have available to you, the more informed a decision you can make.

[thehillgolfer]

i also sometime pay attention to what other people are hitting, like in high school matches and stuff. After a couple holes, you can usually tell who hits it further and by about how much, so if its a course i've never played and we get up to a par 3 and i see a guy hits his 6 iron well but it come up just short, and i have been hitting it about one club further than him all day, i know i can get a 6 there. its especially helpful if your in between clubs, and as i said before, dont know the course well.

[caveman]

I agree you can learn from what you see, but I said it doesn't help them to know what club I used. Maybe if you knew I was using a PW that might give a hint at my distance for that club...wait...NO WAY...I hit a great knockdown shot from the back of my stance, and sometimes I can even try to keep my hands firm and have my hands at impact in front of the ball by 6 or 8 inches. Other times I can open the face, correct the grip and get a good high pop and drop for those "thick grass, over the bunker, close to the edge pin placement shots. You see...my point is that there are too many variables to the golf swing, and my knowing what someone else is hitting won't help me a bit unless I fully understand exactly what they did on their shot, and maybe even what they thought they might accomplish with that shot.

Now if I have confused you enough, then I have proven my point.

Caveman