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"in between" clubs


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So this weekend I found myself in between a LOT.  Example - full swing PW is 120, my 9i is 135 - I had a lot of shots 128, 132, etc etc etc.  I have a similar large gap between my SW and LW, and my 5i and 6i.

and it was windy so it's nice to use the lower lofted option and hit less sometimes......

I'm just starting and wonder what options to prioritize in practice.....three 'dials' is just too much to start with, I'd like to pick one.

I'm playing around with:

  • levels of choking up but regular swing (figuring it out, but it is nice to swing away)
  • 3/4 and 1/2 swings (?? about 20 yards affect each - ie, full 5 is about 190, 3/4 maybe 170, 1/2 maybe 150, low punch maybe 80-100, etc.....)
  • opening and closing the face (this especially in the 40 - 80 yards range with my SW - thanks to the pitching thread here on TST I have stock open faced pitches for 20 and 30 yards - up to 40, but need better consistency when it's above that and below a full LW swing - seems squaring the face up and taking the same swings add about 20 yards to the shot with a little more roll out)

What do you people find gives the most consistent long term results?

For immediate gratification, if a different answer, what you do find to be the more intuitive way to work it?  (quickest bang for the buck)

I'm getting biased to learning the choke affect for long irons and the face angle at setup for my wedges.......

(My yards are pretty consistent, so the old "just hit the longer club", normally good advice, doesn't work for me, I end up hitting it long if I pick the longer club)

choking up on the clubs - I'd love to find grips that had horizontal stripes spaced about an inch apart all the way down the club (with a 'tag' area I could sharpie in) - I'd just write in the yards on each stripe on each club for a full swing.....

I know a good answer is "game management so you don't put yourself in between so much".  YES, I agree, but I'm not there yet and can really only work on minimum things at a time...

Bill - 

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Hitting a lower percentage swing on the longer club is the way to go. Trying to muscle 10 extra yards out of a shorter club would be a lot tougher in my opinion.
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Originally Posted by anthony

Hitting a lower percentage swing on the longer club is the way to go. Trying to muscle 10 extra yards out of a shorter club would be a lot tougher in my opinion.

thanks, It's good advice, but muscling wasn't one of the options I was even considering.  my 100% is really my comfy 100%, I'm not a fan of trying to get above my comfort zone, too inconsistent.

The first two options were about the method of taking off a little bit.  Choking up vs partial swings.  I'd think that choking up would be more consistent, but wondering who's tried both and how that worked out for them.

(The pitch/chip - option 3 - I guess is a different animal altogether and I should have put that elsewhere...)

Bill - 

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Great thread. The gap between clubs that gets me the most is my 5 iron at 160 and my 4 hybrid at 180. On the two courses I play, there are several shots where 170 is where I want to be (either to the green or a dog leg) without a lot of room beyond. I can sometimes reach it with my 5 but swinging too hard is a gamble. I'm trying to learn to grip down on the hybrid and control distance that way.

Factor in a strong wind and the dilemma is throughout the bag.

For what it's worth, I've read where trying to swing easier with longer clubs is a worse idea than taking a normal swing while gripping the club lower.

Jon

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There is a 98y par three at my course that gives me fits. My 56* is too much and my 60* comes up just short of the green. I've got to get better at taking a little off my 56*.

Yours in earnest, Jason.
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IMO, managing these 'in between' distances is the biggest difference between good players and the mediocre who can play well when things fall their way.  I have similar troubles on approach shots, especially with attack clubs (wedges).  I choke down a bit, and shorten my swing.  I can hit a 100 yd GW (115 yd club) and a 115 yd PW (125 yd club) with some regularity.

Practice is the only remedy.  One of my regular playing partners is a pretty accomplished amateur locally (So Cal).  I always watch him practice, and he is constantly hitting 100 yd 7 irons, 150 yd 5 irons, etc.

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I like choking down and swinging normally. A good agressive move through the ball will produce a similar flight and spin as a normal shot. Taking a longer club and swinging easier just produces a flatter flight with less spin. This means less control.

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Originally Posted by 04v8s4

I like choking down and swinging normally. A good agressive move through the ball will produce a similar flight and spin as a normal shot. Taking a longer club and swinging easier just produces a flatter flight with less spin. This means less control.

I don't know why but I usually pull it when I do this, I can recover most of the time as it's not a brutal pull but there is definitely something going on there.

Yours in earnest, Jason.
Call me Ernest, or EJ or Ernie.

PSA - "If you find yourself in a hole, STOP DIGGING!"

My Whackin' Sticks: :cleveland: 330cc 2003 Launcher 10.5*  :tmade: RBZ HL 3w  :nickent: 3DX DC 3H, 3DX RC 4H  :callaway: X-22 5-AW  :nike:SV tour 56* SW :mizuno: MP-T11 60* LW :bridgestone: customized TD-03 putter :tmade:Penta TP3   :aimpoint:

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I'd suggest the Pelz approach--get to know your distances for less than full swings, such as full, 3/4, 1/2, with each club.

Dan

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I should have made it a poll......

  • Choke
  • partial swings
  • depends

my bad

I'll try both, and see which fits me best - or talk to my coach about it more.


The only thing I don't like about choking is the 'feel' of the grip.  Next regrip, I might tape a little extra downshaft so the grip is a bit closer to uniform.....

Quote:
I don't know why but I usually pull it when I do this, I can recover most of the time as it's not a brutal pull but there is definitely something going on there

Thin grip due to choking (upstream comment) might result in occasional pulls.....?

or - For my 4 wedges, they are all the same length, so I don't get much practice at a shorter club except when choking.

I like the idea of taking practice sessions and working on this a lot.

I need the 'swamps' (aka - practice ranges around here) to dry up a bit so I can practice on 'real' ground and grass.

Quote:

and the mediocre who can play well when things fall their way

Hey, what do you mean?...... Oh, nevermind (you nailed it)

Bill - 

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FWIW, I find that I struggle to make nice contact when I choke up.  I end up hitting thin or fat.

Dan

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I hit my pw 125 with my normal move, 120 if I grip down an inch (slightly shortened backswing), then go to what feels like 3/4  and gripped down to get to 115. If I jump on it I can get 130 out of it.

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Originally Posted by TourSpoon

I hit my pw 125 with my normal move, 120 if I grip down an inch (slightly shortened backswing), then go to what feels like 3/4  and gripped down to get to 115. If I jump on it I can get 130 out of it.

^ this is the kind of place I'd like to understand better

I'm thinking I want to start with a single goal....Figure out how much choke it takes to hit each club down to the length of the club below it (i.e., if my PW is 120, and my 9i is 135, then how much choke gets my 9i down to 120 - and if choking doesn't do it, then how much choke do I need to get a 3/4 choked 9i to 120).

That way, I have a 'feel' at least for the entire 'continuous' range of my bag and can try to adjust to the middle bits with just a full swing or 3/4, combined with moving my choke around.

Looks like I need some range balls and a long day.

thanks all

Bill - 

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Originally Posted by rehmwa

Quote:

Originally Posted by TourSpoon

I hit my pw 125 with my normal move, 120 if I grip down an inch (slightly shortened backswing), then go to what feels like 3/4  and gripped down to get to 115. If I jump on it I can get 130 out of it.

^ this is the kind of place I'd like to understand better

I'm thinking I want to start with a single goal....Figure out how much choke it takes to hit each club down to the length of the club below it (i.e., if my PW is 120, and my 9i is 135, then how much choke gets my 9i down to 120 - and if choking doesn't do it, then how much choke do I need to get a 3/4 choked 9i to 120).

That way, I have a 'feel' at least for the entire 'continuous' range of my bag and can try to adjust to the middle bits with just a full swing or 3/4, combined with moving my choke around.

Looks like I need some range balls and a long day.

thanks all

I would just practice hitting the shots on the range and then when you think you have the feel then go out to the course and use the balls you normally play. Drop 135 from the pin and then start hitting shots progressively shorter with what you did on the range. I never was able to get distances precise with range balls, so this step is critical. Like I said before, I have several short iron swings and it starts by gripping down and then shortening the swing slightly and then to 3/4. With the wedges it really varies and I tend to go by feel that I have just learned through experience. Another thing that I do is to juice it to get 5 extra yards. I don't do anything special except that I feel a little extra through impact. This came with time because most people would go harder from the top, but it is really important to avoid this and just stay loose and give it a little more at the bottom. Anyway, learning these shots are fun. You can also affect yardage with ball placement in your stance and experimenting with ball flight. That would be the next step. Good luck.

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Well u hav certain options..choke down is one option but ofcourse the most ideal would be to swing abit less but that is a bit diffult shot to play as you can end up hitting push with it as you are not use to that shot so u have to practice that shot st the range and if it still doesnt work.thant getvurself irons with regular flex
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Originally Posted by anthony

Hitting a lower percentage swing on the longer club is the way to go. Trying to muscle 10 extra yards out of a shorter club would be a lot tougher in my opinion.

I find this hard to do, i will tend to try to hit stronger. I find just choking down on the club really doesn't take yardage off for me.

Matt Dougherty, P.E.
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Why not just accept hitting your full shot and ending up 20-25 feet from the hole? I don't understand. The greens you play must be VERY narrow front to back. You are more precise than I my friend.

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