How do you learn your club distances?

[tm22721]

Take a playing lesson and have the instructor use a laser on your shots. That way you get a range of numbers for each club.

[dvldog]

I pay attention to the distance markings on the fairways and tee boxes. After a while, you have hit your clubs enough to know what club goes approx what distance. Of course, you have to hit enough decent shots to determing what a good swing will produce w/each club.

[BASHERBAKER69]

what people who are new to the game need to understand is that iron play is about finesse, ..yes someone like Tiger or Phil may be able to hit a 7 iron 185 on a good day but rarely do they max their shots out like this.

these are my yardages

sw- 100-0
pw-120- 0
...........
9 iron- 110- 130
8 iron- 120 -155
7 iron- 130-165
6 iron- 140- 170
5 iron- 145-175
4 iron- 150-190
3 iron-160-210

............

3 wood- 175- 250

Driver- 210-290

the point im making here is that wind, how im playing, temperature, risk percentages, desired velocity and shape, ball type are all taken in to account before a club and shot is selected.

[larlev]

Are you talking about Hard Drive in Round Rock? I know they have Callaway balls but whats this laser distance deal?

No I was talking about Tejas...they use pinnacle balls....I had them mixed up..sorry

[r7 425]

I learn them by practicing at the local range...they have distance markers where i can hone in my shotmaking and proper distance control

[larlev]

Thanks for the link Shindig...

[elchene]

For those of you who have a solid grasp of how long you hit each club, how do you determine it? I know mine to within about 10 yards, but I'm not able to say how far I hit any given club with any better accuracy than that.

I always try to find my approximate yardage from the pin when I'm at the course. After every iron shot, I see if I'm short, long etc. It's just lots of playing and gathering data in my memory. From there though, it's a lot of feel and just trusting your instinct. Golf isn't so mechanical that you need exact yardages because there are just so many factors that can affect the golf shot (as mentioned before).

I learn them by practicing at the local range...they have distance markers where i can hone in my shotmaking and proper distance control

By the way, nice avatar...

[Trevor07Silvy]

No I was talking about Tejas...they use pinnacle balls....I had them mixed up..sorry

I went there today and practiced for about 4 hrs ( I'm in town from school), Where do you see the yardages? Each flag color determines a certain distance but where do you see the numbers?

[larlev]

I went there today and practiced for about 4 hrs ( I'm in town from school), Where do you see the yardages? Each flag color determines a certain distance but where do you see the numbers?

I'll be at Hard Drive today...wife is getting a lesson

At Tejas they should have given you a sheet w/ the yardages at the station you were hitting from ....ask them for it...

[Pat007]

go to the range when it's not busy, hit ten balls with each club and walk them off downrange. I do it about once a month, usually around suppertime, when the range is dead.

You could even do it with your balls if you want, if you're consistent enough with your irons.

[JeffJ]

I have a real nice range...Callaway balls, laser distances at every hitting station....so to answer, I went to the range...

Which one?

[MasterOfTheBogey]

what people who are new to the game need to understand is that iron play is about finesse, ..yes someone like Tiger or Phil may be able to hit a 7 iron 185 on a good day but rarely do they max their shots out like this.

Ummm.. Is it just me or are your shot distances eradict to say the least.

30-50 yard variations in your irons and 75-90 yard variations in your woods. I would have an extremely difficult time playing the game if I had that type of inconsistency. The way I measured mine was at a local range they have an area netted off where you can gauge your iron distance and walk them off. They have yard marks from 25 to 275 yds with 10 yard incraments between them. Its nice because you can use your own balls aswell to get a precise measurement. Its by appointment only and you have an hour in the "cage" is what they call it.

[Big_M]

Ummm.. Is it just me or are your shot distances eradict to say the least.

I think he was saying that depending on how he wants to hit it he might use club X for said distances....

but basherbaker69 should be aware... Of course everyone can ease off a 6 iron and hit it 30 yds shorter, but you still should know a fairly specific distance that you would hit club X with a normal full swing (level lie, flat, no wind, etc.). From knowing this we start to develop a feel for how wind, terrain, lie, and other factors will affect distance.

[MasterOfTheBogey]

I think he was saying that depending on how he wants to hit it he might use club X for said distances....

I know he was factoring in certain variables that everyone takes into account when they are at the course, but I never met a person who puts that down for their distances.

All my clubs are within six yards of each other with a "perfect" swing, and I use the term "perfect" loosely. The only one that I cant seem to hit consistently is my 2I which is why I keep the 2H in my bag. I take those distances into account when playing during a round, 155 yards, 10 MPH breeze in my face and the green is elevated. I now know that I need to strike a solid 7 or a nice 3/4 6 iron.

[mrobbie]

My simple, but probably not the most accurate method. I know from playing over the years that I hit my 7 iron 155 yards or there about. I used to determine what I hit 150 yards, which was generally a (or an 8 iron depending on the day) but find I hit the 755s about 5 yards further than my old Maxflis. Then I add/subtract 10 yards per club...

Driver = 260
5W = 215
3 = 195
4 = 185
5 = 175
6 = 165
7 = 155
8 = 145
9 = 135
PW = 125
SW = 110
LW = 90

The 10 yard theory has been pretty consistent over the the sets of irons I've owned in the past.

I'm never far off the mark with these measurements. The most critical part is actually knowing how far you need to hit rather than how far you can hit - unless you have a well measured course or GPS, you need to rely gut feel which is not easy.

(I need a 3 wood to bridge the driver to 5 wood distance gap!)

[ThereIsNoBall]

One useful method I find to counteract the poor yardage markers at ranges is to bring your own / borrow a laser range finder.

Find the true yardages to the various signs or flags and then hit to them. I believe in always aiming at something when you hit, even "just" at the range.

-TINB

----------------------------------------
"Do not try to hit the ball; that's impossible. Instead, only try to realize the truth."
"What truth?"
"There Is No Ball."
- Zen Golf Master to Disciple

[twotacosfor99cents]

I have a yardage cheat sheet on my bag. It's written down on a piece of card in the size of a business card and put in a business card travel holder. On the back are various notes about yardage loss/gain for elevation. This will apply and work well for most of you standard hitters.

Woods:
Driver: 220-240 (roll)
3 Wood: 190-200
Hybrid 3: 175-185

Irons:
4: 170-180 Punch 130-140
5: 160-170 Punch 120-130
6: 140-150 Punch 110-120
7: 130-140 Punch 100-110
8: 120-130 Punch 90-100
9: 110-120 Punch 80-90
10: 100-110

Wedges:
W 50*: 90-100
S 55*: 70-80
L 60*: 60-70

Chips:
W: 1/4 30-35 1/2 70-75
S: 1/4 20-25 1/2 50-55
L: 1/4 10-15 1/2 20-25

[unc879wins]

When you get your yardages figured out .... trust them.

I was in a best ball tourney up in Phoenix and I was hitting last on the 2nd shot since we used my drive... I was the 3rd best player in the group so I was thrilled they used my drive; by the time it got to me we had 2 balls in the water and one in a greenside bunker. GPS on the cart showed 166 yards, consulted by yardage card and it was a dead on 6i... it looked further than 166.. and I was leaning to the 5i... told myself to trust my card.. hit the 6i and made a good swing... 6' from the pin and we birdied the hole.

Point is... get your yardages... use them... trust them... don't outthink yourself, the course, your bag, or your know-it-all partner.

As for getting my yardages... the ranges I go to have yardage markers but the boxes are always shifting due to seeding the grass, etc... so those distances are not accurate. I used them for some "general" yardages.

When I'm on the course I really focus on distance to pin (GPS) or center of green (non-GPS) and then if I make a good swing, then chart the yardage. No point in writing anything down if you're fat with the shot, top the ball, or some other goof-up. After about 4 or 5 rounds you should really have some good numbers.

You can always club up/down based on lie or weather.