One Swing With Many Clubs, or One Club With Many Swings?

[ajl]

Just curious about people's thoughts on approach shots.  Now, I'm talking about a clear view of the green, not behind a bunker or other obstruction where you have to get the ball really high, and drop like a cat.

When out 125,100, 75, 50 yards and less, do you prefer:

• using a single club like 9i or PW, and feeling the distance to get on the green in your swing
• using different clubs (9i, PW, GW, etc.) with the same swing

part of me thinks that if I can get really comfortable with my favorite club, I can adapt my swing to get it on the green from those distances, especially a light pitch with a 9i from 50 yards, as opposed of hitting a really good full swing with a SW.  

[ChetlovesMer]

So, I think I try to keep this all pretty simple. 
I use my 9 iron like 135-150, so if the distance I want falls in that range I generally hit a 9 iron. I use my PW (which i usually use as a 10-iron) from about 120-135, so if the number falls in that range I hit generally hit P-wedge. My Gap Wedge is good from about 105-120. Once more if the number falls in that range that's generally what I hit.

If it's under 100 I'll usually use my sand-wedge. 

I might use the lob-wedge if for some reason I need to stop it quickly. But my Lob wedge is only any good out to about 70 yards. 

Not sure if that answers your question. But that's pretty much what I do. 

[iacas]

I use different clubs. That doesn't mean I always use a 9I from 135. Sometimes I'll use it from 115, even though that's well within my PW yardage.

[SG11118]

Generally, one club with many swings for me.

[saevel25]

On 1/20/2025 at 9:50 PM, iacas said:

I use different clubs. That doesn't mean I always use a 9I from 135. Sometimes I'll use it from 115, even though that's well within my PW yardage.

Same, I rather be able to mix and match to get the ball flight I want. Chip a 9 iron or crush a 9 iron. It gives a lot of flexibility. It makes golf more fun. 

[ChetlovesMer]

1 hour ago, saevel25 said:

Same, I rather be able to mix and match to get the ball flight I want. Chip a 9 iron or crush a 9 iron. It gives a lot of flexibility. It makes golf more fun. 

I think mixing and matching makes you a better golfer over all. 

Having said that, I don't do enough of it. 

[p1n9183]

I try to hit the same shot over and over from Driver to P. Maybe changing a little bit the AoA in case I want a higher or lower angle of descent. Since I have 10 yards between each I just pick the club that is closer to the hole towards the middle of the green. With this clubs for me is more important to hit them straight than pin-high.   

From P to 60 (since I have 15 yards between each club) I grip a little bit stronger when I'm between clubs to get a little less loft at impact so I'm able to hit a couple more yards to fill the gaps. Yes, this will also generate a little more draw bias, but since it's wedges the extra draw is easy to manage. 

Shorter than a full 60° is all about feel for me with the 60°.

 

[LeadTape]

Always playing different courses so I use the first couple holes to determine whether it's the 9i or the PW that day, same swing. Some course greens slope towards the front and will need more help releasing, in which case the 9i works best. Other places have elevated but flat greens so the PW is the tool to keep it on the dance floor. Grass type, lie, landing area angle, what I ate for breakfast, and green speed all factor in as well.

[GolfLug]

Yes, 95% of time stock swing/adjust club to stay as close to stock club yardage. I rarely end up with a desired result anytime I get cute with my swing. 

[mdl]

Depends on the distance. I actually have a swingcaddie "monitor" (quotes because it just gives distance and swing speed) that I've started using on the range this past season before rounds to get my partial shot distances for the day. But generally, I have a ~3/4 swing that I've started using with SW, Gap, PW, and 9i. These are my go to shots now. I hit my "3/4" GW 85-90 yards most days, with ~12 yard gaps between the clubs most days .I' really fell in love with that swing this past season and have had a few rounds where I hit three of those inside 5 feet! Down to about 60 yards I'll take off a bit from that 3/4 SW shot. 60 yards and in I'm hitting feel pitch shots with LW of GW. 

[WillieT]

I’m a mixer of clubs and swings.  I tend to play the distances (for me the Pw is good to about 110, 9i good to 125, etc).  When it’s less than 75, I tend to rely on Sw and different length swings…keeps life fun. 

[billchao]

The club I choose entirely depends on the situation and what kind of shot I want to hit. I’ll hit 9i from 50 yards if that low runner is what I’m looking for, for example.

[HitemHard]

Club choice is made after looking at the lie so for that reason alone it could be any club in the bag. Have to fly it high and land it soft then that eliminates a lot of the clubs. Is the pin on the front, at the back, is the green elevated, flat, undulating, are you on hard-pan, tour quality turf, wet, bone dry...many different situations call for many different shots with many different clubs.

[NZ Golfer]

I like to use the clubs ..why I use 4x wedges 58 - 54 - 50 - 46 PW... I find esp under pressure shots that we see with the wedges I like to swing at 70% effort ...I find if I try and swing softer 50% or harder most the time cause issues with my shot shape.. my coach friend is getting me to hit soft esp with mid and low irons ..

[gg194]

Unfortunately at my level of golf I have one swing for every club. If I try to change much it’s usually a disaster so just do what I can. 

[Pretzel]

With all of my wedges/short irons I have 4 main shot types that I use to hit the ball different distances with different trajectories.

I have my "normal" shot with standard yardage and ball flight, a "knockdown" shot with shorter yardage and lower ball flight, a "3/4" shot with shorter yardage and normal ball flight, and a "1/2" shot with shorter-still yardage and normal trajectory. Of those shots, the only one with a swing that is intentionally different in any way is the "knockdown" shot where I move the ball back a little and keep a bit more shaft lean at impact.

Multiple sets of irons and wedges ago I used a shag bag and a big field to measure out how far I hit each of those 4 shots on average with all my clubs 8i and below, then I printed out some homemade shaft labels and put them on the corresponding club for easy reference. Nowadays I don't do that (they get damaged and fall off too quickly/easily without real shaft labels), but I do have those distances noted on a laminated sheet I keep in my yardage book cover. I rarely carry an actual yardage book, it's mostly just to keep my scorecard dry and intact now that I live in a more humid climate where sweat doesn't immediately evaporate, but it means I can have a typed out sheet of these yardages handy at all times without taping them to my shafts.

So long as there isn't some forced carry or super slippery greens conditions that would necessitate a shot with more spin or higher trajectory I've found this to be much more consistent than just using a 60* for everything inside its full swing yardage and trying to tell the small difference between a 70% swing and an 80% swing.

[GaLefty]

If I can take a full swing, I'll use the stock club for that yardage.  I can't really get creative.  Just don't have that ability.  In the past, I used a sand wedge for all my shots around the green, opening or closing the face and moving the ball back or forward in my stance to get the flight I wanted.  I am trying now to use different clubs around the green.  I'm less likely to flub it but I struggle with distance control.  More practice required.

[pganapathy]

My rule of thumb is a PW for everything from 100 yards in except specialty shots like a flop or a low runner.  I find it easier to eyeball it for distance and swing on feel for the distance I need to hit