What do you do when you are between clubs?

[niblick]

Depends on where the trouble is. I try to take something out of play. If there's a bunker guarding the front, I'll take the higher club to take it out of play and take my chances with a long putt coming back.

Lately my issue has been not knowing how far a shot will go. My contact has been improving, and it's resulted in unexpected distances. Had 108 to the pin on Friday, hit what felt like a routine SW, and flew the ball 15 yards past the pin. I opted for SW over GW just so that wouldn't happen.

[TigerCurtis333]

If I'm more than 100 yards out I almost always, depending on where I want the ball with the pin, go up a club and take a smoother swing. Not to change anything, just to focus on an accurate shot and getting it into the air - the extra club will do the work and get it where I want it.

[DJYoshi]

it depends... lie, green, pin placement, where the trouble is to attack the green
i'll normally club up and swing smooth.
but if I have a lie that's got a flier from 140 out, i might choose the 9 over the 8. b/c you know that ball's gonna fly out from that spot.

but yeah, if there's sand in front, i'll club up
sand in the back or an edge that leads to a valley, i'll club down.

[manninm]

I always club up...I guess I've never had a problem taking a little off my irons. The one thing I don't do, however, is swing softer - I always choke down and shorten my swing.

I was finding the 80-95 yard distance tough. 80 is a three quarter 60 degree for me and I find any harder of a swing and the ball goes too high. I'd rather hit a low 54 degree that bounces once and stops. It took me going out to the short game range and hitting shot after shot, but I finally nailed down those distances.

[MrSandman]

1. I used to have the trouble yardage in between PW and SW. Gap Wedge is a must. My 52 is probably my most used club in the bag.

2. Regarding "in between distances" for irons, I take this approach:
- What is my carry distance? How far do I need to hit the ball to reach the green in the air?
- How far to the back of the green? How much is too much club?
- Usually you will find that your carry distance to the front and your "too much" distance to the back is a range which a couple of clubs fall within. Then, if the pin is up, I go with carry distance and commit to the shot. If the pin is back, I go with the back of the green and commit to the shot.

[pinbacksc]

if i'm in between clubs i usually take an extra club. if i'm not sure if i should hit a 7 or 6-Iron, i'll go with the 6 and just swing a little easier. i wish i had a "skycaddy", that would probably help in terms of knowing exact yardage.

[Big Padrigo]

I have two "troublesome" yardage gaps. Between my 4 hybrid and 5 iron there's a 20-25 yard gap. Between GW-SW is another 20 yard gap. Whenever I'm judging which shot to play I always try and think where I'd rather miss; where are the bunkers, where's the pin - do I want to be putting downhill or uphill. Wind plays a big part where I play so trajectory is key. Having said that sometimes even though my pinseeker says one thing if my gut says I need more or less club I tend to trust that instinct.

[jrm1493]

I'd always go for taking something off the PW in that case, fewer bad things can happen. I chip with my 56; about the only time I use my 49 is when I need to fly the ball to the green and stop it dead, it's pretty good for that and more controllable than the 56.

[MrSandman]

Between GW-SW is another 20 yard gap.

You have a 20 yd gap between your SW and GW? Maybe try getting a Vokey GW to go with your Vokey SW and LW and you will find that gap shrinks a bit?

[ks8829]

My buddy can hit a driver 250-260 or hit it 190 into the wind in a par 3 for a tap in birdie.

he only carries 9 clubs and shoots even to 4 over in a round.

I believe he chokes up and hits a fade to take something off the club.

[Klean]

I use a stronger club and choke down on it. I find it much easier than overswinging a weaker club.

[Undr Par]

go with the lower club....for example if I'm between a 7i or 8i and only 155yds out, I'd go with the 7i

[Avid Golfer]

So what are your trouble yardages and what do you do when you are between clubs? Take something off or try to muscle it?

I base my decision on where the pin is located, and where the best place to miss it while still being on the green (if possible) would be for each hole. If there is more green behind the pin than in front of it I'll take the longer club, grip down closer to the shaft, and shorten my backswing slightly. If there is more green short of the pin then I'll take the shorter club and make a more agressive (accelerating) swing (which will tend to add backspin to the shot). If there is more green past the pin, but it is sharply downhill (and a fast green) back to the pin (making 3-putting a possibility) then I'll consider missing short of the green an acceptable shot (where I can be agressive and try to putt or chip in from off the green).

[lordhamster]

I have a couple problem yardages.

You sound exactly like me. I launch all of my shots sky high. My PW goes 100, SW 75-80, Lob goes 50ish.

When I'm between those yardages I have lots of trouble. I've tried everything from a 3/4 swing to using a stronger club with a quick chiplike swing... nothing works too reliably for me yet. One thing I try to do to compensate for this though, I do lots of laying up, because of my high trajectory if I can hit a full swing approach shot (and hit the green) I'll stay on. I almost never bounce off greens, unless they are really really dry. Of course then I'll tripple and quadruple put to finish up. :)

[JaY_B]

This has all probably been said before but there are so many variables to consider when hitting an 'in between' shot.

If we look at the very basics you should ask your self how much green you have to play with, if the hole is at the back of the green for example you could choose the longer club and play the ball in slightly lower, letting the ball release up the green. If the hole is at the front of the green you could play the shorter club, hit it a bit harder to get a bit more 'stop on the ball'.

You can complicate this further by asking where the trouble is, if there is no trouble short of the green it would be worth contemplating a lower shot even to a front pin position.

If the hole is on the left side of the green you could hit less club and draw the ball towards the hole, if the hole is on the right side of the green you could choose a longer club and fade the ball towards the hole.

The key to golf in general is making your misses 'good' and should base the final decision of your shot around where you do not want the ball to be and choose the right club and shot with those considerations in mind.

In terms of actually playing say longer club, set up to the ball normally (with the ball a touch back in your stance) with a slightly shorter back swing and a held off/cut off follow through (see 'Tiger Woods' stinger shot for a good mental image of a cut off follow through)

When hitting a shorter club harder you can either have the ball in your normal ball position or slightly forward (unless catching it fat is a key fault you suffer from) the idea is then simply to swing faster, make sure the speed is created on your down swing, not your back swing.

[NM Golf]

Most of the time I hit the longer club and choke down in it or hit a fade to take some yardage off it. If I take the shorter club and swing harder I have a tendency to come over the top and hit a pull or if I hit it straight I impart too much backspin on it (this is especially true with shorter irons). Every shot is different though.