Club Selection/Yardage

[Cooker]

I am struggling with my club selection based on yardages and was wondering if anyone has any tips to determining consistent distances per club? Is it simply going to the driving range, whacking 20 balls per club and taking the average yardage? Any help is appreciated.

[PiKapp23]

The best way to do this is not on a range (because range balls are somewhat inconsistent and the flags/markings on the range are often off based on your the spot you are hitting from). I prefer to do this on a course. This is the type of thing that is good to work on at a par 3 or executive course (especially during week when few people on on course). You'll want to use the ball you play with most frequently. Having a range finder or at least a GPS can also help a lot with this. Depending on how exact you want your yardages, you can get a good idea from just a few clubs if your swing is pretty consistent. And remember when you are figuring your yardages to use the average of the shots (throwing out any shots that are really truly not your normal shots such as topped, fat or thin shots).

[goblue107501]

It can be really hard until you can strike the ball well each and every time. One shot you might hit a 7-iron 150, then the next time it only goes 130. The best thing is to get a few rounded distances and guesstimate until you are consistent. Figure out what you hit at 100/125/150/175. As Pikapp said, this is best done on the course as their are too many factors on the range.

If you can get out late in the day with no one around just go to open holes and hit approach shots from these distances (try and go on a non windy day, and use the flatter holes). If you can, borrow a rangefinder or GPS from a friend so you can know the exact distance. Just skip the putting and driving and go to the fairway at the 150 mark and hit a few balls until you hit one good and go see where it landed. Then on the next hole hit from 125 or 175. Do this until you get a good feel for how far a well struck shot goes. Take a notebook and write it down if you need to.

Once you get a few rounded yardages, then the rest should fall into place. Depending on your clubs, a 10-12 yard difference is pretty average between clubs. So if you know a 7-iron is 145, if you have a 155 shot, that is probably a 6-iron. There are many adjustments you can make with grip or swing to adjust the distance, but you need to know the base. Once you figure it out, it should be pretty easy when you play. As you get better you will have to adjust some of the distances since, hopefully, you will be hitting further. One tip, when you use a tee on par 3's, the tendancy is for the ball to go a little further, so make sure you make that adjustment. So that 7-iron from 145 might go 148-150 off a tee.

[TN94z]

I agree with not doing this at the range. To me, the range is only good for ball striking and trajectory. Our course's range has very inconsistent yardages. I just throw distances out the window when I am on the range. I mean they are descent as far as knowing if you are hitting your shots close to usual, but for accuracy I would go to the course. What I do many times is get on a par 5 at my course and practice. If someone comes up then I just let them play through. That is where I practice short game shots, sand shots, approach shots, etc...Like they said above, it is best to do this during the week.

[Eeryck]

When I first started I found out the distance of one club on the course, typically my 7-iron. Then I added or subtracted 10 yards per club as a guideline.

So for the first few holes I only play a 7-iron for full shots and see that it is averaging 145 yards. Some will be longer and some shorter but for reasonably well struck I can expect 145.

So I then play the following yardages:

60* - 85
56* - 95
52* - 105
PW - 115
9I - 125
8I - 135
7I - 145
6I -155
5I - 165
3H - 185

As time goes on I confirm each clubs distance but this has always gotten me to a good starting point and gave me the idea that:

"I can make it there with a nice normal easy swing with this club"

For me swinging what I believe to be the right club for the distance gets me out of the kill the ball mode and lets me play a more consistant game.

Of course, I still have times where I mishit badly, but with lessons and practice even my mishits are becoming more playable, to a reasonable distance and trajectory.

Regards,
-E

[itzzzberny]

its hard to say because i've seen some people who can out hit other clubs.
ex: 6i 170 but can hit the 7i 180

its both a gift and a curse. its great to have more options to hit a shot but if you don't know how to control that power when you need to be accurate.

i personally have a good 10 yard difference through most my irons, so i can pick a club on the yardage/ "+/- slope"/ conditions (wind).

[Dub]

The main thing is to develop a consitent swing.....one that will yield simular yardages from each club.


Best bet is to pay for a couple of lessons and hash thing out on the range a couple dozen times.

[flopdarock]

there are sites online that give you a guesstimates on club yardages based on like your avg 7i distances... but to be accurate what everyone suggested is the best bet

[bjw181]

Average distance of pro 6-iron in play - 176 yards

[TN94z]

Average distance of pro 6-iron in play - 176 yards

Where did you find this info? That is a little surprising. I figured a pro 6i would be longer. I hit my 6i about 172 and I don't think I have near pro length.

[JetFan1983]

I don't have the numbers nor have I read any concerning this, but a lot of pros I've seen on TV seem to hit their 6-iron at least 200 yards, assuming normal conditions. But then again, if Tiger says he hits his 8-iron 158 yards at 80%, then I'm assuming that means his six-iron goes 178 or so on average, so that number might be right on.

[bjw181]

I read it in a golf digest. I bet pros could juice up their iron distances but I think any pro would go for a low flying controlled shot any time they could (i.e. little wind and middle/back pin location)

[MiniMoe]

just because a pro lists his 6 iron at 176 does not mean that is as far as he can hit it. That is the distance he feels really comfortable with on a stock swing... which is probably only 80% swing speed.

[TN94z]

just because a pro lists his 6 iron at 176 does not mean that is as far as he can hit it. That is the distance he feels really comfortable with on a stock swing... which is probably only 80% swing speed.

All my swings are 80% as well. I could get more out of it but it would be inconsistent. I just don't see that. Every tournament I watch, the pros are hitting their clubs much further than this. I guess with it being an average, the shorter hitters are bringing this number down.

[PiKapp23]

I don't have the numbers nor have I read any concerning this, but a lot of pros I've seen on TV seem to hit their 6-iron at least 200 yards, assuming normal conditions. But then again, if Tiger says he hits his 8-iron 158 yards at 80%, then I'm assuming that means his six-iron goes 178 or so on average, so that number might be right on.

Another thing to think about here - many pros also have their iron lofts weakened so that a 6 iron for Tiger and a 6 iron for my standard Mizuno MP-60's are probably different lofts.