approach shots

[Dr. Slice]

Right now the weakest point of my game is when im 150-50 yards out.

My accuracy is just not there, what things could i do to help me in this situation?

is it pretty much just practice from inside that area?

[NorCalGolfer]

i would say from 150-100 is much easier to learn than from 100-in. 100 and in things always get so funky for me because a lot of it is feel.

Reason being...150-100 usually has a club for those distances. PW-150 52-135 and so on...but 100 and in you can do soooooooooo many things with 3 clubs or more in some cases. You really gotta practice those shots because its 100% feel. After a while you'll have a variety of shots you can choose from. knockdown 52's, full 60's, chop 56's etc.... practice practice practice...

[DaveLeeNC]

As NorCal said there is a point where it becomes a different problem. When you are changing distances by changing clubs, your accuracy is pretty much just a question of consistency in your ball striking - can you hit the ball squarely (as in on/near the sweetspot with face pointed toward the target and your clubhead path not too messed up).

At some point (typically in the 70-100 yard range for average golfers) you hit a point where you can no longer control distance by changing clubs. NOW you also have to change your swing to control distance.

Where are your problems?

dave

[Dr. Slice]

well my biggest problem from like 150-100 out is my accuracy. usually im barley on the green on just off, but i want to be close enough for a 1 putt. i rarley am that close, only when i get lucky

[DaveLeeNC]

well my biggest problem from like 150-100 out is my accuracy. usually im barley on the green on just off, but i want to be close enough for a 1 putt. i rarley am that close, only when i get lucky

The first thing that I would do is to figure out what kind of inaccuracy is it. Is it

1) Directional control (off the the left or right) 2) Distance control (most likely due to poor ball contact) 3) Poor club selection #1 and #2 are typically swing issues. Even with lots of information diagnosing swing problems in a discussion forum is hard - impossible when all you know is 'things are not as good as they might be'. #3 is more an experience kind of thing. dave

[Dr. Slice]

usually it is distance inaccuracy. i usually swing a little too soft or a little to hard.

[mdvaldosta]

I think most mid-high handicappers spend most of their time hitting full shots on the driving range, and not enough time on 50-75 yard pitch shots. It's all about feel, and you can't get the feel for it unless you practice. I hit a half bucket of balls at 50-60 yards (a flag on my local range) to start - and finish with a half bucket of balls doing the same. It really helps, and if you know your 60 yard pitch then you're only splitting the difference with 75, 45 etc. yarders.

[DaveLeeNC]

usually it is distance inaccuracy. i usually swing a little too soft or a little to hard.

If that is the case then it would seem like your ballstriking and distance control is reasonable. Unless you can hit a full swing LW more than 100 yards, I would suggest (for shots from 100-150 yards) that you use THE SAME swing for every shot. Aim for the middle of the green and use the pin position to guide you for shots that are between clubs. Assume that your 150 yard club is a 7i (8i is 140) and you are 145 yards from the center of the green. If the pin is forward of the center hit 8i - back of the center hit 7i. If it really is a 145 yard shot choose whichever club is least likely to get you into trouble.

Inside 100 yards is a different story. dave