How do you play this shot.

[James_Black]

Lets just say you hit your 6 iron 170 yards 5 iron 185
distance to the pin is 175.
Do you try force a 6 iron or hit a soft 5 iron?

It's 50-50 with most people I ask, I'd opt for the 5 iron now but I'd used to force a 6.

[jamo]

For what ever reason I've become really good at taking a lot off or a shot, but when I try to muscle one (with the exception of my driver) my swing just breaks down and I usually mis-hit it. That's not to say I shank it or anything, it is just not as reliable as hitting a soft shot.

[right handed phil mickelson]

5 iron is going to tend to be more consistent for this shot. If you try and force that 6 iron you have a tendency to be way less accurate with the shot. If I hit my 5 iron 185 (pretty much do now), then for that 175 shot I'd take a normal length stock swing, but fade it to take off that yardage.

[clubhousehero]

This is something i need to work on myself but right now i would go with the six.

My problem is is swing a little too hard as it is, so when i try to take a little off (the 5i in this case) one of 2 things happen. I get lazy with my swing and completely miss hit it. The second is i end up swinging nice and easy, with the force i should use all the time, put a great swing on the ball and fly the green. Does that make any sense? And for me, the way i look at it is worst case scenario i have a 15 foot putt with the six but a 30 foot putt with the 5.

However, i know i need to work on taking something off my shots and plan on working on it this year.

[Dub]

I'd grip down a fraction on my 5 and swing fully.

[goblue107501]

Depends on a ton of factors. Taking out wind and elevation changes, where the trouble is and where the better miss is, is a big factor. 5 yards is that big of a difference so I would probably hit a hard 6, as long as it was okay to miss short. If short was no good, I would choke down and hit an easy 5.

With the shorter irons, I am more apt to hit the longer club no matter what, e.g. hit an 8 instead of a 9 in almost any instance. The longer irons, a tougher decision is needed.

[sean_miller]

Add some more information then I'll vote.

1.) Where's the pin (front, middle, or back)?
2.) Where's the trouble (assuming there is some) - short or long?

I'd go with the iron that errs on the fat side of the hole. If there's trouble long, or the pin is at the back - the 170 yard club. Pin at the front (or trouble short) go with the longer club.

[James_Black]

Add some more information then I'll vote.

it's just a question of will you decide to hit it hard with a 6 or soft with a 5.

it tells a lot about a persons playing mentality, if they're an aggressive or safe player. Guess you looked outside of the box...

[WUTiger]

I would need more information on the conditions around the green.
* If the pin was near the front of the green, I would hit a 6i draw and skip it on.
* If the pin was more toward middle or back, I would choke down 1/4-inch and hit the 5i.

Remember, I'm a 21 HDCP. This is what I would try to do, but I can't guarantee they would work just as planned.

[sean_miller]

I would need more information on the conditions around the green.

There are many paths to the way. My thinking on a front pin is that I'd rather err long and still be putting. Same for a back pin - if I don't quite get there, I'm still putting.

Keep in mind, the yardage listed in this poll makes is kind of a no-brainer - 175 is only 5 paces past the 170 stock 6-iron, whereas it's almost a full club (10 paces) short of the 185 yard 5-iron, which may not bite on a less than full shot anyway. One poster mentioned hiting a fade - that makes a lot of sense too. Anyway, I just voted for the 6-iron, because if I can't get an extra 5 yards out of a 170 yard club without overswinging, then I'm doing something wrong.

[Titleist Man]

Depends on alot of factors:

Pin in back, front , middle?
Where is trouble?
Where is it better to miss long or short?
How does the green break?
Wind?
How saturated is the ground? Soft, Firm, In between??
Speed of greens?
Length of rough around the green?
How deep are the bunkers around the green? if any
Thats about it.... Id need to know these things before i hit my shot....
haha if u cant tell by now im very deliberate w/ my shots.....

[DaSportsGuy]

I'd hit an easy 5 Iron without knowing much detail.

But ultimately, it depends on the variables in the previous post.

[goob3r]

There are alot of factors that would decide this for me. Wind, hazards, how I'm hitting that particular round, etc. But I decided to go with the easy 5. Usually, when I try to stretch my clubs is when I get myself in trouble.

[ks8829]

Learning to hit partial shots takes alot of pressure off your game. To take distance off your irons you could choke up, take less backswing or aim left and open the club face. Have you tried to hit a half swing, choked up driver into the wind on a par 3 220 yards away? Don't be afraid to take more club and swing smoother with even a 3/4 swing on in between clubs.

[laxbballgolf]

I've always been comfortable taking a little bit off the shot, so I'd hit the 5. Choke down a little, decrease the backswing a little, and just don't go full out. I think these kinds of shots are fun, because it involves showing some touch or feel to control the distance. I'm not a fan of hitting a fade to take off some distance; I prefer to decrease the swing speed a little bit and try for the same shot shape I would normally play.

[bogeyhitter25]

I'd hit 6i, then drain the 15 footer.

[LBlack14]

6 iron, it should release some. I'd rather hit a full shot than try to choke down or take some off a 5 and we're only talking about 5 yards. Plus if the adrenalin is flowing I'll get an extra 5 anyway.

[Gioguy21]

6-iron...forward press a bit more to deloft it a little extra for those 5 yards...no brainer