"you wont make it with a 4 iron."

[Gioguy21]

I had a similar instance yesterday playing with 2 guys i've never played with before. I had 225 to a par 3 (was playing tips) and hit a 4 iron to 15 feet. The one guy i was playing with was my build, a bit bigger, and hit a 5W (he played whites, or a 25 yard difference closer) and the other gentleman hit driver from the whites. There's only one person I talk to about what iron I hit and that'd be my buddy Matty. He and I are about a club difference, ie if i'm a 4, he's a 3. we don't discuss prior to shots but in the cart or walking after the shot i'll be like, "hit a 6?...thought so"...and vice versa. He's caddied for me before, and i've been on the bag for him. If ever in a tourney, he's gotta be my guy otherwise I think anyone else would be very off. I hate when ppl input advice when not asked for/needed.

[golfaddiction]

When I was on the golf team we all would talk about our club selections during practice. The better players would all use about the same club, and I'd usually take one extra club. Whenever the coach heard us talking, he always said the same thing "Use what works for you." That's the only advice I listen to on the tee box now.

[Fat Slice]

I've had people suggest this club or that club. My response: "If you want to caddy for me, go wipe down my wedges". That usually pisses them off enough to shut them up, which is the desired result.

[Rexx]

In a slightly different vain (maybe the opposite of the OP), I had a funny moment in the golf league I play in. On one of the par 5s, the fairway runs out at about 235 and 25 yards further is a creek. I have honors and hit my 3h just short of the end of the fairway. One of my opponents sees this and asks "Was that a hybrid?" which I confirmed (yeah, yeah... against the rules... whatever). I can see the gears turning in his head... "that little guy (5'6") didn't use driver, why should I?" He decides to put his driver away and pull an iron. He proceeds to duff his iron into the tall grass in front of the tee box, take a drop, and hit it in there again. He eventually just picked up (and his partner didn't do much better).

The funny thing is that the hole is fairly wide open (large fairway, no trees), except for a fairway bunker on the right. And in the 4 drives up to that point, he maybe got one 225-230 (obviously not a Sand Trap member), while I had been hitting hybrids almost every tee shot because of how short the course is from the "regular" tees (~3150 for 9 holes). Anyways, I don't consider myself a long hitter, but I do strike the ball pretty well. And I think my size tends to get my partners/opponents to make club selections based on how far I hit it.

[Jameshooper]

I was playing with a bunch of friends at the Captains course on the Cape one day in a little for fun tournament and I hit a ball on the green of a par 3 that happened to be the closest to the hole par 3 in the tournament......the guys behind us all said what did you hit, what did you hit.....I said I hit a 5 iron and my group moved on and putted out. I told the guys in my group to look back and watch thes guys hit...they all proceeded to hit it over the green. I told the guys in my group that I really hit an 8 iron not a 5 as I had told the group behind us. We all had a good laugh at the 19th hole later that day. And I won the closest to the hole as well.

[sean_miller]

I was playing with a bunch of friends at the Captains course on the Cape one day in a little for fun tournament and I hit a ball on the green of a par 3 that happened to be the closest to the hole par 3 in the tournament......the guys behind us all said what did you hit, what did you hit.....I said I hit a 5 iron and my group moved on and putted out. I told the guys in my group to look back and watch thes guys hit...they all proceeded to hit it over the green. I told the guys in my group that I really hit an 8 iron not a 5 as I had told the group behind us. We all had a good laugh at the 19th hole later that day. And I won the closest to the hole as well.

Wow, advice and wrong information. Ding ding ding - we have a winner - best "fun tournament" move ever!!

[Brakkus]

Interesting I find that most high cappers that I play with will always ask what did you hit there?Then they base their own club selection on what I say.The thing is that's the problem they think like high cappers and have no interest in doing what it takes to educate themselves about the game and their own swings.Even though I'm a 25 handicap I think like a golfer to avoid thinking about what others are doing.I have found this with lower cappers that they never inquire what club you used only the type of shot you could hit or what shot you should have hit.

[RedBaronaz]

I'm glad I joined this forum. I didn't know it was illegal to ask what club someone used. Until recently I asked regularly(I usually only golf with friends for fun, just starting to get serious), whether they are better than me or worse. I just know if I am a club or two shorter or longer than them in general and go from there. Lately I have really started going on my own gut instinct rather than asking though.

[APowell0057]

I have very similar problems in 2 man scrambles with family members. We'll have 220-225 into par 5's and they'll see me with an iron and feel outraged like I'm not trying or something. Obviously they don't play with me enough to know I can hit my 5 220 or so pretty easily if I make a full turn

[Shindig]

I just know if I am a club or two shorter or longer than them in general and go from there. Lately I have really started going on my own gut instinct rather than asking though.

Instead of going with your gut, consider trying to figure out what your distances are. If you believe you're about 2 clubs shorter than your friends, ask them how far they hit their 8-iron, and estimate that as your 6-iron distance. If you find yourself consistently coming up short or flying a green with a club, change your estimate accordingly. You'll find your distances will stabilize before too long, and your approach game will improve.

[mjtoal]

ok so this guy told me that i wouldnt make it to the green which was 200 yards away with a 4 iron. He had a rangefinder and said "you wont make it" ok so that got me boiling so i hit my shot and what happens lands right on the green. He said nothing after that. This was the type of guy that tells people how to hit shots when they cant. anyone ever play with one of these guys.

You are an 8 handicapper, so 7 times out of 10 he would be right. This was one of the other 3.

[Shanks A Million]

You are an 8 handicapper, so 7 times out of 10 he would be right. This was one of the other 3.

That's a pretty stupid thing to say. Your handicap doesn't determine how far you hit each iron, and I don't think an 8 handicap will miss a 4 iron 7 of 10 times, that's pretty silly. I'm around an 8, and I'd expect to hit 200 with a 4 iron most of the time. What would you rather he did, pull a 3 and go long, or pull a 5 wood and go way long?

The problem is people like you telling other people what they can and can't do like they know better.

[mjtoal]

I'm sorry, does handicap have something to do with how far you hit your irons, or are you just ignorant?

Oh dear, did I upset you?

Average players don't hit reliably hit greens from 200 yards, so it is reasonable to guess that an 8 might not do so on any given attempt. Oh and to answer your question, better players hot the ball further, and more accurately than worse players, so handicap DOES have something to do with how far, and how well you hit it. Of course, on most forums like this, everybody hits their drives 300 yards and their 6 iron 200 yards. I am sure you do. Has that cleared up your ignorance or do you need any other information?

[DavidFehertysBike]

Ill do that from time to time, only on my home course. But im only trying to help. There is one particular shot over water than you actually need to underclub yourself because the shot is kind of an optical illusion. It looks level but youre actually going 15+ feet downhill. I remember this one dude had like 200 yards into this hole after a poor drive and he pulls out a 5 wood. I tell him you can hit your 4 hybrid smooth and it will carry to the center. I told him the shot isnt as hard as it looks. He proceeds to hit the 5 wood and clocks it into the parking lot behind that green.. He hit the 4 hybrid from the same spot again and with a poor swing ended up hole high in the green side rough. He was a good sport about it though. He knocked his pitch to 2 feet after that.

[colin007]

Average players don't hit reliably hit greens from 200 yards, so it is reasonable to guess that an 8 might not do so on any given attempt.

bro, the question isnt if he is going to hit the green. read the title of the thread again. it says "you wont make it with a 4 iron". that means "you dont have enough club". no mention is made of weather he can accurately hit the green, its just about how much club he needs, and as for me, at a 15, i expect to make good enough contact to get the ball there, but often times right or left of the green.

[SteveISU]

I don't say ish, play a given shot how you like. Who am I to give advice unless I was asked for it. Even then if I ask someone what club they hit 200yds and they say a 4, I say rock on with it.

[Shindig]

Oh and to answer your question, better players hot the ball further, and more accurately than worse players,

Most guys I play with can hit it far past various major champions who still compete on the PGA Tour.

[Meddle]

Average players don't hit reliably hit greens from 200 yards, so it is reasonable to guess that an 8 might not do so on any given attempt.

You said "reasonable to guess", and that's all it is, a guess. And it's ignorant because you are claiming something without any proof. You even bring numbers into your statement above, saying 7/10 times an 8 handicapper would miss the green from 200. Pulling numbers out of your ass isn't a way to inspire confidence in your posts around here.