If youre in between your club distance, better to hit the shorter club harder or a gentler swing with longer club

[GaijinGolfer]

Neither.  Grip down on the longer club about an inch and use the same swing.  When you are inbetween clubs its already better to grip down on the longer club than to try to muscle the shorter club.

[sean_miller]

I need to adjust a few things after choking down/up to prevent a thinned or yanked shot.

Quote:

That's why you choke down...

You can still swing confidently and reduce the potential full distance of the 8i with choking down.

[saevel25]

Depends on the situation,

If i am going into the wind i will tend to club up and hit it lighter because it puts less spin on the ball

Most of the time i tend to club up one and choke down on it. Unless its like 2-3 yards past my max, then i might try to hit one hard. I saw club up, most Ams never take enough club anyways.

[TN94z]

Originally Posted by Deryck Griffith

That's why you choke down...

You can still swing confidently and reduce the potential full distance of the 8i with choking down.

Well yes and no.  Some people can't swing confidently choking down.  My cousin along with a couple other guys can't swing well when they choke down.  It may be a mental thing but they can't.  These guys can't hit half shots either.  I was answering the question the original poster asked.  Had choking down been an option, I would have chosen that.

Originally Posted by sean_miller

I need to adjust a few things after choking down/up to prevent a thinned or yanked shot.

Quote:

This.  Like I mentioned above, my cousin has to make adjustments as well and it normally doesn't end up being the desired outcome.

[newtogolf]

Maybe it's my lack of experience playing, but I do better hitting the shorter club harder than I do trying to slow down my swing with a longer club.  I do choke up on my wedges sometimes, but I don't trust it with my longer irons.

[right handed phil mickelson]

Hard 9. I sometimes have trouble with hitting clubs easier (usually results in blocking it). I de-loft the crap out of my irons anyway. I've just always felt that a hard 170 yard 9 iron is easier than an easy 8.

[michaeljames92]

If it's downwind, hit a club harder as often the wind can knock it down pretty fast, but into the wind, less club so no ballooning occurs...

[Deryck Griffith]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

I need to adjust a few things after choking down/up to prevent a thinned or yanked shot.

Quote:

We yes, no doubt.  Adjustments are necessary.

[MiniBlueDragon]

This reminds me of riding a motorcycle and approaching a bend too fast; logically you should speed up to be able to get your knee down more and make it around the bend but instinctively you want to brake to slow yourself down to make it around the turn.

With these clubs the logic is that it's easier and more consistent to take a longer club and hit with less power whereas in reality hitting a lower lofted club with less power will probably put less spin on the ball so not only will the ball fly longer and lower, it'll roll out more than hitting the 8 harder.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by MiniBlueDragon

This reminds me of riding a motorcycle and approaching a bend too fast; logically you should speed up to be able to get your knee down more and make it around the bend but instinctively you want to brake to slow yourself down to make it around the turn.

With these clubs the logic is that it's easier and more consistent to take a longer club and hit with less power whereas in reality hitting a lower lofted club with less power will probably put less spin on the ball so not only will the ball fly longer and lower, it'll roll out more than hitting the 8 harder.

I'm a fan of taking the shorter club and hitting it a little harder. But then again, my normal swing isn't "full out" like most people's, so I still have extra left in order to hit it harder.

[B-Con]

I go with the longer club and choke down 1/2 inch. If that's not enough, I also take something like 5% less of a backswing.

[B-Con]

I'm a fan of taking the shorter club and hitting it a little harder. But then again, my normal swing isn't "full out" like most people's, so I still have extra left in order to hit it harder.

I knew you'd say that. :-D I'd really like to be able to do the same. As my swing has gotten a little better, I still hit the same distances but with a little less effort. My problem is that although I can swing harder, doing so increases my likelihood of failure by a large margin, so it's not worth it for me. If I actually practiced swinging harder, perhaps I'd be able to safely use it.

[goblue107501]

It depends on a lot of factors really, so each shot can require a different approach. Assuming level ground, no wind, no trouble, pin in the middle, the majority of the time I will hit the longer club. I rarely hit a full shot as it is unless it is just a perfect situation for the club. Most of the time I take more club, choke down, and adjust the backswing anyway. I can't think of many times through a round where I acess a shot and think it is a perfect distance and situation for a full grip, full swing, stock shot. They are pretty rare. There is always an outside element (wind, elevation, trouble) that factors in and causes an adjustment. There are times when it just feels better in my mind to take the longer club and give it all I have. Some of my more memorable shots have been by doing that. One thing I don't ever do is to swing easy(er). To me, that is the kiss of death for a golf swing. I will adjust my grip and backswing, but the pass through the ball will be similar no matter what. Not saying I swing out of my shoes, but I try not to just ease off a regular swing.

[Elmer]

I have been told by some of my golfing buddies, most of whom are Old timers (30 years + of playing).

Always go with the shorter club at normal swing.

I always approached like this: do I want to be short or long of the hole. especially if it is only a difference of 10 years. If there is more room behind the hole and it is a decent put, go with the longer club.

If I want to be short and it is an uphill put go short and hit normal.

All depends on what green you have to work with and where you want to put from.