How Did You Learn Your Distances From 100 Yards And In?

[EverythingGolf]

Just was wondering how you learned the different distances from 100 yards and in and what clubs/drills etc. you used to get you there.

[iacas]

Go to the golf course on a calm day. Mark a spot.

Hit 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and full shots with all of your wedges. Mark where they land. Measure the distances to the middle of where they land (the clump of five, six, seven balls) to your original spot.

Tape those numbers to the underside of your shafts.

[saevel25]

I agree, and its Legal ;)

[rich e]

Great advice, I'll be doing this as well..Man I love this place..Rich

[boogielicious]

Originally Posted by iacas

Go to the golf course on a calm day. Mark a spot.

Hit 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and full shots with all of your wedges. Mark where they land. Measure the distances to the middle of where they land (the clump of five, six, seven balls) to your original spot.

Tape those numbers to the underside of your shafts.

Great advice, but the only issue I have is I could never do this on the course.  There would be 4000 angry golfers behind me.  Do you mean at the range?

[onephenom]

Originally Posted by boogielicious

Great advice, but the only issue I have is I could never do this on the course.  There would be 4000 angry golfers behind me.  Do you mean at the range?

Nope, gotta be on the course. Gotta use the balls you play during a round, have to have more accurate distance markers than ranges tend to.

[Mac62]

Originally Posted by onephenom

Quote:

Originally Posted by boogielicious

Great advice, but the only issue I have is I could never do this on the course.  There would be 4000 angry golfers behind me.  Do you mean at the range?

Nope, gotta be on the course. Gotta use the balls you play during a round, have to have more accurate distance markers than ranges tend to.

^ What onephenom said.  Range balls (at most driving ranges) are lesser quality balls which are overused, left out in the sun, sometimes waterlogged, etc.  Flight/distance could even vary considerably from ball to ball according to their condition.  Some ranges also use limited flight balls, which will not give you any kind of accurate indicator of distances.  You'd even be better off going to a large park or some other sort of grassy area, marking off distances and hitting to them (if you can find a park which: a) isn't crowded and b) allows golf practice).

[HazardMagnet]

Please don't laugh or think it weird, but due to the "no golf" rule at all the nice fields and parks in my town, I (and several others) practice at an area of a cemetery which is reserved for future use. It is roughly 400 Feet by 800. The grass is always kept cut nicely and it's quiet. My drill is to only bring one sleeve of balls, and something to use as a target. So hit three balls and go retrieve them. I found that drilling like this gives me more time to reflect on actually what I'm doing instead of hitting like at the range, Ball after ball etc. My 2c.

[PirateJim]

I'm fortunate to have a range with a 'short game' area that at least sometimes is free, but I guess you could do this drill in the grave yard or wherever you can get some open space without others in it.  I will scatter thirty or so balls along a path from about 10 out to about 75 yards from the target green, then work my way either outward or inward shooting at the green.  This little drill has been helping me a lot with my 'touch' around the green because I can't just zero in on the target like I will if I hit many shots from about the same spot.  I probably need to do it about 10,000 more times.

[lumpuckeroo]

Originally Posted by iacas

Go to the golf course on a calm day. Mark a spot.

Hit 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 and full shots with all of your wedges. Mark where they land. Measure the distances to the middle of where they land (the clump of five, six, seven balls) to your original spot.

Tape those numbers to the underside of your shafts.

+1, but because I'm on the slow side, and can't always figure out what a 1/4, 1/2, 3/4 swing are, I would take my hands to my waist, chest, shoulder.  I did better having those 3 points as "visuals" to help with my partial shots.  Also, I've spent time with both my 52 wedge and 56 wedge, gives me even more options for distance and flight.

[Kieran123]

Feel. Works 50% of the time - and there's only a 60% chance of that

[14ledo81]

Originally Posted by Kieran123

Feel. Works 50% of the time - and there's only a 60% chance of that

I use the feel method.  I am lucky/unlucky that my full 60 wedge goes about 70-75 yards.  That way my "feel" range starts at anything less than that.

[Unforgiven93]

Honestly, I've never done anything.  I've played a lot and hit a lot of balls.  I kind of just guess.  This is something I've been thinking about changing recently to a more scientific approach, but I'm not sure I should.

When I'm inside 80 yards, I pull what I feel is the right club, follow my preshot routine, and go.  I go with 100% feel, no specific distances.   My 3/4 swing with my 58 degree is my shortest shot that I know I have, and it goes about 80 yards.

Another thing that I don't do is pick a spot to land on the green with my chips.  I just look at the hole, read the green, and hit based on what I think will happen.  I have started picking spots this year just to try it and it seems to work pretty well.  Another thing I may change in the near future.

[NM Golf]

Originally Posted by boogielicious

Great advice, but the only issue I have is I could never do this on the course.  There would be 4000 angry golfers behind me.  Do you mean at the range?

I did this on the local high school's football field. Lines were painted so it was much easier. You do need to use whatever ball you use on the course.

[boogielicious]

Originally Posted by HazardMagnet

Please don't laugh or think it weird, but due to the "no golf" rule at all the nice fields and parks in my town, I (and several others) practice at an area of a cemetery which is reserved for future use. It is roughly 400 Feet by 800. The grass is always kept cut nicely and it's quiet. My drill is to only bring one sleeve of balls, and something to use as a target. So hit three balls and go retrieve them. I found that drilling like this gives me more time to reflect on actually what I'm doing instead of hitting like at the range, Ball after ball etc. My 2c.

Creepy, yet strangely innovative!