Playing Irons Only

[Brakkus]

I don't know about you guys but the longer the hole the more conservative club choice makes sense. Usually my problem is par 4's. Back nine of my last round was a 44. In that score I had two triples on the par 4's. So if a par 4 is on the long side out beyond 410 plus range I'm already needing two perfectly struck longish shots into the green. With irons it now becomes an easy par 5. O mean you can go with a 5 iron and still leave a short iron or a wedge. Anything under 400 you can weigh up the risk and where the trouble is on the hole and can go for the GIR. I really haven't been good at weighing up the hole before I hit. The times when I just pull out the same club regardless on the tee when I could go more conservative and other times I could go for more risk.

[tomvk77]

I played my first 5 years with only irons. Got it to hdc 14 with that.

I like the way you are thinking. If you play bogey golf you drop so

much easier. And you kind of take the pressure off the teeshot.

Still if you mis the 5 iron, your probably able to lay it up to a spot from where you

can reach the green. something you would try to do in the first place.

On 18 holes you still get holes where you can be close to the green after 2 iron shots.

You will get more confident hitting the longer irons and improve ballstricking by playing this

way.

Keep it up

[k-troop]

I think this method has merit as a means of working on your long and mid iron game in real golf course situations.  In a normal round I'll only hit a 5i or higher five or six times; if I'm hitting iron off of every tee, then the number is going to be more like 25-30.  I agree that it's not a great strategy to consistently lower scores except that it will make you a better long iron player.

Originally Posted by Shorty

It's a good strategy as long as you understand that on anything but EXTREMELY short courses you will struggle to break 90.

Not only that you will absolutely hit a wall there because you are relying on one putts for virtually all your pars and you have to pretty much hit each green in one over regulation just for bogeys.

It get sfrustrating when the majority of par 4s have to be played as 3 shotters.

And, believe me, when you are hitting irons off the tee, you have to play very well indeed to give up the distance and then hit a good second and third just for bogeys.

Remember, we aren't talking about Adam Scott hitting a 3 iron 260 or 270 yards.

It's bogey golf ONLY if you are an exceptionally good iron palyer and/or you are playing very short courses.

But I disagree with Shorty here.  The only round I can recall that I've played with irons only in the last 6 years I shot even par on a 6700 yard course.  I literally didn't miss a fairway and missed very few greens.  The problem with long irons is that you just don't hit them that often and that makes them more difficult.  After my third 3-iron of the day (which was on the second hole) I was hitting it quite well the rest of the day.  Besides, I think Shorty's missing the point.  It's not about what you shoot in that particular round (though I think most people won't shoot that much worse) but about hitting more long irons and hybrids in on-course situations and therefore getting better at using those clubs.

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by k-troop

But I disagree with Shorty here.  The only round I can recall that I've played with irons only in the last 6 years I shot even par on a 6700 yard course.  I literally didn't miss a fairway and missed very few greens.  The problem with long irons is that you just don't hit them that often and that makes them more difficult.  After my third 3-iron of the day (which was on the second hole) I was hitting it quite well the rest of the day.  Besides, I think Shorty's missing the point.  It's not about what you shoot in that particular round (though I think most people won't shoot that much worse) but about hitting more long irons and hybrids in on-course situations and therefore getting better at using those clubs.

Yeah, I see his point...but...

I went out 2 weekends ago, and was struggling with the driver on the front 9. On the back 9, I put it away and only hit irons. I hit par on 4 holes in a row, and 5 out of the last 7.

[Jeremie Boop]

The problem I have is if my tee shots are bad it doesn't matter what's in my hands. I'm just as likely to hit a bad tee shot with an iron as a driver in these situations.

[Meltdwhiskey]

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

Yeah, I see his point...but...

I went out 2 weekends ago, and was struggling with the driver on the front 9. On the back 9, I put it away and only hit irons. I hit par on 4 holes in a row, and 5 out of the last 7.

I think this is the hidden gem of the iron thing.  I think the 'stage 1' importance of it is that it helps eliminate the blow up holes because blow up holes often start with a real stinker off the tee.  But to your point here (stage 2 I guess), and I have found the same thing, is that you get a surprising amount of pars / GIR's, whatever.  You think sacrificing that distance is going to kill you.  But I find that it doesn't hurt nearly as much as you'd think.

Originally Posted by Jeremie Boop

The problem I have is if my tee shots are bad it doesn't matter what's in my hands. I'm just as likely to hit a bad tee shot with an iron as a driver in these situations.

This can happen too of course.  But no one is saying iron off the tee is going to eliminate all bad play.  I'm sure that statistically speaking - golfers hit less errant shots with irons than woods - and that the errant shots with woods are more errant than the same shot with an iron.

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by Jeremie Boop

The problem I have is if my tee shots are bad it doesn't matter what's in my hands. I'm just as likely to hit a bad tee shot with an iron as a driver in these situations.

Yeah, but I've seen your bad driver shots in person. A 6 iron isn't going 60 yards OB towards small children, it's just gonna be in the rough. So you end up with a crappy lie for your 2nd shot instead of re-teeing for your 3rd.

It took me a while to realize that...

[Jeremie Boop]

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

Yeah, but I've seen your bad driver shots in person. A 6 iron isn't going 60 yards OB towards small children, it's just gonna be in the rough. So you end up with a crappy lie for your 2nd shot instead of re-teeing for your 3rd.

Actually, I haven't been hitting my driver quite that bad anymore, thanks for the revisit of that memory though. I usually end up same distance or further out sitting 3 if I retee driver as I would if I hit a bad iron off the tee. This isn't true with hybrid though, which is why I have a good one on the way.

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by Jeremie Boop

Actually, I haven't been hitting my driver quite that bad anymore, thanks for the revisit of that memory though. I usually end up same distance or further out sitting 3 if I retee driver as I would if I hit a bad iron off the tee. This isn't true with hybrid though, which is why I have a good one on the way.

If your irons are truly that bad, you should probably put the driver away and just hit nothing but irons for a while. Work on the stuff Mike and Erik went over, and just nail irons at the range.

My irons are FINALLY starting to come around, to where I have confidence when I have one in my hands. It may not always be a perfect shot, but it's gonna keep me out of trouble, and go in the general direction of where I want it.

My game has improved tremendously in the past 2 weeks. And it's 100% due to my improved iron play. Driver has gotten worse, putting has gotten worse, scores have still gotten better. Once I get my putting stroke back, I'm pretty sure I'll be averaging low 80s.

You, like I *used* to do, hit driver on every par 4 and par 5, even though 8-9/10 of our drives suck...just because the 1 or 2 perfect ones make us feel good, and It's nice to be sitting 300 yards out. I'm telling you, don't be as stubborn as me. Drop it. There's a reason the pros don't hit driver on every hole, and they're WAAAAAAAAAAAAY better with a driver than we are.

[Jeremie Boop]

Originally Posted by Slice of Life

If your irons are truly that bad, you should probably put the driver away and just hit nothing but irons for a while. Work on the stuff Mike and Erik went over, and just nail irons at the range.

My irons are FINALLY starting to come around, to where I have confidence when I have one in my hands. It may not always be a perfect shot, but it's gonna keep me out of trouble, and go in the general direction of where I want it.

My game has improved tremendously in the past 2 weeks. And it's 100% due to my improved iron play. Driver has gotten worse, putting has gotten worse, scores have still gotten better. Once I get my putting stroke back, I'm pretty sure I'll be averaging low 80s.

You, like I *used* to do, hit driver on every par 4 and par 5, even though 8-9/10 of our drives suck...just because the 1 or 2 perfect ones make us feel good, and It's nice to be sitting 300 yards out. I'm telling you, don't be as stubborn as me. Drop it. There's a reason the pros don't hit driver on every hole, and they're WAAAAAAAAAAAAY better with a driver than we are.

It's not that my irons are that bad overall, it's just if I'm struggling on the tee it's just a mental thing. Just like if I hit a great tee shot I have a hard time capitalizing on it. I'm definitely planning on hitting driver much less often now, like I said, that's why I have the hybrid coming.

[LocoPatrick]

Part of my motivation for playing an "irons only" round was sheer enjoyment. I've been in a slump with my driver (My driver is actually a three wood). I always push it or slice it severely on the first hole, and that causes aggravation to set in early on in the round. By just playing my irons, I can relax and enjoy nine holes a lot more while during my practice time I can work on straightening out my three wood.

Another motivation is "practicing the course" as opposed to "playing the course." Not every round that I play is for score--in fact, lately none of them have been. My rounds have been more focused on trying different clubs for different shots and understanding what the ball I am using will do under different circumstances around the course. I can ask questions like "Is a par 3 150 yard shot a 6 iron or 7 iron shot for me to hit the green?", drop two balls, and try both shots. "Will an 8-iron chip go too far for this lie, or would a 9-iron chip be better" and try both shots. Because I played my irons for all the tee shots, I know that I can hit my 5-iron 160 yards from the tee with confidence.

I am contemplating even playing a "GIR round only", where I walk past the tee box on all the holes until I'm within approach range, and hit three or four balls to practice trying to hit the green in one approach shot. Has anyone ever done this?

Hopefully, by being able to practice the course, my scores will drop when I actually play the course.

[iacas]

I've shot even par on a reasonable golf course using nothing but a 5-iron. So why not?

[tmac20]

I've shot even par on a reasonable golf course using nothing but a 5-iron. So why not?

Including chipping and putting?! That's incredible.

[Slice of Life]

Originally Posted by iacas

I've shot even par on a reasonable golf course using nothing but a 5-iron. So why not?

I've shot under par using nothing but a putter.

Wait, you're not talking about putt-putt?

[tomvk77]

Look no matter how long a course is. you always get holes you can reach with 2 iron shots. my home course is about  6700 yards.

I think there are 3 par 4's where you can't reach in 2 because off distance or you need to be longer to get it past the dogleg.

[rkim291968]

I've shot under par using nothing but a putter.

Wait, you're not talking about putt-putt?

Must have been using the Internet Adjusted Score.   Any formula for  IAS?   You can spell it out loud if you will .... .

[Slice of Life]

Must have been using the Internet Adjusted Score.   Any formula for  IAS?   You can spell it out loud if you will .... .

Let's play a game...find the subliminal message in my post that you quoted.

[rkim291968]

Let's play a game...find the subliminal message in my post that you quoted.

What happened to your other post?   It must have gotten too hot.   I was going to ask erected or non erected measurement?  My distance seems to fluctuate based on that.

Thanks for the laugh.  I was having hard time at work until your post showed up.