No "full" shots inside ~150 yards

[billchao]

23 hours ago, JonMA1 said:

You're likely addressing the better players, but I don't have that ability. I can't control spin on a pitch must less on shots from 140 yards out.

I could be wrong, but I think of controlling spin as understanding how the ball will behave when it hits the green.

For example, my full swing GW hits and stops basically where it lands, maybe backing up a couple of feet from its mark. When I flight it, the ball will release a bit more, maybe 10' or so.

For me to control the spin, it's more about knowing what situation to use which shot in. If I want to get the ball to a back pin, I want to hit the shot that will land towards the center and let it roll to the back instead of trying to fly it all the way to the back of the green and risk flying the green. It's not about trying to hit a lower flight and imparting more spin to it so the ball stops as if I hit a higher shot. I can't do that either.

---

If I'm going to start using my 8I for my PW, I'm going to need to learn how to swing for that distance. I'm also going to need to learn how the ball will roll out once I hit the green. It's just something I've never done so I don't know what will happen. For all I know, it could be this:

4 minutes ago, onthehunt526 said:

From my experience, I typically make better ball contact, with a partial swing than I do with a "full swing". I've hit 100 yard shots with a PW that still check up as much as if I hit a 125 yard "full" PW.

Since my ball contact is much better, my spin isn't effected as much.

 

[Golfingdad]

35 minutes ago, rehmwa said:

I want to play this way.  However, I know and hit my full swing distances very well.  I'd have to practice the partials a lot more before I'm comfy with that in play.  I think my half swing is about a 1/3 reduction from total in general.  But I'd like a lot more practice with those and with multiple shots.

I will try to uploft or deloft a 'full' swing to dial down or up my distance disty a bit, particularly with windy days and have had some success with that in getting better distance resolution.

You can do it without being too creative.  I subscribe to this as well, but I don't fool around too much.  I basically have the 100% swings, and then I have the "flighted" swings, which might be 80%-ish?

Another way to look at it is to just call the 80% swings my "full" swings and then the 100% swings my "I need something extra" swings.  The benefit of the 80% is they're not going to come in too high or with too much spin.  They're nice and controlled, and they don't really roll anywhere when they land.

[rehmwa]

6 minutes ago, Golfingdad said:

You can do it without being too creative.  I subscribe to this as well, but I don't fool around too much.  I basically have the 100% swings, and then I have the "flighted" swings, which might be 80%-ish?

Another way to look at it is to just call the 80% swings my "full" swings and then the 100% swings my "I need something extra" swings.  The benefit of the 80% is they're not going to come in too high or with too much spin.  They're nice and controlled, and they don't really roll anywhere when they land.

Previously,  I did try to map out and practice a 50% and a 75% distance map range for each of my clubs, but it started to mess with my contact.  I'm not ready to 'choose' to put in the time for that much even for the benefit - you know my play philosophy....

so I have pretty much have my 'full' swing and my 'extra' swing - both of which I'm very happy with.  I've added a little loft/deloft swing thoughts to them for fine tuning.  Half swings are pretty much a 'thumb rule' at this point for distance only - it'll be fun when I'm ready to learn those too, however, I imagine there's a lot of control I'll be able to add to my approaches.  For now, I pretty much use those when I have to punch out from under something - i.e., my half 8i is about 100 yards vs a SW 100 yard 'full'.  So I can get a little lower.  Anything else is just a 'feel' shot.  and it takes practice to get repeatable for 'feel' shots.....practice I'm not committing to at this time.

Frankly, I'm liking Erik's post about 'hooding'/punching lower flight shots on another thread, I like the 'feel' better and suspect I can get more bang for less practice.

Edited October 16, 2017 by rehmwa

[JonMA1]

2 hours ago, billchao said:

I could be wrong, but I think of controlling spin as understanding how the ball will behave when it hits the green.

For example, my full swing GW hits and stops basically where it lands, maybe backing up a couple of feet from its mark. When I flight it, the ball will release a bit more, maybe 10' or so.

For me to control the spin, it's more about knowing what situation to use which shot in. If I want to get the ball to a back pin, I want to hit the shot that will land towards the center and let it roll to the back instead of trying to fly it all the way to the back of the green and risk flying the green. It's not about trying to hit a lower flight and imparting more spin to it so the ball stops as if I hit a higher shot. I can't do that either.

Ok, that makes sense. Thanks for the explanation Bill.

[onthehunt526]

I'm not sure, if I would be able to consciously be able to flight a golf shot. 

Maybe, I can subconsciously.

I just do my half swing, three-quarterish swing thing. It works for me. If I consciously, try to flight a shot I'd either turn into a cheap rototiller or be hitting 190 yard skulled sand wedges.

[brettfan]

Here is my "cheat sheet" I carry in my back pocket every time I play.  I have a shot I can trust from 12 yards to 125 yards... almost none of them are full shots.  

They say some golfers are artists and some are engineers... well I have NO artist in me.  I just can't play by feel much at all.  I love knowing that if I am 63 yards out a sand wedge wedge with a backswing that goes to 7:30 is the shot.  I may hit it 65 yards one time and 61 yards the next but I am going to be in the neighborhood of the pin if I hit it clean (which I do much more often with these "cutoff" shots that with a full swing).  Figuring out how far I hit all these in-between shots has done SO MUCH for my game... I now love being in that 40-80 yard from the pin zone that most of the people I play with kind of dread.

[cutchemist42]

Hmmm, so to make sure I understand it... (Im making this up)

Full Swing:

• 7i-150
• 8i-140
• 9i-130
• PW-120

If you were at 140, you would hit a 3/4 or 1/2 7i to bring it down to 140? In stead of the full 8i swing?

[cutchemist42]

On 10/14/2017 at 7:20 AM, iacas said:

I’ve said for years, several times here, something similar. From my 6I on down I rarely use them with full swings. I’ve hit 8I from 120-140 more times than I’ve hit it from a shot playing 152.

So I dont actually know, but if your full 6i was 180, your 170 would be a flighted 6i? Then if your full 7i was 170, your 160 would be a flighted 7i?

[klineka]

9 minutes ago, cutchemist42 said:

So I dont actually know, but if your full 6i was 180, your 170 would be a flighted 6i? Then if your full 7i was 170, your 160 would be a flighted 7i?

Thats pretty much my understanding of it. I dont think its quite as cut and dry as 10 yards exactly for a flighted shot, players that are really in control of their ball flight and distances can hit the same target with 3 different clubs. I bet in addition to that flighted 6 iron, an even more flighted 5 iron would be an option too depending on a variety of things like how much wind, and what surrounds the green, if you can roll the ball up onto the green or if you have to land and stop on the green.

I practice this at the range and have recently been taking it to the course with a decent amount of success so far.

For example, say there is a flag on the range at 150 yards. Thats a standard smooth normal 9 iron for me. More often than not from 150 I am hitting 9 iron. Thats not a a 100% full hit it as far as I can swing, but just my normal smooth swing. I will hit 1-2 shots with the regular swing 9 iron, then a flighted 8 iron, a punch 8 iron (like I am hitting under some tree branches), and even a chippy/bump and run style with a 7 iron, all focusing on trying to get them to the 150 marker. 

Then I will do it with the 100 yd marker too, with my 60 degree, 56, and PW, sometimes even my 9 iron.

[Pretzel]

I started doing this when my wedges and short irons started to have excessive backspin. If I make full swings with wedges I can end up sucking the ball back off the green, while my partial swings usually drop and stop right about where they land. The impetus for the change, for me, was when I spun 5 shots in a round off the front of the green because I was going all out on my wedges.

Now I like to make what feels like a 3/4 swing to me (I know it's honestly closer to full, but it's a feeling) and send my wedges in a bit lower to avoid that. It also is easier to control, so win-win in my book.

If I wanted to I could be hitting my 60* 120 yards, my 56* 135, and my 52* 145 (at altitude anyways), but I don't need to and it hurts more than it helps. Taking 20 yards off each of those clubs makes then easier to hit in tight and keeps my spinrate from going crazy.

Edited October 18, 2017 by Pretzel

[onthehunt526]

1 hour ago, cutchemist42 said:

Hmmm, so to make sure I understand it... (Im making this up)

Full Swing:

• 7i-150
• 8i-140
• 9i-130
• PW-120

If you were at 140, you would hit a 3/4 or 1/2 7i to bring it down to 140? In stead of the full 8i swing?

If my 7i was 150 and I was 140, i'd probably hit a 3/4 7i yes.

[Groucho Valentine]

Im sure i do that too several times around, but i don't understand the idea of automatically playing 3/4 shots from inside a certain yardage as a playing philosophy. Why stop at 150? Why not push it 200? or 250 then if that method offers better control? To me, i feel like every approach shot is a full swing.  Though i will admit the longest club i take a full backswing with is a PW. 

[onthehunt526]

4 hours ago, Groucho Valentine said:

Im sure i do that too several times around, but i don't understand the idea of automatically playing 3/4 shots from inside a certain yardage as a playing philosophy. Why stop at 150? Why not push it 200? or 250 then if that method offers better control? To me, i feel like every approach shot is a full swing.  Though i will admit the longest club i take a full backswing with is a PW. 

It's a good question @Groucho Valentine. My answer is, for me this philosophy, is still a work in progress... I don't know if I'd ever do it with a wood off the ground, but possibly.

If a golfer is comfortable doing it inside of 200, or 225 or 250 for that matter, it can work there as well.

The issue with the longer clubs, is the less of a swing the more you distance you take off... For instance, my full 4i goes 200 yards, if I hit a half shot it only goes 175 yards.

[klineka]

5 hours ago, Groucho Valentine said:

Im sure i do that too several times around, but i don't understand the idea of automatically playing 3/4 shots from inside a certain yardage as a playing philosophy. Why stop at 150? Why not push it 200? or 250 then if that method offers better control? To me, i feel like every approach shot is a full swing.  Though i will admit the longest club i take a full backswing with is a PW. 

I do partial shots with my 3 hybrid quite frequently, mainly because i can hit a partial hybrid better than a full 4 or 5 and sometimes 6 iron. Im comfortable hitting the 3 hybrid from like 190 yds to up around 220 yds. 

[iacas]

6 hours ago, cutchemist42 said:

So I dont actually know, but if your full 6i was 180, your 170 would be a flighted 6i? Then if your full 7i was 170, your 160 would be a flighted 7i?

Sure, bit I could hit a 7I 140 too.

5 hours ago, Groucho Valentine said:

Im sure i do that too several times around, but i don't understand the idea of automatically playing 3/4 shots from inside a certain yardage as a playing philosophy. Why stop at 150?

It’s not automatic. It’s just more likely than not. Flighted shots are easier to play, control, etc.

[Jack Watson]

In most of golf,  the distance max for a club is irrelevant.  It's about dispersion and repeatability.

I dunno about the Internet crowd but for me I want drop and stop shooting at greens.  A 15 cap here says he can choose between sucking it back or drop and stop on gw?

Sorry gotta call Bravo Sierra on that nonsense.

Edited October 19, 2017 by Jack Watson

[JonMA1]

7 minutes ago, Jack Watson said:

Sorry gotta call Bravo Sierra on that nonsense.

If I live to be 100 I'll never understand how anyone on an internet forum can call BS on another's ability when they've never seen them play.

It's right in line with the "you can't possibly drive the ball 300 yards, you're a 20 capper", or "statistics prove your full swing and not your putting is the real reason you suck" type of reasoning.

[klineka]

30 minutes ago, Jack Watson said:

In most of golf,  the distance max for a club is irrelevant.  It's about dispersion and repeatability.

I dunno about the Internet crowd but for me I want drop and stop shooting at greens.  A 15 cap here says he can choose between sucking it back or drop and stop on gw?

Sorry gotta call Bravo Sierra on that nonsense.

Who specifically are you referring to, is it @billchao ?

If so, he didnt say he can choose between sucking it back and drop and stop. He said a full swing does a drop and stop (definitely realistic for a 15 hcp) and a flighted swing does drop and release forward 10 feet or so.

The other person I saw mentioning about excessive spin was @Pretzel and hes at a +1 so I dont think you were talking about him.