Is This A Long Way For A 18 Handicapper ?

I played a club match on Sunday and the guys in my foursome kept on commenting on my club selection.

On one hole in particular I had around 195yds to the green, a slight following wind over my right shoulder. The club I pulled out of my bag was a 5 iron. They said no chance. I still hit the shot and actually rolled over the back of the green.

They seemed a little surprised at this, did they have reason to be.

I very rarely use a driver or wood, teeing off with a 2 iron. With the ground as hard as it is at the moment, 500yd par 5's I am getting within lob wedge of the green with 2 then 3 iron shots.

I tend to play with the same partner and very rarely play matches so I never have any body to gauge my distances with.

Did you say 18 Handicapp.

Your short game must be ****!!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. you know that your lengh is better that Tiger woods on the statistics you have provided.

e.g. 500 yards par five 2 iron and lob wedge, yet you hit a 5 iron 195 through the green.

this would mean you hit a 5 iron 200 yards approx, in pro yardages you hit the following:

4 iron 220
3 iron 240
2 iron 260

lob wedge 240.

Needless to say "I don't think so"

Ian.

I did not say I hit the green with a 2 iron then lob on 500yard holes. I said 2iron then 3 iron to get within lob wedge of green. I may have written it a little vague. I do realise that a 2 then lob for 500 yds is silly.


Yes my short game is ****!!! too agressive with my putter and short chips.

Sorry for the confusion Ian, but the distances for the 5 iron are correct.

Sorry Pal,

Having read it a few times I see what you mean,


If I were you I would buy a driver and practice your short game.


Just think Driver and a 5 iron to the pin!!!!!!!!!! that is realistic.

Ian.

Why bother with a driver/5 if a 2i/3i combo works? The only reason I ask is that I hit my woods so inconsistently that if I could avoid them all together, I would.

The reason you would want your driver to work is because instead of hitting 2i/3i is that the shorter your clubs get, the more control you have with them. If you could hit driver/5i instead, you would have a much better chance of hitting the green on a 500 yard hole. This is why you see so many people working on their drivers on the range, even though you will probably only hit a driver 10 - 14 times a round. A well struck driver in the middle of the fairway will give you a 50 yard advantage to your long irons from the tee (some people are more, others less).

Garbologist,
It sounds like you really need to work on your short game. Try these two tips for chipping and putting - slow your back swing down AND shorten your backswing. If you shorten your backswing, you are then forced to accelerate through the ball. Most high handicappers take a big backswing for short shots and decelerate through the ball which causes fat and skulled shots and VERY inconsistant speeds. Slowing down the backswing will keep your club head under control and with those two tips you should be able to knock 5 shots off your score.

__________________
Gord

Quote of the month:
"It's easy to see golf not as a game at all but as some whey-faced, nineteenth-century Presbyterian minister's fever dream of exorcism achieved through ritual and self-mortification." ~Bruce McCall

Spot on Gord, I am a real swinger, excuse the pun. I find the only place I use a short backswing is in the sand, I tend to play bunkers better than chips. I will practice this part of my game.

hey garb...
quick note...remember the saying "drive for show, putt for dough". Your 5i distance is good, and I agree with the others in saying that if you could work on a driver, instead of a 2i, then a 3i from the ground, your chances will improve on the par 5's and 4's. But remember, 70% of golf is played from 100 yards and in...if you want to lower your scores, forget the driver and long irons for a while at the range and practice wedges, half-wedges, pitches, chips and putting. You can even do this on a soccer field (that's not in use). Set up some targets like umbrellas, towels, whatever, and try to place balls at them or between them. Working on this, and learning how to chip it close will help. Remember, a half-wedge doesn't mean swinging "slow" per se...you still want to accelerate through the ball, but just with a shorter swing.
Good luck,
harris_tx

I can hit a 2 iron then 3 iron and a sandwedge to get to the green on a 500 yard. I rather hit my driver than 3 wood and have a bump and run to the flag.