I'd (generally) rather be short than long

blue note

On various threads I see it repeated - guys think they're longer than they are, are too proud to use an extra club, etc. It's certainly repeated on the course as well.

But generally speaking if I'm between clubs - a 8 iron will be long and a 9 short, I'll go with the 9. Simply because if I'm short I'll probably be on the fairway chipping onto the green and if I'm long I'll be out of the rough, perhaps chipping up onto an elevated green.

Yet to read here (and to listen to many people on the course) you'd swear I was doing it to compensate for something!

Kid Charlemagne

Depends on the bunkering and whats behind the green.

I think it is generally recognised that the longer clubs are harder to hit and harder to hit accurately, so a lot of the bunkers will tend to be in the 3 oclock to 9 oclock area.

Ive been trying to err on the overclub side lately but its not always an option for me - put me outside 150yards, especially this time of year, and the results start to get fairly unpredictable.

dines08

Personal opinion but I think committing to a full swing with the shorter club is always better than thinking you're going to be long and babying the longer club(consciously or sub)

hades

Its all down to the player, i've never been too proud or ashamed to use any club in my bag. The same goes for a few lads i play with, last saturday, playing a short par 3 of around 100m, i used my PW, one fella used a 5 wood and the last fella a 4 iron. All 3 of us were on the green.

There's no shame in using a totally different club to anyone else, at the end of the day, who cares?

As regards being in between clubs, i generally go long. If i try to force a 9 instead of a softer 8 i tend to pull the ball.

k.p.h

With shorter shots I would rather club up and control it, with longer shots I would rather keep a shorter club in my hand and power up with the old swing.

No matter what I do I seem to be more accurate with my 6i swinging out of my shoes than I am with my 5i at regular tempo.

Probably a fatal swing flaw their somewhere, I think I read a article with Adam Scott saying that hitting half shots with a mid iron is a good way to identify swing issues. Its a lot harder than it should be for me so guess it says a lot.

golfnut1

If we are speaking in generalities then longer is better than short.
When courses are designed to maximize there value for money hazards like bunkers, water etc are placed towards the front where they are seen by all. You might also notice that pin locations a selected to bring these hazards into play as much as
possible. So generally speaking back of the green is safer and you can walk of with a two putt par instead of bogey or worse.
Check out link for a better explanation if you like.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwDjHUvY6Po&feature=youtube_gdata_player

stringy

blue note wrote: »

On various threads I see it repeated - guys think they're longer than they are, are too proud to use an extra club, etc. It's certainly repeated on the course as well.

But generally speaking if I'm between clubs - a 8 iron will be long and a 9 short, I'll go with the 9. Simply because if I'm short I'll probably be on the fairway chipping onto the green and if I'm long I'll be out of the rough, perhaps chipping up onto an elevated green.

Yet to read here (and to listen to many people on the course) you'd swear I was doing it to compensate for something!

Being between clubs is different, because then you obviously have a decision to make. Yet players use a 7 (for example) to get to the pin, where they have a 1 in 10 chance in catching it flush and actually getting to the pin, a well hit 6 has a better chance of getting them there if slightly mis-hit and even if it is hit very well, they'll be slightly passed.

I just don't understand how so many players mis-club nearly all of the time!

Mr. Larson

blue note wrote: »

But generally speaking if I'm between clubs - a 8 iron will be long and a 9 short, I'll go with the 9. Simply because if I'm short I'll probably be on the fairway chipping onto the green and if I'm long I'll be out of the rough, perhaps chipping up onto an elevated green.

Not trying to be a smartarse but why don't you just choke down a bit on an 8?

Holy Diver

It's not the size of your club, it's how you use it....

Myksyk

I tend to take the longer club only because it's usually the right one.
You hardly ever see amateurs go thru the green. It would be an interesting stat to keep tho.

mikeunt

hades wrote: »

playing a short par 3 of around 100m, i used my PW, one fella used a 5 wood and the last fella a 4 iron. All 3 of us were on the green.

id say the fella that used the 5 wood must be a nightmare to play with
how many shots would it take him to reach a 500 yard par 5
im guessing 5 shots of 100 yards?
wow he must be a very high handicapper id say

denishurley

mikeunt wrote: »

id say the fella that used the 5 wood must be a nightmare to play with
how many shots would it take him to reach a 500 yard par 5
im guessing 5 shots of 100 yards?
wow he must be a very high handicapper id say

There's a slight difference between yards and metres, and as well as that I presume he'd use a driver off the tee on the par 5

mikeunt

denishurley wrote: »

There's a slight difference between yards and metres, and as well as that I presume he'd use a driver off the tee on the par 5

Sorry ya
so a 455 metre par 5 sould be reached in 4 blows
not so bad

Hacker111

blue note wrote: »

On various threads I see it repeated - guys think they're longer than they are, are too proud to use an extra club, etc. It's certainly repeated on the course as well.

But generally speaking if I'm between clubs - a 8 iron will be long and a 9 short, I'll go with the 9. Simply because if I'm short I'll probably be on the fairway chipping onto the green and if I'm long I'll be out of the rough, perhaps chipping up onto an elevated green.

Yet to read here (and to listen to many people on the course) you'd swear I was doing it to compensate for something!

Why not use a LW instead to lay up and then you can definitely be on the fairway and have a full LW into the green:D:D....

BTW I'd hit a smooth 8 with a bit taken off and sticik it to 6 feet.... yeah baby.....