Initially, when readers think club selection they might thing about the types of golf clubs available to purchase. This is not a bad train of thought if you are looking for something new to help improve your game. Personally, I think buying new equipment is overrated, but that is a discussion for another day. Today, I want to discuss the process related to choose which club to hit when during your round. The cookie cutter approach of focusing on distance only works if you are beginning to play golf, however as your game improves it is only one consideration when selecting a club to hit. What are the others you may ask; great question!

The first skill that every golfer should master is knowing how far we hit each club. This knowledge is very important because it will help provide a starting point for your club selection process. For today’s discussion I am going to use my 7 iron because I know this is my 150 yard club. I can hit this distance 7 out of 10 times with a 5 yard margin of error. Seems pretty precise, but this information was gleaned after many hours of practice and play.

Some of the important factors that I consider when making any golf shot happen within seconds as I reach my ball. For argument sake, my ball is 153 yards from the center of the green with a bunker between me and the pin. To carry the bunker is 135 yards, so it should not be an issue if I hit a solid golf shot. The wind is blowing slightly left to right and slightly from behind at about 5 kph (3 mph). The ground is dry and firm. My ball is on a flat surface and on the fairway. The greens up to this point are receptive, but firm. The outside temperature is a comfortable 20° C (68° F). My game to this point in the round is normal with no swing challenges.

As you can see from my description of my shot, I have considered many factors that influence my club selection. Many amateurs automatically grab their 150 yard club without thinking about the information above and hope they have the proper club in their hands. Me, however, focus on two factors that change my decision from a 7 iron to an 8 iron.

First, the ground and greens are firm. To me this means the ball will fly a bit farther than normal and release on the green a bit more. Second, there is a bit of a helping wind; not much of a breeze, but enough to influence my golf shot slightly. The rest is pretty standard information that should not affect my golf shot in any way.

My intent is to hit my 8 iron (which is my 140 club) about 144 yards. When it lands, it should release anywhere from 4 to 6 yards – give or take a few yards. Hence, my ball should come to rest about 6 feet short of the pin. You may ask why not try and gain that six feet, well there is a margin of error for each shot and in this case the margin falls within acceptable tolerances. I am not a professional, so my margin of errors are larger, so I allow for greater variances for each shot.

As you can see from my description of the conditions faced for my approach shot, there are more factors that influence each golf shot than just distance. This process I described happens within 10 seconds of reaching the ball because as I walk to where my ball lies, I am thinking about what I am facing when I arrive. It is a simple process and one that is easily learned.

The next time you are making a club selection, try to add more factors into your decision making process. You may find that you will save yourself a few strokes during each round.

I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!