Many golfers have a challenge selecting the proper club from a mid iron distance. In my case, this distance ranges from 160 to 180 yards. I have clubs on either side of this distance that I can comfortably hit, however using a 6 or 5 iron in that distance range does not always produce the consistent results that I crave. I am not sure why this is the case, but I think it has something to do with my ball position. I will have to study that a bit more in the future, but for now, I have a quick fix that works for my game.

My solution goes back to an article I wrote a few years back. It has to do with picking the proper distance to which to hit the ball. After reading a short article by Butch Harmon, I realized I was under clubbing my approach shots 90% of the time. Here is what Butch had to say: “Take an extra club on approach shots, and then swing within yourself. You’ll hit the ball solid a lot more often if you go at 75 percent instead of 100. Trust me, your swing will be mechanically better at a speed you can support.”

What I was doing was finding the distance, lets say 165 yards. This is the maximum I can comfortably hit my six iron. Therefore, if I have this distance to the pin, I traditionally select my 6 iron and hit the ball short. Any slight variances that influence my ball flight will impact the distance I can hit the ball. It took some time to for me to understand this minor challenge to club selection, but I have a solution now that works.

When I use my Garmin S80, if the pin is in the middle of the green, I use the 156 yard distance because the greatest percentage of misses are short. Selecting the right distance is key to hitting the green in regulation more often than not.

When I am at the maximum of my club distance or even close to the maximum, I club up and hit the ball smoother. This solution might seem an over simplification to my mid iron challenges and you are right. The simplest solution is often the most effective. I now hit the ball long enough, but it does take some practice to understand how all the factors of club selection are tied together. In fact, I have started to club up with my shorter clubs so that I do not have to overswing to ensure my ball travels the distance needed to leave a decent putt for birdie. 🙂

Over the past couple of years, I have started playing around with club selection. I have stopped picking the club I have to muscle to a distance. I am relying on my swing mechanics and feel to achieve more consistent results from all my irons. The mid iron distance is my greatest challenge, but I am on a path to reduce the stress these distances place on my game. Overall, I am happy with my new club selection process and look forward to lower golf scores in the future.