For years, I have talked about understanding how far we hit our clubs in order to shoot lower golf scores. There are many different reasons for having this knowledge and I am sure you can deduce them without too much trouble. The one aspect we did not discuss is how to use this information. It is not a pure binary equation because of the simple variables we need to apply in order to maximize the effectiveness of our club distances. The variables are not difficult, but should be considered when hitting an approach shot to the green or setting up your next shot from your favourite distance.
Continue readingknow your club distances
Considering How Far We Hit Our Golf Ball
In many cases, we amateurs overestimate the distance we hit our golf balls. In many cases, we include the roll in our average and rarely focus on distance traveled before the roll. Many times I discussed the distance many players hit their ball with each club and most of the time players are off as much as 10 to 15%. I know, I do not hit the ball as far as in my younger days, however my ego keeps trying to tell me the opposite. Hence, my club selection is a bit off some days and unless I really focus on the situation, I live with the result of being short hoping it will change on my next shot. Talk about the definition of insanity.
Continue readingKnowing Your Carry Distance Is Very Important
Every golfer hits the ball differently and to different distances. We may be grouped in relation to our handicap, however rarely are any two golfers exactly the same. Regardless of performance, all golfers should understand and know how far they hit their clubs. It might surprise you to know that many of us do not hit the ball as far as we think! This oversight in our knowledge is costing us strokes every time we tee it up. Well, today we are going to change all of that!
I have touched on this topic in the past and hopefully you found the information helpful. I am revisiting this topic today because I found a video that is all encompassing on this topic. It is about 10 minutes long and if you are looking for some distance answers, I recommend you watch it all.
As a 5 handicapper (most days), my distances match what was stated in the video. I hit my driver about 240 and my 7 iron about 150 yards on average. On my good days, these distances are farther, but on my bad….well, you get the point. Fortunately I am able to adjust my club selection decisions based on what is happening on any given day.
I realized a long time ago that my distance knowledge would improve my golf game. It opens the opportunities on shot and club selection. This in turn allows increased scramble abilities, avoiding addition strokes from under/over yardage decisions and strengthens my overall tee to green game. Lastly, when I finally learned my club distances, my course management skills improved drastically. As you can see, this bit of knowledge has many applications in our game.
If you do not know your distances, I recommend you take the time to figure them out. It will be helpful in all areas of your game.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
Great Golf Advice From Tommy Fleetwood
As an amateur, I am always looking for advice from better players. Wait, let me revise that, common sense advice from better players. No, wait, common sense advice that I can actually use from better golfers. Tommy Fleetwood quickly offers a list of things that amateurs can do to improve their golf game. He might not have realized that his words provide greater insight than expected. But for me, it hits to some of the fundamental tenets of golf.
Continue readingAssuming In Golf Is A Bad Thing?
For all the amateurs out there, it is time to stop assuming and start knowing about your golf game. That is right, you are your own worse enemy because you think you can hit shots (even basic ones) far more consistently than you actually can and it is hurting your golf score. Okay, my opening was a little harsh for a golf blog that tries to stay positive, but I needed to get your attention. My point about assuming is entirely true and I have fallen into that pitfall myself many a time. As we develop our game, there are the knowns and unknows about our game. Unfortunately amateurs like myself often confuse the two which leads to miss shots, poor decisions, and higher golf scores. All because we assume we know what we are doing when in fact we are walking a tight rope of success.
Continue reading
The Grateful Golfer 