Well I put my question out there to you last week on what you'd like me to write about. Thanks to those who responded, I've chosen Gill's request this week " How do you know which club to select?" Now a lot of golfers out there will be thinking well that's easy have a session with a coach and a launch monitor to get your numbers . Whilst that will give you an better idea of distance with each club, there is an alternative, that will only cost your time. Most golfers out there believe they can hit a shot much further than they can in reality. If I was to ask you which club would you take to hit 145yards, this will range from young bucks saying pitching wedge, right the way through to a driver! I've chosen 145 yards as this is a common distance we find ourselves facing for a shot into the green. Course architects very cleverly (sneaky swines) design holes with traps to catch us out in front of the green, typically bunkers or water hazards, so knowing what club to take is really important to keep a good score. Next time you are able to go out and practice, find a hole giving you 145/150 yards into the green, you can either use the post markers or your bushnell. Take 3 balls, with the first I want you to hit the club you believe it is - I guarantee 95-98% will be short. I also guarantee that you force the shot. With the second ball I then want you to select a club one higher than your first one, so if you played a pitching wedge take a 9-iron. I also want you to swing at 80-90% of your full swing - this will give you far more control of the shot. Take a look where this lands, most will be on the green or to the side at that distance. Finally with the 3rd shot take a club 2 up from your original one (so in the example this would be an 8-iron). Where does your ball land - I'm guessing back of the green or just off the back. What this demonstrates is a better controlled swing i.e. 80-90% of your swing will give you more consistent shots and better accuracy. Imagine doing this for all your clubs - you'd end up with a table giving you the distance for each one - almost as good as having a caddy on your bag. Obviously you need to take into account wind conditions and playing in warm or cold conditions as this will have an impact. Another great tip is using a permanent marker write on each club just below your grip the distance for that club, that way you will have it to reference in the heat of competition. Hope you enjoyed this blog - lets hope we can all get back to playing soon. Take care and stay safe. I look forward to more requests from you, please keep them coming
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