Selecting the Right Golf Club to Hit
Golf is a game of precision, strategy, and decision-making. One of the most critical decisions you'll make on the course is selecting the right golf club for each shot. Proper club selection can drastically improve your performance, yet many amateur golfers often struggle with this aspect of the game and don’t even realize it. This blog post will guide you through the essential factors to consider when choosing which club to hit, helping you to make more informed decisions and lower your scores.
The Importance of Club Selection
Club selection is incredibly important in golf. That’s probably obvious. Using the wrong club can result in missed greens, lost balls, and higher scores. Most amateur golfers tend to underestimate the distance they can hit each club, leading to poor choices and frustration. Stated another way, most golfers take too little club and miss their shots short of their target. In general, most players would benefit from taking a bit more club than they think.
The next time you play, start tracking where you miss greens on the approach. Many amateur golfers would be surprised to see that they consistently miss on one side of the green; long or short. Notice those misses and take that information in when playing future shots. Never hit an approach shot without analyzing what went wrong, so you can adjust.
Know Your Yardages
Knowing the exact yardages for each club in your bag is the foundation for making better decisions on the course. To make accurate club selections, you need to know precisely how far you hit every club. Too often I ask students how far they hit each club and the answer is uncertain. Knowing your yardages means understanding the exact yardage, not a range like 140-145 yards. Here's how to determine your exact distances:
1. Neutral Conditions: Start by figuring out how far you hit each club under neutral conditions. This means no wind, no slope, using your normal golf ball, and at your home elevation. Use a launch monitor or a reliable golf simulator to track your distances. Most range balls don’t travel as far and posted yardages are inaccurate. Don’t trust those completely.
2. Carry Distance and Total Distance: For each club, know both the carry distance (how far the ball flies in the air) and the total distance (how far the ball travels including roll). This dual understanding allows you to make better decisions based on course conditions.
Adjusting for Environmental Factors
Once you know your baseline distances, you need to adjust for various environmental factors that affect how far the ball will travel. Here’s a breakdown of the key factors and how they influence your shots:
Wind
Wind can significantly impact the distance and trajectory of your golf shots in different ways.
- Headwind: A headwind will cause the ball to travel shorter distances. As a rule of thumb, for every 10 mph of headwind, take one more club (e.g., use a 6-iron instead of a 7-iron) and keep the ball flight lower to reduce the wind's impact. Don’t try to over swing or swing harder than normal as a miss-hit is more likely, which increases spin. A headwind will magnify spin and cause you to miss greater than normal.
- Tailwind: A tailwind will help the ball travel farther. Take the wind speed and divide it in half. Then, subtract that number from the total to give you the yardage the shot will play. For example, if you’re facing a 150 yard shot with 20mph tailwind, half of that is 10, so it’ll play about 140 yards.
- Crosswind: Crosswinds can push your ball off line. Adjust your aim to compensate for the wind’s direction, and consider using a more controlled swing to keep the ball flight stable. Be sure to take your typical or intended ball flight into consideration as well. If you normally play a left to right ball flight and the wind is left to right, the shot will ride the wind a bit more and carry at the end. The opposite is also true, if you are shaping the ball into the wind, it’ll be held up or knocked down more than normal.
Slope
The slope of the ground where your ball lies or the slope of the target area can affect your shot distance and direction.
- Uphill Lies: An uphill lie will reduce the distance your ball travels. It effectively adds loft to your club. If you’d normally hit a 9-iron on flat ground, that same club will come off more like a PW or shorter depending on how steep the uphill slope.
- Downhill Lies: A downhill lie will increase the distance because the ball will take more time to fall down to earth. It also reduces the functional loft of a club, turning a 9 iron into an 8 or higher.
- Uphill Targets: Hitting to an uphill target requires more club as the ball will not travel as far. The ball doesn’t have as much time in the air before it hits the ground.
- Downhill Targets: Hitting to a downhill target generally requires less club since the ball, again, spend more time in the air.
Elevation
Changes in elevation can also affect how far your ball travels. At higher elevations, the air is thinner, and the ball will travel farther. Know the elevation of your home course. Many people don’t even realize they are at elevation compared to sea level.
- High Elevation: For every 1,000 feet of elevation above sea level, you can expect to gain about 2% in distance. For example, if you usually hit your 7-iron 150 yards at sea level, at 5,000 feet elevation, you could expect it to go about 162 yards.
- Low Elevation: At lower elevations, the ball won’t travel as far. The opposite of high elevations is true as well. If you hit your 7-iron 150 yards at 5,000 feet, then at sea level you’re looking at 135 yards.
Temperature
Temperature affects the air density and the ball’s compression, influencing how far it travels.
- Cold Weather: In colder temperatures, the ball will not travel as far. As a general rule, for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit drop in temperature, you can lose about 2 yards of carry distance. Take more club to counteract the loss in distance.
- Warm Weather: In warmer temperatures, the ball will travel farther. The air is less dense, and the ball compresses more. You can gain about 1-2 yards for every 10 degrees Fahrenheit increase.
Precipitation
Rain and wet conditions can significantly impact your game.
- Rain: Wet conditions can reduce the ball’s roll, and water on the clubface can affect the spin. In heavy rain, you might need to take one more club to ensure you reach the target since you won’t get as much roll once the ball hits the ground.
- Dew or Wet Grass: These conditions can also reduce roll and affect spin. Adjust your club selection accordingly, typically by taking one more club than usual.
Cut of Grass
The type of grass and its length can influence how far the ball travels after it lands.
- Fairway: Shorter grass allows more of the club face to come into contact with the ball which allows you to get more spin and carry the ball farther than in the rough.
- Rough: The rough will slow down the club head. When grass and dirt gets between the ball and the club face, it reduces distance and spin, so the ball will roll more, but not come out as hot as the fairway.
Hitting a Club Less Than Full
Sometimes, it’s better to hit a club less than full to control your distance, improve accuracy, and hit the center of the face. Here are a few tips on how to do this effectively:
1. Choking Up: Choking up on the club (gripping it lower on the handle) can help reduce the distance the ball travels and give you more control. The longer a club is in length, the farther it’ll fly. Making a club shorter often makes it easier to control as well. This is particularly useful for approach shots where precision is more important than distance. Typically, choking up can reduce the distance by about 5-10 yards.
2. Swinging Softer: Taking a smooth, controlled swing instead of a full, aggressive swing can help you manage your distance better as well. This technique is helpful when you need to hit a specific yardage that’s between clubs. A softer swing generally reduces the distance by 5-15 yards, depending on the club and swing speed, but can also improve your centeredness of contact. It’s not uncommon for players to swing easier and hit the ball farther because they end up hitting the sweet spot more often
3. Half and Three-Quarter Swings: Practicing half and three-quarter swings can be very beneficial. These swings help you learn to control your distance and trajectory more effectively. Incorporate these swings into your practice routine to become more comfortable with them during your rounds. Especially with your lower irons, having a full, three-quarter, and half swing for each can triple the number of yardages you have in your repertoire.
Hit More Greens
Selecting the right golf club for each shot is a skill that requires knowledge, practice, and attention to detail. By understanding your exact yardages for each club and adjusting for environmental factors such as wind, slope, elevation, temperature, precipitation, and the cut of grass, you can make more informed decisions on the course. Additionally, learning to hit clubs less than full by choking up and swinging softer will give you more control over your shots and a variety of choices to pick from.
With careful consideration and practice, you can master the art of club selection and elevate your game to new heights. Whether you’re playing in neutral conditions or facing challenging weather, having a comprehensive understanding of how far you hit each club and how to adjust for various factors will help you achieve better results on the course. Remember, precise club selection is one of the keys to lowering your scores and becoming a more consistent golfer.