You are trying to
play for the pin and
instead, you end up
in the bunker on the
right side of the green,
and now you've just
turned a par hole into a
double bogey. The difference in distance between your 7 and 8 iron should be about 10-15 yards. The Point? Hit your 8 iron every time in the above situation. Don't mess with your swing. Go with what you trust. Hit the 8 iron 150 yards, and let the golf ball roll onto the green. At that point, anything can happen. You may end up 2 inches, 2 feet, or 20 feet from the pin, but at least you're putting.
Benefit 1: If you misshit the golf ball a little further than usual,
you're still in good shape because you played a little short in the first place. If you hit the golf ball a little short, you're still okay, because chances are, you're sitting in the middle of the fairway, maybe on the fringe.
Benefit 2: If you go to the right or the left, since you played the shorter club,
you're not going to be as far right or left as you would have been with the 7 iron. This could mean that you are still on the green, or it could mean that you are on either side of the fairway. But chances are that you are still in decent shape.
Summary:
When you're trying to decide between two clubs, take a second to look at the hazards around the green. If there's a bunker or some water guarding the front of the green, then sure, it may be a good idea to take the larger club. But other than this exception, you are almost always better off, taking less club. You'll stay out of trouble, and that is the key to lowering your overall score.
Author David Nevogt writes golf instruction material that helps golfers of all levels reach their full potential and lower their scores. David is the author of "The Simple Golf Swing" which guarantees to have you shooting 7 strokes lower in only 1 week from today. You can find more of his golf instruction by going to
http://www.golfswingguru.com | |
