[moredasers]

This may seem like a basic question but as I sit here on a Sundaymorning pondering all life has to ofer this one has stuck in my mind so I ask my friends here to offer their input. How do you decide what club to hit? For this question a couple of things are assumed:

1. You know how far you hit each club.
2. It is a clear day, no wind, flat surface, flag is dead center of green ( to take all that out of the equation)

You step up to a tee box, or you are in the fairway looking at a gps or range finder and see it says you are a certain number of yards away (gps units will also show front, back and middle of green.) How do you decide what club to hit? Do you try to just reach the green and let the ball roll to the hole? Do you aim for the hole directly? Do you take the club that will get you to the back of the green then swing it easier? What do my fellow THPers do??

[angeldimmon]

Did my game yesterday inspire you?

[Fertassa]

Depends on where the trouble is. Trouble short,Pick another club to make sure you don't come up short. Trouble long,I club down to make sure I can't find trouble.

If there is trouble short and long,I just pack up and go home. LOL

[Eugen80]

On approach shots if I am inside 100 yards, I aim at the pin directly assuming it is not tucked on a ledge. I try and judge spin (back amount),etc...If it is outside of 100 yards, I do what was taught to me last year by a famous coach. Aim at the middle of the green and take your 2 putt for par.

Almost all amateurs believe they hit the ball farther than they do, so in most cases it would be wise for all of us to take an extra club.

[moredasers]

Did my game yesterday inspire you?

Nope!

[Numbiydq]

I try to make myself shoot for the back of the green when I'm quite a distance from the green since I come up short more often than long.

When I'm at close range and the pin is in the front third of the green that I am approaching from, I don't want to be way on the other side so I try to hit to the pin and usually leave it short of the gren!

[ibiDb4uu]

I will take my club that gets me to the center of the green, that way when I come up short I am under the hole and putting for a birdie. Then a short comeback putt for parr after I miss the first one.

[sherrferris]

This is where GPS has been a Godsend.

In the case of playing to a green, I believe that the most important distance to know is the leading edge of that green. That tells me how far I need to hit a ball to get it onto the putting surface. The next most important number is the distance to the pin.

Since most greens tilt towards the fairway, I want my shot to end up as close to the pin as possible while still being "below" it so that I have an uphill putt.

So if I see that the pin is in the middle of the green and let's say that distance is 156 yards and I know that the distance to the leading edge is, say, 140 yards, I know that a shot landing anywhere between those two distances will give me a good shot at birdie. In this case I would select an 8-iron to land within a few yards of 152 yards (my average 8-iron distance) and I know that even if if I chunk it a bit, I'll most likely be able to at least get it on the green, if not really close to the hole.

If I am unfamiliar with a course or if I can't get an exact (or very close) distance to the pin, then I'll just go for the middle of the green and leave it at that. But that leading edge number is the one I focus on first because as long as I "clear" that distance, I know that at least I'll be putting.

Naturally, not all greens tilt towards the fairway and many have multiple areas which tilt in a variety of directions. But in general, when playing to a "typical" green, the leading edge and pin distances are the most useful.


-JP

[CurtisTH]

I hit a very high ball that usually stops within 1-2ft of the ballmark, so I basically take a club that will get me right at pin high. I don't spin the ball much, so I don't have to worry about spinning it back. If I mishit the ball a bit, it's still below the hole so it usually works out.

[Aizutox]

interesting one Rhino..

I would say middle of the green for me.

my average shot distance can vary up to 10 yards (from a perfect shot to a not so good one) so i take the rule of averages.
middle of the green a perfect shot will be at the back, a not so good one may be at the front, but on average i will be in the middle.
i can 2 putt for par (in theory) and thats what im aiming for.

[Pa33anger]

I have a tendency to over club. I aim for the middle of the green and also try to estimate how much distance I need to carry the shot (e.g., is there a hazard in front of the green?). In addition, is the better miss long or short, left or right? I aim a way from trouble. I've layed up on long par threes if that was the safest play for me. I usually play in some kind of wind, so I factor that in as well.

[lungumnentibe]

assuming there's no trouble involved, I shoot for the middle of the green or back of it while taking an extra club that I swing easier. I'd rather be on the back fringe of the green than leave myself short and have to decide whether to putt from the fringe or bump and run

[beloveds]

If I know how far I am, I will hit the club/swing/grip combination that goes that far. I use a rangefinder so I get a number from that, adjust for any variables, then hit the shot that I need for that distance. I know how far I hit each club and can hit each a variety of distances. They all overlap with another so it comes down to what is more comfortable to hit at that time. Sometimes that is a longer club hit easier, sometimes it feels more comfortable to hit the shorter club harder.

I hit a very high ball that does not roll so I hit the distance that is needed. Occasionaly, if it is comfortable to do so and the conditions are right, I will go for 5-7 yards extra and spin the ball back.

[neotheMit]

I pick a club for the distance my gps says is the center of the green. Like some others, my ball is very high and gets little roll. I'm happy to be anywhere on the green.

[cholleyhomeob]

How do you decide what club to hit? For this question a couple of things are assumed:

1. You know how far you hit each club.
2. It is a clear day, no wind, flat surface, flag is dead center of green ( to take all that out of the equation)

I have two sets of distances:

The carry distances I can hit each club on the range.

The distances from which will I use each club on the course (which are less), which were determined by trial and error, from experiences on the course. This second set of distances is based on where the ball tends to end up, regardless of carry / roll. So, given that all the interesting complications are removed (in 2. ^), I just take the club for the distance to the hole. There is nothing to think about.

[itaspCatCriny]

I pick a club for the distance my gps says is the center of the green. Like some others, my ball is very high and gets little roll. I'm happy to be anywhere on the green.

Precisely. The only time I ever attack a pin is when I know I'm in a groove with my swing which could be never in some rounds. Put me in the middle of the green and I'm happy as a lark.

[allmyflights]

I'm not accurate enough to play target golf so I always play for the middle. I draw the ball so my rare attempt at "shooting for a pin"occurs only, if the pin is on the left side of the green. I know for a fact I am one to two clubs shorter than what I hit in 70 and above temperatures. Cold windy weather takes all my standard distances and plays havoc with them!

[itaspCatCriny]

I'm not accurate enough to play target golf so I always play for the middle. I draw the ball so my rare attempt at "shooting for a pin"occurs only, if the pin is on the left side of the green. I know for a fact I am one to two clubs shorter than what I hit in 70 and above temperatures. Cold windy weather takes all my standard distances and plays havoc with them!

That's the truth! I've had to keep reminding myself in these first rounds of the year that its still WAY colder than it will be at peak time and that it DOES have an impact on my distances. Has played heck with me as mentally I want to blame the distance thing on my new iron shafts when I know that though they are bit shorter...they aren't that much shorter.

[allmyflights]

That's the truth! I've had to keep reminding myself in these first rounds of the year that its still WAY colder than it will be at peak time and that it DOES have an impact on my distances. Has played heck with me as mentally I want to blame the distance thing on my new iron shafts when I know that though they are bit shorter...they aren't that much shorter.

The cold weather also effects ball compression and carry distance plus the fact your body is all bundled up, not as flexable, and your timing can certainly be off during the nasty stuff......... I AM SOOOOOO READY FOR SOME SHORTS OR SKORTS BUT WARMER SUNNY WEATHER

[TheReallyBest]

I am with a couple of others here, GPS giving the carry to the front has help me a bunch. With everything being equal I would never take a club that would get over the green. And I try not to short side myself so, like others have said, the center is my target.