How to play those in between golf shots
Notes: This question came from Lukey. If you have any questions you’d like answered please let me know and I can add them as a Walking With Koda podcast…
How to play those in between golf shots
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Lukey
July 16, 2013Thanks for the response Cam and could I add a little extra and get your idea when confronted with a situation where you know the PW is going to pull you up short but a 9 iron is going to be too long . What if you were to say I am going to take the 9 iron grip right down and then just play it like a normal 9 iron ? Your thought.
Cheers Lukey
Cameron
July 16, 2013Yes, you can try this. I feel that choking down often makes the club feel wrong – but give it a go. Explore new things. And report back with your findings…
Sanj
July 16, 2013Cam, nice post.
Lukey, I sometimes find myself in this position but its generally on long par 4’s or par 5’s. Its when I have the 50-80 yard shot (and thats when the duff shots happen), with the par 5’s I now generally take driver, 7 iron and then full 9/wedge shot. I’d rather not be in that ‘awkward’ zone. Not as glamours as taking driver and trying to smash a 3/5 wood into the green, but I’ll have more chance of birdie/par if I play it the ‘boring’ way (I hate saying that!).
I’ve also learned from experience that its always best to go for the centre of the green (regardless of pin position – if you push or pull the shot you’ll still be on the green [ish]).
My home club has large greens (from the front of the green to the back it can be the difference from hitting a wedge to an 9). Now on some of the shorter holes I won’t take a driver as it means that I can have a full shot into the green for my 2nd shot. So to a certain degree course management comes into play.
If you’ve duffed you approach shot to the green and that leaves you that awkward distance, generally I’d play the shorter club to get me to the front of the green (obviously taking into consideration of any hazards etc…) and then go for the 2 putt.
Cameron
July 16, 2013Sanj: I remember a few years back when I was just starting to work all this stuff out I changed my approach on the par 5’s. Instead of blasting away with 3wood or long iron for the 2nd, I’d hit a shorter club and lay up. I found some interesting findings:
1. I started driving the ball better because I wasn’t worried about hitting the fairway or being in position to go for the green in two.
2. I almost never (from memory) made a bad score because I stopped hitting the second shot into the hay.
3. I made more birdies than ever. This period coincided with me winning events for the first time.
4. My wedge play improved because I was hitting more of them.
5. I was playing to a plan of sorts – a plan that suited me.
I also must admit that I have gotten away from this thinking and that I go after too many par 5’s these days. So there’s some food for thought in your comments Sanj. It’s not glamorous but it can be effective. Also not saying I NEVER went for a par 5 in two – I did, but if I was unsure I would layup. Was pretty good thinking now I think about it.
Adam
July 16, 2013Im about done with golf. Too many freaking rules to long of holes to small of a hole and its 400 yards away.what kind of moron would invent such a game? Its impossible.
Adam
July 16, 2013Im done with &$):?+$ golf
Sanj
July 16, 2013Adam… enjoy it. so what if its 400 yards long. have a laugh. relax. Golf has no more rules than any other sport. You having a bad day?
Cam… if I had the ability and power to attempt to go for par 5’s in 2 I would. But I don’t. Unlike you, us mere mortals would only ever try that once in a blue moon.
Adam
July 18, 2013When i played in that junior tournament last month my short game was almost perfect won by two strokes. in between shots are simple when you practice the difficult ones first that way the mid difficulty shots become easy and the easy ones become even easier. Practice in tough conditions is my experience. Thus the game becomes easier over time. Practice in my opinion is supposed to be interesting. anyway cameron how do you practice and do you have a better idea on how i should practice or should i just continue practicing my own way?
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