Iron Shot Miss: Long vs Short

Simple question here.

Regardless condition/setup, what would you prefer in your approach game if you have to take one?

1. Small % hot shot miss over green

2. High % off center miss short of green

And, Why?

I find that, most of the time, there's more trouble long than short.

By "small %" v. "high %" - do you mean how often it occurs or instead do you mean how difficult the next shot will be?

It is a clear majority at the courses I play that short is always pretty much preferred except a rare par three with water in the front. But those are few and far between. Most of the courses around me have the water or bunkers or woods to the sides or long. So I tend to pick a club that a perfect strike gives me the correct yardage and a not so perfect strike may come up short but leaves a straight forward chip or pitch. Generally speaking. There is always an exception here or there, but this will work for 17 out of 18 holes.

> @dubbelbogey said:

> By "small %" v. "high %" - do you mean how often it occurs or instead do you mean how difficult the next shot will be?

Frequency

Depends on the hole. Some holes I play long is dead. Others long is fine but short is bad news. Play away from trouble, says I.

Steve

> @juststeve said:

> Depends on the hole. Some holes I play long is dead. Others long is fine but short is bad news. Play away from trouble, says I.

> Steve

Bingo.

At my home course, most greens slopes back to front, so naturally it's much better to miss short, be below the hole..

It’s certainly hard to sign up for missing a high percentage of greens. What are you trying to get at here? I generally find more trouble long so if all else is equal I’d rather miss short.

I naturally play a draw so a left middle to back pin is preferable for me where I can land if short and trickle towards the hole.

I’ll take short of the hole any day, it’s an easier par than long, downhill, down grain and short side.

Of those misses, I would prefer being on line knowing I hit a good shot but possibly misclubbed long or hit a flyer.

I was wondering what people would prefer managing risk game.

Especially iron game considering your choice for SGI/GI vs Players Iron.

Would you prefer high chance risk that you can control? Or low chance risk that you cannot control?

98% of greens slope back to front so typically airmailing a green is making your up n down more difficult，however from experience I would suggest also 95% of golfers over estimate how far they really hit it so I would guess nearly all misses are short left short right with the very very odd flyer going long.... my 2 cents

99% of the players that I have played with, or watched when I worked at a golf course, came up short with their iron shots more often than not. I would rather over club a bit and be long once in awhile.

I wonder if people are 99% short because they yard out club on perfect strike but tend to mishit more than expected and results short miss.

> @gvogel said:

> 99% of the players that I have played with, or watched when I worked at a golf course, came up short with their iron shots more often than not. I would rather over club a bit and be long once in awhile.

Using Arccos to track my shots, that is exactly what I do. So I am making a concerted effort to over club and take that smaller chance of being long every so often.

I've played most of my life on older/ traditional course designs.

Therefore, I prefer to be blow the hole or a little short.

Courses with less back to front slope, pin high is good.

I'd take the small percentage of going long. This is because I think the chance of it happening if I have the correct club in my hand (with a clean dry face) is next to zero.

The probability of me mishitting it is much higher then that so I feel I will see more benefit from a little bit of forgiveness.

So the question seems to be a veiled "GI/hot distance" iron vs "players iron debate". The reality of both scenarios is the low % hot shot over the green is likely a misshit that took spin off the shot creating the effects of a "jumper". The off center strike off of a players iron that comes up short is also a misshit as well.

So it comes down to the golfers tendencies. If your ball striking with players irons leaves you short at least 30% of the time, then a more forgiving club that misses long less than 10% of the time would likely lead to better scores.

Best advice I was ever given, unless the pin is clear on the front edge use the club you think will max at the back of the green. Odds are you're not going to flush it, and you'll be in the middle of the green.

> @Chuck905 said:

> I naturally play a draw so a left middle to back pin is preferable for me where I can land if short and trickle towards the hole.

>

> I’ll take short of the hole any day, it’s an easier par than long, downhill, down grain and short side.

So every green you play is identical?

Very few good things ever happen long of the green.

> @SoloShot84 said:

> > @dubbelbogey said:

> > By "small %" v. "high %" - do you mean how often it occurs or instead do you mean how difficult the next shot will be?

>

> Frequency

What do you think these results indicate?

Sneaky little thread here. I like it.

Another blade vs. cavity back thread albeit disguised. LOL! Just wow! When will the madness cease?

A wise man once said „there is no good beyond the green“.

Amen.

> @JAMH03 said:

> > @SoloShot84 said:

> > > @dubbelbogey said:

> > > By "small %" v. "high %" - do you mean how often it occurs or instead do you mean how difficult the next shot will be?

> >

> > Frequency

>

> What do you think these results indicate?

Majority preferred being short of green.

I also agree personally.

If it’s an equal chance of being short or long, I’d always choose short. I can chip from short/the fringe. I can’t chip from water or out of bounds. : )

I overshot 3 greens yesterday!Way easier being short.

All 3 were downhill and I went the Same Way! Had a fresh 3 wood xr16 so reworking the approach shots yardage so happy to have the Problem!

> @revanant said:

> If it’s an equal chance of being short or long, I’d always choose short. I can chip from short/the fringe. I can’t chip from water or out of bounds. : )

Yea I’ve never played a hole with water short.