True or False? If you have to swing at 100% to make the shot, you should club up?

I was thinking about this at the driving range yesterday and came to the conclusion that trying to swing at 100% (or even close to it) typically results in a much less than 100% result. Consequently, if the shot requires close to a 100% effort, you should probably club up and swing at a more comfortable level.

My answer is TRUE.

Mostly agree, however i would say that some scenarios (like needing to hit a wedge over a tree) require you to make a full swing with a specific club

But in 99% of situations yes

I think it depends on the player, but as a general rule a balanced 80% swing that results in cleaner contact will result in a superior shot.

Guy I play with in my group can put it next to the pin going after it almost every time. When he swings 80-90% he misses with a push and he's a great player. I would say it completely depends on the player. Me personally with wedges PW and 50 degree I can take some off but with other clubs id rather hit it hard 100%.

There is no right or wrong answer here. Every golfer and every swing is different. I dont think you should risk a shot over water knowing that only your best can make the carry all the time, but that doesnt mean that I wouldnt ever hit that shot.

Some people hate flying greens, so they know if they miss short at least they can see where their miss is.

I worry we're confusing maximum brute strength with full swing (old 80% rule).
If I truly swing "as hard as I can," I end up with an off-balance finish, and often a wayward shot.
One thing I've realized the past few years is the difference between a tempo swing and a full swing. The tempo swing comes with my wedges, especially partial wedges in my Pelz-ish matrix. Also, if I'm in the rough 110 yards out, I may take a three-quarter 8i swing rather than trying to blast a full PW. For me, the three-quarter backswing ends up with left arm parallel to ground (this is the Pelz 10:30 swing).
(I just rechecked my wedge matrix the past week.)
For full swing, the hands go up to about ear level and I allow my full shoulder rotation to set. I let the shoulder rotation govern the "set at top" position... when I'm swinging poorly, it's usually because I rush to the top, reach past the natural stop point, and don't work the hands and shoulders under on the downswing. (I've seen this on instructor's video, and it's painful to watch!) This delivers the "off balance" I had mentioned.
I understand the point by @dwh24: "Me personally with wedges PW and 50 degree I can take some off but with other clubs id rather hit it hard 100%."
I can't seem to do this very well, it leads to deceleration and a slappy shot. On my downswing, I go with a full rotation. In my tempo wedge swing, I just don't build as much momentum as with a full swing, because my backswing is shorter.

Completely agree.

False

If you are going downwind and have to stop the ball over a bunker, it really helps to hit it hard and high. So there is an example when you should hit it about 100%.

The problem is we don’t really have a definition of 100%...as a couple posts touched on. The 80% swing of yore was really at least 95% swing speed. Look at pga tour stats and see the radar speed of measured drives really does not vary that much even though some were hit with the “ smooth one out there” mentality and some with the “Hulk smash” feeling. We know we cannot swing over 100% so is that our fastest or hardest? A couple posts mentioned being off balance at 100%. That swing probably was actually slower clubhead speed than the max balanced swing the player is capable of.
But yes, as @gvogel and others mentioned there are shots that full is better. Some might be best to play the club that is maxed and others not. For example....player has a perfect L wedge yardage number but into a breeze. If he maxes the swing for the breeze it is most likely going to fly too high AND spin back a long ways. Same scenario but the yardage is a bit beyond normal number, trouble long and now downwind? Better to hit the L wedge full.

Most of us amateurs don’t really know what our true 100% is as when asked to do so we get out of sequence and lose balance.

For the general fairway shot with an iron, or from the tee, and assuming 100% means beginning to lose control to squeeze extra distance, I agree with the advice above.

As others mentioned, a shot could have other, secondary objectives like clearing an obstacle or overcoming a bad lie, where this is not true. But as a basic and general rule, I like it.

gvogel gets it. It’s not a simple yes or no answer. It depends on conditions, elements, the course, the shots you have in the bag, etc. I play a lot in very windy conditions. If I didn’t swing 100% with irons/wedges downwind, it would be very difficult to consistently hit it near to the hole on approach shots. Opposite is true for into the wind for me as someone who generates quite a bit of spin.

That being said, if you have a forced carry, and the best you can hit a 7 iron is a foot over the forced carry, you should probably hit the 6 iron unless you are a very good iron player.

i think "80% swing" is more just a placeholder saying for "not quite a full swing" rather than an actual literal thing

In terms of pure numbers, that would be like swinging 115mph max, and swinging at 92mph as a 80% swing

That's like the difference between a driver and a 7 iron

False

FALSE. Golf is not this simple. There are many variables that affect club decisions.

If there are sharks in the ocean behind the green, I'd rather risk coming up short.

Too many variables to say TRUE but in general for me I would say that Im a better player taking "full" swings. When I try and take a bit off, I tend to open the club face and leave it right. I would rather add or subtract yardage by taking a "full" swing and drawing or fading to add or subtract.

I would agree with those that say it depends on the golfer. For many myself included it is more difficult to club up and take some speed off.

I finished last season with a 0.8 index. So I can generally get the ball off of the ground and in the direction I want. Having said that, I can’t recall a time I tried to hit a shot at 100% and didn’t mis-hit it at least a little bit, and usually by more than a little bit. Doesn’t mean I don’t still occasionally try it it. I mean, this could be the time. Right?

I had surgery in the fall and had to take it easy for a few months. Was only swinging about 80% of normal. Basically going up 2 clubs to hit the same distance I would usually hit. Scores didn't suffer and I learned a lot about my game and swing. Plus I'm getting older and don't want to tweak my lower back by swinging too hard. Even years ago, I only swung 100% if I had to hit a short iron over a tree and needed the loft to get the height and needed the swing speed to reach my target.

I agree that taking another club is the right move. Holds true for me anyways.. I try to make my stock shot about a 85% swing majority of the time.

Some days when swinging and striking it very well I feel like stepping on a a short iron and it serves me well. Other days it would be better to club up and put a smooth swing on it.

"The problem is we don’t really have a definition of 100%...as a couple posts touched on. The 80% swing of yore was really at least 95% swing speed. Look at pga tour stats and see the radar speed of measured drives really does not vary that much even though some were hit with the “ smooth one out there” mentality and some with the “Hulk smash” feeling. We know we cannot swing over 100% so is that our fastest or hardest? A couple posts mentioned being off balance at 100%. That swing probably was actually slower clubhead speed than the max balanced swing the player is capable of."

... When I first started teaching that was an eye opener and something I started asking every student to do. Swing at 100%. For better players swinging 100% means max comfortable full swing. For others it meant swinging as hard as they physically could swing while not falling over. Finding out what 100% meant to any given student meant I had a baseline for instructions.

Side me on the True camp. I believe 90-95% should be the hardest a golfer should swing. Think of striking a nail with a hammer. Would anyone swing 100% to drive a nail in a board? I doubt it. Solid contact is what people are looking for. Same applies with a golf shot. A solidly struck shot with any club will send the ball farther. That's simple physics.

I always view my 100% swing as my "stock" swing. That's not the hardest I can swing but its my standard full swing. Personally I don't like the feeling of relying on a 80% swing unless I'm trying to flight it or shape a which way. The fraction swings tend to rely a bit more on timing and I would rather have a full "100%" swing than club up and swing 80%. Being between clubs is a different story and more dependent on environmental factors and where the most room for error is

As the OP, I probably could have phased the question a little better. For example, maybe the question should be as follows.

Let's say you have a shot that requires you to hit the ball 150 yards and your 150 yard club is a 7-iron. Ignore environmental facts but in order to hit that 7-iron 150, it has to be a perfect swing at max effort.

My attitude is like this. I know I have to hit a perfect swing to hit the 150 number with max effort; but I can club up to a 6 iron and only have to hit a margin shot to hit it 150 and with 10% less effort.

Do I take the relaxed shot with the 6-iron or do I go for perfection and hit the 7-iron? For me, the choice is simple. As a 12hc, my perfect shots just don't happen that often. I'm sure it's more mental than physical at this point, but a more relaxed shot always performs better for me so the choice is simple in my case.

Perhaps the answer is based on the golfers skill level so maybe a players handicap should be included with those who answered this post.

False. Some shots require full 100% speed to execute. Particularly Down wind with tight pins. Need the speed and spin to hold the green.

False. 100% should be your norm and comfortable.

Swinging slower than natural causes timing issues for me.

If scoring well is a goal, then you are on the right path, about clubbing up with irons. You will generally have more cotrol of distances and aim,

Which is what irons are designed for,

I recall an interview with Couples were he said all tour pro's play off a 80 or 85% swing speed. They know exactly how far the same swing goes with flushed strikes. He further went on to add most tour Pro's can hit a 7 iron 200 yards but the strike would always be iffy and not as accurate (Tin Cup). I quit trying to flush a maxed out iron a long time ago.