Irons: Do you know your distances?

Just curious if anyone takes the time to find out the distance they hit their irons? I don't mean trying to hit at a target at a certain distance, but taking that bias out of the equation and perhaps going to an empty/large field, hitting smooth irons, and determining the distance you hit them so you can pull out the right club at a given situation.

I often hear some juniors saying how "they can hit their PW 160 yrds". After which I have said, that's great, but what is your precision and your accuracy? To which they would look confused. Accuracy is, how close you get to the intended target? Precision is, how close do you group your shots? (if you had an accuracy radius of 30 feet with a "stepped-on" PW vs 25 feet with a 9-iron, vs 20 feet with a "smooth-easy" 8-iron, which would you use when there's tournament position and scoring average on the line?...how would you know this if you never identify it).

When my son (scoring average = 74 over 50 tournament rounds this past year) has played with some very talented youngsters who often shoot par or under, whenever I've asked "what do they do so well?" Time and time again, it seems to always come down to him saying "I've driven the ball as far or farther then they, but their approach shots are like radar/darts at the pin".

So, to me, one area of improvement is to address that by working on getting accurate and precise, and you can only assess your progress if you have a way to quantify (measure) your progress.

I have thought that it may be best to identify the distance you hit your clubs without having a target to focus on (where you may try to 'push' a club beyond your comfort zone due to ego/macho, etc)....so perhaps an empty field, hitting irons comfortably and perhaps using a laser rangefinder back to the bag to see their distance or how they're grouped (I had a friend who used to go to the beach while it was still cold enough that people didn't yet go swimming and he would hit balls from the grassy mowed area onto the sandy beach area, with no people around....I asked, why are you doing that?.....he said so he can see how far he hits balls with strict carry and no run, because run on any course will be predicated by the conditions, which differs from one time to the next...so he wanted to know pure distance/carry without run...interesting).

Just curious, but do any of you do anything with respect to figuring out your iron distances?

I did know my iron distances a couple of months ago but since I started seeing a new instructor my distances are now longer but I hit straighter so now I am figuring out my distances again. But from the past ten rounds I can say that I hit my 7 iron about 180ish, and my pitching wedge about 140. but yeah the best juniors are mainly working with their wedges and putter. If it helps and I know it helps me, whenever he is about to take a full wedge swing with anything but a pitching wedge, stop him. You lose accuracy and precision and control if you take a full swing with a wedge.

this is good advice, i was hitting my irons pretty far, but not accurate. so i backed off 5-10 yards on all irons and am scoring a lot better. for example, i was hitting my 5 iron about 187, but far off line 1/2 the time, i started swinging smoother to where i hit it 180 now, and make a lot more birdies, and a lot less bogeys.

Its a very good points I have never really looked into it that much.

I know im not a long hitter so smooth is always what i look for. Ill give this a go next time im at the range.

Well I wouldnt worry about the distance control on anything more than 9 down to LW. These are the clubs that you need to score. Nobody, not even the best players on tour expect to hit there mid to high irons close. Here is a drill that I used when I played in college that helped me really get my wedges tuned in, great drill to take your game to the next level. You start on the range by hitting at a target, hit a few balls to get used to the distance. Now, at this point you will need to 2 other people to help you with this drill. You will need one person on the range tee with you, with a clipboard and a range finder. You will need another person on the range to stand next to the ball when it lands to measure the distance. Ok so from here, you will start hitting balls at the target, but before the ball lands you yell how far you think you hit the ball. The person on the tee will record the distance that you yelled and then he will shoot with the range finder to the other person standing on the range to see how far the ball actually traveled. Once you do this drill for about an hour you should be yelling the exact distance that you hit the ball, from there you can move to different distances and get all of your distances down. I hope this drill helps everyone, and if you have any questions just ask id be happy to answer.

Well I wouldnt worry about the distance control on anything more than 9 down to LW. These are the clubs that you need to score. Nobody, not even the best players on tour expect to hit there mid to high irons close. Here is a drill that I used when I played in college that helped me really get my wedges tuned in, great drill to take your game to the next level. You start on the range by hitting at a target, hit a few balls to get used to the distance. Now, at this point you will need to 2 other people to help you with this drill. You will need one person on the range tee with you, with a clipboard and a range finder. You will need another person on the range to stand next to the ball when it lands to measure the distance. Ok so from here, you will start hitting balls at the target, but before the ball lands you yell how far you think you hit the ball. The person on the tee will record the distance that you yelled and then he will shoot with the range finder to the other person standing on the range to see how far the ball actually traveled. Once you do this drill for about an hour you should be yelling the exact distance that you hit the ball, from there you can move to different distances and get all of your distances down. I hope this drill helps everyone, and if you have any questions just ask id be happy to answer.

 

 

I believe they expect to hit their mid to long irons close every shot, they wouldn't be on tour if they didn't. The only time they aren't pin-hunting is when it is not advantageous to do so. I can say for certainty if a tour player is 210 out with little trouble around the green every single one of them has confidence and expect themselves to hit a 3,4,5,6 iron to a few feet away. If they didn't think they could, or had a doubt they would be on the Hooters tour.

 

I honestly think at the junior age being that precise can hurt your game because when you do hit that bad shot that EVERY junior hits you are that much harder on yourself, or when you hit what you think is a perfect shot and it flies 10 yards short you start second guessing yourself.

 

There is no junior in my opinion who is good enough to know their wedge will go 148 exactly on every shot. You can have a range from like 140-145, but junior swings are too inconsistent to have the Tiger type yardages. Heck Anthony Kim doesn't even know his exact distances.

 

Know your ranges before getting to zoned into exact yardages as a junior golfer.

I agree totally sometimes im like that on myself when i shoot really well one day and come back the next and always am hard on myself for making one bad shot. Like you said i dont have exact disantces but more along ranges

there is only one thing seperating a Hooters tour player and a PGA tour player...his mental capacity,as far as talent wise most guys that play regulary on the hooters tour are just as talented as the pga tour guys, it just comes down to when the pressure is on, the pga tour guys rise up and the hooters tour guys fall back. Do you really think that they expect to hit there mid to long lrons close everytime? They would shoot 60 everytime they played if that was the case, look at where the tour players make there birdies, and that will explain everything. Think about it usually 4 par 5s on a tour course, so even if they birdie every par 5(which they DO expect to do) thats a total of 16 under par, that is lower than the average tour score....please think about things before you try to call me out. And the point of the drill is not to be able to say my lob wedge goes 78.25 yards, its the ability to feel a 78 yard shot compared to an 85 yard shot.

I know, becuase good players and people who play with good players realize where they are picking up strokes where others are not. They understand how to score and what it takes to shoot low rounds. When James Nitties played THE HOOTERS TOUR, he wasnt even anywhere near the top, now hes playing the PGA tour. And yes i know people crumble on sunday, but THEY ARE PLAYING ON THE HIGHEST LEVEL ON THE PLANET, they are human they are going to fail sometimes. These guys have proved time and time again there mental capacity as pro golfers to get to that level.Putting is also a difference between the two tours but thats more of a mix becuase 90% of putting is mental.

I could never get over that hump to break out as a player. This was until I was lucky enough to meet someone who has played the PGA tour and got to play with them, talk to them and ask questions on this subject. Its not the fact that the player doesnt think that they can hit the shot, its the fact that the risk of failing the shot outweighs the benifits...its that simple. If you are 3 under par and you have a shot with your 3 thru 7 iron there is no reason not to put the ball in the middle of the green and move on to the next hole. Espeically becuase the courses that the PGA tour guys play have alot of trouble around the greens.

lowandslow and MA2CH...I am going to suggest you either both get back on topic or simply leave this thread. It is not about either of YOU so there is no need to dominate the topic. Take it to PM's and let the other members discuss the topic in peace.

Cheers,

:hi:

I agree, thank you.....Thats why i kept trying to insist taking the conversation to AIM.

This is one of the things that I am going to have to work on hard this year. I have gotten a little stronger over the winter from working out some, and so my iron distances have changed. I need to spend some long hours on the range in the next few weeks.

i try to have a few different gears..

for instance:

sand wedge can go 100 yards at 75-80% if it hit it my full 90% it goes around 115.

6 iron can go 185 yards at 75-80% if i hit it full 90% it goes around 200.

i know if i swing easier that i can be very accurate and hit the ball with less side spin. however its still important for me to know that i can hit one if i need be. that being said i play most of my shots at the 75-80%. i find keeping the ball low to the ground as much as possible helps to get the ball close. high and straight is great but high and crooked can be disasterous -- low and crooked is not as crooked on a bad day imo.

tiger and anthony kim did a lesson on the golf channel.. tiger talks about cutting off his follow through to hit his wedges certain differences. Anthony Kim talks about moving the ball and trajectory -- really good idea.

ive found the best way to find these distances is to go into a golf store and use the high tech fitting systems. not the simulators but the computer software. it measures distances to 1/2 yard so you get a good idea. also if you go to a range where they have greens you can hit and see spin rates exc.. having 3 or 4 different shots that you are comfortable playing with each club is my key and knowing how each shot performs. ie. punch shot (less spin straightest for me) -- hold off cut (middle of green most consistantly out of trouble for me) -- 75-80% (bit less spin but can go pin hunting -- most consistant ball flight and spin ratte) -- full shot (best under pressure for me -- give it a rip play it to the max and swing confidently.)

I actually have the complete opposite problem - i have decent accuracy with my irons - when I hit solid, they go straight - but I am often outdrived by 25 yards or more, just playing with kids who are on the high school team. Say we have a 350 yard par 4. They have about a 150, maybe 140 yd shot to the green. I have a 170 yard shot to the green. For me, that takes a perfectly struck 5 wood, which rarely happens. Otherwise, I'm stuck about 20 yards out and hoping to get up and down for par.

Come to think of it, I really don't know my iron distances precisely. I've always just approximated.

The Bushnell I got for Christmas might come in handy! :D

I don't know my distances because I have purchased new irons recently. I do have a GPS that can be used to measure shots, though. In the next few weeks, I plan to go out on an average weather day (60-70 deg) with no wind and flat terrain to measure my carry distances with each iron (try to eliminate as many variables as possible to establish a base point). I believe it is legal to tape the distances on your shafts, which I may do once I determine the distances.

With my previous set, I knew how far I hit my short irons, but always had trouble gaugin the correct distance with the long irons. It always seemed like (relative to my short irons) that I didn't hit my long irons as far as I though I should.

That may be especially important to do (check distances with new set of irons) if you switched to Project-X rifle 'flighted shafts'. The 'flighted' means they increase the stiffness in the shaft set as you go from 3-iron to PW (most stiff at the PW end). So it affects the ball flight differently as you transition down the series. The strategy that I read on the Precision Project-X web site was that the less stiff shaft on the 3-iron end lets you launch it higher to get more distance, whereas you really don't need that on the 8-,9-, PW end because the loft already helps you launch it high (I guess more stiffness for control of line?). Anyway, just something else to think about.

I don't know my distances because I have purchased new irons recently. I do have a GPS that can be used to measure shots, though. In the next few weeks, I plan to go out on an average weather day (60-70 deg) with no wind and flat terrain to measure my carry distances with each iron (try to eliminate as many variables as possible to establish a base point). I believe it is legal to tape the distances on your shafts, which I may do once I determine the distances.

 

With my previous set, I knew how far I hit my short irons, but always had trouble gaugin the correct distance with the long irons. It always seemed like (relative to my short irons) that I didn't hit my long irons as far as I though I should.

the more often i play, the easier this question is to answer... the fact is that i have learned to hit every club with 3 swings. for example i can hit my 8 iron 170 firm, a little under 160 stock and a butter 150 smoothe. all varied trajectories and shot shapes. for another example, i hit a draw a lil further than a fade so if i want it to stop from 150, ill hit a full 8 iron fade with the "stock" swing.

in general these are my yardages (varied by shot shape, swing speed and trajectory):

P-135
9-145
8-160
7-170
6-185
5-195
4-205
3-220

Just curious if anyone takes the time to find out the distance they hit their irons? I don't mean trying to hit at a target at a certain distance, but taking that bias out of the equation and perhaps going to an empty/large field, hitting smooth irons, and determining the distance you hit them so you can pull out the right club at a given situation.

 

I often hear some juniors saying how "they can hit their PW 160 yrds". After which I have said, that's great, but what is your precision and your accuracy? To which they would look confused. Accuracy is, how close you get to the intended target? Precision is, how close do you group your shots? (if you had an accuracy radius of 30 feet with a "stepped-on" PW vs 25 feet with a 9-iron, vs 20 feet with a "smooth-easy" 8-iron, which would you use when there's tournament position and scoring average on the line?...how would you know this if you never identify it).

 

When my son (scoring average = 74 over 50 tournament rounds this past year) has played with some very talented youngsters who often shoot par or under, whenever I've asked "what do they do so well?" Time and time again, it seems to always come down to him saying "I've driven the ball as far or farther then they, but their approach shots are like radar/darts at the pin".

 

So, to me, one area of improvement is to address that by working on getting accurate and precise, and you can only assess your progress if you have a way to quantify (measure) your progress.

 

I have thought that it may be best to identify the distance you hit your clubs without having a target to focus on (where you may try to 'push' a club beyond your comfort zone due to ego/macho, etc)....so perhaps an empty field, hitting irons comfortably and perhaps using a laser rangefinder back to the bag to see their distance or how they're grouped (I had a friend who used to go to the beach while it was still cold enough that people didn't yet go swimming and he would hit balls from the grassy mowed area onto the sandy beach area, with no people around....I asked, why are you doing that?.....he said so he can see how far he hits balls with strict carry and no run, because run on any course will be predicated by the conditions, which differs from one time to the next...so he wanted to know pure distance/carry without run...interesting).

 

Just curious, but do any of you do anything with respect to figuring out your iron distances?

 

"Yes" both carry and approx run out on fast greens. One of my friends that has since retired from the senior tour told me when I was learning know how far I carry the ball with each club, period; and know the characteristics of the ball when it hits the green. Thanks to him, years back I developed a rather lengthy iron and wedge practice routine.

I solved the problem by getting to know the range manager and getting his permission to show up real early and put stakes out every 10 yards to the length I was planning on practicing that day. I've also visited a park early am with a hitting matt... stakes and padded wash tubs, and did somewhat the same. If someone wants to really know how far they hit a club, it's going to take some serious effort and attention to detail. I have two yardages per club; one with an average swing another with a hard fast swing which is up to 15yds longer.

PS as accurate as a Laser is (I have the B1500 Pro) I suggest the old fashion measuring wheel like used by caddies to measure a course and police for accidents. Very accurate and easier to use over unmarked terrain.

Just building on my first statement, but, I don't so much focus on the exact yardage I hit each club, because it's different each time and everyday. You have to build with what the day gives you, still short game rules. but here are my distances and I'm still trying to get straighter which inevitably yields longer shots:
Driver:297 average
3 wood:265
3: 220/30
4:210/20
5:195/05
6:185/95
7:170/80
8:160/70
9:150/60
pw:135/45
gw:120/30
sw:110/15
lw:105 and less

my rangefinder helps me, if your 150 and hit it pure and at the pin you know its 150. it tells you what you hit them not what you think. also i did some work on the trackman lm and it helped me alot

these are my yardages, yeah i know em

Driver-270
3 Wood-240
5 Wood-220
3 Hybrid-200
4 Iron-190
5 Iron-180
6 Iron-165
7 Iron-155
8 Iron-145
9 Iron-135
PW-120
Gap-110
Lob-80 yards MAX, but how often do you swing max with a 60??

I may be in the minority but I think it is more important to be able to hit multiple clubs a similar distance while controlling the curve. To be perfectly honest if you hit the ball within 30 feet on all 18 holes you would be better than everyone on the PGA Tour. So if you can be within 10 yards of your intended target you can play at the tour level. For the absolute best players I teach I would say a good goal is to be within 5 yards/half a club distance control wise.

For most ams just hitting all greens would be a great feat, and average green is at least 30 yards wide and deep. Generally if a player plays to the back half of the green and is within 2 clubs from the intended target distance wise they will have no problem hitting the green. I think most ams need to work on controlling the curve to be able to be within 10 yards left or right more so than distance control. This way you will never be short sided and play at a VERY high level.

Man you guys hit far.

3i = 190-200
4i = 180
5i = 170
6i = 160
7i = 150
8i = 140-130
9i = 120-130
PW = 110

But I only started play over the summer and I just recently learned about creating lag. So lets see how uch further that adds.