Between clubs: hit it hard or take some off?

[G56788]

3 minutes ago, YourKillingMeSmalls said:

When you say "take some off" does that mean you swing easier or choke down on the longer club? I find when I try to swing easy it doesn't generally go well, I do better taking the longer club and gripping down a bit.

“Try to hit the longer club a shorter distance” is probably a better way to say it. When I first started playing, that meant swinging easier with disastrous results. Now it means choking down and partial swings. For example, 100 yards is  an in-between distance for me. My 48 degree wedge goes 110-115; my 54 goes 90-95. I’ve learned that if I choke down two inches on the 48 and take a 3/4 swing, I can hit it 100 yards pretty consistently. 

[cnosil]

Very scenario dependent.  Back pin, I am probably hitting it harder.  Front pin, I am hitting the longer club with a choked down grip and swinging normal.  It will also depend on where the trouble is around the green.  

[Stuka44]

I will always choose the longer club and swing softer. Swinging harder, almost always decreases control for me. Now even if their is a back pin, I am shooting front, or middle, even if that means coming up short of the green, most of the time (excluding a pond).  Almost without exception on the public, muni courses we play, we have a saying... "over is NEVER GOOD".  Most holes I've found your lucky if there is 10-20' beyond, and then its woods, brush, or something else that is going to cost a stroke.

[David Leighton Reid]

If between clubs, I will (a.) use the shorter club and swing longer, not harder or (b.) use the longer club, choke up a bit, and try to take a normal swing.  

[GolfSpy TCB]

3 minutes ago, David Leighton Reid said:

use the shorter club and swing longer, not harder

Love this comment David.  

[CarlH]

On average, I'd take more club...but first one must ask:  Where's the trouble, long or short?

[Tom the Golf Nut]

1 hour ago, stuka44 said:

  Almost without exception on the public, muni courses we play, we have a saying... "over is NEVER GOOD".  Most holes I've found your lucky if there is 10-20' beyond, and then its woods, brush, or something else that is going to cost a stroke.

At the new club I joined the Pro told me the same thing.  Do not be long into any green. So of course, I was 10 yards short on everything on my first round.  At least I listened! But I looked over the back of each green once I got up on the putting surface. Because of the doubting Thomas that I am, I had to see for myself. He was correct. There were ball eat em ups everywhere. Creeks, deep traps, woods, OB. It's going to take a bit to figure this course out.     

[Siamese Moose]

3 hours ago, Jnoble89 said:

I've found that when I try to take some off a club, I end up coming out of my posture and thinning the heck out of the shot, which usually causes it to cruise right on over the green anyways . 

As "The World's Most Interesting Man" once said, "I don't always hit a sand wedge 150 yards, but when I do it's from a greenside bunker!"

[TylorJudd]

6 hours ago, Golfspy_TCB said:

Are you NOT supposed to do that????     How else am I going to reach the green from 220 out of the fairway???  

Last time spelled the end of my driver at the start of 2022 hahahah

[The 19th Hole]

Why not take 2 clubs extra then play a cut shot that will drop the yardage by about 15 yards thus giving you your in between shot? Seems simple enough...

[fixyurdivot]

I tend to come up short more than long (probably 70/30 ratio), so I just grab the next lower lofted club and make a normal swing.  The approach aprons on our courses here are deceiving in that they don't look all that sloped but, for those having normal to high descent angle, they are ball stoppers - particularly this time of year.

[202]

It depends on the situation, but most of the time, I take the longer club, grip down on it, and take a normal swing.

[GolfSpy_APH]

Seems like most take extra club. In general. For those that do, what would it take for you look to take some more muscle and get a harder swing?

For me it would be front pin, no real front trouble and preferably harder conditions. Leaving myself short then may but be so much is a penalty. 

[Lacassem]

Majority of the time I am taking extra club, I am significantly more accurate 3/4 swinging. I don’t typically grip down until I get to the wedges.

@GolfSpy_APHits really dependent on where things are to swing harder and size of the green m. Years ago I would have answered hulk smash everything but I am just significantly more accurate with more club smoother swing. If I am 180+ out that’s where I’ll typically swing a little more oomf, longer irons seem to like being swung with some giddee up occasionally 

[Albatrossx3]

Hard answer it all depends,  Hit it hard if adrenalin is a factor, if you have room short, and wind helping.   Hit it easy if you have room deep, are not feeling able to ramp up or the wind in your face.  

Next factor is where is the worse trouble, if it is left hit it easy, if it is right hit it hard, (or visa versa if you are left handed)  

[ChuckZ]

In that my coach is teaching me not to take a full swing on my normal shots, going only about 80%, I would take a full shot.....

 

[fixyurdivot]

3 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Seems like most take extra club. In general. For those that do, what would it take for you look to take some more muscle and get a harder swing?

For me it would be front pin, no real front trouble and preferably harder conditions. Leaving myself short then may but be so much is a penalty. 

Maybe a front pin with no traps to cover but even those situations have proven challenging on my courses here.  Billy Casper & Greg Nash are evil. 

[TBS]

Shotscope had a report that the majority of golfers will always miss the green short. I have always factored that into my club selection. I want a club that I comfortably carry the front of the green. 

[GaryF]

I consider a number of factors, but in general, I’m more successful taking a longer club and taking a 3/4 swing.  I routinely take full and 3/4 swings with my wedges and practice them every trip to the range, so that always feels comfortable taking a little off.

But other considerations are important.  We have some greens that have sections with significant slopes.  One has an upward slope from front to back.  But on the backside of the green, there is a steep drop off which is all Bermuda rough.  Yesterday the pin was at the back.  In calm conditions, I probably just use my PW leaving a 15-20’ upward putt.  Yesterday, there was ~10mph we were hitting into.  I chose a 9i and took an easy swing and hit it perfectly about 2’ from the back fringe. One of the guys in my group hit almost identical shot, hit the back edge and rolled over.  I parred, he had to mini pitch, landed just past the hole then rolled 30’ down the green. 
 

 

[ballplayer002003]

Like many of you, I think it depends on the conditions and where the trouble is and where the pin is on the green.  If it's windy, I tend to take the longer club, unless the wind is at my back obviously.  If I have trouble left and right and back, but nothing in the front, AND a front pin I don't have any issue taking the lower club and coming up short.  I do a lot of bump and run shots around the green so I am pretty confident that if I'm short I will be able to get up and down fairly regularly.  The main thing I don't want to do is try to swing slower.  Every time I try to do that, I get all out of rhythm and the resulting shots are bad.  So when I do take longer club, I usually choke down.