September 1, 2022 1:56 pm

Unless you are like us PGA professional golfer idiots, you have a handicap that allows you not to have to make par on every hole. This means you do not always have to hit the ball onto the green in regulation i.e., in 2 shots on a par 4, three on a par 5. So, if you are left with 200 yards to go on a par 4 hole to reach the green, then you don’t have to play that shot onto the green. Instead, you can afford to miss the green, chip up, take 2 putts and still end up playing to your allotted handicap.

Pick an easier club

So why do most club golfers try to hit the green with a fairway wood or a long hybrid, rather than taking a shorter, easier club? You won’t reach all the way, but you will get close enough to the target to allow a fairly simple wedge shot onto the green. The club may be a 6 iron or even a 7 iron, that would go about 140 to 160 yards. That leaves you 60 yards maximum to go. A fairly simple wedge shot for most players. The 7 or 6 iron would be described as a comfortable club. One that you would expect to make a reasonable job of hitting and keeping fairly straight.

Be realistic

I agree this is not the most exciting way to play. There is always the chance that your fairway wood could be a career shot and you find the putting surface with ease. Of course, it would then be typical to 3 putt from there, such are the nasty golfing gods. But be realistic. You will nearly always miss with the longer club. In fact, you may miss big and turn the one over par you could have got with the comfortable club, into a cricket score.  How depressing is that!

Experiment

Why not experiment. For one round, in addition to your teeing off club, take nothing longer in your bag than whatever you would choose as your comfortable club. I bet you play to your handicap and maybe even better. Do this a few times, get your confidence up, then you can start thinking about those fairway woods.

By Jon Woodroffe: Master Professional, World of Golf London 

Categorised in: Tip of the month