Know your air distance
Do you know how far you hit each club in your bag? Most people I
teach say they do.
Know your air distance
Do you know how far you hit each club in your bag? Most people I teach say they do. But I don’t think they know the air distance they hit each club. I played in Pro/Ams in Nevada years ago and we came to a par-3 over water. The hole was 175 yards. Two-thirds of the distance was over the water. One of my amateurs was up and I asked him what his 175-yard club was and he answered that it was his five iron.
Then as he pulled it out I asked what was the air distance it carried? He said he didn’t know but this was the right club. He teed it up and hit it flush. It was a beautiful shot at the pin. It hit the water about 10 yards short skipped twice and stopped in about six inches of water about two feet from the green. If this hole had been 165 yards, it would have hit the green and rolled 10 to 15 feet past the hole.
From now on when you are practicing don’t hit every shot to see how far they land and roll, find out your air distance also. When you have done this, you can make an intelligent discussion on the right club for the right distance when you play. Remember, practice isn’t just about swing mechanics it is also about course management. Play well.
By the way my playing partner decided attempt to play the ball in the water. He walked off that hole with a right shoe full of water, mud running up the front of his shirt and a score of eight, but he did make a 20 footer to save the “snowman.”
Have any golf related questions? From rules to club fitting, you can call me at 408-846-4531 or e-mail me at
sk*****@ea**********.com
. If you would like to read some of my past tips, you can do so at www.pinnaclenews.com.
