Accurate Golf Club Selection Helps Lower Scores!

Your golf club selection is a fundamental to shooting low scores. Don't let your ego stand in the way when choosing clubs for a particular shot.

Do your homework first.

Go out on to a flat practice fairway with 20 of the same balls you use in competition.

Start with your pitching wedge and work your way through to your driver. Hit the twenty balls and measure where most of the balls are landing. Now take 5 meters off the distance. This will allow for the more inconsistent shot when you are only hitting one ball at the pin when playing a round.

Here are some reality numbers for golf club selection for the average golfer.

Driver 210 Meters

3 wood 190

5 wood 180

2 Iron 170

3 Iron 160

4 Iron 150

5 Iron 140

6 Iron 130

7 Iron 120

8 Iron 110

9 Iron 95

P Wedge 80

G Wedge 70

S Wedge 60

L Wedge 45

Golf Club Selection for Tour Professionals(Approx)

Driver 270 Meters

3 wood 245

5 wood 230

2 Iron 225

3 Iron 210

4 Iron 195

5 Iron 180

6 Iron 170

7 Iron 160

8 Iron 150

9 Iron 140

P Wedge 130

G Wedge 120

S Wedge 110

L Wedge 100

Once you have established your reality yardages or meter's, you can now use the distance equations for each golf club selection.

Flat approach = standard clubOpen club face = add one club (go from a 6 to a 5 Iron)closed club face = minus 1 club (go from a 3 iron to a 4 Iron)

Example 120 meters out flat approach to the pin. You decide to hit a fade to the 120 meter point. Standard shot 7 Iron add one club = 6 Iron.

Golf Club Selection formulas :-

You may decide to fine-tune these formulas as they are the distances for average golfers. If you hit further than the average golfer you will have to introduce fractions ie. 1/2 a club or 3/4 for the formulas to work for you.

Hitting to a raised green = add one or two clubs depending on the incline.

Hitting to a green below you = minus 1 or 2 clubs

Wind behind you = minus 1 (10 Knots of breeze) minus 2 clubs (20 knots of breeze) minus 3 clubs(30 knots)

Wind in your face = add 1 Club (10 knots of breeze) add 2 Clubs (20 Knots of breeze) add 3 clubs (30 knots)

Wind across the course (right to left as you face the green) add a club with a fade and minus a club with a draw

Wind across the course (left to right as you face the green) minus a club with a fade and add a club with a draw

Bare lie = add a club or 2 and hit with a 3/4 swing

Second cut = add 1 club

Rough = add 2 clubs maximum 7 Iron (unless you think it might be a flyer)

Down hill lie = minus 1 or 2 clubs depending on the slope. Don't use anything longer than a 5 Iron as the club is already delofted to a 3 Iron with the slope.

Uphill lie = add 1 or 2 clubs depending on the slope

Wet lie = add 1 club (max 5 wood)

Heavy wet lie = add 2 clubs (max 5 wood)

Ball above your feet = plus 1

Ball below your feet = minus 1

To check the wind direction throw some grass into the air and watch which way it falls. Check out the flag direction and look at how much wind is going through the tops of the trees.

Other things affecting the distance of ball flight are:

high altitude = minus 1 or 2 clubs

moist weather, rain and high humidity = Plus 1 club

So, for picking a club for a shot 130 meters out with these characteristics:

A downhill lie, the green is 5 meters below the ball with the wind blowing into your face at about 10 knots and you want to fade it into the green and the ball is lying in the first cut.

The club selection equation is:

Normal shot from 130 meters minus 1 for downhill lie, minus 1 for the green 5 meters below you, plus 1 for the wind and plus 1 for an open stance, plus 1 for being in the rough (opening the club head to allow for the grass grabbing the hozel and closing the club face on impact).

If your 7 Iron hits 130 meters on the flat = -1-1+1+1+1 = 6 Iron shot selection.

Show me the tips on ball flight dispersal using different clubs, Return from golf club selection to quick easy golf tips home page