Conference 7.286::golf

    Use to have this problem until....
    
    Spent a morning going around my local course where most of my
    rounds are played and would hit my drive. Once at my ball would
    select landmarks within +/- 40 yards of where I was then drop
    a ball...select a club I was comfortable with and hit to green...
    
    If I was forcing it I'd take more club so I'd get to green
    without forcing it....after being satisfied that I had the right
    club from a given landmark to center of green I wrote it down...
    I keep this in the car and have used it to review at least two or
    three times this season....it has given me the confidence that I
    have the right club in my hand so I don't try and force shots...
    of course I modify the selection based on playing conditions/pin
    placement(front of green back of green)/etc....
    
    I don't hit every shot as I plan but my misses are usually pin
    high right or left telling me this works well FOR ME....

    	My uncomfort zone is about 170-200 yds. I hit my 2,3,4 irons
    poorly so I lack distance and accuracy, but my 5 wood is good for
    210 yards and if I try hitting it a little easier, I screw that
    up too!    UGH!

    RE -.1
    	Maybe you are one of those who would benefit from the purchase
    of 7 wood for those 185 to 200 yard shots???
    
    Beak

    I have been similarly uncomfortable in that range as well.  I use
    my 7 wood now alot for that type of distance and find that it works
    well for me.  I don't hit the 3 or 4 irons consistently enough and
    feel very comfortable with the 7 wood.  That's what works for me...
    
    Mike

    Re:< Note 695.0 by BOGUSS::COOPER "MAD HACKER" >

Oh!   is  that  a familiar feeling!  I have had some trouble with my long
irons and have  a  hole  between  160 and 180, I can hit my ginty in that
distance, but I feel that  if  I  don't  try  with  my irons I will never
overcome that problem, so I keep  on  trying them and mishitting them.  I
go to the range and, yes, you  guess it, no problem there with the irons.

So  I  use  my irons for fun rounds  and  my  Ginty  and  five  wood  for
league play.

Tavo

    I bought new clubs in November 88 and have been unsuccessful with
    the 2-3-4-5 irons ever since. I was measured twice by different
    pro's and they came up with the same fittings: stiff shaft, 1/2
    inch over std. men's length, 3 degrees flat, d-0 swingweight, and
    1/32 oversized grips. My old clubs were off the shelf models and
    I hit all of them well (2-pw) but were old I wanted new ones. I
    feel very confident with the woods and the short irons but the 2
    thru 5 are sure giving me fits. I decided to start using a 7-wood
    to fill the gap but I have never used one and It will be a few
    weeks before I am comfortable with it. Have hit a couple of fine
    shots with it already but it is a whole new style of play for me.
    Mostly with the 2-5 irons I hit weak slices about 60 % of the
    distance I need to go. Oh well, if it's not one thing, it's another!!
    
    THE MAD HACKER

    How about from 50-100 yds.  Those 1/2 to 3/4 wedges drive me crazy!!
    
    Dan

    re: .7
    
    KNOW YOUR YARDAGES....40-80 yds has always given me trouble because
    of 1/2 - 3/4 swings so I'll hit 3wd of tee to insure I leave myself
    at least full 9/8 iron which I know I can hit. Why pound a driver
    and have to hit a 2nd shot you don't hit well???? Of course for
    the times I mess up and end up with those shot anyway w..e...l..l
    most likley a boggie...

    I have always had the oposite problem from the "hacker" and most
    of ya'all. I can hit my 1 iron 210 yards, but always get a weak
    slice out of my fairway woods. I am learning to hit a fairway wood
    this year, but I still trust my long irons over a wood most days.
    I follow a drill from Jack's book "Golf My Way" when I practice
    my long irons, and it really works and it really gives me confidence
    in hitting them.
    
    The drill:
    
    Hit about ten easy 9 irons, concentrating on rythym and tempo. then
    with the SAME swing hit about ten with your 4 iron.  Then Ten with
    the 8, to re-establish that easy rythym/tempo then ten with the
    3, and so forth; 7 then 2, 6 then 1. The secret is to keep that
    nice relaxed tempo with all your irons (woods too for that matter!)
    When I hurry, I miss it. Its that cut and dried

    three feet...........................

    
     I notice most of the uncomfort zones are outside the 170 mark of the
    long iron range, 3 or 4 iron. I never hit a low iron until last year
    when i started playing a long course and i will tell you what i feel
    the real secret is to the long irons. you need to take, as mentioned by
    .9 a 9 iron swing at a three iron. play the ball upfront in your stance
    and swing real easy. just roll it up there. don't get all intimidated
    by the yardage. a 3 iron is a great club fo long shots because it stays
    low and has a lot of valocity. the five of seven wood gets up to much
    and tends to float. keep your head down a swing slow and you will be
    amazed at how well the ball will go. 
    
    my personal uncomfort zone is between 3 and six feet from the hole.

    Hi,
    Say you had the luxury of a caddy and you asked for yardage/he stated
    it to be 172! What club would you ask for?
    
    Suppose your ball is in play and the caddy hands you a 4Iron(like
    they would at a place such as St. Andrews) and you hit it stiff!
    
    In each case, the distance you have to hit is know. The only difference
    is in that you get to select what you feel is the proper club in
    one case and he selects the proper club for you in the next case.
    In either case, there is knowledge of what distance will result
    when you hit a 4Iron.
    
    I would suggest that you go to a range, setup flags from 160 to
    190 yards at 10 yard increments and evaluate the results you get
    after hitting "many" balls with different clubs. Then, you know
    the distance for each of the clubs(and there will probably be 3)
    in the 160 to 190 range.
    
    After, the above exercise, you will be able to select the club after
    the caddy answers the distance question or be able to "feel good"
    when a St Andrews type caddy makes the selection for you.
    Tom
    
    
    

    I'd agree with .12. The main thing is to know exactly how far to
    go and how far you really hit each club. Then you can be comfortable
    with the shot you have to play. Many greens are probably 2 clubs
    long so if you go for the heart of the green from long range a slightly
    better/slightly worse than average shot will still be on the pretty
    (if it's straight!).         

I'm not particularly comfortable from 2 to 4 feet from the hole.  Two weeks 
ago I picked up Greg Norman's "Shark Attack" book while on vacation.  His
advice on how to be bold on short putts has been very helpful.

Jeff

    re .14
    
    Greg's Advice For When You Are Within 2 - 4 Feet
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
     Hit your driver 310 yards into a sand trap.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    It was a cheap shot, but someone had to take it!

re: .15 re: .14

> I'm not particularly comfortable from 2 to 4 feet from the hole.  Two weeks 
> ago I picked up Greg Norman's "Shark Attack" book while on vacation.  His
> advice on how to be bold on short putts has been very helpful.


What was Greg's advise on putting?  Well, being bold on short putts reduces
the break thereby making the line easier to judge (of course, this is
nothing new). He also said that should never be any excuse for coming up
short for two reasons: 1) to have a chance of getting the ball in the hole,
and 2) so that you can see the comeback break of the next putt.  Regarding
the second reason, if you are short, you still have some guesswork to get
to the hole; if you go past, you will see the break for the next putt. 

How does this advice help me?  Mentally, I feel better about each putt.
I've had a tendancy in the past to second guess the speed and break which
has been causing me to miss short breaking putts.  Now, my pre-putt thought
is to go for the hole and knock it in.  I take some of the break out of the
read and go for it.  And I'm not worried about going past the hole because
if I miss I WANT to go past. 

Jeff

    
    re;; a few back
    
    someone mentioned the dreaded 40 - 80 yrd zone !  aaaaahhhhhhh !
    
    I'm fairly long off the tee and find myself in this situation often.
    when I try a 1/2 or 3/4 swing who knows what will happen ! So I
    bought a 60 degree Watson wedge ! I hit it about 50 - 60 yrds tops.
    this helps but I'm going to buy 2 more wedges ! I have 13 clubs now
    so I'm going to buy a regular sand wedge (usually 55 degrees) and
    the 64 degree Watson wedge and pull the 3 iron. Then I'll have 4
    wedges to cover 40 - 110 yds !!
    
    ace
     

Re: .17

>    someone mentioned the dreaded 40 - 80 yrd zone !  aaaaahhhhhhh !
    
>   So I bought a 60 degree Watson wedge ! I hit it about 50 - 60 yrds tops.

    A man after my own heart.  I found the same solution to this problem.
    The title is my motto.

    Larry

    My uncomfort zone begins when I take the clubs out of the trunk !
    
    Actually, I am normally a good chipper. From 100 yards in, I'm on the
    green and close to the pin (4-6ft) 90% of the time...
    
    Now, getting to 100yards is a whole other story....
    
    I still have a terrible slice, which I hoe to begin to elimnate with
    a lesson tommorow afternoon...I like my 5 wood. I can hit it straight
    about 160-180 yards, so that is my choice off the tee. Problem with the
    slice is I aim WAY left and 1 out of 10 go straight...You know what
    that means....
    
    Oh well, lesson here I come.....
    
    Jim