Any Golf Players?

[jdlea]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

So you're using your pitching wedge from 150 yards? I don't think I've ever seen anyone use their pitching wedge from 150 yards and get onto the green. I'd have to try to kill the ball (losing any accuracy) with my pitching wedge to get it onto the green from 150 yards out.

Supposedly, the average distance for a 7 iron is between 120-150 yards. Below are the distances that Tiger tends to hit his clubs:

No, my 9 goes about 150. I don't really hit my pitching wedge unless it's a longer chip, I just take some off of my nine or I hit my sand wedge. My 7 is around a solid 170-175 and I hit my 5 iron 210 last week on a second shot at a par 5.

I will say that I do have a long and very hard swing that I have toned down some in the last few years and will probably have to keep doing so as I get older, but right now at 23, I hit the ball a pretty long way.

Golf Club Distance Calculator

My entries:
Avg 5 Iron: 200 yards
Player: 16-29 Male
Style of Play: For the fun of it
Ability of Play: Average
Physical build: Taller heavier than average
Golf Mechanics: Good
Training: Infrequent Lessons
Avg Shot: About Straight

This ends up pretty much the distances that I hit my clubs. I tend to get a little bit more out of my driver when I hit it really well than they're strong, but other than that I can't argue.

I've never tried to check the distance on my wedges because I have trouble taking full swings and hitting them straight.

[Sheriff Gonna Getcha]

Thanks for the link jdlea. I wish I could hit the ball like you. Unfortunately, as I said, I can crush the ball but I tend to be wildly inaccurate when I do so. I've only been playing for 2 years and I hope that I can increase my swing speed as I play longer and get more comfortable.

[mredskins]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

Or the banter with your buddies and the beercart girls.

On some course in Hilton Head for bachelor parties female caddies would go out and they would take off their tops during the game. It was pretty exiciting!

[jdlea]

Originally Posted by Sheriff Gonna Getcha

Thanks for the link jdlea. I wish I could hit the ball like you. Unfortunately, as I said, I can crush the ball but I tend to be wildly inaccurate when I do so. I've only been playing for 2 years and I hope that I can increase my swing speed as I play longer and get more comfortable.

I'm not sure what size you are, but one of the things that I will say benefits me is that I'm about 6'3", 230 and I have pretty long arms. Also, I don't start my down swing until I can see the club head out of the corner of my left eye. Finally, I had a lot of junior lessons when I was younger, so I've had a pretty good swing my whole life, I've just had to calm it down so that it no longer gets out of control.

I generate a great deal of club head speed still, but now it's a much more controlled swing for me, it's still really fast by most people's standards.

Unfortunately, since I hadn't played for about 2 years, coming back to it has been humbling with my short game, but it's starting to come around, I think I'll be back in 90's soon if I keep playing regularly.

[onlydarksets]

Originally Posted by saden1

:confused- That lesson hasn't been covered...I'm still trying to get my swing in order and the only club in my arsenal right now is a 7 iron.

It worked for Kevin Costner.

[Monkeydad]

Yes. I'm horrible until I get to the green (I rock in putting and mini-golf) but I have fun.

[SmootSmack]

Thought I'd dig up this thread...

After not having been on a course since I hacked my way through 9 holes 15 years ago, I've decided this summer to really try to make an effort to learn the game. So I've been to the driving range a handful of times. And I'm hoping that next spring/summer I'll take some formal lessons.

But here's my question. If you're just starting off on your own by going to the range. What's the best way to start. Just take out the driver and unload, practice with all the various clubs, pick one particular club (could be a driver, could be another) and perfect your swing with that one? This weekend I practiced my swing with only the pitching wedge. Good idea?

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Thought I'd dig up this thread...

After not having been on a course since I hacked my way through 9 holes 15 years ago, I've decided this summer to really try to make an effort to learn the game. So I've been to the driving range a handful of times. And I'm hoping that next spring/summer I'll take some formal lessons.

But here's my question. If you're just starting off on your own by going to the range. What's the best way to start. Just take out the driver and unload, practice with all the various clubs, pick one particular club (could be a driver, could be another) and perfect your swing with that one? This weekend I practiced my swing with only the pitching wedge. Good idea?

Yes, that's a good idea. When I was a teenage whippersnapper I learned by using almost nothing but my 7 iron for the first 4 lessons I took. Then later incorporated other clubs. Definitely better to start with an iron, because it's a shorter club than a wood, it's easier to get a feel for the right tempo.

I can't believe I missed this thread the first time around. Love golf. Don't get to play it as much as I'd like (who does). Played on my high school golf team, and it was probably the most fun I've had on an organized sports team, including college swimming and high school baseball.

[Trample the Elderly]

Originally Posted by saden1

I'm curious if anyone in here plays golf? I just started playing a month ago and I'm having a blast so far. I'll need to buy my own clubs pretty soon, any recommendations?

Never ever take your eye off the ball. Following through is the hardest thing to master. Watch the ball, follow through with the club and with your body, AND THEN TURN YOUR HEAD. This is the hardest thing for me because my instinct is to see where the ball is going AS I HIT IT.

I'm a beginner too so this is what I work on. Everything else is pretty simple.
More seasoned golfers can tell you more but if you can't hit the ball it's not that fun.

I also try to picture Obama near the flag and aim for it.

[KLHJ2]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Thought I'd dig up this thread...

After not having been on a course since I hacked my way through 9 holes 15 years ago, I've decided this summer to really try to make an effort to learn the game. So I've been to the driving range a handful of times. And I'm hoping that next spring/summer I'll take some formal lessons.

But here's my question. If you're just starting off on your own by going to the range. What's the best way to start. Just take out the driver and unload, practice with all the various clubs, pick one particular club (could be a driver, could be another) and perfect your swing with that one? This weekend I practiced my swing with only the pitching wedge. Good idea?

First get comfortable hitting each of your clubs consistently. Ben Crenshaw once told me to learn the game from the green back to the tee because most of your strokes are on or around the green. With that being said learn to put, then learn to hit your wedges, then your irons, then your woods and driver.

Once you can hit pretty much all of your clubs consistently (takes a while, years even), then you should start playing a mock round of golf from the Driving range. Confused? Pretend that you are on par 4 or whatever and you are 400 yards or so from the green. Hit your driver and say you got about 280 yards. Next take whatever club you need for 120 and pick a taket that distance away and try to get it. Continue to play consecutive shots until you are close enough to hypothetically put. DO NOT PUT. People will look at you crazy. Continue to play different types of holes and scenarios in your head, on the range until you either run out of balls, are satisfied, or have played a full mock round.

The above practice will help you learn how to play the game with a good lie. The only way to learn how to play with a bad lie is to actually play the game. Needless to say the above scenario will only help you as long as you are hitting good shots. It will not help you with playing out of crap with crappy lies, but it does help non the less.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Thought I'd dig up this thread...

After not having been on a course since I hacked my way through 9 holes 15 years ago, I've decided this summer to really try to make an effort to learn the game. So I've been to the driving range a handful of times. And I'm hoping that next spring/summer I'll take some formal lessons.

But here's my question. If you're just starting off on your own by going to the range. What's the best way to start. Just take out the driver and unload, practice with all the various clubs, pick one particular club (could be a driver, could be another) and perfect your swing with that one? This weekend I practiced my swing with only the pitching wedge. Good idea?

Get lessons now. Fooling around with your swing before lessons is probably a mistake. I don't play anymore because it was a waste of my time if I couldn't put in the time to make all the money and lessons worth it. I won't touch a club until I can start taking lessons and putting in the right amount of time at the range and can play regularly.

If you are going to work on your swing I'd focus on using a 7 and maybe like a 4 iron. That way you can do a little "cross training" and it'll help you develop a more rounded feel for swinging the clubs.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

Get lessons now. Fooling around with your swing before lessons is probably a mistake. I don't play anymore because it was a waste of my time if I couldn't put in the time to make all the money and lessons worth it. I won't touch a club until I can start taking lessons and putting in the right amount of time at the range and can play regularly.

If you are going to work on your swing I'd focus on using a 7 and maybe like a 4 iron. That way you can do a little "cross training" and it'll help you develop a more rounded feel for swinging the clubs.

A buddy of mine is giving me some pointers so it's not like I'm just going out there on my own (and my father in law also gave me some pointers) but just don't have time this summer for formal lessons.

thanks for all the tips guys

Can you explain to me what to expect from the different irons? I know in some cases height is better than distance in regards to the irons, correct?

[firstdown]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

Thought I'd dig up this thread...

After not having been on a course since I hacked my way through 9 holes 15 years ago, I've decided this summer to really try to make an effort to learn the game. So I've been to the driving range a handful of times. And I'm hoping that next spring/summer I'll take some formal lessons.

But here's my question. If you're just starting off on your own by going to the range. What's the best way to start. Just take out the driver and unload, practice with all the various clubs, pick one particular club (could be a driver, could be another) and perfect your swing with that one? This weekend I practiced my swing with only the pitching wedge. Good idea?

You have it backwards. First take some leasons so when you go to the rang your practicing a correct swing. If you practice hitting the ball wrong then a pro is just going to change your swing and it is harder to learn after you have been practicing a bad swing. When I first got back into to golf I would take a leason then the pro would say now go practice what we did today by hitting 500 balls (don't try hitting 500 balls in one day). After I got that down I'd take another leason learning something else then hitting another 500 balls. Today I'm shooting in the low 80's to high 70's and still take 5 leasons a year. You can learn to play golf without leasons but at some point you will hit a wall and your score will never get any better. I just don't understand the guy's who play alot of golf and never take any leasons and I can take their money just about every round.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

A buddy of mine is giving me some pointers so it's not like I'm just going out there on my own (and my father in law also gave me some pointers) but just don't have time this summer for formal lessons.

thanks for all the tips guys

Can you explain to me what to expect from the different irons? I know in some cases height is better than distance in regards to the irons, correct?

Each iron is meant to achieve a different distance. It depends upon how fast you swing and your form, but for the average beginner golfer a 3 iron might go 180. 4 iron goes 170, 5 iron 160, 6 iron 140, and so on.

Once you get your swing down, try your irons at the driving range to get a feel for how far each flies. It's important to know your distances if you want to hit greens with semi-regularity.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by firstdown

You have it backwards. First take some leasons so when you go to the rang your practicing a correct swing. If you practice hitting the ball wrong then a pro is just going to change your swing and it is harder to learn after you have been practicing a bad swing. When I first got back into to golf I would take a leason then the pro would say now go practice what we did today by hitting 500 balls (don't try hitting 500 balls in one day). After I got that down I'd take another leason learning something else then hitting another 500 balls. Today I'm shooting in the low 80's to high 70's and still take 5 leasons a year. You can learn to play golf without leasons but at some point you will hit a wall and your score will never get any better. I just don't understand the guy's who play alot of golf and never take any leasons and I can take their money just about every round.

Bet I can take your money