Help with golf club (irons) selection around the course?

[thebigkahuna]

I am a relative beginner to golf, and am having a bit of trouble selecting the correct club to use whilst on the course. Does anyone have a basic guide to what club I should be using in line with the distance/ground etc. For example if I am 200yds from the flag and in the rough etc.

Cheers.

[Bollox006]

Have a look here it seems to have a lot of good pointers

http://www.todaysgolfer.co.uk/Golf/videotips/searchresults/Strategy/_/N-9g

[matthew375]

There isn't really any guide line for club use. If you can get on the green from 200 yards away out of the rough that's a great shot! But it depends on you and your swing. The only way to figure out what each club will do for you is to go to the range and practice. Go to the range a work really hard on hitting the ball solid. If you aren't hitting it solid you will never have consistant distance. You will be hitting a 7 iron 150 on one shot and then 30 on the next because you shanked it. If you really want a guide line for how far the average golf hit is its probably something like this;
sw 70-80, pw 110, 9 120, 8 130, 7 140, 6 150, 5 160 4 170 3 180 5w 190 3w 200 driver 210-220.
Most people would probably disagree or think they hit the ball way farther than that, but I am talking about average. If you are a younger guy who hits it pretty well you will probably hit it farther than that.

[David756]

The distance you hit each club will depend on your ability but here is an approximate guide for a competent/skilled golfer. Standard lofted irons will tend to differ by 10 yards per club.


Pitching Wedge: 140 Yards
9-Iron: 150 Yards
8-Iron: 160 Yards
7-Iron: 170 Yards
6-Iron: 180 Yards
5-Iron: 190 Yards
4-Iron: 200 Yards
3-Iron: 210 Yards

3-Wood: 240 Yards
Driver: 270 Yards

[Haydon629]

The first thing you need to do is get to a golf range with accurate yardage markers and hit some balls: See how far they get and either make a mental note or write your yardages down, because not everyone hits the ball the same distance. Just swing normally and dont try and blast the ball - you want to get an idea on your ordinary range without over-doing it.

As a rough guide for a beginner, you may expect 140-150 yards from your 7 iron. For each iron you go away from that, add or subtract 10-15 yards, so if you hit your 7 iron 140 yards, you can expect to get 125-130 yards or so from an 8 iron. For your 200 yard example, expect to use a 4 iron (or hybrid).

When you're out on the golf course though, you must remember to take wind and elevation into account. Its all very well being at the 150 yard marker and thinking "I can hit my 6 iron for 150, I'll use it", but if the wind is against you or its uphill to the green, then you'll need to take more club; i.e. a 5 iron instead of the 6.

Conversely if the wind is coming from behind you or you're playing downward to the green, you might choose to go the other way and use an 7 iron to avoid overshooting the green.

On a dry day, consider the ground may be more bouncy and the ball may roll further. The opposite is true if its raining heavily or the ground is already wet.

Lastly, consider your lie: If you're in thick rough, you'll often do better to take a club that can get the ball back into play (like a wedge or short iron) with a sensible shot rather than taking that long 'hero 3-iron' attempt at the green.

[green_lantern66301]

First, you need to figure out how far you hit each club. Then you'll know what to hit where. It's highly possible your 7 iron flies 135 yards, or it could go 185... Once you establish that, club selection will become much easier. From the rough, it's probably going to be easier to club up and swing smoother. So, if you're 150 yards in the rough, and your 6 iron goes 150, take out your 5. Choke down an inch, play the ball an inch or so back (towards your right foot for righties) in your stance and swing in a nice, smooth rhythm.

[googie312]

The distance one hits any particular iron in golf is a personal thing based on swing speed, innate ability, dexterity and coordination. You must determine what your skills allow you to hit each club by going to your golf range, hitting several balls with each club and establishing your own distance chart . A rule of thumb for a single digit handicap golfer states that there is a 10 to 12 yard gap between clubs. With younger golfers and the new equipment the gap may be more like 12 to 15 yards.. As one ages and the swing speed diminishes the gaps become less therefore requiring more club.

[TomM695]

Just take out with you the clubs you can hit the best and go from there when i started 2 years ago i only took a 4.7.9.pw and a 3 wood and a 7 rescue wood and i slowly found my range...

Good Luck!

[JasonG609]

The one thing every golfer must know is how far he/she hits each club based on normal conditions and where the flag is on the green. I know what club I'd use from that distance, but 200 yards isn't always 200 yards depending on the layout of the hole. If it's downhole to the green then it's less club than what I'd hit from 200 yards normally. If it's uphill then it's more club. If it's flat, but there are ridges in the fairway, it's longer than 200 yards. From a flat lie and flat green, I'm hitting a 2 hybrid(not the longest hitter).