How do you decide which club to use when you’re between clubs? This decision is a tough decision for weekend golfers hitting into the green. The decision is also among the more critical on a hole. Choosing the wrong club can send you flying by the pin or leave you way short of the green. Either result is not good for your score or your confidence. The golf tips below will help you decide when you’re between clubs.
Below are three keys when you’re stuck between clubs
- Go longer as a rule
- Check for trouble first
- Commit yourself to the shot
The rule of thumb when between clubs is to go longer when you can. Recreational golfers tend to under-club into the green anyway. So if you fall into this category and you’re between clubs, use the longer club.
Using the longer club also let’s you swing under control, resulting in more solid hits. If you’re handicap is in single digits, though, you may want to use the shorter club and just swing a little harder.
Also, check for trouble before deciding on a club. Some situations are better suited for under-clubbing than over-clubbing, like when there’s water behind the green, or when being above the hole leaves you with a tough downhill putt, In these cases aim for the front half of the green. If the trouble is in front of the green, however, it makes more sense to use the longer club.
Whatever club you choose to hit, commit yourself to the shot once you’ve decided. The easiest way to miss-hit a shot is have doubts about the club you’re using, which can cause you to decelerate on the downswing. Stick to your normal swing as much as possible, but in some cases you may feel you need to swing a little harder. That’s okay. Just don’t second-guess yourself when swinging.