Just like the title says, I struggle knowing which club to use sometimes. What is the best way to find out your average distance with each club? Just go to the driving range and hit full swing with each club 10-15 times and take the average? Mess around at a non busy course?

I would really like to be able to make a chart, laminate it and hold on to it and refer to it at the course while playing but I dont know how to find out in the first place what my range is for each club. Any help is appreciated.

The range is definitely the place to figure this out. Need some distance markers out there on the range and a distance finder (hand held device) would help. Also, if you can get on a trackman or something like that you can cross check with it.

PGA super store lets you rent a simulator bay for an hour. I did that before I got a sim. Keep the notes in my phone though.

I bought a Rapsodo and take it to the range on occasion.

jj9000 said:

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khaos288 said:

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PGA super store lets you rent a simulator bay for an hour. I did that before I got a sim. Keep the notes in my phone though.

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For $79 they'll let you use their GC2 bays...45 minutes at a time...every day for a year.

Bring your own golf balls and get non-range ball data...all year.

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yep, that's what I did. PGA Plano was right by my office.

Thanks for the replies. Part of me wants to quote Griswold "You think it really matters Eddie" cause I suck at golf. But it's slightly annoying on 15-20 shots a round not knowing what club to use.

At this point in your game, just go to the range. Make sure you find where the zero mark is, meaning the point where their 100 yard sign is actually 100 and then do the appropriate math in your head to properly adjust the yardage. A range finder can help here, or ask the guy taking your money. Don't do 15 swings for each stick, you will tire out or be there all day. Swing each stick until you hit a good one. You will know what a good one is. Use that distance. Write it down. This will get you in the neighborhood and you continually update this as your game progresses.

JimbosHatBarelyFits said:

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Just like the title says, I struggle knowing which club to use sometimes. What is the best way to find out your average distance with each club? Just go to the driving range and hit full swing with each club 10-15 times and take the average? Mess around at a non busy course?

I would really like to be able to make a chart, laminate it and hold on to it and refer to it at the course while playing but I dont know how to find out in the first place what my range is for each club. Any help is appreciated.

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Hard part is 5-10 mph wind N, S, E, W: 10-15 etc, 15-20 etc

Making that fit on a card, also is driving range flat, mat vs. turf (big difference)

Milwaukees Best Light said:

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At this point in your game, just go to the range. Make sure you find where the zero mark is, meaning the point where their 100 yard sign is actually 100 and then do the appropriate math in your head to properly adjust the yardage. A range finder can help here, or ask the guy taking your money. Don't do 15 swings for each stick, you will tire out or be there all day. Swing each stick until you hit a good one. You will know what a good one is. Use that distance. Write it down. This will get you in the neighborhood and you continually update this as your game progresses.

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sounds reasonable

Due to limited time at a place with a sim, I broke mine off into two different times.

I hit 5-6 balls with every other club that were considered decent, wrote down the carry and overall. I did not keep the outliers that were errant shots.

Put them in a spreadsheet to get averages, printed it out very small and put in my wallet for when I play on the course.

I actually need to go do this again as its been a while since I last did this and my clubs and swing has changed since then.

What I'm about to say, I'm not sure if it's more to do with simulator accuracy (which I think it is for the cheaper models) or me swinging differently in a bay vs on-course but…………….., simulators have never been super accurate measures of my on-course results.

Cheaper stuff like Mevo or Rapsodo are miles off.
Better ones like GCQuad are still probably 3-4% off.

Thats a really good question and honestly I have no idea. I have been playing golf for so long that I just know how far I am going to hit it. I can hit a six iron on the first hole and by that know how far my nine iron will go on the next. But unless I am playing in different weather or altitude than I am used to it is pretty much always the same.

Couple of thoughts some of which have been said.

--I don't think the range is good for that. The range is good for establishing contact, learning new shots, etc. But range balls don't travel like regular balls. Do it on the course, not the range.

--Use them same golf ball. I don't care if its a Pro V1 or a Top Flight. Use the same ball. As you get better you will see that golf balls do not react the same way to the same contact. Though distance is one thing that balls, at least the same types of designs, are usually pretty consistent at.

aggiedent said:

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What I'm about to say, I'm not sure if it's more to do with simulator accuracy (which I think it is for the cheaper models) or me swinging differently in a bay vs on-course but…………….., simulators have never been super accurate measures of my on-course results.

Cheaper stuff like Mevo or Rapsodo are miles off.
Better ones like GCQuad are still probably 3-4% off.

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How these simulators work, it's complex right?

Trackman uses Doppler - I don't even know what this means.

Skytrak uses photos of the ball for the first 12 inches or so to measure the speed, launch and spins to calculate the ballflight.

I thought I saw some side by side comparisons and skytrak was fairly accurate.

Another thing about skytrak is that you can set the altitude, temperature wind etc.

But, does 155mph Prov1 with 16 degree launch with 1800 rpm translate to identical ball flight as Top-Flite?

Probably not.

All in all, I've been very satisfied with skytrak and my focus with it is 100 - 150 yards.

It really doesn't matter for me as much for other distances.

aggiedent said:

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Here's my opinion for what it's worth.

Driving range distances can be a touch sketchy because of the balls. They are not what you play on the course, and their condition can be erratic. Are they refurbished? Are they 25 years old and scuffed up? All those things negatively effect distance.

You really have to get out on a course with your balls and get a feel for distance. Even with a new set of irons, I can do that in a couple of rounds. And……… since the irons usually advance in 10ish yard increments, I can remember w/o a laminated chart.

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That's how I did it. Find a late afternoon on a muni that isn't busy, and play 9 holes with a limited set of clubs (Driver, 1 long iron/hybrid, 1 mid iron, 1 short iron, and a PW.) Hit two balls every shot until you get on the green. Use your GPS to figure out the distances. Do a few rounds like that and switch up your bag each time. Getting your distances at the range with range balls or off a mat instead of real grass is madness.

I've got a skytrak but still recommend going out for some late twilight golf and hitting your actual brand of ball to dial them in. 5-10 shots with every other club or so should give you good numbers and sense of dispersion

This is where the Arrcos kicks ass, on course GPS distances

Keeper of The Spirits said:

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This is where the Arrcos kicks ass, on course GPS distances

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I have used arrcos for almost a year, it will give you accurate distance within a few yards but doesn't adjust your club distances for conditions. Example would be I always hit an 8i on hole 8 a par 3. This is an uphill shot usually into a 10-15 headwind. If I hit it actually 145, my true 8i would be closer to 160 adjusted for wind etc. Since the majority of my shots are there Arccos says my 8i is 150, and recommends 8i when I should be hitting 9i.

That is different from my experience, I wish I could track what was a a half or 3 quarter swing

I could be wrong but I thought Arccos accounted for slope, wind, temp, etc. when calculating your average distances for each club.

Arccos caddie is great. Very good averages on your clubs and ask caddie function is incredibly useful.

I've dropped from a 13 CH to a 9 in a year with using the stats and data provided.

Is the Arccos caddie the "smart sensors", "smart grips" or is it an app or is it all 3? I'm confused what exactly it is. Can someone explain it to me Michael Scott style?

FincAggie06 said:

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I could be wrong but I thought Arccos accounted for slope, wind, temp, etc. when calculating your average distances for each club.

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Based on my experience it only calculates slope and wind when using the caddie option. The reason I believe this is I was just asked to enter my average club distances using my Swing Caddie 3.0 onto a beta portal and I think they are working on getting their averages better. Just a guess on my part as to why they are asking users with launch monitors to enter distance by club for them.

JimbosHatBarelyFits said:

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Is the Arccos caddie the "smart sensors", "smart grips" or is it an app or is it all 3? I'm confused what exactly it is. Can someone explain it to me Michael Scott style?

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They are sensors in the butt of your club which combined with their app mark locations and club used for your swing. They then offer shot gained analytics and distances based on that.

TXAGGIES said:

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JimbosHatBarelyFits said:

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Is the Arccos caddie the "smart sensors", "smart grips" or is it an app or is it all 3? I'm confused what exactly it is. Can someone explain it to me Michael Scott style?

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They are sensors in the butt of your club which combined with their app mark locations and club used for your swing. They then offer shot gained analytics and distances based on that.

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Ah, thank you.

Had to break my son of this, once I did he is pretty much better than me now... (3.5)

There is a time to keep score and there is a time to practice! You have to separate those 2 some times. Once you do you will become a better golfer. I am not saying don't keep score, as it does add the pressure to the shot. Buuuuuuuuuuuut, your never going to get better if you hit the same shot every time at your home course.

Try the fade, try the draw, practice a shot you know you need to hit, but do it in the middle of the round when it counts. If you miss it, you cant get upset.

Long winded point. You want to know how far your clubs go? Figure it out on the course! Next time you land next to the 150, hit your shot, then hit 5 more. Then ask yourself, which one was my avg shot. Did I crush it, thin it, fat it, go look at those 5 balls and you will be closer to knowing exactly how far your hitting them.

Then do that with each club at different distances, then you will just know.

Bottom line, sometimes you have to let go of the score and practice during the round. Range is great, but its nothing like an in round shot with a pro v1 to a real green.

Here's my theory on how Korean LPGA players dominated for a while.

Korean golfers now learn to golf on a simulator with video etc. Not only do they build almost perfect swing with intense lessons, they know exactly how their ball behaves with each club.

By the time they hit the golf course, the game is much easier.

We on the other hand, let the kids loose on the golf course...some lessons here, some there.

Just to jump in on some same stuff

About once a year I get on a sim and warm up and hit 10 balls with each club working through the bag. Averages are noted for reference later but also outliers. I.e. what happens if I hit a flier or trap one on purpose. How much further did it go and roll out.
Also very important is exact carry averages with the 3 wood and driver. I want to know if I can clear that bunker or water , not just roll past it.

Long story short, get on a sim and crunch the numbers.

Also another thing if you have the time, what happens to my average carry for my 7 iron if I choke up an inch? What about roll out? Etc etc. pros can hit a yardage with 3 different clubs with 10 different shot shapes. Learn the yardages that those actually go and play better golf.

Rustys-Beef-o-Reeno said:

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Also another thing if you have the time, what happens to my average carry for my 7 iron if I choke up an inch? What about roll out? Etc etc. pros can hit a yardage with 3 different clubs with 10 different shot shapes. Learn the yardages that those actually go and play better golf.

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Add to it what if I half swing vs full swing while choked down?

That's why simulator at home is a great tool. If you have the space and time for it.

Choke down smooth swing typically goes about 10% less and punch takes off about 15% for me.

Skytrak allows you to practice against wind also.

AggieDruggist89 said:

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Rustys-Beef-o-Reeno said:

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Also another thing if you have the time, what happens to my average carry for my 7 iron if I choke up an inch? What about roll out? Etc etc. pros can hit a yardage with 3 different clubs with 10 different shot shapes. Learn the yardages that those actually go and play better golf.

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Add to it what if I half swing vs full swing while choked down?

That's why simulator at home is a great tool. If you have the space and time for it.

Choke down smooth swing typically goes about 10% less and punch takes off about 15% for me.

Skytrak allows you to practice against wind also.

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Right. Then you finally slow it all down like your supposed to. Choke up just a little and the timing is perfect the club is perfectly square and you just pure it, and it trampolines off the face like the pros hit it and it goes just as if you swung from the fences.... little tongue in cheek, but we have all done it...

Arrcos also makes grips. It got after me today, my goal is a 9
HCP and after each round it gives you recommendations to get there, today it told me 11 3 putts the equivalent of a 27.5 hCP