Vol. 11: The Quickest Way To Hit More Greens
This week, we're delving into the art of selecting the right club for your approach shots to the greens. Recently, I've come to terms with some recurring tendencies in my game, and I've decided not to battle them anymore. Hopefully, by the end of this week's newsletter, you'll be equipped to conduct your own evaluations and make more informed club choices to increase your chances of landing on the green.
One valuable insight I've gathered over the years is that I frequently fall short of my target on approach shots, rather than overshooting it. In fact, I meticulously tracked my approach shot patterns (illustrated by the green dots below) during last week's PNW PGA Professional Championship, and the results were telling.
Granted, the weather conditions were challenging, with wind speeds ranging from 10-12 MPH and gusts of 20-25 MPH during the first two days. However, it was enlightening to observe how often I came up short of the flag on my approach shots. I encourage golfers of all levels to embark on a similar tracking journey to identify their own tendencies.
You can easily download the chart above and record each approach shot. It's a valuable practice that will help you determine whether you need more or less club for your shots.
Additionally, I decided to delve into my Arccos data for a broader analysis of my approach shots from 52-175 yards to see if my tendencies hold true across a larger sample size. The numbers don't lie… I will be taking more club when I’m hitting my approach shots from now on.
You may find you need to take more club as well, but you may also find that you are consistently taking too much club. You won’t know until you start charting your own shots. So, here’s my challenge to you this week…
Download and print off the approach dispersion chart
Chart every approach shot you hit into greens
Make adjustments based on your findings
Questions from my Wife Who Doesn’t Golf
👩 Wife: How much does wind and temperature effect how for the ball goes?
🏌️♂️ Me: A LOT! Wind and temperature have a huge effect on how the ball travels. Look at the screen shots below for what Arccos predicts…
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