I have decided to hit my 1 iron without a tee. My ball shape has a tighter dispersion and I am good enough to hit it clean off the ground. I don’t want to gamble buying a hybrid that I may still be not able to hit.
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That is fine if hitting off the turf is your preference. I have known golfers who will hit their irons off the turf on the tee.
A.K.A. Dame Laura Jane Davies who will bump a piece of turf up the ground to use as improvised tee for her iron tee shots.
Use your iron and bump a piece of grass in the opposite direction to the shot, just high enough to elevate the golf ball slightly, like a mini ramp.
I used to do that when I was younger, just to be different. It adds margin for error.
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Quick question on your driving iron? Is it a standard length? Usually they are about 39-40" (101cm). Have you ever experimented with adding a 1/2 inch to an inch in length? If you did, did you pick up a tad more distance? It might bring about a lower trajectory with overspin. Maybe 9-10 more meters
I went to a 7W (23*) years ago, I also have a 16* hybrid similar in loft to your Driving iron, I don’t use it much (only very windy days) and I don’t know my distance with that, but I can hit the 7W on a nice high trajectory, and depending on how far I choke down, 180yds to 200yds (180m) with a draw…
I have compared it with my 3i and it looks half an inch at most longer or it could be the same length. My 3i is 39.25. I play on a 5500m course and as such don’t need anymore distance. My 3i goes 170m and the 1 iron 180 -190m
Our track is like 5600m, I only use a Driver on 10 holes. The rest are irons off the tee for position. I only use a tee for the Driver, The rest I’m like you… right off the deck, I might lose a couple meters, but they stay in play! I can lengthen out to a 5900-6000m track, but then I’m stretched out. Too many long irons and metals into greens…
I am the same. I only use driver on 10 holes. 5 par threes, 1 short par 4(have hit the green with wedge wedge there before) and 2 doglegs at 180m.
Played yesterday arvo after a massive thunderstorm crossed over in the morning with 40mm of rain. Big winds and lots of branches down along with half a big tree. Played 2 balls side by side Had a crappy front nine of 23 over. Then on the back nine I shot 7 over to finish with a 13 over and a 17 over. Highlights were 2 birdies on the 406m par 5 14th. First ball a great drive up the hill to 171 to the front. Hit a 3i that just landed on the front and ran up to the back tier and through the back. My second ball was a hook that finished in the middle. 200m out I hit my 1 iron and hooked it down a massive back to another fairway. My third shot was back up the bank over a bunker to the flag. Hit a great pitch to 8 foot and made the putt. The other ball I chipped on and made that putt as well. All up 13 pars 2 birdies 10 bogies and 11 doubles. Need to stop making so many doubles.
Had a day out today. 5 gir. 7 pars and 2 birdies. On the 13 greens I missed I got up and down 9 times. A few streaky long putts and one over a bunker. 11 one putts for 25 putts and 8 over. Not much wind and a beautiful sunny day. Lots of good luck.
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Going out tomorrow. 1030 am. Gonna be 60*. I set a number for myself of 77. Gonna play the course at 6000 yds spot on. Gonna give myself a full 90 minute warm up. No frost predicted. My wedges have been dialed in. It’s all about the putting. I gotta convert a few of these 6-15 footers I’ve been leaving myself. I’ll edit the post when I finish play!
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I’m excited for you! Really.
Mainly because I’m kind of in the same mood myself. Been putting a lot of work in. Really trying to work on weight shifts, full shoulder turns, and good action on the right arm.
Plus clearing out a lot of obstacles at work and home so I can actually get to play.
Trying for Sunday and, like you, I’ll let everyone know how it goes.
Good luck! Hit 'em straight!
Ooh, almost forgot: get your putting speed dialed in the 90 minutes of warm up. Uphill, downhill, sidehill left, sidehill right. No surprises.
Good luck, That sounds like you are going to put a lot of pressure on yourself.
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Absolutely true, oki, but think of how satisfying it’ll be when he walks off the 18th green, knowing he’s kicked its ass, and it’s because he put the work in and had faith in himself and his process?
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OK, just got home. It was a beautiful day for December. Got up to almost 65*. So I was slightly miffed at myself, but I’m really not good enough to be miffed and you’ll hear why. 5 GIR going out. Nothing exciting, but did not convert 3 makable birdie putts that were under 12 ft. Out in 39. 6 GIR coming in. I converted nothing. I made one par save on a missed green. So here’s why I got miffed. Nice Drive on 18, hit it like 235 ish, had 170 to a back pin, took plenty of club to make up for a mishit, which I did but the worm burner I hit went 150 ish and reached the front of the green. Hit my 60 ft putt to 3 ft. I’m standing over a par putt for 37. I left it short!!!
Inward 9 at 38 for a 77! So I cannot be mad! Now we did another 9. Started with 2 bogies. The par 5 I hit Driver into the rough with a crappy lie, 7W to 80yds, Hit a wedge to 1 ft. Birdie, Then went Par, Par, Par, Tried to step on my Drive on #7 and hit into the FW bunker, went bunker to green side bunker, HOLED OUT for Birdie, Back to even, Hit an 8 iron on the 148yd par 3, 20 ft 2 putted, Standing on 9 tee even par. Driver 8 iron to 6 ft. Holed it for 3rd birdie going out. 34 (-1). So 39-38-34. Not bad for the old guys! I walked the first 18, I rode with my partner on the final 9. Riding is such a pleasure! We were the last group out and caught a single on the 4th hole, We played the last 9 in 80 minutes. My partner can play too, He shot an 82 and a 39 on the last 9. So when everyone is playing well you can motor through….
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Played what may be my last round until Spring. Shot an 85 (44 + 41) on a cold-ish day with poorly aerated greens…on which I will blame my 4 3-putts. Definitely one of my better ballstriking days in quite a while. I hit the ball well enough to shoot high 70’s, but the short game was rusty.
Even though it was in the 40’s and I was playing a ball that’s usually a bit shorter hitting for me (Oncore Elixr) I drove it farther than usual. I hit quite a few really solid irons too. I was just trying to take the club back a bit slower with a square face and then start the downswing with my body and not my arms. Of course even if I remember this feeling in the Spring it will likely not work again. Still if this was it then it was a good finish.
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Another gorgeous Saturday, started with a sweatshirt on, was down to shirtsleeves by 3rd hole. Today was a tale of 2 completely different rounds. Went out in 36 with 2 birdies. Started the back with an 18 ft birdie putt left short. Then 3 miscues in a row that led to DB, DB, DB! Ugh! Followed by 2 pars, then another DB as I took my first penalty stroke in 27 rounds slapping a drive into the stream! I needed a par par finish for 79. Alas I went par bogey for an 80. The mistakes on the back were mental miscues, Just rushing the process instead backing off shot setup and restarting the mechanism. Only 1 3putt today which was on 18. Overall, very happy with distance, direction and overall play. I have been taking 1 more club than what I normally do on my approaches, the thought always creeped in I might “AIR-MAIL” one, but not even close…. 
Next Saturday is shaping up for another 55+ degree day in December for the North East …. Who is gonna complain?
Teed of at 0740 this morning in fog. We are 14 days into summer! Shot 16 over with 6 pars and 8 one putts. Then as we walked back past the pro shop I saw 2 members of my Sunday group so joined them. I wasn’t planning on played 36 holes. The first hole I needed a draw as I had the edge of the tree on my line. I got my draw but it went through the tree taking a slight deflection to the right. I was lucky it finished left of the bunker just short of the green. Got up and down for par. Next hole I was pin high on the fringe and chipped in for birdie. Then I went dbl, bogie, triple, par, dbl, par, dbl. It was frustrating only playing every second hole well. 12 is a dogleg right where the 2nd shot is usually off a downhill lie to a green up a hill. My second shot from 140m with a 5i was low and I thought it was in the bunker 10m short of the green but it carried and ran up the bank at the left of the green pin high. I chipped and it was racing down the slope. Luckily it hit the pin and dropped for another birdie. I had aimed 6 inches to the right and it took the break I expected so not a total fluke. 6 pars and 2 birdies for 14 over. 4 dbls and a triple bogey were the killer. Still lots of good luck. Now I am very tired. Overall stats 12 pars, 2 birdies, 14 bogies, 6 doubles and 2 triples over 36 holes. Both my triples came after hitting a tree off the tee. The second one I hit my second over the trees to get back on the right hole but then hooked an 8i into a place where I could only hit backwards. Next on and 2 putts for a 7. Really unfortunate my 3rd ended up against a tree.
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Another beautiful day in the Northeast. Little frost delay, but we got in the box for a 10am time at 1030am. Again, I was down to shirtsleeves by #4. The phone said 58*. Another very good front 36 with 2 bogies, 1 birdie. Same thing as last week Back 9 was a few too many mental lapses and two- 3putts. Was able to piece together a 41, as I birdied the Par 5, dropping a 60* from 55yds to 4 ft. I actually putted very nicely today until the last 2 holes. 3 putted both for bogeys. Looking decent again for next Saturday. Early wishes to all for a very Merry Christmas!
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Only hit 2 gir today but had 11 pars. 10 one putts. Shot 10 over after having 2 bad holes. 10 a great drive then with my one iron hit a shot that got in the air then dove and ran along the ground. Then aimed right for my draw and hit right to be on the wrong side of the bunker. On and 2 putts for a double. 15 I drove it into the fairway bunker rhs and then hit a 6i with a massive hook down a bank on the left, nearly to the fence. Had a really restricted swing and advanced about 10m. Then with a low branch and a bank to go over I hit a low shot under the branch and up the bank but not high enough to get over the second bank. Chip and 2 putts for a triple. Still 3 good putts and 9 chips to 3 foot or less. Lots to 1 foot.One chip was lucky. I chunked it but it still finished 1ft away. Another hole I hooked my tee shot on a par 3. Put my hands way forward on a 7i to hopefully hook a low running shot up onto the green. Came out way left and flew into the bunker with a decent lip. Somehow it came out and ran up to 3ft above the hole. Lucky but I was trying to hitt a low shot. A great day out. Up and down percentage of 68.75
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Well, I was able to get one more day in. I spent a lot of the day helping our new partner out with a lot of nuances about the golf swing and how to play shots. He finally asked me about alignment on putts, my first question was are you right or left eye dominant? He says right eye… BTW he was missing his reads by like a foot. I showed him how to find out, turns out he is left eye dominant, He spent the last 11 holes in a Holy Crap moment LOL! But his putting improved vastly. On 9th hole he had a 60 ft putt, and that’s when I asked him how big is the hole, he says 4", I said wrong, the diameter is now 4 ft try and get it in a 4ft circle. another moment of enlightenment! He hit his putt and got it up to within 3ft. At which time I said good putt, but just know this, you missed a hole that is 4ft wide! I’m pretty sure a lot of guys who post on here are pretty well versed in a lot of the nuances of shot making, I know I am. At least, my new partner is finally getting past bashing balls. I mean you play with someone that is basically playing even par rounds and you aren’t close to that, but you want to be is cool to me. The biggest advice I give him is practice! We had a frost delay and our time was pushed 50 minutes. I spent 20 minutes hitting left handed upside down wedge chip shots. He’s like why? Because it helps with your eye/hand coordination and one never knows when you’ll need the shot! I can hit an upside down wedge about 40 yds if I have to.To the day, I started out wearing 4 layers, got down to 3! It hit 49* with very little breeze, so not bad. I had another very good round, but disappointing too in some respect, Only hit, 6 GIR all day, but my misses were maybe a foot off the green. 29 putts all day which is pretty good. Very simple chips. 36 front, no birdie conversions, +1 and the putt I missed was a 3ft 180! Back 9 was was just horrendous again for me, Good 3W on 10, mishit an 8i, left a 30 yd pitch way short, Bogey, , Bogey 11, Bogey 13 another bad iron strike! Missed a 4ft par putt, Parred the next 2, Hit a very short Drive on 415y 16th, then duffed 3W like 40 yds , Gap Wedge from 90 yd to 45ft, left the putt for par 3 inches short, Missed the green on 17, by 4ft, struck the chip a bit firm, ended up 30ft for par, hit probably best putt of day, ball was turning right into the jar, then it stopped turning, finished 3" past the cup on the high side, Bogey! Drilled a Drive on the 380yd 18th, had 140 in from center of FW. Missed the green again by 3ft (25ft right hole high) but chipped it to 2ft for par, for an inward 40 =76! I seem to be stuck in a loop on the front at 36, and the back in the 40s. What’s interesting is except for the 11th hole, the inward 9 is so much easier than the front, the front is a lot more precision and the inward is very strait forward, No matter what is , it’s better than work! Not too, bad for last round of 2023, I’m getting closer to be able to shoot my age! Not exactly what you look forward to! Wishing all you folks a Healthy New Year above all else!
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Played crappy today. 3 tee shots found water. Worst was 4 a par 3 with 171m to the back. I creamed a high 3i that was dead straight just left of the pin. There was a big wind gust just as I hit and it finished in the lake short. But I had some really good luck. On 12 I hooked a low 5i into the bunker short but it caught the side and bounced up and over the bunker. On 14 a par 5 with my third shot I tried to chip an 8i to make it run up to the back tier. I chipped it straight into the bunker short and it ran out and up onto the green. Then on 15 my 7i was falling short into the bunker then it came out rolling left along the green. When I got up there I worked out it must have bounced off the handle of the rake. 13 over on the front nine then 6 over on the back. Got to love having good luck on the course
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