Golfers are constantly criticising themselves after hitting what they perceive to be a bad shot. But what does a good shot look like and do we just have unrealistic expectations?
In this video, we dive into the Shot Scope data to see how far golfers hit their 7-iron and also how close they hit their shots to the pin. We break down the differences for all different handicap golfers so whether you’re a beginner or an experienced golfer, you can understand how to use your 7 iron effectively to improve your golf course management and strategy.
You might be surprised just how often even scratch handicap golfers hit bad shots with their 7-iron. So hopefully this video will make you feel better about your bad shots and give you more realistic expectations next time you head out on the golf course.
About the channel:
Hello I’m Hannah Holden a +2 golfer from Yorkshire, England and this is my brand new YouTube channel Hannah Holden Golf.
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20 Comments
I hit my PXG 317 7 iron about 140 yards. Not to shabby for a 64 year old golfer.
I'm a 5.4hncp my 7 iron in perfect situations with full swing and great strike is about 175 -180. When I thin it could go anywhere and I fat it could go very short. So I understand why my average when I look at my shot scope data my 7 iron on average is 159. This video is for me almost exactly.
Thanks Hannah Hope to see more videos like this
This is really helping me to rethink what a "bad shot" looks like and what is realistic. Many people with whom I play seem to play as if they are going to max out every shot.
The circumstance of being disappointed that your 7 iron doesn’t fly 150 yards is really corrosive to this golfer and I suspect many others. Playing with low handicappers and the occasional scratch or plus player, one of the most striking things about them is how often they threaten the hole with chips and pitches. Soooo . . Somewhere in those last two sentences is a better recipe for real improvement. It’s just got to be ! Great video, thanks
One of the implications of this info is that, if you are a middle iron away, and you are likely not hitting the green, you might be better off not even trying for it, depending what's around the green. Hit a little 8 or 9 iron, aim away from trouble, and try to get a simpler short game shot from a good lie. Because after all, what surrounds most greens? Trouble. If we can hit accurately enough to get inside that ring of hazards – bunkers, mounds, swales, steep slopes, heavy rough, water, trees, etc. – most of the time, then sure, go for it. But if we can't, (and this far out, most of us can't), then maybe it's better to pick a place we can hit an easier short game shot from, rather than something really challenging, like hacking out of rough from a downhill-sidehill lie off a mound, or hitting a short sided sandie over a high lip. Also, that shorter, 3/4 swing shot to a large target short of the green somewhere is likely going to be easier, and we're likely to hit it more accurately. So, easier. Plus it makes the next shot easier. Which likely takes double bogey out of play, without costing us any pars, because we'll still get a few up and downs out of those simple pitch or chip shots, thus making up for the few greens in regulation we forego. Which means we'll probably average a bit better score on that hole, over time. What's not to like?
What I would like to see stats for is score compared to tee shot length.
Hannah, this is such an important video. I think most golfers, myself included, feel like failures if we don’t hit the ball as close as our best lucky shot ever. Through focused, consistent, goal based practice we can improve, but beating ourselves up over “missed” shots that most likely represent our present abilities just takes the joy out of “playing a game.” Either accept your normal inconsistency and laugh or seek help from someone you find who methods makes sense to you. Thanks Hannah, Iggy
Hannah, this is stunning information! I’m honestly still trying process it, but I’ll say this: I’m 73 years old, and have been playing for over 60 years; I was at my best a 4, and I maintained that level for roughly three decades, so I had plenty of data (from memory) to use as a comparison with your stats. Bottom line—I wish I’d had this information 50+ years ago!! I would have enjoyed playing this game SO MUCH MORE than I did for most of the years that I played my best (and, enjoying it more, I might even have played better!). I always imagined that I should be sticking every shot with, say, 7-iron on down, at least hitting the green 80% of the time with 5&6 irons, and averaging 50% with the 2, 3 &4. Back then this kind of comparative information was purely anecdotal, and likely most of it wrong (guys typically being fantasists about their golf games, among other things), so no one really had any idea how far “average” driving distances were, let alone iron shot distances and dispersal patterns and even more so seeing it broken out by handicap level. It’s just remarkable what reality looks like—and you’ve done golfers everywhere a real service with this video. Pro shops should be running it non-stop, as they’d be doing their patrons a huge favor. Personally, this will change the way I see the game, and I have no doubt that I’ll appreciate it more no matter HOW I play! Thank you, Hannah.
I love looking at stats like this for low handicap or even pro golfers. What we see on the TV are highlight reels, and real gold looks little like what's on TV, even for really good players. It takes a lot of pressure off knowing that real golf is about misses and recoveries, not just pure shots. My question is, what can we learn about our game by comparing our distances and handicaps to the averages you listed, anything? According to Arccos, my average 7i goes about 165, but I'm nowhere near scratch, I'm about a 14 HC. Does that tell me anything at all?
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LOL This seems to be why advice for 7 iron is usually "aim for center of green". Forget the pin. Thank You Hannah.
Great video, Hannah. Part of the problem with golfers who have talent but still post plus 90 scores is failure to understand course management. Look at the course in advance and plan your way around, stick to the process and your scores will come down even if you still hit bad shots. This might sound boring, but your game will improve quickly if you take your time and play the percentages.
Very interesting, Hannah. Looks like I won't have to commit suicide next time out, after all.😉
And this may be inappropriate, but hey, I'm old and have no filter: Looking good, girl! Unless it's my imagination, you've really gotten fit in the past year! (OK, slap away for the superficial, misogynist, objectifying, or whatever bad thing a compliment is these days …)
Imagine that your golf club produces a shot pattern like a shotgun. Im a right hander so my shot dispersion ellipse will have long left pulls, high short right fades and everything in between. So you have width dispersion and length dispersion to take into account. Its a matter of aiming the centre of your “shotgun” at your target. Your target might not be a flag on the green though dependant on pin placement. As your shot ellipse could put too many shots into an adjacent hazard. For example at 150yrds on a calm day on the fairway to a pin set up 4yrds from the lhs of the green my target is 8yrds from the edge the side the flag is at… this could increase if there are hazards, lie, stance etc to take into account. I have used decade golf now for around 7 months, and shotscope for only half a dozen rounds. Scott Fawcett’s Decade golf has really opened my eyes to all this, and helped when deciding on a target for my shot which I have seen already bring my scores down. That coupled with the stats from shotscope has me really excited for the upcoming season 😊
On the PGA TOUR pros shot dispersion is an incredible 71yrds off the tee. They are the best in the world so that is a staggering distance…one i found hard to accept until you see the shots gained data.
Mark Broadies book Every Shot Counts – he invented shots gained data is also amazing and a real eye opener for pros shot data and gives us mere mortals some perspective!
Brilliant, relevant & relatable content Hannah, keep it up!!!
Interesting info. Are those distances for women or men? Thanks
Just ordered a Shotscope v5 and tags, love these stats.
Hannah if you attempt to process all these statistics, it can effect your confidence to attempt to make some of the shots which you would usually manage to complete at all handicap levels provided you do not go beyond your abilities to start with.
Another informative video Hannah. Greetings from across the pond. Smash that like button 👇
This video only reinforces my decision to dump the 7 iron for a 7 hybrid. More consistent strikes and tighter dispersion in width and length with the hybrid.