No matter how you spin it, golf is hard. It doesn’t matter if you’re using a driver off the tee, trying to hit an iron shot from off pine needles, or simply trying to putt on the smoothest, most well-maintained grass you’ve ever seen, this game can cause sane humans to go absolutely crazy.
While the whole sport can be difficult, something I personally find to be a struggle is dialing in distance control on approach shots, which requires a masterful touch from having the perfect backswing length.
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For example, I often carry my 9-iron about 148 yards and carry my Pitching Wedge about 132 yards, meaning I don’t really have a trusted club from 140 yards out — you probably see where I’m going with this.
So when I’m faced with a shot from 135-140 yards, it means I have to make important adjustments using my 9-iron, which is no simple task.
This trick will help master distance control on approach shots
During a trip to this year’s PGA Show in Orlando, I had the chance to film a 3-hole playing lesson with top golf instructor Mike Dickson, who challenged me to shoot even par from the back tees.
As a 15-handicap who’s trying to break 80 for the first time, I needed to elevate my game to reach the goal Dickson put in front of me.
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While I had some good and bad shots on the three holes (hey, that’s golf!), the one that I’m most proud of was my third shot on the final hole.
With about 85 yards to the flagstick, I had a decision to make: Use my Approach Wedge or go with my Sand Wedge (56-degree). After some deliberation with Dickson, I committed to my Approach Wedge — but used Dickson’s tip to ensure I executed this approach shot to perfection.
“Are you taking [a little] off of this then,” Dickson asked as I addressed the golf ball.
After correcting my vocabulary by reminding me to “grip down” rather than “choke down” on the club’s grip, Dickson added a valuable golf tip when considering distance control.
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“Here’s the thing, gripping down an inch is going to take 2-to-3 yards off [the shot], whereas using a half-swing is going to take 20 yards off,” Dickson shared.
Wait, what?!?
Maybe stupidly, I was doing both: gripping down and shortening my swing length, meaning I was “double-dipping,” as Dickson told me.
“When you grip down [on an approach shot like this], now you’re making one of your short clubs even shorter,” Dickson explained. “That doesn’t sound like a good plan to me, because the last thing I want you to do is blade this thing across the green — that’s triple-bogey territory.”
Dickson reminded me to commit to a club that allowed me to take a little bit off, adjust my swing length rather than grip down, and create some insurance in case I didn’t hit the perfect shot.
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“Just use a half-swing here [with your Approach Wedge] and a normal grip,” he told me. “Technically, you’ve just got to fly this 65 yards and you’re on the green.”
After using his tip, I perfectly executed the shot, leaving it pin high with a chance for a birdie.
So if you struggle with distance control on approach shots from around 100 yards, consider using Dickson’s advice to help make life easier on yourself. See, golf can be easy!
Related: How Standing on an Unstable Surface Actually Improved My Ball-Striking
Related: Justin Thomas Shares 1 Common Mistake That’s Causing Your Poor Ball Striking
