Let’s start 2025 with the most important question for club golfers.
It’s quite simple: “How far do you hit your 6 iron?”
Answers will vary but believe me, most will be a wild over-estimate. Anyone answering ‘around 190’ deserves an ‘Oh really? Didn’t see your name on the front of your bag.’
It’s what they get from me because unless it is, they almost certainly don’t. Anyone answering ‘around 160’ however is that most elusive of club golfers: the realist, because he or she knows that a 160 carry with a 6 iron is them on a good day maximum, when they’re swinging well and when that back isn’t as tight as it usually is after a week sat at a desk or on the tools.
All of which explains why they’re not always short of the green when the pin’s on the front, or on the front when the pin’s on the back, or worse, in the water short again – unlike the over-optimist who is all three.
If you’re the over-optimistic type, and to be honest you probably are, then I (and every other tour caddie) would advise that a first step to curing this insane condition is to start logging – even taking notice of would help – how far all your irons actually pitch, especially into the greens.
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If you do, that wedge you want to hit will become the smooth 8 iron you need. The ball will end up closer to the green, perhaps even on it; and if it does hit the green, it’ll be closer to the hole meaning that almost certain three-putt becomes a safe two-putt which brings us on to putting.
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Arh yes, putting. Being something of a veteran of pro-ams, putting really can be a s***show to the point where, for a lot of amateurs, if the ball goes anywhere near the hole it’s something of a miracle. If it goes in, then that’s nothing short of divine intervention on several counts.
Firstly, it’s always best to look at the line. Even if you’ve played at your home course for years, it sticks in your subconscious before you hit and yes, I’ve studied basic psychology because I’ve caddied for a lot of below-average putters (and lunatics) out here, and believe me, forewarned is forearmed.
Then there’s the stroke itself. A lot of amateur’s putting strokes are not things of beauty. Short back and quick through. Head up. Fanning the blade open. I have seen it all.
Most of which, however, could be cured by some basic green reading skills and some even more basic putting drills before you go out. Instead of mindlessly propelling putts at various holes on the putting green, put two tees just over a ball width apart two feet in front of your ball, and putt through these.
If your ball hits either of the tees, it’s off-line already and so no amount of divine intervention, or looking quizzically at me or my boss, is going to help. You’re missing by several feet and probably the next one too.
So let’s resolve to make 2025 the year when every club golfer becomes a realist in terms of their yardages, and way more competent in terms of their putting.
Either that or you’ll be reading this one again this time next year.
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