Instruction
Between clubs? Choking up is always the best strategy
What should golfers do when they’re stuck between yardages? Alter their swing? Hit their shorter club harder? Hit their longer club easier?
The answer is neither. I recommended that most golfers simply “choke up.”
Think about it: If you shorten the club by choking up, your swing will shorten, your clubhead speed will decrease and the ball won’t carry as far. It’s an easy solution to a problem that almost all of us make too hard.
Of course, there are situations when golfers must alter their swings or hit the ball differently, but thankfully these situations are limited. That’s why I recommend choking up 100 percent of the time for most golfers. At the higher levels there are a few other options, but choking up is the easiest, most consistent solution.
In efforts to help you understand what “choking up” does, I hit a few shots on my Trackman so we could look at what happens to ball flight when you hit a shot full, choke up 1 inch and choke up 2 inches. Here’s the data.
Stock 7 iron swing
- Club head speed was 82.3 mph.
- Ball Speed was 113.4 mph.
- Launch was 17.2 degrees with a spin rate of 6836 rpm.
- Height was 103.6 feet and the landing angle was 55.6 degrees.
- Carry was 152.3 yards. Given its spin rate, height and landing angle, this ball is going to sit on the green quickly.
Stock 7 iron swing (Choked up 1 inch)
- Club head speed was 79.0 mph.
- Ball Speed was 107.9 mph.
- Launch was 17.2 degrees with a spin rate of 6477 rpm.
- Height was 80.5 feet and the landing angle was 50.9 degrees.
- The ball carried 139.7 when choked up 1 inch versus my stock carry of 152.3. That’sa difference of 12.6 yards
- What is interesting to note is that even with the height going down by 23.1 feet the landing angle only went down by 4.7 degrees. That helped the ball only chase forward 3.5 yards.
- It’s nice to see that the ball will sit rather quickly when choking down 1 inch and that the spin rate stays within 359 rpm’s of my stock shot.
- The Verdict? When choking down 1 inch you will see a lower clubhead speed, a flatter launch, a shorter carry and shots will stop on the green almost as quick as your stock shot.
Stock 7 iron (Choked up 2 inches)
- Club head speed was 77.4 mph.
- Ball speed was 102.3 mph.
- Launch was 13.5 degrees with a spin rate of 5592 rpm.
- Height was 61.5 feet and the landing angle was 45.3 degrees.
- The ball carried 152.3 yards with my stock shot, 139.7 yards choked up 1 inch and 131.2 yards choked up 2 inches. It’s obvious to see that choking up can alter your distance by over 20 yards.
- The spin rate dropped from 6936 rpm to 5592 rpm, a difference of 1344 rpms and this greatly influences the release of the ball on the green. With this shot, I saw a roll out of 6.8 yards (20.4 feet).
- The Verdict? As the launch, height and spin rate decrease you will see a flatter landing angle on this shot at 45.3 degrees, which will cause the ball to run out a touch more. So choking up more than 1 inch will cause the ball to chase a touch more on the green.
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
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Sodapoppin
Sep 23, 2014 at 2:32 am
Hi Tom,
What exactly do you mean with “chokin up”? The logical explanation will be to “grip down” on the club, and would also make sense.
Kevin Russell
Sep 6, 2014 at 11:31 am
A quick question on your article about choking down an inch with your stock 7 are you starting at the butt end of the club or how far down do you grip for a stock shot?
Tom Stickney
Sep 6, 2014 at 3:29 pm
Yes from the butt end. I grip it just on the edge of the grip personally
Mike
Sep 5, 2014 at 2:55 am
Hi,
Nice data with your story. How you manage the Lie-angle change when choking up? With 2″ the lie-angle is so much different which should turn the ball more fade.
Thank’s for your good story.
Tom Stickney
Sep 5, 2014 at 9:03 am
You need to practice a touch to manage the length changes.
Jack F
Sep 4, 2014 at 6:04 pm
Tom… interesting and helpful article. One thing that may need to be emphasized (which you already eluded to) is the importance of the quality of ball striking and how it relates to all this data and your test. Every experiment requires assumptions to be made. This experiment assumes equal quality of contact at impact, which many may not have. Some may actually INCREASE the quality of impact which could provide opposite results. For me, early in the season or after an extended break, thus method wouldn’t work, as my ball striking is lacking. I’m sure this happens to a lot of you.
Tom Stickney
Sep 4, 2014 at 11:45 pm
Centered impact for different players can be length dependent.
Stewart
Sep 4, 2014 at 5:42 pm
I enjoy going down the shaft on shots but for me they end up going the same length and often even further into the wind.
This is due to me being a sweeper of the ball with my full swing and have around a 0* AOA but when I go down the shaft I tend to keep my weight towards the left and have around a 3-4* downward AOA which ends up a great flight for the wind but tricky to judge at times.
Tom Stickney
Sep 4, 2014 at 6:09 pm
The downward aoa shifts path to the rt and this coupled with more shaft lean can cause some distance control issues.
Fore!
Sep 4, 2014 at 1:38 pm
So when choking up, I should still try and replicate a full swing as if I was hitting it with a normal grip? I’ve gotten in the mindset that if I’m choking up, I swing easier too. But really it should be just a normal full swing and ‘shortening’ the club is what alters the club speed, not me?
tom stickney
Sep 4, 2014 at 4:19 pm
The swing will naturally be a touch tighter due to the shorter club
slide13
Sep 4, 2014 at 12:42 pm
Nice article, very useful, especially as I consider going out with a half-set in a Sunday bag for some casual rounds. I’ll experiment to see if this holds true. Great to see the numbers.
I wonder how the yardage changes will hold consistent as one moves through the set. In other words, does choking down 1″ on a 4 iron yield a larger or smaller change in distance than doing so with a 7 iron.
Tom Stickney
Sep 4, 2014 at 1:04 pm
Different for everyone.
David Smith
Sep 4, 2014 at 11:30 am
Isn’t it choking down? I’ve actually never heard someone say “choking up” in this context. Either way, great tips! Always a pleasure seeing what 1-2 inches can do 😉
Jacob
Sep 3, 2014 at 10:44 am
Isn’t the standard gap between clubs 10-15 yards? If so, by choking up 1″ and hitting it 12.6 yards less, why wouldn’t you just hit a full 8 iron?
Tom Stickney
Sep 3, 2014 at 11:05 am
Not everyone has all standard gaps
Jacob
Sep 3, 2014 at 7:01 pm
Good point. This would be handy if a player has a large gap between wedges. I myself have a 50* and 56* only and can think of a few occasions in my last round where I might have done well to choke up an inch on the 50* rather than hit 56*
Tom Stickney
Sep 3, 2014 at 7:18 pm
Always better to be in control.
eric
Sep 4, 2014 at 1:41 pm
Choke up 1/2″
Desmond
Sep 3, 2014 at 9:32 am
By the way, commend you for the subject, condensed presentation, and showing the stats. Appreciate it.
Tom Stickney
Sep 3, 2014 at 9:43 am
Thx. I try to make things easy.
Don
Sep 3, 2014 at 8:10 am
Tom, a very useful and straight forward article. Thank you! So if we keep this conclusion in mind and we apply it to a driver, can you help me with a conundrum. I am trying to find the optimum driver. My swing speed is between 95-98 mph. When I try to increase my launch, my spin jumps up to high and when I try to lower my spin the launch gets to low. I am considering trying a driver shorter than 45 1/2 inches, but if your conclusion holds constant than my launch will get lower and my speed will decrease. I am a scratch golfer and center impact is pretty consistent. I would love to know your thoughts.
Tom Stickney
Sep 3, 2014 at 9:46 am
It sounds like a vertical impact problem. Hitting it low in the face gives you low launch high spin and vice versa in the upper part if the face. I’d schedule a fitting with a TrackMan and some dr scholl’s ASAP.
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CD
Sep 3, 2014 at 6:03 am
Nice, simple article, no need for all these technical questions, or to delve into the ‘why’, I just I liked the fact that interestingly you get to a point and it releases more, and I’m looking forward to feeling and seeing different shots.
Amazing how often something simple you learn as a beginner gets over-looked with time.
Thanks
Tom Stickney
Sep 3, 2014 at 9:46 am
All my pleasure.
John
Sep 3, 2014 at 5:04 am
You guys kill me sometimes … Tom offered a very good tip and i thought it was worded very well and easy to understand and instead of just thanking the man for his work and very helpful advice you want to chastise him for the way he said it .. good grief can’t anyone just say thanks or say nothing at all??
Thanks Tom for a very good tip that is very helpful !!!!
Tom Stickney
Sep 3, 2014 at 9:47 am
Thank you.
B
Sep 3, 2014 at 1:10 am
Great article, thank you! I play with a lot of spin. I’ve been trying to reduce it through equipment changes, but ultimately, I know that a conscious effort to change course strategy is going to be the only effective solution. Basically, I can’t hold an 8I (and under) on greens that have a slight incline, due to the ridiculous amounts of backspin. This article has got me thinking… maybe the solution is to take two clubs extra (i.e. 6I instead of 8I), grip down 2″, take an extra 1000RPM spin off, and HOPEFULLY hold the green.
Joe
Sep 3, 2014 at 1:30 am
How about you play a lower spin ball…until the time when you plan on buying new clubs, at which point you can get fitted for lower spin shafts?
Tom Stickney
Sep 3, 2014 at 9:49 am
You could do that as well.
Tom Stickney
Sep 3, 2014 at 9:49 am
You have too much spinloft at impact hence the reason why it’s spinning too much. Hit your shots a touch lower without digging down any deeper and the spin should come down.
james
Sep 2, 2014 at 8:47 pm
My regular swing already incorporates quite a bit of choking down (ala Anthony Kim) and doing so has never altered my distance. In fact, distance has increased due to more consistent sweetspot-striking. Would you recommend I further choke down or would you recommend some other tip? Thank you for your articles, they have been wonderful for me.
tom stickney
Sep 2, 2014 at 11:30 pm
Thank you…experiment…I’d say if you choke down further you might find that yardage comes off as well.
Brian
Sep 2, 2014 at 8:36 pm
I have been trying to improve my course management and making intelligent decisions this year. I tried this on Sunday whereby the pin was towards the back but if I hit my nine iron the proper distance I was flirting with back edge on a green where you do not want to go over the back. However the pitching wedge would be at front of the green and no way would get back there. I decided to choke down one inch and I nailed it pin high. Was wondering how to go about figuring out an approximate choke down yardage subtraction. Perhaps a simple rule of thumb for myself. Time to hit the simulator/good winter project.
tom stickney
Sep 2, 2014 at 11:31 pm
Everyone is different….it’s a feel thing
John
Sep 2, 2014 at 7:17 pm
Something I noticed when you do this is I get a bit of a fade as a result of the club being held a fraction more toe down. Something to keep in mind. At first I thought I was putting a different swing on it, but it was happening too consistently to put down to anything else. It’s not a huge difference, but definitely a few yards.
tom stickney
Sep 2, 2014 at 11:31 pm
It can hang a touch if you are not careful
John
Sep 2, 2014 at 7:09 pm
I have found recently when I choke up on the club a 1/2 to 1 inch and take my stock swing, I almost always hit the ball more solid and consequently farther! The whole smash factor thing. Now I am consciously aware that I am taking my stock swing so I definitely believe your advice to be quite sound. So, I’ll either shorten my clubs (duh) or choke down a little farther and allow a smoother, shorter swing to happen. Thanks for the article. Simple and easy implement.
Tom Stickney
Sep 3, 2014 at 9:50 am
Centered impact is the key!
Ken
Sep 2, 2014 at 7:08 pm
Great article. Personally, I like to use the term ‘Grip Down,’ rather than ‘Choke Up.’ Just hate that “C” word.
tom stickney
Sep 2, 2014 at 11:33 pm
The word “choke” has no power unless you allow it to conjure up bad thoughts
Peter Klemperer
Sep 2, 2014 at 6:01 pm
I’ve been doing this with my wedges on the advice of the Pelz book. Now I’ll do it with all my irons. Might even mark the yardages on the shafts!
Thanks for doing this great work.
Tom Stickney
Sep 2, 2014 at 6:42 pm
My pleasure
Teaj
Sep 2, 2014 at 4:51 pm
Great idea for those back pin placements that want the ball to roll out a little more. need to go find me a launch monitor to compare the choked down swing to the stock.
Tom Stickney
Sep 2, 2014 at 5:44 pm
Thx
kevin
Sep 2, 2014 at 4:24 pm
when you do choke down, you will have a tendency to hook the ball if adjustment to tempo and swingweight isn’t made. i usually open up the clubface just a touch.
ABgolfer2
Sep 2, 2014 at 5:31 pm
@ kevin – maybe that’s why he suggests choking up?
Tom Stickney
Sep 2, 2014 at 5:45 pm
Whatever works!
Tom Stickney
Sep 2, 2014 at 6:43 pm
Different for everyone
Jason
Sep 2, 2014 at 4:16 pm
Thanks for the information, it’s pretty enlightening since I seem to struggle with those in between shots. I’m fairly inconsistent with my decision as to how to hit that in between shot. Sometimes, I’ll play a draw/fade to adjust a couple of yards, and other times I’ll use an easier swing. The easier swings never works of course!
Did you notice anything while you were performing this test around the swing weight and lie angle of the club? I know the clubhead would feel quite a bit lighter when choking down–did it have a noticeable affect on the swing? Also, I think the lie angle would get out of whack when choking down. Did you notice any issues with that?
Tom Stickney
Sep 2, 2014 at 5:46 pm
Not really
Desmond
Sep 3, 2014 at 9:28 am
If you are inconsistent with your decision, your shots will show it. You see Touring Pros grip down all the time without negative effect.
Be confident, maintain a good rhythm.
tom stickney
Sep 3, 2014 at 12:09 pm
It’s all about practice…after a few shots you will easily be able to control the face a touch
Jeremy
Sep 2, 2014 at 3:59 pm
Semantics aside, the data you’ve provided is great and will definitely help the decision-making process in the future. It’d be interesting to see the results of “going for it” with an 8-iron as well. Thanks!
Tom Stickney
Sep 2, 2014 at 5:46 pm
Thx sir
Mike
Sep 2, 2014 at 3:58 pm
Glad to see I’m making the first rational comment/question…
Tom, do you recommend people actually marking up their grips so they grip in the same location every time?
Tom Stickney
Sep 2, 2014 at 5:45 pm
Good idea.
Dan
Sep 2, 2014 at 3:34 pm
I think the term “choking down” makes more sense here. I know it’s arguing semantics but I honestly clicked on your link because I thought you might have been introducing some new swing thought. You choke down on an iron/wood, with your hands becoming closer to the club head and moving down towards the ground. You choke up on a baseball bat because of the vertical position of the bat in your normal stance, completely opposite of the starting position of your golf club.
Tom Stickney
Sep 2, 2014 at 3:49 pm
Whatever. Just enjoy the tip.
Knobbywood
Sep 6, 2014 at 10:21 am
Haha Tom maintain your dignity like the professional we all know you are… There will always be people like this and they don’t merit a response from a respected instructor like yourself… Keep up the good work you are my favorite writer on this blog
Tom Stickney
Sep 7, 2014 at 12:00 am
Thx sir. Appreciate your thoughts.
sebastian
Sep 2, 2014 at 8:08 pm
….that guy
Joe
Sep 3, 2014 at 1:33 am
Dork.
Desmond
Sep 2, 2014 at 3:08 pm
The term should really be “grip down”.
You do not want to use the term “choke” in any endeavor… especially golf.
“Grip Down” also makes sense.
Tom Stickney
Sep 2, 2014 at 3:14 pm
I make sure I choke the club…tells it who’s the boss!
Jeff B
Sep 2, 2014 at 7:29 pm
This comment wins.
Desmond
Sep 3, 2014 at 12:39 am
Funny, I think “choking up” is confusing when you’re gripping down. I prefer the “golf whisperer” approach with my clubs, instead of violence against them.
Tom Stickney
Sep 3, 2014 at 9:51 am
Ha ha.
Knobbywood
Sep 8, 2014 at 10:05 am
Man I’d hate to work for you Desmond! Never satisfied… First it was don’t say choke, now it’s say up not down… Obviously you understand the concept so just shut up and go play… No need for your semantic criticisms