MY GOLF BLUEPRINT

Club selection: carry, lie and stopping room

A green golf course with rolling fairways, trees and a winding cart path. — Photo: Calvin Seng / Pexels

Select a club for the carry required, the lie and the available landing area. Total distance on a firm fairway is not the same as carry over a hazard.

Work through it

Identify the front obstacle and the back limit.
Use your average carry and normal spread.
Adjust expectations for lie, wind and elevation.
Choose the target and club together.

A practical example

A club averaging 150 yards with a 10-yard spread may not reliably carry a hazard ending at 149 yards.

Practice task

Before five approach shots, write down the carry requirement and intended landing zone. Compare the actual result afterward.

Common mistakes

Do not use a best-ever distance as a stock number. Do not ignore how rough changes contact and control.

Keep learning

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Your progress

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