Yardage vs Accuracy
 

Is it necessary to give up yardage in order to gain consistency or accuracy? I'm not talking about swinging easy vs. swinging hard. As a high handicapper whose also pretty long, I wonder if making swing changes geared toward consistency will cost me yards. I know, I know, "it's not how far, it's how many":) . But nobody wants to get shorter, right??

That's why you got 14 clubs dawg. If you are a high handicapper and you are LAWNG enough . . . then invest your time in a few mission critical areas.

1. Course Management is of critical concern for you . . . go to Amazon and buy Playing Lessons by Jack Nicklaus. You can get it cheap. Pick smart targets. If you move the ball primarily in one direction . . . stop firing right at the pin. Play for your tendencies. Get the ball in play . . . PERIOD. No matter what stick it takes. Hit your 5 wood and your hybrids. Conservative strategy but cocky swing. Before you stick the tee in the ground on every hole ask yourself . . . "How can I make PAR on THIS HOLE TODAY??? and WHAT IS MY TARGET?"

2. Practice hitting your 3 wood 5 wood and Hybrid. Figure out how to get the ball in play.

3. Practice with a TARGET on EVERY SINGLE SHOT. If you just wack the ball and scrape you are eating golf doo doo. Discipline your mind and your swing . . . play to a freakin target on the range. And change it a bunch.

4. Hit the practice green . . . take ONE BALL . . . chip/pitch that ONE BALL and PUTT IT OUT. That's the way the game is played and that's the way you should practice.

Ask any good player and they will tell you they very rarely swing 'all out' for any shot, so in that sense, yes, most give up some yardage for accuracy.

I like Annika's key of "swing six" - meaning she likes to think of swinging at 60% in pressure situations.

For me, when I am really feeling the 'heavy' feel of lag pressure, it "feels" like my backswing and downswing are the same tempo. Very smooth and even and heavy. The result of that effortless power feel is generally about 80% of an 'all out' motion which I almost never do - except to reach a long par 5 if, and only if, the situation calls for it and the conditions allow for it - and I can KEEP MY BALANCE and HOLD MY FINISH until the ball stops.

That said, working on your swing will hopefully produce more efficient impact, so while you may give up some yards in the short term as you work on certain areas, once you learn to compress a ball there is no doubt you will be hitting it at least as far as you are now, and likely much farther and more accurately. It is a difference you can 'hear'.

That's some top notch material right there cap'n.

Thanks for the replies. It's funny; I have a round tomorrow, and I was determined to think "smooth" the whole round. You know what they say about great minds, Ed. Also, thanks for the course management advice, Bucket. In my last round, 1 lapse in focus in my course management cost me my career best round on a course that has my number. So my plan is to try to focus on every shot, and to try to keep it in play. My 3-iron is going to get a lot of work.