Golf Club Distances, How Can I Adjust For Elevation Changes? (Video) - by Dean Butler
Golf Club Distances, How Can I Adjust For Elevation Changes? (Video) - by Dean Butler

Okay, the question is how can I adjust for elevation changes? Well, the key here is to calculate the yardage, the playing yardage. So, let me explain what I’m talking about. We’re on the fairway, we got a nice typical 150-yard shot and maybe that’s your seven iron. But the green is just 10 yards higher than where you are. And the rule of the thumb is if that green is higher, so it’s at elevated position, we want to select the club that hits the ball 10 yards further. So, seven iron becomes six iron. If the green is 10 yards lower, then the ball will actually go a little bit further because it’s now hitting down and it’s going to release rather than go up and stop. In which case, we’ll take an 8-iron.

So, when you’re looking at these shots, look at the elevation, have a gauge of the actual landing area, the yardage that you’re going to play. And I will take one club more or one club less but most importantly, do not change your setup or your swing at all. It’s as easy as that. You got to have confidence and be committed to that club. An incorrect answer, I hear this all the time in my golf club is, if I’ve got a shot and it’s down heel, I just swing a bit slower, a bit softer. Well you can just imagine by swinging slower or softer or harder and faster, the sort of faults that can actually appear and all the sort of what – was really a simple shot by taking one club more or less and swinging the same creates problem with bad hits and so on and so forth. So, you’ve got the knowledge, go out and put it into practice. It’s not as hard as you think. Take more, take less and be committed.
2014-05-13

Okay, the question is how can I adjust for elevation changes? Well, the key here is to calculate the yardage, the playing yardage. So, let me explain what I’m talking about. We’re on the fairway, we got a nice typical 150-yard shot and maybe that’s your seven iron. But the green is just 10 yards higher than where you are. And the rule of the thumb is if that green is higher, so it’s at elevated position, we want to select the club that hits the ball 10 yards further. So, seven iron becomes six iron. If the green is 10 yards lower, then the ball will actually go a little bit further because it’s now hitting down and it’s going to release rather than go up and stop. In which case, we’ll take an 8-iron.

So, when you’re looking at these shots, look at the elevation, have a gauge of the actual landing area, the yardage that you’re going to play. And I will take one club more or one club less but most importantly, do not change your setup or your swing at all. It’s as easy as that. You got to have confidence and be committed to that club. An incorrect answer, I hear this all the time in my golf club is, if I’ve got a shot and it’s down heel, I just swing a bit slower, a bit softer. Well you can just imagine by swinging slower or softer or harder and faster, the sort of faults that can actually appear and all the sort of what – was really a simple shot by taking one club more or less and swinging the same creates problem with bad hits and so on and so forth.

So, you’ve got the knowledge, go out and put it into practice. It’s not as hard as you think. Take more, take less and be committed.