Lesson 2: Measuring Your Own Shots
One of the most useful things any golfer can do is learn how far they hit each club. This is called knowing your club distances. A 9-year-old beginner might hit a 7-iron 50 yards. A professional might hit the same club 175 yards.
To measure a shot, you need to know where the ball started and where it landed. You can use the distance markers on the course, or pace out the distance by counting your steps (an average adult’s step is about 1 yard).
Knowing your distances means you can make smarter decisions. If you know your 7-iron goes 60 yards, and the hole is 55 yards away, you know the 7-iron is the right club. You do not have to guess.
Measuring also helps you track your improvement over time. If your 7-iron goes 60 yards today and 70 yards in three months, you can prove to yourself that you are getting stronger and more skillful.
Club distances = how far you hit each club. Knowing your distances helps you choose the right club for every shot.
You can measure distances by counting paces (steps) from where the ball landed back to where it started.
Take 10 big walking steps in a straight line. Measure how far 10 steps covers in feet or yards. Now you know your personal ‘step length.’ You can use this to measure distances on the course by counting your steps.
Hit 5 shots with one club on the range or a practice area. After each shot, pace out the distance from where you hit to where the ball landed. Write each distance in your maths journal. Then find the average distance by adding all 5 distances together and dividing by 5. This is your current club distance for that club — write it down and date it.