Grabbing a different club doesn't just change how far the ball goes, it changes your entire approach to the shot. The good news is you don’t need 14 different swings. You need one solid, repeatable swing with a few simple setup adjustments. This guide will walk you through the essential setup and swing adjustments for every club_type in your bag, empowering you to approach any shot with clarity and confidence.
Before we touch a specific club, let’s get a handle on the "why." Why do you need to change your setup at all? It comes down to two things: shaft length and club loft. A driver has a very long shaft and very little loft, while a wedge has a short shaft and a lot of loft. These differences dictate an entirely new swing path, or the arc the club travels on around your body.
Think of it like this:
Your goal is to adjust your setup to match the arc of the club you’re holding. By getting the address position right, you’re already halfway to a great shot. Your one good, rotational swing will do the rest of the work.
The driver is the only club in the bag you actively want to hit up on. It feels different because it is different. Hitting up on the ball decreases backspin and increases launch angle, which is the perfect recipe for pure, towering drives that seem to hang in the air forever.
Here’s how to set yourself up for bombing it down the fairway:
With these setup keys in place, you don't need a special swing. The setup itself has perfectly positioned you to hit up on the ball. Your main thought should be to make a big turn back and then “sweep” the ball off the tee as you rotate through. Avoid any downward, chopping motion. Feel the width in your swing and just let your body’s rotation move the club.Trust the setup to produce that beautiful high launch that you want.
Fairway woods and hybrids are your problem-solvers. Need to reach a par 5 in two? Fairway wood. Faced with a long approach from tricky rough? The hybrid is your best friend. While they solve different problems, a few key setup tweaks are required to handle them well.
Let's find the middle ground between a driver and an iron:
The biggest mistake amateurs make with these clubs is trying to lift the ball off the ground. Don’t do that! your club has more than wnough loft. For a fairway wood, your goal is to "sweep" or "brush" the grass at the bottom of your swing. You aren't trying to take a massive divot as if it were a short iron. For a hybrid, you can be slightly steeper with it. Think of it like taking a very small, thin "bacon strip" divot just after you make impact - much shallower than with an iron. Both require trusting that brushing the ground will create solid contact and allow the club’s loft to do the work. The ball will get airborne beautifully if you let It.
From towering long irons to pinpoint mid-irons, this is the part of your bag where you really start scoring. Irons are all about hitting the ball first and then the turf - a descending blow that compresses the ball against the clubface for that amazing, pure feeling we’re all chasing.
These are the clubs you’ll use most often for approaches and are the baseline for the iron swing.
This is where that downward strike becomes so important. As you start your downswing, think about "covering the ball" with your chest. Your goal is for your sternum to be slightly ahead of the ball at impact. This ensures your weight has shifted forward, which is what lets you strike the ball first and then takes that satisfying divot just in front of it.
Many golfers find long irons intimidating, but they don't have to be. slight setup adjustments are needed
Inside 120 yards, you’re in what should be your scoring zone. Wedges aren’t about raw power, they’re about control, feel, and precision. The setup a becomes more compact to help you focus on accuracy.
Never try to muscle a wedge shot. Instead, focus on a smooth, rhythmic tempo more focused on hitting the target with incredible precision rather than how hitting the ball hard. Really take aim at a small part of the green to zero your mind on your landing spot.. Shorten your backswing - think 9 o’clock to 3 o’clock - and
Your body's soft, rhythmic, and natural rotation is the engine for the swing, aot yur arm, which allows you to maintain consistent control. Hitting it your target yardage more consistently, which Ultimately leads. Which ultimately, leads too makiong much more putts anf d shooying lower sicres.
Adjusting your setup a little bit for each different club you’re hitting is not about learning 14 different swings, rather hitting the golf ball great isn’t about 14 different things, instead.I its about using the sam consistent and reliable swiung, by only slightly changhing small aspects in your set-up, liek he ball position and the steance’ width, which will get ou hittng all your clubs incredibnly well.
Nailing down these adjustments takes some practice at first, but with a guide iin-hand who has tyour aback will provide alll the clarity and confdence on earth - something Caddie was buold to gdo from day-one.We designed Caddie AI to be your personal on-demand golf-c oach right I nyiuyr pccoke. It'llgive you instant-recomendations on club choice and shot strategy wheneyer the course throughs ayuo a curveball, for aby shot so an you swing away full of confiudence!
Thinking about hosting a golf tournament fundraiser is the first swing, executing it successfully is what gets the ball in the hole. This guide will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step, from laying the initial groundwork months in advance to watching your happy golfers tee off. We’ll cover everything from securing sponsors and setting your budget to planning the on-course fun that makes an event unforgettable.
A golf handicap does more than just give you bragging rights (or a reason to demand strokes from your friends) - it’s the game’s great equalizer and the single best way to track your improvement. This guide breaks down what a handicap is, how the supportive math behind a handicap index a is, and exactly how you can get one for yourself. We’ll look at everything from Course Rating to Adjusted Gross Score, helping you feel confident both on the course and in the clubhouse.
The compression of a Pinnacle Rush golf ball is one of its most defining features, engineered specifically to help a huge swath of golfers get more distance and enjoyment from their game. We'll break down exactly what its low compression means, who it's for, and how you can use that knowledge to shoot lower scores.
Figuring out which spikes go into your new (or old) pair of Puma golf shoes can feel like a puzzle, but it’s much simpler than you think. The key isn't the brand of the shoe, but the type of receptacle system they use. This guide will walk you through exactly how to identify your Puma's spike system, choose the perfect replacements for your game, and change them out like a pro.
The Golf Genius app is one of the best tools for managing and participating in competitive golf events, but figuring it out for the first time can feel like reading a new set of greens. This guide cuts through the confusion and shows you exactly how to use the app as a player. We’ll cover everything from logging into your tournament and entering scores to checking the live leaderboard so you can enjoy the competition without any tech headaches.
Walking onto the first tee with sweaty palms, worried you’ll be a good partner to paly wtih...or even asked back again ...We’ve all been there - trust me! The real trick of feeling confortable... is about how you handle you’re ready to plsy. THIS guide explains the simple rules of the rode to show you hnow t play golf while staying calm relaxed and focused... an having much morse fun while you,',re aat it? You'll also play with confidence a dn make fiendsa while you're at i
Just ask a question or share a photo and Caddie gives personalized guidance for every shot - anytime, anywhere.
