You’ve heard your playing partners say it, and you’ve definitely heard the pros on TV whispering it to their caddies: I think this is a time to take more club. This simple phrase is one of the most powerful and misunderstood pieces of advice in golf. This article will break down exactly what taking more club means, why it’s one of the best things you can do for your scorecard, and how to start using this strategy to hit more consistent, controlled iron shots.
First, let's clear up a common misconception. "Taking more club" does not mean grabbing a longer club to hit the ball a greater distance. Instead, it's a strategy for hitting a specific yardage with more control and less effort.
In simple terms, taking more club means selecting a longer iron or hybrid (like a 6-iron instead of a 7-iron) and making a smoother, shorter, or more controlled swing (often called a 'three-quarter' or 75-80% swing).
Think about it this way: to hit your 7-iron 150 yards, you probably need to make a full, 100% effort swing. This is your "stock" shot. But what happens if you take your 6-iron, which might go 160-165 yards at full power, and make a smoother, less aggressive swing? You can land that 6-iron exactly 150 yards.
You’re swinging an iron designed to go farther, but you’re tempering the swing to achieve the distance you need. It’s about finesse over force, control over raw power.
Leaving the ego at the door and opting for more club is a sign of a smart, mature golfer. The player who always tries to squeeze every last yard out of an iron is often the one whose scores inflate. Here are the core benefits of making this strategy a regular part of your game.
The golf swing is a rotational action a balanced circle around your body. When you swing at 100% or even try to push it to 110%, your mechanics can easily break down. Your tempo accelerates, your balance falters, and your body gets out of sync. This is where big misses come from - the high slice, the snap hook, the thin shot that screams across the green.
A smoother, 75% swing is mechanically simpler and far more repeatable. Your body stays balanced and in rhythm. Because there’s less violent movement, the club face is more likely to return to the ball in a square position. The result? A tighter dispersion pattern. Your good shots will be closer to the pin, and just as important, your bad shots won't be nearly as destructive.
Trying to muscle a golf ball often leads to shallow or "thin" contact. When you're swinging hard, the tendency is to pull up slightly through impact to maintain balance. The result is hitting the ball on its equator, leading to low trajectory shots with no spin that run forever.
When you take more club and swing easy, you can maintain your posture and spine angle throughout the swing. This allows you to a make descending blow and strike the golf ball *first*, then the turf. This "ball-then-turf" contact is the secret to crisp iron shots that launch high, land soft, and spin. You're letting the loft of the club do the work, not forcing it.
The golf course is rarely a "perfect" environment. Wind, elevation, and poor lies are part of the game. Taking more club is your best defense against these variables.
Standing over a 150-yard shot with water short of the green is one of golf’s defining pressure moments. The one thought racing through your mind is, "Don't be short." This is the worst time to try and hit a perfect, full-out 7-iron. The adrenaline, the tension in your arms - it all leads to a rushed, jerky swing.
This is the moment to confidently pull the 6-iron. The very act of choosing the "safer" club calms the nerves. You know you have enough club, so you can focus on making a smooth, committed pass at the ball. The worst-case result of decent contact is likely a ball on the back of the "green", safe and dry. It takes the big miss completely out of play.
Understanding the concept is one thing, putting it into practice on the course is another. Here’s how you can start integrating this strategy into your game.
You cannot effectively take more club if you don't have a reliable baseline. You need to know how far each of your irons flies with a normal, full swing. Don't rely on that one time you flushed a 7-iron 170 yards. Head to a driving range with distance markers or, ideally, a launch monitor, and find your average carry distance for each club. Write these down. This is your foundation.
Once you know your full distances, it's time to find your 75% numbers. For each iron, hit several shots focusing on a much smoother tempo and a slightly shorter backswing. Don't try to direct the ball, just make a balanced, easy swing.
You'll quickly find a pattern. For most golfers, an easy swing with an iron will fly about 10-12 yards shorter than a full swing.
See what just happened? You now have two ways to hit a 150-yard shot: a full 7-iron or a smooth 6-iron. You have options.
Before you pull a club, run through a quick mental checklist:
Let's put it all together. Here are some common situations where taking more club is the smart play.
You have 140 yards to a back-middle pin. It's a straight shot, but you're facing a steady 10 mph headwind. Your stock 8-iron goes 140 yards. A lot of golfers would instinctively pull the 8-iron and try to hit it harder to fight the wind. That's a mistake. Hitting it harder creates more backspin, which will cause the ball to climb ("balloon") into the wind and drop vertically, ending up well short.
The Pro Play: Pull the 7-iron. Make a smooth, controlled 80% swing. The lower spin rate will create a more piercing ball flight that cuts through the wind, landing near the pin instead of 20 yards short.
You're on the tee of a 155-yard par 3. The green is visibly uphill - maybe 15-20 feet higher than the tee box. Your stock 6-iron goes 160 yards, and your 7-iron goes 150. A pure 7-iron won't make it up the hill, and a full 6-iron seems like too much.
The Pro Play: Take the 6-iron. Don't think about "taking something off it." Just focus on committing to a smooth, balanced swing. The combination of the extra club and the uphill slope will counterbalance perfectly, allowing the ball to land softly on the putting surface.
Your drive has found the first cut of rough, 130 yards from the green. The ball isn't buried, but it's nestled down a bit. Your stock 9-iron goes 130 yards.
The Pro Play: Choose the 8-iron without hesitation. The grass between the clubface and the ball will reduce friction, lowering spin and launch. More importantly, it will slow your clubhead speed through impact. The extra bit of power from the 8-iron provides insurance that you’ll carry the fringe and get the ball onto the green, setting up a putt instead of a tricky chip from the thick stuff.
Mastering the art of taking more club is a fundamental shift from being a "hitter" of the golf ball to a "player" of the game. It’s a strategic choice that prioritizes control over power and precision over brute force, leading directly to more consistency, better scores, and less frustration on the course.
On the course, Caddie AI helps remove the guesswork when you're caught between clubs. By analyzing a photo of your ball's lie or by learning about the hole conditions, ветра and elevation, We provide instant club recommendations based on the data, not emotion. All you need is tell Caddie AI your normal distances, explain the situation - "155 yards, slightly uphill, 5 mph headwind" - and it will deliver the kind of tactical advice that helps you make smarter choices, shot after shot.Caddie AI is there to give you that confident second opinion right when you need it most.
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.
