Improve Your Golf Game - Harvey Pennick Says Build Your Game Around Your Best Golf Iron

Are you looking for some silver bullet to improve your golf game? There's no such thing, but I've been (re)reading Harvey Pennick's books on golf, and something struck me. Something he said really stuck in my mind: If you are an amateur golfer, you can get very good results by building your game around your #5 or #7 iron.

Now, who is Harvey Pennick and why should you listen to him? In his heyday, Mr. Pennick was golf coach to several US Open Winners - Tom Kite among the most prominent of his students. He also successfully coached university golf teams, and more than a few weekend golfers. He ended his career as the much-beloved club pro of the Austin Country Club, having successfully seen to the golfing needs of hundreds of club members.

So why does he say stick to one iron, especially the #5 or #7? First of all, the #5 and #7 irons are the most used golf irons among amateurs, being medium range clubs for many golfers. Once you are off the tee and on the fairway, you no longer need the range of the driver. Looking back, my best shots on the fairway were always aimed at some particular point I could see clearly. And any point I could see clearly was within range of my #5 iron.

The point is: when you stick with one main iron, you get better faster (with it). It becomes your best buddy, the one you go to most often. You quickly learn what it can do, and what it can't. You learn how to bend its performance to meet your needs. A lot of uncertainty disappears.

Let's say you make the #5 your favorite. You are faced with a tricky shot. You estimate the distance at 70 yards with a 15 yard margin of error to the bunker ... you hope. You know your #5 iron can give you that distance with a 3/4 backswing. You know because you have done it many, many times in the past, because this is the club you build your game around. You swing your club, and lo and behold, the ball rolls to a stop with 5 yards to spare.

In theory, you could have done the same thing with a full swing from your #7 iron. But you can't be sure, because you don't play enough golf to practice equally with both clubs. So you have to choose, jack of all trades, master of none, by playing all your irons from #3 to #9, or just master one iron, which can get you most places you need to go.

Remember that you are a weekend golfer. You don't play the US Open, and don't need to master every iron in your bag. You don't need the level of precision and control which every iron can give you.

Unless you can spend everyday on the golf course, the fastest way to improve your golf game is to simplify your game as much as possible. Minimize the number of clubs you actually play with in order to develop the skill and consistency with those clubs quickly. Stick with the driver, #5 iron, putter and one wedge, and you'll see real improvement quickly. These four clubs will serve you most of your time.