Golf tip: Want to hit more greens? Forget what Tiger Woods does and club up

“I refuse to hit a driver on any par-3.”

– Tiger Woods, referring to the 288-yard par-3 eighth hole at Oakmont Country Club, site of the 2007 U.S. Open and the longest par-3 in U.S. Open history.

If Tiger doesn’t want to hit a driver on a par-3’s, then the average Joe golfer who thinks he is Tiger, will refuse to hit driver on par-3 holes even if it is the right club for him to use to reach the green in regulation.

Most golfers do not hit enough club into greens and end up short- siding themselves, leaving themselves difficult greenside bunker shots or delicate pitches and chips shots. People would be amazed at how many more greens they would hit in regulation just by using one more club.

Besides most golf course architects place trouble in front on the green. The problem is that most golfers expect to hit a perfect shot every time they swing, but most of the time they don’t hit dead solid perfect shots, leaving the ball short or right or left of the green.

For every quarter-inch you hit the ball outside the center of the clubface you loose 12 yards of distance. Even with perimeter weighted clubheads and wider sweetspots, you will not get your maximum distance with a mis-hit shot. Does it really matter that you hit your 4 iron instead of a 5 wood? No one is going to ask you at the end of your round what club you used to hit on the par-3 holes and there is certainly not enough room on the scorecard for club selections and shot descriptions.

Suck it up and take one more club, even if it is a utility club or - heaven forbid - a driver.