Better Golf With One Club!
With the new golf season just around the corner in so many parts of the country, here’s something to try which may significantly improve your game and your fun out on the course; play some rounds with one club and a couple of balls in your pocket. That’s exactly what my wife and I have been doing for the last 6 weeks in North Carolina. We’re both hitting the ball better, learned new things about our course and our swings. In short, we can’t wait to play our One Club golf.
Our official season won’t start for another month so I’ve been taking the opportunity of the unseasonably nice weather to see if I can’t pick the old game up a notch. My wife and I decided it would be better to take our walks on the golf course, but we didn’t want to be slowed up with all the baggage playing a round usually requires. I’ve played with one club before just to change things up a bit so I thought it would be a good way to have some fun on our walks and still get a good workout.
What we both found was a pretty dramatic improvement in our ball striking, but there were other benefits as well. First we had more time to enjoy the great natural beauty of the course where we play. Instead of worrying about the last shot we had time to notice foliage and wildlife that we probably would have missed. With one club the pace of play is quick because you don’t have to agonize over club selection. There’s also no bag and its attendant paraphernalia to manage. It’s a nice stroll with an occasional swing at a little white ball!
We don’t worry about score, but are pleasantly surprised when we get a par or even birdie using a single club, including putting with it. Makes you think that your strategy for playing certain holes might be all wrong. You end up hitting shots from places you haven’t been before and find out sometimes they’re better approaches. I’ve found that playing 5 iron, 5 iron on a particular par 5 puts me in a great approach position to score well and eliminates trouble that’s all to easy to find when using longer clubs off the tee. This may really sound daft, but I’ve learned a lot about breaks on long putts when using my 21 degree hybrid or a five iron. When you play with one club and no bag there’s not a lot to think about. Maybe that’s why I’ve discovered things about the course that I’ve never noticed before.
One of the most enlightening things to come from playing with one club is how much my ball striking has improved. I can’t explain it scientifically, but it makes sense that by swinging the same club over and over you’d get better just because you’ve eliminated 13 other variables. I also think it helps create a ‘feel’ for a club when you play it for all shots, not just it’s full yardage. I was shocked to discover that I could hit my 21 degree hybrid from a green side bunker. It certainly isn’t the club of choice when you’re short sided, but it increased my confidence in the sand and has opened up a whole new window of shot creativity.
We’ve found so much enjoyment in the One Club approach that we wonder sometimes if we want to go back to 14. Of course we will at some point, but I feel that playing with one club has done more for my game than any other single thing. Give it a try, there’s a good chance your game will improve as well as your enjoyment of the game. And mix it up. So far I’ve used 18 and 21 degree hybrids as well as 5,6, and 7 irons.I also highly recommend it for players just starting out. Trying to hit 13 clubs or even 5 when you’re a rank beginner doesn’t make sense. With a couple of clubs you’ll learn faster what the golf swing is and you’ll play fast enough to hold your own on the course. From here on I’ll always make sure to get out and play some One Club golf no matter what time of year it is!
Related posts:
- Hidden Pitfalls of Club Membership
- Should You Swing a Weighted Golf Club?
- My GolfTec Club Fitting Experience
- Hazeltine National Golf Club Facts
- East Lake Golf Club
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Comments
Troy, thanks for the response. Let me know what you think if you give it a try. One thing I perhaps didn’t make clear in the article that are primary motive is to walk and get exercise. This is important because it frees the mind to relax and that’s when good things start to happen in golf. I also encourage trying different clubs. It’s not about scoring, but about the club. Every time I try another club I’m delightfully surprised by the experience!
I have been playing one-club since 2003, and scored about the same as using full set. I don’t keep score anymore, palying golf become even more enjoyable since. I wonder why most golf course require player to have a bag.
I use a 6-wood, just happened that is the one I feel most comfortable with. But I can also use a 4/5/6/7 wood and play when I was away from home.————–
Golf is a good walk, ruined.– Mark Twain
With one club,
Without scoring.
Golf is a good walk, enhanced. ————–
In case that scoring is preferred and play against full-set players, This extra rule maybe helpful:
Except on the green, one-club player is allowed to throw instead of hitting. —————
J.M. I love you. You’ve found the same ultimate golf truth with one club that I have – it’s a great walk enhanced.
It’s an interesting concept John. I have played a round with 3 clubs before and you do get to experience as you say many different shots you normally wouldn’t. I think the big benefit would be the pace of play as well as the improvement in the particular club of choice.
I think I would probably pick something like a 5 or a 6 iron for me.