Should you choke down on the Golf Club?
For most players, choking down on the golf club results in a slight loss of distance, but it can be a smart move if you’re struggling to hit the ball consistently off the tee or out on the fairway. Most people grip the golf club towards the top or middle of the grip, so choking down reduces the amount of motion you can generate in your swing.
Should you'choke up on the club'to hit longer drives?
Newell adds that golfers “may lose a little distance” by choking up on the club, but players will likely be compensated with straighter drives. Jack Nicklaus recommends literally choking up on the club to avoid choking -- figuratively speaking -- in a pressure situation.
What is the downside of choking down the shaft?
The downside is that choking down makes the shaft stiffer and you will lose trajectory. If you can simply club down ( go down a club) and go after it to get the desired distance then I recommend that you do that.
Why does Tiger Woods choke up his golf clubs?
Tiger Woods sometimes plays chip shots with a 3-wood, if his ball is on the green’s fringe, or in light rough. He chokes up severely, holding the club at the bottom of the grip. Choking up makes the club lighter and more maneuverable and allows him to stand closer to the ball.
Is it good to choke up on golf club?
Choking up on iron shots can boost your greens-in-regulation percentage (GIR) – a great way to lower your scores. You'll make better contact, of course, and your misses won't sail as far off line. You may also achieve a lower ball flight, a big advantage in windy conditions.
When should you choke down on a golf club?
If you need to take a few yards off the typical distance that you would get from a given club, you can choke down. For example, if you usually hit your 7-iron 150-yards, but you need to hit a 145-yard shot, you could choke down an inch or two and make a comfortable swing.
Will choking down on driver Help?
Choking down on your driver is also a good method when you need to play a tee shot into the wind. The speed of your swing will be reduced when you choke down, which means your spin rate should be reduced as well.
How much yardage does choking down take off?
Normal gap wedge: 105 yard shot. Choke up one inch: 98-100 yard shot. Choke up two inches (close to the shaft): 93-98 yard shot.
What are the benefits of choking down on golf club?
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Should you choke down chipping?
of the shaft. Many players immediately grip the club and choke down so their hands are at the end of the rubber and sometimes touching the metal of the shaft. I know you have been told to choke down for control and around the greens control is a must.
What happens if your golf irons are too long?
What Happens When Golf Clubs Are Too Long? For most golfers, having clubs that are too long will result in the most inconsistent shots. Clubs that are too long will make you stand too upright, which can cause both heel and toe shots as well as a tendency to pull the ball.
The Test
Based on the success I had going with a shorter driver, I was interested to see what kind of results I would get if I choked down a bit on my irons.
Sand Wedge
Hitting full shots with my sand wedge surprisingly did not alter my ball flight all too much. Here were some of my key findings:
Four Iron
With the longest iron in my bag I started to notice even more significant changes:
Driver
Just for fun, I did try to grip down on my driver. My shaft is already shortened down to 44”, which is about 1 ½” to 2” shorter than standard. It’s been one of the greatest changes I’ve made with my clubs. It has given me more accuracy off the tee without sacrificing too much distance.
How I Will Use This Information
After I had performed this test I had a bit more confidence over what I can expect when choking down on my irons. It’s not something I really ever did during rounds, but I tried it out several times on the course since then.
What Can You Learn From This
I want to reiterate that not all of you will see the same results as me. However, doing tests like these helps remove question marks in your golf game. If I can get reliable data on how making these small changes will affect my ball flight, I’ll have more confidence on the course.
Why do golfers choke up?
Newell says golfers should choke up 2 inches on the club for all their short game shots, including pitches and bunker shots, because choking up provides better control of the club. He offers the analogy of writing with a pen.
Why does Anthony Kim choke up on his golf clubs?
Anthony Kim. PGA Tour player Anthony Kim began choking up on his clubs at a young age because it suited his physique, which featured long arms and a short torso. He continues to choke up about 2 inches on all of his clubs. He acknowledges that choking up costs him close to 10 yards of distance.
Why does Jack Nicklaus say to choke up on the club?
Jack Nicklaus recommends literally choking up on the club to avoid choking -- figuratively speaking -- in a pressure situation. Nicklaus says that in a key moment in a match golfers typically grip the club tighter, swing faster and raise up off the ball a bit, creating a longer but not necessarily accurate shot.
Why do you choke up on your driver?
Choking up on your driver may not cost you much, if any, distance, simply because having better control of the club can help you to hit the ball on the club’s sweet spot. Golf writer Steve Newell recommends golfers try choking up 1¼ to 1½ inches on their drivers, then taking their normal swings.
What happens if you hold the pen at the top?
If you hold the pen at the top you won’t write as neatly as when you hold it more toward the middle. Tiger Woods sometimes plays chip shots with a 3-wood, if his ball is on the green’s fringe, or in light rough. He chokes up severely, holding the club at the bottom of the grip.
Why does the wind blow at my back?
A stiff wind blowing at your back when you’re in the address position can be tricky because the wind will be partially blocked by your body, but will swirl around you and potentially affect the club during your swing.
Is it bad to choke up on a golf club?
By choking up you’re effectively shortening the club’s length, which lessens your swing arc, reduces your maximum clubhead speed and limits your potential power. Nevertheless, choking up on the club isn’t always a bad idea. Choking up is recommended on a variety of short ...
What does it mean when you choke down on a golf club?
Obviously, if you are going to choke down on your club – which means moving your hands down the grip at address – you need to have a good reason. If there wasn’t anything to gain by choking down, after all, you would just keep your standard grip and hit a normal shot. So, what can you gain by choking down?
Why do you chok down when you are facing a shot?
If you are facing a shot that will be better handled with a lower spin rate, choking down is a way to accomplish just that. You’ll have a bit less speed through the ball, so your spin rate should be lower as the ball leaves the club.
When to use a choke down shot?
Choke down shots are also used often when the wind is blowing. A shot played with your hands down the grip will usually come out lower and fly lower as it heads toward the target. That’s a great thing when the wind is blowing and making it difficult to move the ball around the course accurately.
When you make a full swing while keeping your hands up at the top of the club, you are likely to produce
When you make a full swing while keeping your hands up at the top of the club, you are likely to produce a significant amount of backspin. That is particularly true if you are hitting a short iron from a fairway lie.
Is golf boring?
Golf would be a pretty boring game if you hit every single shot the exact same way. It’s the variety of the game that makes it interesting. The fact that you need to be able to produce many different shots in order to rise to the various challenges you’ll encounter on the course is what makes this game so addicting.
Is a golf club shorter than a normal swing?
Remember – the club is now effectively shorter than it would be for a normal swing. That means you don’t have as much club between your hands and the ground, so you will need to do a good job of staying down through impact if you are going to make clean contact.
Should you cut the finish of a golf swing?
If you are choking down as a way of hitting the ball lower, it’s a good idea to cut off the finish of the swing. Rather than swinging all the way up to a full finish with the club wrapped around your back, cut it off on the way through and finish with the club out in front of your body.
FairwaysToHeaven
For those that choke up on their irons to control and take little distance off their shot, what is the most you'll choke up on a club and how much do you see the distance being affected.
starsail85
1/2" takes 2mph off your clubhead speed which is around 5 yards depending on club
Shilgy
There is no set number of yards that are cut by choking up or down on the grip. I recall Anthony Kim doing a show with Tiger a few years back. Nike had had a contest, I think it was with black or gold balls in some sleeves, and the winners would play with Tiger.
Anaheim944
There was a track man article saying choking down 1" on an iron will lower flight and take off about 10 yards. It definitely worked for me.
JohnKHawk
Older thread I know but I was experimenting with this concept & I think for average golfer gripping down will improve strike & they may actually gain distance. I do this routinely for my 5 & 6 irons my shots generally hit the center of club face & on average go just a far or slightly further as if I didn't alter my grip.
Scottie68
Choking up can have various effects. As stated, it can reduce club head speed, which can reduce distance.
Ipreach
I have the zepp golf training device which measures hand speed and it's more consistent then I thought.
How far down should your hands be when you choke up a golf club?
Depending on how much you wish to choke up, your hands could be anywhere between one inch and several inches below the top of the grip.
Why do you choke up on the club?
Choke Up on the Club for Better Accuracy and Contact. Two of the most important elements to playing good golf are hitting accurate shots and making solid contact. In fact, those two things usually go hand in hand. When you hit the ball accurately, you are typically hitting it solid as well, as vice versa.
How to play with choked up grip?
As you are learning how to play using a choked up grip, watch your spin rates and adjust your aiming process if you find that you are spinning the ball more with your short clubs. None of the changes that you will notice from choking up on the club are drastic.
How to shorten the length of a golf club?
By moving your hands up the grip toward the club head (or down the grip, depending on how you look at it), you can shorten the effective length of the club, making it easier to hit the ball solidly.
What is it called when you choke your golf club?
Gripping down on the golf club an inch or more from the butt of the shaft – called “choking up” or “gripping down” -- can greatly improve your accuracy. Several prominent pros, including Anthony Kim and Sergio Garcia, choke up on almost every shot, even with the driver. Of course, they generate tremendous clubhead speed, ...
Why is practice important in golf?
Practice is important when learning how to choke up on the club just like it is important when learning any other skill on the course . Many players think that they can just move their hands down a couple of inches and swing away, but there is a little more to it than that.
Why do you stand up when hitting a shot at impact?
Since you are standing slightly closer to the ball at address, you may be tempted to 'stand up' through the shot at impact in order to make room for the club. Of course, you don't need to do that, and the result will often be a topped shot that rolls along the ground.