COMMUNITY

Kevin, have you tried taking one more club and hitting smooth 3/4 swings into the green? A smooth, well balanced turn usually does wonders for accuracy.

Hope that helps.

I will just tell you what worked for me, and in no way am I saying it will work for you.

I changed my entire golf set for shots inside 150 yards and did so purposefully.
I put together a mixed set of 4-6 irons in cavity backed irons and 7-PW in blades.

If I face a shot inside 130 yards I hit a steep 3/4 swing with a punch finish which adds spin to the ball. If needed I will hit a 8 iron 3/4 swing punch for 140 yards.

95% of all of my approaches are 3/4 steep punch shot approaches. I can really control the distance and my misses left and right are minimal. I haven't calculated how many greens I hit with this technique but it's a high number. It feels like 100% but I know it's not.

Inside of 70 yards I go to what I kind of call a Steve Stecker no wrist hinge pitch. I feel like I hit those shots with my left knee. What I mean by that is that it is a tempo swing...my left knee's motion takes the club back and the knee pulls it back down.

You really can't go wrong studying Steve Stecker and Zachary Johnson.

I'm in the same boat, Kevin. In my opinion, GIR can be misleading depending on the course you're playing. I've had rounds where my GIR is 33% and I still post a good round. Other times, I'll have 66% and my score will be higher.
I've worked on varying my distance with certain clubs (as others have said). I'm able to hit a 9 iron now anywhere from 100-140 yards. I've also learned to hit a 3-wood or hybrid off the tee to avoid those 70-80 yard approach shots if I were to hit driver.

GIR can be misleading. It's accuracy and good judgment that count. If that sounds like a contradiction, here's what I mean.

Putting the ball on the collar 10 feet past a back pin usually gives you a better chance at birdie than a 25 footer from the fat of the green. But you have to have good accuracy to aim at that back pin.

Similarly, it's usually better being 20 feet below the hole on a forward pin (even if you are off the green on a tight fairway) than 20 feet behind the pin facing a fast downhill slider.

In both cases, you might not get a GIR, but still have a better chance at a one-putt.

I thank you all for your suggestions and tips. I could go to the driving range and pick targets and hit a high percentage of them, but go to the course and it is the exact opposite. I will try the shorter swing with more club. I do know I need to fix whatever I am doing wrong with my 3 and 5 woods. About 8 months ago I was afraid to pull my driver out the bag and would crush my 3 wood. Now I am consistent with the driver and not sure where my 3 wood will go (left, right, dribbler, or a pop-up). I'm going to work all these problems out.