Equipment
The heart of the green
When you head out for a round of golf, how often do you reach the green in 2?
Making a green-in-regulation is a great target to have on any given par-4 as you then have a pristine birdie putt opportunity. However, it’s often easier said than done.
How many times have you made a decent drive and found the fairway, only for you to send your ball into a greenside bunker or overhit the green on your second shot?
To make a birdie on a par-4 fundamentally revolves around finding the very central heart of the green on your approach shot, setting you up to sink an achievable birdie putt.
Take a moment now to think about your approach game, how many times during a round of golf do you make a green-in-regulation? Today we want to help you consider how many greens-in-regulation you make per round and offer a prime suggestion in how you can make more.
Average GIR made by handicap
If you're playing off a handicap of 20 and you make 5 GIR, you're really playing to a handicap of 15
golf.com
The data above demonstrates that 20-handicap golfers only make the green in 2 on around 20% of the holes they play. In an average 18-hole round of golf, that’s around 3 or 4 holes.
That being said, the data also clearly shows that the better the golfer is, the more greens-in-regulation you make. The more greens-in-regulation you make, the more often you have a scoring opportunity.
Making decent approach shots all comes down to how well you hit your golf irons.
Landing it on the green
Following your tee shot, you may well have landed between 100-200 yards from the green, see where the flag is situated, and take it as the natural target to aim for.
But rather than hoping you stick your ball right by the hole, you should consider the contours of the green, how it’s sloping, and aim for the heart of the green.
For example, if you know a green slopes from back to front, you’ll ideally want to land your ball short of the flag to give yourself a nice uphill putt rather than a sharp downhill putt you’ll feel less control over.
Playing into the heart of the green is a failsafe strategy that more golfers should think about when measuring up their approach shots. Making GIR requires impeccable accuracy, and the latest irons from PING are packed full of forgiveness to give you greater confidence when sizing up approach shots.
PING's latest golf irons
High-handicap irons
If you’re new to the game and want to build your confidence, the G440 irons are a great choice to add to your bag. PING has fitted this club with lower CG in the head to give you a more effortless launch, and the 4-piece PurFlex cavity bridge makes this club more flexible on impact with the ball, giving you more ball speed with forgiveness. Overall, this is a great, stable club ideal for players looking to hone their skills and cut their handicap.
Mid-handicap irons
An excellent golf club that most players will get on well with, the i530 has a compact design with tungsten weighting in the toe to keep the clubhead stable through your swing. The MicroMax grooves on the clubface have been engineered to ensure a consistent spin and launch, and an internal weight pad helps the face flex better for additional forgiveness.
Low-handicap irons
Perfect for skilled players that want to get the most out of their equipment, the Blueprint T iron is a sleek blade that’s forged from a single piece of carbon steel, resulting in phenomenal feel each time you strike the ball. With precision-milled grooves, players can expect excellent control and workability with this club. A narrower sole allows for a crisp turf interaction, and the iron looks stunning from all angles.
Whether you’re curious about the latest irons or you’d like to book some lessons with us to improve your game, we’re available and ready to help you in the pro shop.
