GOLF SWING TIPS: HOW TO STEP OFF YARDAGES

Assuming you have worked out the yardage for each club in your set at a practice facility, you must know how to step off the yardage for each of your clubs when in actual play that corresponds to your “practice” yardages. 

Unfortunately, many golfers assume that each of their steps equal to one yard (three feet), even when using exaggerated steps.

For example, they assume 10 steps equal 100 yards. 

Then, when in actual play, they pull a club from their set that corresponds to their “practice” yardage for 100 yards, only to hit their   ball 80 yards and come up short of their target.

If you are a shorter golfer in height, such as many seniors, juniors or   women, most likely your average step will be nearer two feet instead of three feet in terms of distance.  

This means when a shorter golfer steps off 100 paces, it probably will equate nearer to 80 actual yards (or less) rather than to 100 yards.

For example, if you are a shorter golfer and step off the yardage for an approach shot that is 100 yards to your target, it probably would require more like 15 steps to equal the 100 yards, rather than just 10 steps.

The failure to know the exact distance of each of their steps is one of the reasons why so many recreational golfers routinely fall short of their targets . when in play.

Stepping off yardages in actual play may not be as important nowadays as in the past, considering the use of range finders, golf cart devices, etc.

Yet there are situations in a typical round of golf when stepping off yardages to a specific target may be helpful.

In addition, even when a course is adaptable to range finders, some local and tournament rules do not permit their usage – which leaves you to rely on yardage markers and stepped-off yardages.

There are several ways to determine how many of your steps equate   to specific yardages. 

One way is to lay a measuring tape down on a surface and count the step you take for the distance of the tape. Then convert your steps in relation to the full length of the tape.

If you are a shorter golfer, you probably will find each step to cover about two feet (or less) rather than a yard. 

Another way to calculate the number of steps for actual yardage is to play a few practice rounds on a par three course that has an abundance of holes ranging from 70 up to 100 yards between the tee markers and the middle of the approaching greens. 

Next count the steps from the point where you hit your ball to the middle of the approaching green.  Then convert your steps in relation to the distance from where you hit your ball to the middle of the green.

Once again, if you are a shorter golfer, you probably will find each step to cover about two feet (or less) rather than a yard. 

I also suggest that you rely on your normal walking pace when calculating the number of steps that equate to actual yardages instead of attempting to stretch your steps to make up the difference. 

You can rely much more on your normal stride when stepping off yardages rather than relying on exaggerated and “stretched” paces. 

Once you know the precise number of steps that equals to specific yardages, you should be able to select the club that matches the yardage at hand and reduce your handicap and scores appreciably. 

Find more articles on golf swing tips at locked-ingolf.com.

Gordon Jackson, 

THE GOLF CODE™ GUY

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