Recreational players don’t use this club enough, says instructor

As if the game wasn’t already hard enough, we recreational players tend to make it even harder. How? Our club selection, says Carly Schneider, the director of instruction at the Cove Club in Cabo Del Sol, Mexico.

According to Schneider, there is one club that recreational players simply don’t use enough: a 9-iron.

While you may be thinking, I only wish I could have a 9-iron in my hands more often during a round, the 9-iron shot Schneider is referring to isn’t a full swing. Instead, it’s learning how to utilize the club around the green.

“Chipping should be used 99 percent of the time,” Schneider told me at GOLF’s recent Top 100 Teacher Retreat in Scottsdale, Ariz. “We only need to pitch it when we need to hit it over something, or we need to hit it maybe a little bit of a longer distance and get some carry.

“But learning how to make a chipping stroke and use an eight or a 9-iron, getting that shot down and learning how to get into the center of the clubface will make golf become a lot easier, which is what we all want to do.”

Recreational players have a tendency to look at every shot around the green as an opportunity to use a lofted wedge. But Schneider said that using a short stroke with a lower-lofted club like a 9-iron is hugely beneficial for any player.

“The 9-iron is really useful anywhere between 25 and 45 yards from your target,” Schneider said. “Get your feet really close together, maybe one club-face apart, and almost feel like you’re putting. That motion will give you just a little bit of a chip and plenty of roll. As you practice this shot, you’ll realize that you have to make less effort and less of a swing to produce a very effective and almost a certain result.

“You can also miss it all over the face that way and still create some predictability and consistency on the green.”

Using a 9-iron instead of a wedge can give you a much lower margin of error and lower scores as a result. Give it a try in your next round and enjoy your newfound greenside prowess.

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$187.5

SOLID FEEL. REAL SPEED.
A mid-sized, full body Grain Flow Forged iron delivering a perfect balance of ball speed, stability, and feel. Our 3rd generation of Chromoly Forging (4-7 iron) incorporates a milling slot that extends wider to heel and toe. Paired with an even thinner clubface it creates our highest one-piece forged ball speeds from an even greater portion of the clubface. The irons showcase a thinner top line throughout, plus compact scoring irons (8-GW) and bevelled sole for improved turf interaction.
 
FORGED IN HIROSHIMA JAPAN
Grain Flow Forged for our unique, soft feel at Mizuno’s legendary facility in Hiroshima, Japan where Mizuno irons have been produced since 1968.
NEW V-CHASSIS FOR THINNER TOPLINE
Engineered via Mizuno’s =;Harmonic Impact Technology project to create a dense, more satisfying feel at impact. Prior models required a slightly thicker topline to maintain feel.
3RD GEN FORGED CHROMOLY WITH WIDER MICROSLOT (4-7 IRON)
Forged from a single billet of 4120 Chromoly and back milled from to heel and toe, creates extreme ball speeds from a compact workable profile. Face thickness is now reduced to just 2.2 mm behind impact (vs 2.6mm JPX921Forged)
1025E PURE SELECT MILD CARBON STEEL 8-GW
For ultimate precision, and control, and feel in the scoring zone.
MORE BEVELLED TRAIL EDGE
Additional bevelling to the trailing edge for immaculate turf interaction.
REFINED SCORING IRONS
Noticeably shorter blade length and more compact from 7 iron to GW – for precision where most needed.
WHITE-SATIN BRUSH
Non reflective, Chrome plated finish to reduce bright light glare.
“The new JPX923 Forged pulls off 2 impressive achievements. First it feels more solid even though it’s faster from the face. Second, it looks sleeker with a thinner topline and narrower sole even though it plays more forgiving.”

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Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.