How do you play the 3rd hole? This week a 23 handicap member was asking me how they could hold the ball on the green on our own treacherous par 3, the short 3rd. The green slopes severely front to back and when the greens are firm and downwind it can be harder to hit the ball and stay on it, with a pretty hazardous area awaiting beyond the green. For many of the members who would have the speed to hit a lofted wedge into the green, it’s not a problem but there are more golfers for whom it presents a challenge. So, we went off to the 3rd tee armed with my GCQuad to record launch conditions and hit a few test shots. This golfer was using a 43 degree club (a 9 iron or pitching wedge depending on your set) and these were their launch numbers: Backspin - 7400 rpm Launch angle - 20.1 degrees
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