Lesson 1 of 5
What To Do
JJ puts it plainly: one of the easiest ways to lower your scores is learning your real distances. Most players, and he includes himself before he used launch monitors, think they know how far they carry their irons. In reality, 99% don't, even single digit golfers. How can you stand over a shot with 100% confidence if you don't know your distances?
Your real number is your average carry, not the one perfect 7 iron you hit last summer. Carry is how far the ball flies in the air. Total is where it finishes after the bounce and roll. When there is a bunker in front of the green, carry is the only number that matters. In this lesson you will find both numbers for every club and test them under pressure with JJ's Island Greens Challenge.
How To Do It
Step 1: Warm up the right way first
JJ starts every session with dynamic stretching like leg swings, torso rotations and walking lunges, then small pitch shots with a ladder drill at 20, 30, 40 and 50 yards. Starting small builds a good impact position before you start measuring anything.
Step 2: Hit 10 balls with each club
Use a launch monitor if you can get on one, or a range with clear yardage flags. Hit 10 balls with your normal swing. Throw out the best 2 and the worst 2, then average the 6 that are left. That is your stock carry.
Step 3: Learn carry and total
Write down how far each club flies and how far it finishes. Firm conditions add roll. Soft conditions take it away. Knowing both lets you pick the right club for the landing spot, not just the flag.
Step 4: Find your gaps
Look for two clubs that go nearly the same distance or a big jump between clubs. Most players have a gap in the wedges. Knowing it ahead of time keeps you from guessing on the course.
Step 5: Play the Island Greens Challenge
JJ's game-like drill is 18 shots, each one to an island green. The first hole is 35 yards and it finishes at 202 yards. Pick a target for each distance on the range, go through your full pre-shot routine and count how many greens you hit. Compete with a friend if you can. If you miss a green, check whether you had the wrong number or made a poor swing.
Everything you save here is stored in My Playbook.
When To Use It
- At the start of each season and any time you change clubs
- Before choosing a club on any approach shot
- When you keep coming up short or long on the same club
Common Mistakes
- Using the best shot you ever hit as your number
- Only knowing total distance when a hazard sits in front of the green
- Never checking your distances again after you set them
- Swinging harder to make a club reach instead of taking more club
Practical Exercise
Commit to the Number
Use this behind the ball after you pick a club. Breathe in for 4 and see your carry number land on the spot. Hold for 4. Breathe out for 4 and let the doubt go. Hold for 4 and step in.
Pattern: 4-4-4-4 seconds, 2 cycles. The voice counts each second for you.
Ready
Takeaways
- 99% of golfers do not know their real distances
- Use the average carry, not your best shot
- Carry matters most when there is trouble in front
- Know your gaps before the round
- The Island Greens Challenge tests your numbers under pressure
Reflect
Use It Next Round
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