When (and how) should you choke down on the golf club?

Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you become a smarter, better golfer.

Some days on the course, you just don’t have it. No matter what you try with your swing, the ball just doesn’t go where you want it to. It’s a disheartening feeling, but one that is inevitable if you play the game long enough.

When days like these happen, it’s important you have some swing fundamentals to fall back on. You might not be hitting the ball your best, but you’ve still got to figure out a way to get around the course without too much damage on the scorecard. One such technique you can use is choking down on the grip.

For more on that, we turn to GOLF Top 100 Teacher Debbie Doniger (you can also watch the video below).

When to choke down

When your swing starts to feel a little off, there’s no sense in swinging out of your shoes at the ball. Chances are, when you do, you aren’t going to be finding the center of the clubface. Instead, take a little extra club, choke down on the grip a couple of inches and swing easy.

“You know when you warm up you just feel sort of lackadaisical with your gap wedge and your pitching wedge?” Doniger says. “Take that rhythm with choking down on your [longer club] and you’ll hit it more solid.”

When you choke down and slow your tempo just a touch, you’ll be more likely to find the center of the face and actually hit the ball when you’re intending.

Another time choking down on the club is beneficial is when you’re trying to hit a knockdown shot. In this situation, you’re again taking a little more club than normal, but instead of a slower rhythm to your swing, you are making a three-quarter backswing.

To hit this shot correctly, Doniger recommends employing the 2-2-2 system, which she learned from legendary instructor Mike Adams.

“Set up to the ball and you’re going to choke down two inches,” Doniger says. “You’re going to open your stance by two degrees and you’re going to move the ball back [in your stance] by two inches.”

By making all of these setup accommodations, you will be able to hit the ball right at your intended target. All you have to do from here is make a three-quarter swing and saw off your follow through a touch.

“It’ll help you hit more solid iron shots,” Doniger says.

So, next time you’re struggling to hit solid shots on the course, consider choking down on the club. If you do, you might just be able to salvage a solid score on days when you aren’t swinging your best.