Watch: Phil Mickelson Explains the Art of Club Selection

Published 12/06/2021, 3:24 PM EST

Phil Mickelson is one of the most prominent golfers on the PGA Tour. He has 45 PGA Tour wins and six major championship victories in his career so far. Given his experience, Phil is probably the most knowledgeable player on the Tour as well.

He is one of the most scientific golfers, along with Bryson DeChambeau. We can even say he is the walking encyclopedia of golf, who knows just about every detail of every golfing shot. Recently, Phil revealed the thinking that goes behind the shot selection and the technicalities around it.

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Phil Mickelson the golfing encyclopedia

In an interview, Phil Mickelson was asked about the thinking behind the shot selection. Hence, Phil replied, he is very analytical in his thinking, and he builds a reference in his practice.

“But one of the things people will say is I hit my wedge, you know, 120,” said Mickelson. Well, you might hit 120 under certain conditions, but in the morning, the ball is not going to go 120. Maybe in the afternoon, when it’s warmer, the ball heats up. But it’s going to go five to 10 yards shorter in the morning. People don’t factor that in. “

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“So if I have a reference of 145, I want to fly 142. I could choke down an inch. It’ll come in a little bit slower, a little bit flatter, and release. Or I could just open it up and get a little bit of a cut,” he added.

Finally, Phil Mickelson said he keeps all these factors in mind and assesses the conditions and type of grass before playing a stroke. “Those are the nuances that allow me to be so precise with my wedges and my short irons, my distance control. And that’s why iron play has been such a strength for my game is that I’m able to be precise to within a yard or two.”

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Meanwhile, he concluded by saying he practices with these things and hits around 1500 balls each month to the specific numbers. Clearly, this is why Phil is not only one of the best but also one of the smartest golfers in the sport.

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Written by:

Amey Kulkarni is a Golf writer at EssentiallySports. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor’s degree in mass media from HR College, Mumbai. Before joining EssentiallySports he used to write articles on Golf and Cricket on his personal blog cricgolf.

Watch: Phil Mickelson Explains the Art of Club Selection

Phil Mickelson the golfing encyclopedia

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