Dave Pelz Method Short Game

[iacas]

In the past few months, and ever since buying the Dave Pelz Short Game Bible , I've really taken a liking to his wedge philosophy. I only have three wedges, but his system works out like this:

3 wedges x 4 different swings (counting your full swing) = 12 different shots from 125 yards and in (125 = full swing PW).

For example, my three swings are

1. club horizontal (I think he calls it "7:30")
2. arms horizontal (club straight up, "9:00")
3. arms just to chin (this is "10:30")

My 10:30 swing with my PW hits the ball 100 yards. My 9:30 hits it 75 with a pitching wedge, and my 7:30 hits it 50. I have exact yardages for my other two wedges as well.

I used to consider myself a "feel" player. I'd get the distance, try to feel the shot, and then try to hit it with whatever wedge and swing felt right. Since taking on this approach, the feel is gone from my game - and that's a good thing. If I hit a 10:30 shot with the same rhythm with my PW, the shot goes 100 yards (give or take one or two yards) every time.

I still use a bit of feel - sometimes I'll open my stance and the club a little to hit a 90-yard shot instead of using a different club, depending on ground conditions (and the bounce on any particular club). But even then I'm operating within very tight parameters.

You have to be moderately decent to take on the system, of course - if you can't repeat a swing fairly consistently, you'll never know what your numbers are.

What method do you use inside of 120 yards? The Pelz method, the "pure feel" method, or some other method?

[gas_can]

My MO inside of 120 yards has always been repetition. I'm pretty lucky in that my driving range has true and accurate distance markers around their chipping green at ten yard intervals. Just through hitting hundreds of shots I've learned how far back I need to go with my wedges at different distances.

As an added bonus I've also learned how to control my spin with wrist hinge. I know that if I hing my wrists fully and release them fully I'm going to get a shot that either backs up or stops dead. A shot with no wrist hinge and a held release will have no spin and is likely to run much farther.

I attended one of Pelz's one day clinics in March two years ago. I didn't think it was really worth the $. A lot of the theories he comes up with are learned more simply through experience (reading greens like a clock, putter plane) also his schools are sort of our way is the only way . . . if you do it differently you're on your own. I did get a free putting tutor and Teacher clips which helped me a lot more than his school did.

One idea of his I really liked was for high handicappers looking for more accuracy inside of 100 yards. Instead of a standard set, dump a long iron either 3 or 4 and carry four wedges (49, 55, 60, 64). The 64 wedge is the extra lofted wedge, and a full stroke with that should go 40 or 50 yards eliminating the need for a finesse half swing/pitch with a L or S wedge. That way from 100 yards to 20 yards you only have to make full or half swings. You can find a lot of his 64* wedges pretty cheap on e-bay.

[pahonix]

One idea of his I really liked was for high handicappers looking for more accuracy inside of 100 yards. Instead of a standard set, dump a long iron either 3 or 4 and carry four wedges (49, 55, 60, 64). The 64 wedge is the extra lofted wedge, and a full stroke with that should go 40 or 50 yards eliminating the need for a finesse half swing/pitch with a L or S wedge. That way from 100 yards to 20 yards you only have to make full or half swings. You can find a lot of his 64* wedges pretty cheap on e-bay.

I've seriously thought about doing this (dumping the 3I for the extra wedge - I only carry a PW and SW). But I have no idea what the lofts are on my two wedges. Anyone? Both the wedges are from my set of Callaway Steelhead X-14s. Is there a standard for PW and SW?

Any recommendations for wedges I should potentially try out, or flat out buy? You know, as I think about this issue, I think I only carry 13 clubs. D/3/5, 3/4/5/6/7/8/9/PW/SW and putter. Heh. Maybe *thats* why I do so terrible.

[iacas]

PW is typically 46-48 degrees.

Most sand wedges are something like 56 (hence the need some people have for a gap wedge), though you can get a "bouncy" 52 wedge that works well in the sand. Lob wedges are 60-ish.

I think you'd definitely benefit from adding a wedge. They say it helps higher handicappers more than it helps lower handicappers. Stops you from having to get tricky, laying clubs open for super-high shots, etc.

[pahonix]

So if I could only buy one wedge, should I get a gap or a lob?

[iacas]

So if I could only buy one wedge, should I get a gap or a lob?

My vote would be for a lob wedge, but I don't know what the loft on your sand wedge is. If it's under 54, I'd definitely go with a LW. If it's 56 or more, consider something to fill the 58-56 gap.

[gas_can]

I'd also second the lob wedge reccomendation as long as you don't have more than a 30 yard gap between your PW and SW. I'd also say that my 60* lob wedge was the hardest club in my bag for me to learn how to hit correctly. For a long time I'd just slide under it and it would go thirty yards. Now that I can hit it well, it's become a very valuable club. A well executed pitch with my L wedge flies high and lands softly with little spin: a great alternative to the super risky flop from tight lies.

[pahonix]

Yeah, after playing a par-3 course yesterday, I'm almost definitely going to go with a lob wedge. I flew the green on most of the 80-ish yard holes. Just couldn't seem to take enough off the SW. I tried a half-PW and chunked the hell out of it, so didn't do that again.

[Newbie Collection Agency]

Hi Guys ,

This is a great forum and this is my first post. I have skimmed the Pelz Short Game Bible and would love to give it a try but I have a couple of issues i need a little help with . Im not rich so im going to be working with what i have and I cant figure which clubs i should keep or dump for this to work for me . Ill list all the clubs i have and if someone would be so kind, please gimme your opinion.



georgie...
1-14 are in the bag now - X is in the garage . lemme know what you would/would not be using.

11 Handicap

1Top Flite9*Driver190 +
2“piece of crap”15*3Wood185-200
3Nike CPR18*Hybrid170-185
4Nike CPR22*Hybrid160-175
5Nike CPR26*Hybrid150-165
6Nike CPR30*Hybrid140-155
7Nike CPR32*6Iron135-150
8Nike CPR36*7Iron125-140
9Nike CPR40*8Iron115 – 130
10Nike CPR44*9Iron105-120
11Nike CPR48*P Iron95-110
12Nike CPR52*Wedge85
13Nike CPR56*Wedge65
14Odyssey#1Putter
XNike CPR28*5Iron145-160
XDunlop60*Wedge50
XDunlop64*Wedge40

[Xt1ncT]

Hi Guys ,

I'd be dropping the Nike 3 CPR if I ewas going to add a wedge - for myself I've decided to go with 3 wedges and dropped the 56 for a 58 to cover both sand and lob wedges. This enabled me to keep my 3 iron.

[iacas]

lemme know what you would/would not be using.

Whichever ones best allow you to play good golf on the course and under the conditions you face.

[Konrad]

Another thing to note is that for some people, they don't face a lot of 200 yard shots that they expect to hit on the green. My point being, drop a 4 iron for example, and keep the 3 and 5. You're much better off wedging it close on short par 4's and par 5's you don't hit in two and making birdies than you are hitting a green once in a while from 200 yards.