130 yards and in problems

[clemsontiger]

I have a problem that I want to run by some of you. The biggest problem in my game is trying to get the ball close from 130 yards and in. This when I start hitting my Gap, Sand, and Lob wedges. For some reason I am fairly descent with the PW on up to the 6 iron. I am by no means a darts thrower at the greens, but I can hit them pretty consistently with some targeting problems that I am fixing just with more practice. Those are just minor goofs when I am hitting the irons.

The problem might be the confidence, but I cannot seem to even get a consistent play from the wedges. I have gotten much better just by going to the range and hitting them more and more.

Really, I just want to know what some of you do for hitting the scoring irons better. Back when I was in high school, I was fairly descent with them, but that was because I could not hit the ball as far as I do now. I found myself hitting the 6-9 irons a lot more and now I am hitting 9-LW into most greens. The course that I play at is really not that long and I am doing this while playing of the back tees.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

[ks8829]

If you watch the pros on TV they take such an easy swing and you wonder how they even get the ball to the hole. I have also struggled with accuracy with my irons before, but what I am now trying to do is hit a control and consistent shot by taking an easy swing.

When I say easy I am still taking a full back swing with my a full shoulder turn and hip turn and returning the club square at impact.

You are searching for a consistent shot within 130 yards and I believe the key is a slow and delivered shot like the pros on TV.

[Big Padrigo]

One thing I try to do with the shorter irons and wedges is to have a 3/4 swing. Ok, you sacrifice some distance, but thats not the main objectives with these clubs, you want to hit the green. I find it just gives me more consistency with those clubs. I do know some players find that 3/4 swing messes with their tempo so definitely try it on the range first.

[m11]

I highly recommend Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible. Some people have called it wordy and overly technical...things like that...however it has significantly improved my short game...and actually by learning to slow down my swing...it helped me very much in my power game.

The book is actually directed towards shots of 100 yards and in, however it will help you with hitting full pitching wedges or whatever you use to 130 yards.

But for now, generally setup seems to be the biggest key. Without proper setup, the great swing that you may have is effectively useless. Be sure the ball is placed directly between your ankles, not your toes. It makes a huge difference if the ball is a few inches forward of center...you'll skull the ball if you take and it'll throw off your confidence. Most mistakes in the swing occur in the backswing, so be sure to take it back slow. Think slower than normal. Take it back slow and directly back..like you are handing the clubface to someone behind you and turn to the top with a very quiet lower body. Any lateral movement destroys your swing. My biggest problem was moving laterally when i was thinking about opening my hips on the downswing. Also be sure that the clubface is sitting properly on the ground. The sole should be sitting flat with the grooves pointing at your target. Also press the shaft so that your hands are just slightly inside your left thigh. That puts you at proper position at address...and ultimately at impact. Then take your swing back. When you bring it down, be sure to start the swing with your hands going down close to your body. That's my only swing thought. Start my downswing with my hands, not my body. This causes the club to 'drop into the slot' and this really removes any slices or hooks. As long as you stay down on the ball by keeping your chest and shoulders at the same position at impact as address...and swing to a complete follow through, you should be fien. My problem is that sometimes i start the swing with my body, which causes my left shoulder to dip down...which in turn causes me to lift my chest up to compensate. This basically causes me to block it to the right sometimes. You can avoid doing that by remembering to start with your hands, and keep your chest down at impact.

[BigDaddy_Sean]

just keep hitting them and hitting them and hitting them. Aim for targets at the range. don't just swing at nothing .. hit the targets.

When I was playing college golf, our daily practice was 2 1/2 hours. only 1/2 hour of that was full swings. 1 hour of 100 yards and in every day .. hitting to pins and targets of various lengths. 1 hour of chipping and putting.

You can only get better when you do that.

[MPS67]

Clemsontiger, with full swings, wedges with a higher loft will be more difficult to play. I believe you'll experience more success hitting a 1/2 shot 52° PW versus a full shot 60° LW from 60 yards, for example. You'll lose a little control on the amount the ball rolls after the landing on the green, but because I see you're using Pro V1's, you'll still be able to spin your ball and have it check. I'd also try gripping down a few inches as another way to reduce distances with your full shot 52° PW. I'd only use the LW when absolutely necessary, i.e. hitting up to an elevated green, hitting over a bunker with a tightly positioned pin, etc.

Poster m11 touched on an important point in regards to ball placement. A lot of golfers place the ball too far forward in their stance for these shot types. Look at the position of your heels, and for most shots, make sure you place the ball no further than the midpoint between them. This ensures that you're not reaching and unnaturally extending for the ball, and of course, ensuring that you're hitting down on it.

[clemsontiger]

One thing I try to do with the shorter irons and wedges is to have a 3/4 swing. Ok, you sacrifice some distance, but thats not the main objectives with these clubs, you want to hit the green. I find it just gives me more consistency with those clubs. I do know some players find that 3/4 swing messes with their tempo so definitely try it on the range first.

I use the 3/4 swing. It does work most of the time, but my biggest control problem is distance here. I know that will come with practice.

I highly recommend Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible. Some people have called it wordy and overly technical...things like that...however it has significantly improved my short game...and actually by learning to slow down my swing...it helped me very much in my power game.

Clemsontiger, with full swings, wedges with a higher loft will be more difficult to play. I believe you'll experience more success hitting a 1/2 shot 52° PW versus a full shot 60° LW from 60 yards, for example. You'll lose a little control on the amount the ball rolls after the landing on the green, but because I see you're using Pro V1's, you'll still be able to spin your ball and have it check. I'd also try gripping down a few inches as another way to reduce distances with your full shot 52° PW. I'd only use the LW when absolutely necessary, i.e. hitting up to an elevated green, hitting over a bunker with a tightly positioned pin, etc.

I keep the ball back in my stance with my wedges. I usually play all of my shots farther back in my stance. With my swing it gives my the rocket shots high and soft. The half shot do not work well for me either. And I really have to practice a slower swing for these shots. Every time I try to slow down my swing, I have a tendacy to hit the ball chunky. I am going to the range this afternoon anyways, if there is not a thunderstorm and I will take all of ya'll's advice and see what I can try to do. I usually spend most of my time with wedges when I am hitting anyways because I know this is what I need to work on the most. I do pick a target and work on hitting directly at it. I learned that one a long time ago to not just hit ball speratically. Again, thanks for the advice and keep if coming and I will let you know what happen this afternoon if there is not a thunderstorm.

[clemsontiger]

Okay. I went to the range twice this weekend and have it somewhat fixed.

I can actually hit the ball consistantly, but in doing all of this, I have found another major flaw that I am working on. It also explains why I am having so much trouble hitting the ball consistantly. I am coming across the ball slightly and having to keep the club face really open to hit the ball where I am aiming. That explains why I am having trouble hitting the ball consistantly at my target line, along with why it is going so high.

That is another problem with wedges. They go astronomically high. I think that they go higher in that air than they do distance wise. Probably not, but you get the point.

I am working on this now and if anyone has some input, it is always appreciated.

[MPS67]

Okay. I went to the range twice this weekend and have it somewhat fixed.

I don't know if that's a problem with the full shots. Aren't wedges, 45° and up, designed to have more elevation than carry?

[m11]

I don't know if that's a problem with the full shots. Aren't wedges, 45° and up, designed to have more elevation than carry?

yep i agree with eatmybologna. At full swing, my 60* goes about 80 yards but it goes very high in the air. I have to actively look up into the air to see the ball's trajectory. However, the distance is consistent, and because of the height, it stops immediately. I consider it a useful trajectory. Most people struggle with getting their wedges high enough to land softly without roll. I'm not referring to pitches with your wedges but 'full' shots (including those that are swing at 1/2, 3/4 or full swings). Having them go really high in the air is generally a good thing when you have good conditions.

[clemsontiger]

yep i agree with eatmybologna. At full swing, my 60* goes about 80 yards but it goes very high in the air. I have to actively look up into the air to see the ball's trajectory. However, the distance is consistent, and because of the height, it stops immediately. I consider it a useful trajectory. Most people struggle with getting their wedges high enough to land softly without roll. I'm not referring to pitches with your wedges but 'full' shots (including those that are swing at 1/2, 3/4 or full swings). Having them go really high in the air is generally a good thing when you have good conditions.

Then I must me doing something right. I am getting it really high and it stops. I also hit everything else high, I just have to work on not casting at the ball and following through on the ball.

[redi630]

I am coming across the ball slightly and having to keep the club face really open to hit the ball where I am aiming. That explains why I am having trouble hitting the ball consistently at my target line, along with why it is going so high.

So do you pull the ball a lot? If so, focus on getting your lower body working more on the short shots. I had problems with consistently pulling the ball and I learned that it was because I was only using my upper body on the short shots. I have to make sure I swivel my hips, and than I stop pulling the ball. Stan Utley does a great job of explaining this in his book "The Art of the Short Game".

The half shot do not work well for me either. And I really have to practice a slower swing for these shots. Every time I try to slow down my swing, I have a tendacy to hit the ball chunky.

You have actually just figured out your own problem on the 1/2 shots. You do not want to slow down your swing on these. The idea behind a half shot is that you only take the club half way back, swing normal and then have an abbreviated back swing. Since you are not bringing the club all the way back, you are not generating the same swing speed as a full shot and then the ball does not fly as far.

[m11]

I second this. Exactly as he said, because the club isn't going back as far, you aren't generating the same swing speed as you would with a full swing. You must swing down with the same turn and force that you would with a full swing and trust that the ball will not travel as far. Outside of about 30 yards, I always take a "full swing"...that is ...i bring the club back to the appropriate height in my backswing...and then always follow through to a full finish. This differs from a pitch in which i stop my follow through short. For example, if i were 50 yards from the pin...i'd take out a 56* wedge (sand wedge basically...normally 100 yards on a full swing) and bring my backswing back so my arm would be at 9 o'clock. I make sure to coil completely...the same coil that i would make with my driver...and accelerate fully through the ball...same force as if i were hitting my driver...and bring my swing to a full follow through. Because of the loft of the club and shortened backswing, the ball will travel very high and land softly at 50 yards (half of my full swing).

[clemsontiger]

So do you pull the ball a lot? If so, focus on getting your lower body working more on the short shots. I had problems with consistently pulling the ball and I learned that it was because I was only using my upper body on the short shots. I have to make sure I swivel my hips, and than I stop pulling the ball. Stan Utley does a great job of explaining this in his book "The Art of the Short Game".

I actually do not pull the ball much at all. When I am hitting the wedges on an easy shot, I hit the ball pretty much on a line. I do have the tendecy to pull some. I have figured out that the main reason behind all of this is that I am bring my right elbow outside on my backswing and to be able to hit the ball flush, I am coming across with the club face open.

I have not idea where the slowing down of the swing idea came from. That has never been able to work for me, so I need to get the out of my head.

I second this. Exactly as he said, because the club isn't going back as far, you aren't generating the same swing speed as you would with a full swing. You must swing down with the same turn and force that you would with a full swing and trust that the ball will not travel as far. Outside of about 30 yards, I always take a "full swing"...that is ...i bring the club back to the appropriate height in my backswing...and then always follow through to a full finish. This differs from a pitch in which i stop my follow through short. For example, if i were 50 yards from the pin...i'd take out a 56* wedge (sand wedge basically...normally 100 yards on a full swing) and bring my backswing back so my arm would be at 9 o'clock. I make sure to coil completely...the same coil that i would make with my driver...and accelerate fully through the ball...same force as if i were hitting my driver...and bring my swing to a full follow through. Because of the loft of the club and shortened backswing, the ball will travel very high and land softly at 50 yards (half of my full swing).

I will have to agree with both of you. I am just needing mucho practice on the half swing. It is hard for me to force myself to stop at the half swing point when I am coming back. I think it is mental though. I think it is just because I am not coming back that far, that I am not going to even attempt to get the ball far enough. So that is where I start to mess up. That and I need to get a guide as to where I need to be stopping the back swing at. The 50 and 75% shots are always a grey area for me as to where to stop them. I am going to take both of your advice and take some more work on the half shots and get something going. I am glad that there is some people out there that I can talk to and get some good advice at to what they have tried and found to work for them.

[m11]

clemsontiger, you're definitely not the only one. i mentioned a tip awhile ago that i personally use. I always try to pick a club that'll allowme to take the club back to 10:30pm (a full shoulder turn). This gives me the greatest accuracy.

What this means is that i'm weak within 100 yards...my 60* goes about 85-90 and that means that any distance less than that is a real gamble...and thats what hurts my scoring. More pars should be birdies...and when im in the middle of the fairway after a nice drive...i shouldnt be bogeying a short par 4 because i overshot the green by just 5 yards or something with my approach shot and put the ball in a back bunker and can't get the ball within 10 feet of the cup.

It really takes a lot of practice to understand how to swing less than a full turn..because you'll feel that you didnt make enough turn..and end up trying to help the ball...causing a mishit.

My best advice is to check out Dave Pelz's short game bible. I feel like i mightve plugged it before in this thread but i dont remember. 40 bucks at barnes and noble or you can get it on amazon for 20. some people dont like it but i think its a great read.

in short...the main idea is his 3x4 wedge system. 3 swings. 4 wedges. you get 12 shots within 100 yards. Basically you have a 7:30 swing..a 9:00 swing..and your full 10:30 swing. You learn to bring your backswing to those lengths...adn then always go to a full finish. For each club...you have 3 distances that you hit that club.

For example, my 60 goes 90 yards lets say. If i want it to go 45 yards..i bring the back swing back to 9 o clock...or half way. I take a norma downswing and go to a full finish. When i do that correctly...the ball shockingly goes 45 yards. You basically monkey around with your wedges until you have those distances down. Takes a bunch of practice...more than you are really hoping that it would...but thats your scoring game...and its definitely worth spending time practicing that instead of trying to figure out how to squeeze a useless 10 more yards out of your driver.

[clemsontiger]

I am definitely going to have to work on that. I might have to buy that book and take a look. I am in the same boat as you are. I hit my 60* about 80-90 yards. That is really why my handicap is high now. I cannot do anything inside of 100 hardly. I can say that my chipping has gotten better becasue of it.

I have been looking for another book to read in general, so I might have to read this one.

[m11]

I have been looking for another book to read in general, so I might have to read this one.

http://www.amazon.com/Art-Short-Game.../dp/1592402925 i hear really good things about that one too. I havent personally read it...but i suppose that if you drop by a book store..you should skim through both of them and pick the one that you like however, dave pelz's book has worked great for me

[kc8kir]

A good way to learn to nail your wedges is practicing with them, 3/4 swings, with a tee under each armpit. Don't drop the tees. This is very much a body swing, not an arm swing. Practicing the rotational momentum and tempo of your body will allow you to gain consistency in hitting different distances. Combine this with learning to feel quarter, half, and three-quarter backswing positions and you will be able to cover all yardages.

It is important not to try to "hit" with the wedges. Spin is a product of good contact and clean grooves. Trying to compress the ball with your hands is very inefficient and inaccurate. Use the body.

I always go back to this when the wedges start getting off. Is an easy controlled body swing, not a hacking motion. Precision is the name of the game.