3/4 and 1/2 Shots

[erwintrace08]

Hey Guys,

I haven't been able to get out much lately, so I lost a lot of my confidence. I have this shank to the right on my irons which I was able to get rid of and fix. My only issue now is hitting my wedges 100 yards and in. I have a tendency to still shank it (top and chunk it too) on the chips and "in-between" shots like 1/2 or 3/4 swing.

I feel like I shank even on the chips when I decelerate and feel my right hand open at impact (thus making the ball go right). I made the correction on my irons to ensure my right hand was speeding up or closed at impact. But on the 1/2 or 3/4 swing when I take the club head back (not a full swing), it feels totally awkward.

What's the proper to way to hit these in between shots or any checkpoints you guys can give me???

Thanks in advance!
Erwin

[paperclip]

Hey Guys,

I guess firstly, do your wedges fit you? ie are they too flat or too short? Next to the putter, these are the most important clubs in the bag to get right. A good teaching pro or clubfitter can help there, you can even do it yourself with some masking tape and a piece of thin plywood. Without seeing your swing, sounds like you are scared of the shot and not trusting the ball and club to do its work, like you are trying to finesse it. I would suggest that you get used to a follow through the same height as the backswing, eg belt to belt, shoulder to shoulder, etc. And make absolutely sure that you accelerate or keep constant the club through the ball. Like a sand shot, do not decelerate, that is the instant killer of a wedge shot. Hit the ball clean, then take the divot, the bounce of the club should stop you from digging too much. With practice, you can overcome the fears. Soon you will have a whole bunch of different shots in your bag of tricks for <100 yards.

[erwintrace08]

I guess firstly, do your wedges fit you? ie are they too flat or too short? Next to the putter, these are the most important clubs in the bag to get right. A good teaching pro or clubfitter can help there, you can even do it yourself with some masking tape and a piece of thin plywood.

Thanks so much for your input. The short pitches are definitely my weakness and this shank thing is killing me. I think it is the shoulder problem where since they are 1/2 and 3/4 swings, I don't give the same shoulder rotation as I do on a full shot.

Also, I totally understand on the deceleration and it is basically just a fear right now. I actually have to update my handicap as it's way up there now. Thanks again, e