Altering wedge shot distances...

[jlucas05]

Choking down on the wedge also works wonders with a smooth consistent tempo, basically a knock down shot with a wedge...

[ditter]

Over the last two months, I've been dedicated to the Pelz 3x4 system and it has worked wonders. I have a 44deg PW, a 48, 52 and 56. With these four clubs and three different backswings, I get about 10 different distances ranging from 23-87 yards. The key is to get the distances precise. I went to my local course that has a wide open pitching area and was able to use my GPS to get the distances. I was not hitting to a green, but just an open area. For each club and backswing, I would hit 20 crisp shots. You take away the five longest and the five shortest and you can see the average of the remaining 10. Then just write them all down. I'd say I hit about 500 shots over three weeks just getting the distances right. Pelz says to just write the three different distances on the club shaft, but I just typed them up and taped it to the back of my GPS.

Once you have these base distances down, you have to be ready to adjust them again slightly for the course. (tighter fairways, elevated greens, release after hitting the greens, etc.) But once you get the distances down, the rest is easy. I just look at the GPS to get the distance, flip it over and look at my chart as to what club and backswing. There is nothing better than getting ready for a wedge shot knowing that you are not going to be wrong on your distances. It helps your approaches on par 5's, and long par 4's where you dont get on in regulation. I'm up and down more. We all know the short game is the key to posting lower scores. The ten or so hours I spent to practice this part of my game did lots more for me than hitting buckets at the range. And when i do go to the range to practice or warm up before a round, I hit at least 50% of my practice shots to these 25-80 yard distances.

[jamo]

I'm suprised that nobody has mentioned that it doesn't have to be an 'either-or' thing. You have many options in terms of attack, face angle, length, ball position, etc. that are going to create different results in different combinations. That's why short game practice is so vital. I hope this was a productive non-answering of the question :-)

This is the case for me as well. Probably like 80% of my wedge shots I adjust using swing length along, but some I'll do both. Flop shots are one example, and I also like to play a low, running, closed-face chip sometimes if I'm on the fringe with a lot of green to work with. Obviously though, I have to also change my swing length to adjust for the changes that opening/closing the face creates.