Wedges have a mind of their own.

[iammike]

Ok. So here's the situation.

I'm 30 yards out. i want to make a soft sandwedge shot. To just get up and onto the green. The lie is such that I want to get it up in the air and land pretty softly, I don't really want to let it run that much.

I line up. I take a practice swing, that feels good.

When i take my real swing, it feels like I'm doing everythin right, and then all of the sudden my ball is going off in totally the wrong direction, usually to the right in a straight line (i'd say 45degree angle away from my target line at least)

Whats happening here? Could i be takin too shallow a swing, or my swing path is outside coming in or something? Why does it feel right and go so horribly wrong?!!

Anyways.. anybody else, please post your thoughts, or your own Wedge woes.

[Ghost Runner]

I too would like to hear some tips on this. Last round I played I did the same thing for about 5 holes and it nearly drove me insane.

The only thing I could think was that I was tired as it was my 4th round in 3 days but none of my other shots (drives, irons, etc) were showing any extraordinary suckiness.

[RVAduffer]

I've had this problem myself and almost clipped my playing partner. I haven't done it since, but it's in the back of my head now that it's a possibility.

[underparnv]

I've had this problem myself and almost clipped my playing partner. I haven't done it since, but it's in the back of my head now that it's a possibility.

I think that is your biggest problem.

I have found that the mental game plays such a strong part in golf. What I do on my wedge shots (espically the shorter, half wedge ones) is I visualize in my head exactly what I want the shot to do during my preshot routine. Then, I stand next to the ball, make a practice stroke (the same stroke I will be using for the shot) and again visualize going up in the air and landing soft on the green. Give it a try! :) underparnv

[iacas]

When i take my real swing, it feels like I'm doing everythin right, and then all of the sudden my ball is going off in totally the wrong direction, usually to the right in a straight line (i'd say 45degree angle away from my target line at least)

Sounds like you're shanking it, honestly. That or missing it way off on the edge of the toe, but that's unlikely.

Open up your feet, get your weight a little forward, and swing along your foot line. Most shanks come from going at the ball from the inside. If your feet are open and you swing along your foot line, you won't come from the inside. Pay attention to your divots from the sand, too. Divots in the sand - like those anywhere else - can tell you a lot about what you're doing.

[iammike]

I think i get lazy with my wedge shots sometimes. I don't take enough care sometimes, when I should. Though i overthink them.

Its the shot that turns a great hole into a disaster.

My last outing, i had the exact shot i described above, trying to get on a green on a par 5. The 2 previous shots to it were, a beautiful drive right to where the hole doglegs right. Then a really nice 5 wood shot that left me 20 yards short of the green, with an uphill lie.

This was probably my best start to a hole all day. (i wish i had been able to get it a little further to just roll up on the green though with my 5 wood shot, but beggers can't be choosers).

Anyways, then bam, the mishit wedge shot that kills my chances of having a great hole, and turned it into a soso hole.

[iammike]

Sounds like you're shanking it, honestly. That or missing it way off on the edge of the toe, but that's unlikely.

when you say open up your feet do you mean, widen my stance or make my feet do this \ / instead of | |. (if the lines were my feet)

Thats a great idea about looking at sand divots, i'm goin to have to remember that.

[SuaSponteMn]

I was having this exact problem on a consistent basis 2 years ago. For me it turned out to be related to looking up too quickly. What I've done to avoid this happening now is that I don't look up until I've completed my finish and started bringing the club back down. Staying over the shot through the entire swing has kept this from happening at all since then.