How have you determined your exact wedge yardages?

[chriskzoo]

I probably know within 5 yards what all my wedge yardages are with full, 3/4, adn 1/2 swings, but I've never reallly been able to pin down the exact yardages simply because:

1) I don't use a GPS right now, and
2) Yardages at the driving range are usually a little off or a little too spaced apart to be useful (or non-existent under 100 yards).

What does everyone else do? As soon as possible I'm heading out to an empty field somewhere with a buddy and a measuring tape and marking off 5 yard increments out to 100 yards - then I'll know for sure.

[DavidFehertysBike]

I try to feel the stroke rather than depend on a numerical yardage. I prefer it this way because i tend to control distance with trajectory. Its something you can develop experimenting at the range. For me, i know what a 50 yard pitch looks like as far as the ball flight with the different clubs. I know if i hit it right depending on how tight or loose the ballflight is. 100 yards same thing, i choose a club depending on how high or low i want the ball to fly.

[goblue107501]

Lots and lots of trial and error on the course. In the end, it all comes down to feel. I just had to remember the feel of a full swing 3/4 grip SW. If I needed it to go 90 yards and it only went 85, then I know to adjust it next time. Over time, I just figured out what all different swing and grip combinations did.

I think the most important thing is to not play to a specific yardage each time, but to play to a 'play as' yardage. I might be 82 yards out, but uphill and into the wind, I need to 'play it as' a 95 yard shot. I will then use the 95 yard club, grip, and swing combination. I see so many people see that same shot and just try and hit the 82 yard club a little harder and don't think to play it as a 95 yard shot. How often to you find yourself on flat ground with no wind?

[Randy4h]

When I first got serious about distances, I took a shag bag and my wedges to a local park that used to have a baseball diamond on it, with a dirt infield. I took out my sand wedge and hit 10 balls with a 1/2 swing (9:00) from a grassy area onto the infield area. I then paced off the yardage. This was good because I could see where the balls landed, giving me the true carry distance. I then hit 10 balls with a 3/4 swing (10:30) and paced the yardage. Did the same with PW and 60*. After doing this over the course of several sessions, I had the true average carry distances for each swing for each club.

This was advantageous in that I wasn't trying to hit to a certain yardage, I just made the swing and then measured what yardage it produced. For instance, my 56* produces 60 yards carry with a 1/2 swing and 75 with a 3/4 swing. 60* produces 43 and 65 yards. PW is 70 and 95. Then, depending on the pin placement, green condition, elevation, bunkers etc. I have several options for each situation.

[kevinbomb123]

no just go with feel look at the target and say um if this club to much and is this one to little then go with the middle club

[danieldrieberg]

I try to feel the stroke rather than depend on a numerical yardage. I prefer it this way because i tend to control distance with trajectory. Its something you can develop experimenting at the range. For me, i know what a 50 yard pitch looks like as far as the ball flight with the different clubs. I know if i hit it right depending on how tight or loose the ballflight is. 100 yards same thing, i choose a club depending on how high or low i want the ball to fly.

me 2------Not only distance but trajectory control and spin. Its a feel situation. I know my maximum range of each od my wedges but RARELY do I swing 100%. I've used gps and range finders to train my eye but now its feel. I can hit up to 125 yard shot in my back yard so its lots of wedge practice when not at the course.

[enis750]

GPS ruined me......then i got rid of it and got my "feel" back
i was too concerned about how far it was to the hole.....

the short game is a ton of feel, as a lot of the single digit handicappers mentioned above...i see no one over a 9 yet
some solid advice so far
to answer the OP's question - i dont know the exact distances, but i can feel it out!! haha!

[senorchipotle]

nope. i've actually never calculated distance much with any of my irons. i know pretty much how far i can hit each iron full swing. but with my wedges, it all depends on the shot i want to play.

[ISC03]

I have to agree with the "feel" theory... Don't spend so much time worrying about exact yardages. I used to get exact yardages with gps or a laser for all my shots. In the past couple years I have went back to using just the basic course markers (sprinkler heads, 150 stake) and judging the distance myself and relying on feel. I believe it has made my short game (100 yds in) better and it has also made the game more enjoyable, less time spent finding yardages and opens up for more creative shots.

[ohiolefty]

Wedges are odd.

For example, I CAN hit a sand wedge a certain distance, but I rarely want to hit it that far. I keep that same approach from 175 yards and in, rarely hitting a full shot. Everyone's different. Instead of worrying about how far you hit the clubs, I'd probably suggest you find a range with some good short targets (one at 75-80, one at 100, one at 125 etc.) and hit different kinds of shots with different clubs into the same greens. You're going to get more out of that feel-wise and creativity-wise than beating your head into a wall over wedge yardages that are going to vary wildly depending on your lie, on conditions, on how crisp your contact is on a particular day etc.

[ks8829]

I will hit my 60 wedge with a smooth 3/4 swing and hit 2-3 balls and pace off the distances and when I am around the green, I will pace off the first 10 yards and visually see the remaining distance and hit that same shot or a little more or a little less.

my smooth 3/4 swing goes about 50 yards
my full swing goes 80 yards

I need to work out the distance of all my other wedges: 52, 56 & 47 or PW