Is this normal? (wedge shots)

[14ledo81]

I just spent about 3 to 4 hours hitting full 56 degree wedge shots in my back yard. Only 50% were hit with solid contact carrying about 90 to 95 yards. The remaining were a little fat(70 to 75 yards) or thin(skulled past my 90 yard marker). It is so much easier to consistently get solid contact with my mid irons. Just for kicks when I got done, I dropped a ball and hit it with my hybrid. I drilled it perfect, straight and far. I thought what the heck and dropped another ball. This time I took out my old MacGregor 2 iron. I drilled that one perfect too. My question is: Is it normal to hit longer irons easier than wedges?

[leezer99]

I don't think it's necessarily easier to hit irons or hybrids than wedges but you probably grooved a good swing tempo which translated to your iron shots you mentioned.

[mtsalmela80]

Its a hell of a lot easier. There is a lot less room for error on wedge shots because there is less face to hit it with. A lot easier to skull it, or hit it fat and then if the ball gets in the air, it goes maybe half the distance I wanted it to. I am a high capper like you OP and wedges are a pain in the neck to be consistent with.

Basically, for me, messing up shots is far far far more costly with a wedge than something like a 7 iron

[Zeph]

It's easier because longer irons are more forgiving. You can come into the ball fat, thin or sideways and still hit the ball in the general direction. With a higher lofted wedge, you dig the club into the ground, skull the ball etc.

[soloredd]

I wish I had that problem lol. For me, wedges are my butter clubs. Anything from a PW on up I absolutely love and feel the most confident with. I actually have been tailoring my game more recently to end up with an approach shot ~120 yards or closer, even if it means laying up.

My problem seems to be my hybrids and mid-irons. Just have not found my swing yet that I can repeatedly perform and feel confident with.

[14ledo81]

Its a hell of a lot easier. There is a lot less room for error on wedge shots because there is less face to hit it with. A lot easier to skull it, or hit it fat and then if the ball gets in the air, it goes maybe half the distance I wanted it to. I am a high capper like you OP and wedges are a pain in the neck to be consistent with.

Reading things like this makes me feel a little better. I had always heard about guys laying up to wedge range. I would rather be at an 8 iron distance.

[crayputter]

You guys are kidding right ??? Wedges, 9 and 8 irons are probably the easiest to hit in your bag !

Many players want to lay up to a distance of no less than 100, simply because below 100 shots are generally tough for an amateur. Amateurs are more comfortable with distances of 100, 120, even 140.

But to say that a long iron is easier to hit than a wedge...I don't know..just seems strange to me...

Ray

[jamo]

It could depend on what kind of clubs you have. Most wedges that don't come with an iron set are blades, which are less forgiving than you 9 iron because if your 9 iron is a cavity back, it is more forgiving.

[WUTiger]

I just spent about 3 to 4 hours hitting full 56 degree wedge shots in my back yard. Only 50% were hit with solid contact carrying about 90 to 95 yards. The remaining were a little fat(70 to 75 yards) or thin(skulled past my 90 yard marker). ..

Sounds like me last summer when I switched out all my irons. Had a 50* X20 AW (11 bounce) which performed about like your 56. Also, I had trouble at first with my 56.14, until I started floating the clubhead at address rather than grounding it. Also, I don't use it off of tight lies.

Anyway, the 50* X20 never came around, so I dumped it for a 50.08 CG14. The CG14 goes about 100-110 yds., and fairly straight unless I fade it. CG14 has smaller head and less bounce, and just seems to hit so much cleaner. Now, if I can clear my schedule enough to finally go out and play 18!

[Shanks A Million]

You guys are kidding right ??? Wedges, 9 and 8 irons are probably the easiest to hit in your bag !

Exactly. Wedges are the easiest clubs in the bag to hit. Even blade wedges are generally easier to hit than cavity back long irons. It's likely the reason he hit the long irons better was confidence. One drilled shot with a hybrid, and suddenly you're confident, and you can hit better. Confidence means a lot. Wedges, however, are by far the easiest clubs to hit in the bag.

[Titleist_ProV1x]

I just spent about 3 to 4 hours hitting full 56 degree wedge shots in my back yard. Only 50% were hit with solid contact carrying about 90 to 95 yards. The remaining were a little fat(70 to 75 yards) or thin(skulled past my 90 yard marker). It is so much easier to consistently get solid contact with my mid irons. Just for kicks when I got done, I dropped a ball and hit it with my hybrid. I drilled it perfect, straight and far. I thought what the heck and dropped another ball. This time I took out my old MacGregor 2 iron. I drilled that one perfect too. My question is: Is it normal to hit longer irons easier than wedges?

Try moving the ball a bit more forward in your stance, since you seem to hit a few shots fat, it helped me when I first started playing, and now I hit all my wedges right where my shirt logo is

[Zeph]

You guys are kidding right ??? Wedges, 9 and 8 irons are probably the easiest to hit in your bag !

9 and 8 irons are not wedges. Not saying a 4i is easier to hit, but short/mid irons, 9 to 7 iron, I would say so. Give a beginner a 56 degree wedge and an 8 iron, see what he hits best.

[Gordon McTavish]

Exactly. Wedges are the easiest clubs in the bag to hit. Even blade wedges are generally easier to hit than cavity back long irons.

+1 I once had to finish a round using nothing more than a 48* Vokey because I couldn't even hit short irons reliably!

[sean_miller]

I just spent about 3 to 4 hours hitting full 56 degree wedge shots in my back yard. Only 50% were hit with solid contact carrying about 90 to 95 yards. The remaining were a little fat(70 to 75 yards) or thin(skulled past my 90 yard marker). It is so much easier to consistently get solid contact with my mid irons. Just for kicks when I got done, I dropped a ball and hit it with my hybrid. I drilled it perfect, straight and far. I thought what the heck and dropped another ball. This time I took out my old MacGregor 2 iron. I drilled that one perfect too. My question is: Is it normal to hit longer irons easier than wedges?

This whole thread is not normal.

You must live on an acreage - how freaking big is your back yard that you can hit full sand wedges? The shortest irons are the easiest to hit for most people. By your estimates there was approximately a 30 yard dispersion for your worst shots. Spent 3 to 4 yours hitting 3-irons and see what your shot dispersion is. I suspect it would be more than 30 yards.

[zeg]

I find 7, 8, and 9 irons to be the easiest on full swings. My 56º wedge is fairly difficult on a full swing. Sure, it's shorter and a bit easier to control, but it's got a smaller club face target. It's easier than my 4I, but definitely harder than my 9I.

[double_j]

Very odd thread. The statement that long irons are easier to hit than wedges flies in the face of all golf knowledge. A couple of points:

1.) There's a difference between being able to comfortably hit a good ball and having a money club that just feels good no matter what the circumstance (a la Roy McAvoy's 7 iron in Tin Cup). Like somebody else mentioned, hit a number of wedges and then hit a number of your favorite club. All else equal, the wedge should have a much tighter grouping.

2.) If you do truly find wedges 'difficult' (relatively) to hit consistently, then check the specs. It could be that it's a different swing weight than the rest of your set, has different shaft dynamics, or has a bounce angle that promotes thin shots or chunks. This is quite common since people very rarely match anything lower than a pitching wedge to the rest of their irons. I used to have a wedge that I just could not hit with a full swing no matter what I did. Once I switched to one with characteristics more to my liking, it was never an issue again.

3.) Chances are that you were drilling the long irons after repeated multiple wedge shots because you had established a good rhythm and tempo with the wedge. This should give you a hint about a good warm-up routine to use before hitting the first tee.

4.) Lastly (but one of the above are more likely), if you truly find it easier to hit long irons than wedges, you may have a problem with your setup and/or swing plane. It's possible that you're not adjusting your setup to match the club length (e.g., position in stance, distance from ball, etc.) and that might be causing you to swing on too flat a plane because of excessive reaching, etc.. You should naturally swing more upright with a shorter club because it forces you to set up closer with the ball more back in your stance in order to maintain a consistent posture and grip, all else equal.

[crayputter]

I just spent about 3 to 4 hours hitting full 56 degree wedge shots in my back yard. Only 50% were hit with solid contact carrying about 90 to 95 yards. The remaining were a little fat(70 to 75 yards) or thin(skulled past my 90 yard marker). It is so much easier to consistently get solid contact with my mid irons. Just for kicks when I got done, I dropped a ball and hit it with my hybrid. I drilled it perfect, straight and far. I thought what the heck and dropped another ball. This time I took out my old MacGregor 2 iron. I drilled that one perfect too. My question is: Is it normal to hit longer irons easier than wedges?

Ok, I apologize...I didn't realize your handicap...

Dude, why are you struggling with a 56 degree wedge at 30 handicap ??? I really think, IMO, you should focus on many other aspects of your game first and probably focus on coming down to the low 20, high teen's handicap level first... Like you, I got myself a 56 degree spin milled Vokey design wedge 18 mths ago when I started playing (simply cos I could afford it )...ONLY now at 18 handicap, can I say that I have mastered it to some extent...to prove, I usually get a MAX of only 6 to 8 GIR's in a round, and I average between 88 to 91....so that shows how my chipping and putting is saving my game somewhat.. Anyway, just my opinion, I remember that when people told me this same thing 18 mths ago, I blew them off.. :D Keep it in the short grass, Ray

[Chicago Seminole]

Have you tried hitting a 56 degree wedge with more or less bounce than your current club? If your wedge has a large bounce angle it is harder to hit off grass.