Plan of attack for playing your wedge shot

[RKO]

Hey guys, I just recently picked up a TaylorMade 56 Degree wedge for a pretty good price over the holidays and thought it would be a good weapon in my arsenal. I have only hit this club at the driving range, and not at the course, due to the poor conditions in my city.

Just wondering as to how you guys would play your wedges, more specifically a 56 degree wedge (on an approach shot to the green).

I've been told to have the golf ball back of my stance, and swing down on the ball, hitting the lower part of the ball cleanly to promote more spin so the ball will stop on the greens.

Is there a certain technique you use? how is your stance? take a divot? swing the wedge like a normal iron? Any and all suggestions and tips to hit this baby would be greatly appreciated.

[TheFush]

I play the ball in the middle of my stance and trying hitting down on the ball; trying to get the divot starting where the ball was.

[aquacooled]

I play all my short irons and wedges with the ball more towards the back of my stance.. I always take big divots, my swing is really steep therefore have allot of bounce on all my wedges.. Doesnt your course have a short game area?? Just get some pratice with it on a grass range or you cant get use to taking a divot..

goodluck

[Naruto]

on a full swing normal shot you should never have the ball past the middle of your stance...if you do that when you make contact you have a delofted club and that means your 56 is more like a 52-53.....why not just buy a 52-53 and play it where it should be....the only time i play any ball past the middle is if i am trying to punch it out of trees or hit a knockdown shot into wind....but never on a full swing. Here's why you shouldn't do that....with your hands together the middle of your stance should be the exact bottom of your swing...if you move the ball and you dont move the bottom of your downswing you top the shot...if you do move it then you have no power because more of your weight is going to be on your back leg and your not going to be able to get your weight through the shot....


and as far as hitting a 56 into a green...it's no different than hitting your pw into a green...there should always be a divot, especially with wedges because of the steep attack angle inherent in shorter clubs....Personally i take a divot with every club except my driver...mind you the 3 wood is very shallow and small but still a divot. You have to hit down on the ball to get backspin and if you want those wedge shots to dance you need to compress them as much as possible, so with that new 56 the divot should start right at the ball and should be about the size of a dollar at least...6" dont be scared of getting it dirty, nothing a jacquard towel wont take care of.

enjoy your new wedge

[GlobeGuy]

Personally i take a divot with every club except my driver...mind you the 3 wood is very shallow and small but still a divot.

First, sorry to hijack the thread. It sounds like you are doing exactly what I'm trying to do with my woods. I want to take a shallow divot or leave a burn mark on the grass. Do you swing up and down (to a lesser degree than irons of course) or do you sweep like driver but contact the turf?

[Naruto]

First, sorry to hijack the thread. It sounds like you are doing exactly what I'm trying to do with my woods. I want to take a shallow divot or leave a burn mark on the grass. Do you swing up and down (to a lesser degree than irons of course) or do you sweep like driver but contact the turf?

at the top i am still thinking/ focusing on pressing the ball into the ground.... to keep it from being too steep on the takeaway i focus on keeping it LOW and SLOW....but definitely i try to feel like i am pressing the ball into the ground slightly.....only with the driver to i feel like i am sweeping the club into the ball...

i hope that makes sense

[RKO]

I play all my short irons and wedges with the ball more towards the back of my stance.. I always take big divots, my swing is really steep therefore have allot of bounce on all my wedges.. Doesnt your course have a short game area?? Just get some pratice with it on a grass range or you cant get use to taking a divot..

The course in the city has a short game area, its just been extremely wet as of late, but hopefully the weather will clear up soon enough.

Thanks to everyone for their advice and input.

[Chas]

Do you swing up and down (to a lesser degree than irons of course) or do you sweep like driver but contact the turf?

The angle of approach of the clubhead to the ball is largely determined by the length of the shaft, if you stay on the proper swing plane of course. For a 56 deg. wedge, it's going to be a much steeper angle than for a 5 iron for example, inevitably. So if I were you I would just concentrate on staying on the swing plane throughout and you will surely take a nice divot, if the ball is in the middle of your stance and your balance/weight shift is correct. The lowest point reached by the clubhead should actually be somewhere between the middle of your stance and your forward foot, not in the exact middle of your stance - hence the divot.

The divot is something that should happen "automatically" if you've made a good swing, it isn't something you should have as a swing thought IMO. But it's a great diagnostic tool for what did actually happen during the shot - it always pays to take a look at your divots during a round , it can speak volumes! For example, I have a tendency to have a bit of an inside-to-out swing path (i.e. inside the swing plane). This means that I tend to push the ball to the right, though usually not a hook shot that curves left. My divot reveals the problem instantly .... it points to the right (I'm right handed) .... so I take a little time swinging the club freely to get back on plane. The divot is a wonderful thing. p.s. I agree with an earlier poster, I only put the ball further back than the mid-point of my stance if I'm playing a knock-down shot for some reason (into a strong wind, to stay under a branch, whatever).

[silkysmooth]

if you're simply playing an approach, just put the ball in the middle (maybe a little back) of your stance. This will help the ball check up and give the desired trajectory.

The most important thing to think about is your stance. If your feet are too narrow (close together) you will get a very low, almost line-drive type shot. On the other hand, if they are spread apart too much, you can balloon your shots and they won't go as far as they should.

Just hit the club on the range, and don't get too beat up if you're not hitting perfect shots from the f/w with that club. It's not the easiest to hit, and some club's bounce angles aren't meant to be hit from the f/w with ease. Swing nice and easy and let the club do the work. Good luck!

[ricacu]

And for sand? no one has commented on sand, i struggle with my sand shots and i still cant get em' to work, i have been auto-teaching myself, no classes no golf instructors, all i know is from reading, i've learnt alot with driving, putting and irons, but i just cant get my sandshots to work, i bought a 60* wedge thinking it could help me get the ball higher but still cant get it working correctly. I usually place my ball a bit back in my stance and open myself a bit to the left of my target, i do a 60% swing (very vertical) and wack the ball, almost aways i get the ball spining alot but landing a few feet from where i am, i feel like i'm passing just under it.

Thx.

[jrbechthold]

If you want to get the ball higher - try moving the ball forward in your stance.

With your "steep" swing, you may be digging the club in behind the ball and taking too much sand. Your new 60 degree probably has 10 degrees of bounce, but you may be counter acting that by the steepness of your swing.

[golfchief]

Try hitting one inch behind the ball and follow through. People who struggle in the sand usually hit down unto the ball and have no follow through. Its just a swing not a punch.

[silkysmooth]

good call in pointing a little left of your target and opening your stance...your knees should be bent and your body still throughout the shot

as for the club and ball position, open your clubface just a bit, and put the ball a bit forward in your stance, not BACK! Back is for fairway bunkers so you hit the ball first...but not on greenside bunkers.

Now, you've got your ball, body, and club in position, when you swing at the ball, make sure you make a full follow through. I see the issue very often where people just hit the ball and don't finish the swing. This will help get the ball up, and also land soft...good luck!!

[ricacu]

Thanks for all your suggestions, i'll be trying all of them as soon as i can get in the sand at the range.

[Fourputt]

And for sand? no one has commented on sand, i struggle with my sand shots and i still cant get em' to work, i have been auto-teaching myself, no classes no golf instructors, all i know is from reading, i've learnt alot with driving, putting and irons, but i just cant get my sandshots to work, i bought a 60* wedge thinking it could help me get the ball higher but still cant get it working correctly. I usually place my ball a bit back in my stance and open myself a bit to the left of my target, i do a 60% swing (very vertical) and wack the ball, almost aways i get the ball spining alot but landing a few feet from where i am, i feel like i'm passing just under it.

Also for greenside bunkers, you should pick the club up quickly, bring it back down on the same path striking down about 1" behind the ball and imagine that you are tossing a 4-5 inch dollop of sand where the ball lies onto the green. If you do that, the ball simply has to go along for the ride.

Trying to pick the ball too closely results in inconsistency, because one time you get all ball, the next time you get all sand and you never know what's going to happen.

[Naruto]

one other thing, from a greenside bunker your lower body should be very quiet...no weight transfer should be going on...most of your weight should be on your front side and then like others have said hit two inches behind the ball and F-O-L-L-O-W T-H-R-O-U-G-H....

one thing i do a little differently than some is i dont look at the ball, i look at the spot i want the club to enter the sand at instead....rarely do i catch one thin....

[pickapocket]

Get hold of a copy of Dave Pelz Short Game Bible. There are some really insightful bits in their about pitching and specifically ball position.
It helped me drop 7 shots last year so I would highly recommend it.
Its a red hardback. There is also a putting version but it is not as good as the overall short game one.

[RKO]

Hey guys, ive been attacking the pins with the wedge lately my last few rounds and starting to get the feel of the new club, just wanted to say thanks for everyones input!