How do you hit your wedges different lengths (outside of 80 yards)?

[chris_284]

I'm currently happy with the wedges that I have in my bag, and the distances I get with them on the full swing.

PW 47 130y

GW 52 115y

SW 56 100y

LW 60 80y

Yesterday my third shot on a par 5 was exactly 90 yards from the middle of the green, right where the flag was. I cursed myself as I knew I was looking at being either 10 yards further with my 100y 56*, or 10 yards short with my 80y 60*. A 30+ foot birdie putt is not an opportunity. I then remember my friend has a 58*. I know it will be perfect. I borrow it, and hit it exactly pin high, 4 feet left for an easy straight putt birdie.

Obviously this is illegal, but it has me thinking. I know to start shooting lower scores now I need to start giving myself more birdie opportunities, and to do so I need to be able to hit my wedges different distances. On my home course, I find myself between 80-120 probably between 6-10 times (6 if I were to go for all the par 5's in 2, 10 if I lay up). This shot yesterday made me realize I need to learn how to hit my wedges ever so slightly different distances to fill in the slight holes, so I'm not dead when I'm 90 yards out.

I hear some people choke down, but I've never felt comfortable with that seeing as how my clubs need a 1/2" plug as is, and I feel uncomfortable choking down on an already short club like a wedge.

What do you guys do? Put the ball back in your stance and deloft the club? What can you expect with this in terms of distance differences, trajectory, and spin? Or do you keep the ball where it is, but start with your wrists ahead of the ball to get the same effect? Or do you do something completely different all together? Choke down?

Thanks

[saevel25]

There are a few ways,

lots of practice developing feel.

you would choke down half an inch, that would take about 5 yards off, or a full inch to take of about 10 yards.

You coould also put the ball further back in your stance and hit a knock down shot, that takes a bit off the ball as well.

Just go to the range and mess around with it a bit and see what works.

For me, my 58 goes about 105, and my 52 goes about 120, so anything below 100 i have to adjust how i hit the ball. Usually if its less than 50, i just hit a low punch and run that takes a big hop and stops on a dime. The rest of the time i just choke down or just feel out the shot.

[glock35ipsc]

If I have to take a little off a wedge, I'll either grip down a little and/or shorten the swing without changing ball position.

[Gioguy21]

what saevel said...lots of practice, heck, go to the range, get a large bucket and only bring your wedges...practice hitting to diff targets/lines with diff shots (3/4, 1/2, knockdown, flops, etc) until you get an idea of the feel for hitting different length shots

[RPMPIRE]

Like what everyone said, practice and develop feel. It looks like your SW would be the most versatile club in your bag for that distance so just mess around with it more on the range.

[Precis1on]

I enjoy going and playing Par 3s to work on my wedge distances. Generally if I'm by myself and have nobody behind me, I'll play 2 balls and vary my wedge degrees.

[inthecup]

I have not swung my 56 degree wedge full all year.  I developed a partial swing that is very repeatable.  I think of it as a half swing but it is definitely a feeling.

My 56 goes 60

My 51 goes 70

PW goes 80 and so on.

I love 60 yards that is  my money shot.  Start with one partial swing feeling ( call it 1/2) and try different clubs.  Then you can move on to multiple levels.

It is a good feeling when you are going for accuracy to not be hitting a full shot.

[rustyredcab]

I feel best when I can choke up on a club and hit it "normally." To get my 100-105 yard GW to go 90, I choke up about an inch. I find this is more consistent than a partial swing unless I'm inside 80 yards. This year, I really try avoid hitting clubs farther than they "normally" go. Always take the longer club and choke down when between clubs.

My teachers alway say, if you can putt, putt. If not, chip. If you can't chip, pitch. All of those are partial swings that just take practice for me and are one of the reasons my handicap drops during the year -- I get better at the touch shots and then winter comes.

[Paradox]

Its just all feel with me.  I definitely take the longer club and swing less, though.  The only time I won't do that is if all the trouble is long and short is either apron or an easy chip.

These are the most fun shots in the game, for me.  It feels amazing when you pull off that half-wedge and stick it close or the 3/4 PW and flight it perfectly.

[chris_284]

Originally Posted by rustyredcab

I feel best when I can choke up on a club and hit it "normally." To get my 100-105 yard GW to go 90, I choke up about an inch. I find this is more consistent than a partial swing unless I'm inside 80 yards. This year, I really try avoid hitting clubs farther than they "normally" go. Always take the longer club and choke down when between clubs.

I think I'm going to try this.

Anything 80 and in for me is a feel shot with LW, and I'm pretty good at it now that I've played a bunch of times on the year.

I need the distances between full swing wedge shots, and I think this will be it. I see an inch takes off 10-15 yards for you on that club. Can you get less? My current wedges are only 15-20 yards difference, so I'd like to find a 7-10 yard modification swing.

[RPMPIRE]

Originally Posted by chris_284

I think I'm going to try this.

Anything 80 and in for me is a feel shot with LW, and I'm pretty good at it now that I've played a bunch of times on the year.

I need the distances between full swing wedge shots, and I think this will be it. I see an inch takes off 10-15 yards for you on that club. Can you get less? My current wedges are only 15-20 yards difference, so I'd like to find a 7-10 yard modification swing.

I think you have to try practicing your partial swings with your SW. If a 58* got you to that distance, you can also try opening up the face of your SW a little and see if that works too.

[ggolokin]

yep agree with RPMPIRE, just fan the face open a little bit see how that goes if that doesnt work head to the range or a long chipping range and hit your full lob wedge to 80 yrds, then a SW to 80yrds then a gap wedge to 80 then a pw to 80, just to get a feel for it

[Paradox]

Originally Posted by ggolokin

yep agree with RPMPIRE, just fan the face open a little bit see how that goes if that doesnt work head to the range or a long chipping range and hit your full lob wedge to 80 yrds, then a SW to 80yrds then a gap wedge to 80 then a pw to 80, just to get a feel for it

The best wedge advice that no one follows, especially with the PW.  When I want to practice my wedges, this is exactly what I do.  I work 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 with my wedges and work on 120 yd shots with my PW.

[colnago1331]

Partial backswing and full follow through.  I'm working on my wedges and what I'm trying to do is develop three partial swings - where I take the backswing back to 10:30, 9:00 and 7:30 (it's a Dave Pelz thing) and then figure out my distance for each wedge for each backswing.  You end up with 3 distances per wedge and thus can find the right wedge/swing for pretty much any distance.  At least that's the theory......

[chris_284]

Originally Posted by RPMPIRE

I think you have to try practicing your partial swings with your SW. If a 58* got you to that distance, you can also try opening up the face of your SW a little and see if that works too.

Do you find opening the face of their wedges on the full swing shots leads to thin shots at all, or catching the ball with the leading edge at all? My wedges already have quite some bounce to them, for every degree i open the face, that adds another degree of bounce.

[rustyredcab]

You guys who open the club-face to adjust distance are much more confident ball strikers than am I. I feel more confident adjusting the amount I choke up rather than changing the face, bounce, and look of the face at address.

[Gioguy21]

Originally Posted by rustyredcab

You guys who open the club-face to adjust distance are much more confident ball strikers than am I. I feel more confident adjusting the amount I choke up rather than changing the face, bounce, and look of the face at address.

i don't want to come off as offensive or anything but at your handicap, you should have the ability to, with practice...hit shots that include changing the face, bounce and look at address...they will only help you get lower. just my .02. NOT being able to hit those kind of shots limits you to getting or shaving a few more off...

[lumpuckeroo]

I do it based on the length of my swing.  I hit my gap wedge 100 yards with a full swing. If I want a 75 yard shot I will only go back shoulder high with my hands, approximately a 75% swing, hands to waist 50 yards, hands to knees 25 yards.  The key to this is not to take your swing back 75% and then swing at 75%, I will go as hard at a 50 yard swing as I will a full swing, takes some getting use to and, oh yea, practice.  I will do the same with my SW, which I hit 80 yard full, but generally only use it at half swing.

I find that this takes a lot of guess work out of distances plus I rarely chunck these short shots.  Usually a chunk is a result of pulling your head or slowing your swing, and making a hard move to the ball generally prevents either one of the problems.  I can also expect a consistent amount of spin on the ball.