Low Spinning Wedge

[Titleist695mb]

hey guys, quick question... i think of myself as a decent golfer, though i feel i lack a few shots in my game... one of which being the low spinning wedge shot.... the shot im referring to is the shot anywhere from 40-75 yards. i want that low accurate skip and stop shot, maybe even spin back a bit? i kind of had this shot last year but wasn't 100% happy with it so im looking for info.. when i played it last year i felt the only way i was able to do it was to come across the ball? it worked but had right spin and would slightly fade... i know this shot is all about how you make contact and having to be very crisp. i have practices this a few times this year now and i cant catch it right anymore... ball squirts right up the club face and comes in very high... if you guys have any pointers that would be great. would love to add this shot to my game this year. i saw Dustin Johnson hit this shot last year at the Barclay's from like 50 yards and he spun it back a few feet. really would like that shot.. thanks you any help you guys

[Old1964]

Not many people have that shot. But, if you find yourself playing someone who does have it, keep you walet in the trunk of the car.

[johnthejoiner]

Its a shot that I'm not even close to having, when Ive seen the shot being played against me I'm always surprised that the club being used has a lot more loft on it than i would have guessed (58 or 60 degrees) and it sounds to me like they have slightly thinned the shot

[Titleist695mb]

Originally Posted by johnthejoiner

Its a shot that I'm not even close to having, when Ive seen the shot being played against me I'm always surprised that the club being used has a lot more loft on it than i would have guessed (58 or 60 degrees) and it sounds to me like they have slightly thinned the shot

haha yea i know man... looks like a knock down 8 iron coming into the green!? like i said used to do it with my 60 degree but your right was almost like you hit it thin.. thats how perfect you have to hit it.. didnt know if maybe anyone has a drill for it? or just some tips?

[Mr. Desmond]

Try gripping down so you can get more aggressive with the ball

[Titleist695mb]

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

Try gripping down so you can get more aggressive with the ball

yea will have to agree with you on this.. went out today, hit the ball terrible stroking an 80 but did pull off this shot one of the 3 times i tried it. out of the rough too haha non of the courses around here are in good shape so its all rough out there but choking down does help along with hands forward. thanks for the tip

[Harmonious]

Play the ball back in your stance. Hands ahead of the ball (a lot) at contact.  Regardless of how short the swing is, swing aggressively through the shot. Concentrate on hitting it as low as possible. Make perfect contact.

[Titleist695mb]

Originally Posted by Harmonious

Play the ball back in your stance. Hands ahead of the ball (a lot) at contact.  Regardless of how short the swing is, swing aggressively through the shot. Concentrate on hitting it as low as possible. Make perfect contact.

yea... contact is KEY! you know of any good drills or practice tips on getting to that point of contact?

[bunkerputt]

This thread is a hoot.  Hit it solid with forward shaft lean and the ball an inch back from standard.  That's all you need.  The inch back steepens the attack which adds spin and lowers the face contact point.  The lower the contact, the lower the launch.  Pick up a tour striker and get to work.

The ball only "crawls" up the face if one of two things happened:

1.  The ball was compressed and flattened which limited it's ability to roll.

2.  You flipped it.

[rustyredcab]

Like Old1964 said, when you see someone using that skip to a stop shot, avoid the urge to press the bet. You're a seven handicap. If you see a guy bring it low, skip bounce, back it up, and stop it near the hole, and you're giving strokes, start a renegotiation of the strokes and stakes.

[Harmonious]

Originally Posted by Titleist695mb

yea... contact is KEY! you know of any good drills or practice tips on getting to that point of contact?

Not really. Limit the movement of your head, that helps me to make solid contact on short shots.  But, other than that, just put in the time at the range/chipping area.

[iacas]

For the incredibly low wedge with a ton of spin you can actually open the stance, swing left HARD, and use the bounce a little. The ball will come out low because the grooves grab it so much and it'll have crazy spin. Swing with zippy speed. Tough shot to pull off, though.

The trick is that shifting path left increases angle of attack quite a bit.

[Mr. Desmond]

Originally Posted by Titleist695mb

yea will have to agree with you on this.. went out today, hit the ball terrible stroking an 80 but did pull off this shot one of the 3 times i tried it. out of the rough too haha non of the courses around here are in good shape so its all rough out there but choking down does help along with hands forward. thanks for the tip

Da rien.

You can also thank Greg Norman -- heard it from him on TGC while working.

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by iacas

For the incredibly low wedge with a ton of spin you can actually open the stance, swing left HARD, and use the bounce a little. The ball will come out low because the grooves grab it so much and it'll have crazy spin. Swing with zippy speed. Tough shot to pull off, though.

The trick is that shifting path left increases angle of attack quite a bit.

Yes speed is very important, Gary Player had a good tip, feel like you're lighting a match.

[Old1964]

Originally Posted by iacas

For the incredibly low wedge with a ton of spin you can actually open the stance, swing left HARD, and use the bounce a little. The ball will come out low because the grooves grab it so much and it'll have crazy spin. Swing with zippy speed. Tough shot to pull off, though.

The trick is that shifting path left increases angle of attack quite a bit.

Interesting reply. Can't wait to try this when the snow melts. To be clear, is the swing path then outisde-in with the club face aimed at the target?

[Leftygolfer]

I think the right wedge is important.  I played a 64 with the MD grooves for a couple of years.  I could hit the meanest little 60 yard shots with it, particularly when it was brand new.  To my eyes, it looked like a mini-pitching wedge but when it hit the green is had so much spin it reacted nothing like the same trajectory.  I don't remember doing anything too special.  Just a a very contolled small swing but has enough speed.

[ohiolefty]

I think what you're getting from this thread is that there are a lot of different ways to create this shot, all of them involving solid contact and keeping the hands well ahead of the clubhead.

This is a shot you need to practice quite a bit before you pull it off, and the best way to practice is to be on a course that isn't crowded (bad weather, right before dark, etc.) and do it that way, preferrably from the rough so you're not making a lot of divots in the fairway that are close to one another.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by ohiolefty

I think what you're getting from this thread is that there are a lot of different ways to create this shot, all of them involving solid contact and keeping the hands well ahead of the clubhead.

To be clear, my method does not include the bolded part. :)

But who knows what length shots we're talking about? I can fly a ball 15 feet swinging probably 40 MPH and it will immediately check and spin right slightly. Just to show there are several ways to hit a "low, spinning wedge" I threw that one out there.

If I'm hitting a ball 60 yards, then the method I mentioned isn't going to work because the club's laid back so much (and you're aimed so far left) that it'd be tough to get the ball to go that far.