SW Blues...

[carrx]

I've been really struggling to score lately, and one major area of deficiency is between 90 and 110 yards.  I carry a 52 degree gap wedge (part of my set, Cobra S-3 Pro irons) that I am really confident with.  My sand wedge is a 56 degree Vokey with 12 degrees of bounce.

Basically, I can smooth a gap wedge 110 yards on a consitent basis, maybe 115 if I need muscle.  My punched gap wedge flies about 100-105.

My sand wedge is the real problem, I think.  My full SW only flies 90 to 95, and because I am pretty steep at impact, my full SW puts a ton of spin on the ball (even Pro V1-X) (which makes it all but impossible to hit to a front pin from 100 yards).  However, my "75%" SW goes 80 yards.  I tend to air mail my 75 yard shots, and come up short (with spin) on my 95 yard shots.  What can I do to fix this?  One obvious answer is to switch to a 54 degree sand wedge, but I have played those before and generally have the same problem.  It must be the spin factor, becuase the stronger loft doesn't really help.

I'm 6'3", and definitely a digger, if that helps.  Ball flight trends between straight to a slight fade

Currently a 4.6 index, up from 2.7 about 8 months ago.  Help!

[Precis1on]

Can you play your Gap 75% and get it to bite like you would like? Tapatalking, sorry for typos and autocorrect.

[Patrick57]

Originally Posted by carrx

Currently a 4.6 index, up from 2.7 about 8 months ago.  Help!

I'm not sure if you read my thread - Should Rule 4.4 (Maximum of 14 clubs) be altered? - I did this and it breathed a new lease of life into my game.

I think you need to play a simpler version of the game for a few weeks just to get rid of a few cobwebs.

I don't understand the term digger. Are you a construction worker?

[Golfingdad]

Maybe try choking down an inch or so on your 100-105 punched gap shot?  That should take some distance off and spin less than your full SW.

[carrx]

Originally Posted by Patrick57

I don't understand the term digger. Are you a construction worker?

Being a "digger" means I take divots with irons, hybrids and sometimes even fairway woods.  The alternate is a "picker", who frequently seems to pick the ball clean off the turf.

[carrx]

I think that's the next frontier for me, game wise.  It may sound funny, but a lot of times when I choke down and dial back to 75% I end up flushing the ball and hitting it max yardage.  It's a satisfying feeling, but for the view of a well struck approach shot airmailing the green into a hazard or in to the woods.

Of course, the down side to this is could I end up losing confidence in hitting SW from the fairway.  Am I the only guy out there with this issue?

[Patrick57]

Originally Posted by carrx

Being a "digger" means I take divots with irons, hybrids and sometimes even fairway woods.  The alternate is a "picker", who frequently seems to pick the ball clean off the turf.

OK, I'm a picker. Really, I think you need to change the game you are playing for a couple of weeks.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by carrx

I think that's the next frontier for me, game wise.  It may sound funny, but a lot of times when I choke down and dial back to 75% I end up flushing the ball and hitting it max yardage.  It's a satisfying feeling, but for the view of a well struck approach shot airmailing the green into a hazard or in to the woods.

Of course, the down side to this is could I end up losing confidence in hitting SW from the fairway.  Am I the only guy out there with this issue?

Nope, doesn't sound funny.  I do the same thing.  Relax, swing smoother, hit it solidly, and boom!  Whoops.

Yes, I have the problem also.  My full SW goes 105-ish and full PW goes 130-ish.  (I don't have a GW)  For 110 I'll try and muscle a SW, but for 115-125 I'll do my best to 90% or 80% the PW to get it there.  Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much.