Using 3/4 SWING with 7, 8, 9 irons to replace some wedges

[iceman777]

I noticed recently that when I was using a 3/4 swing with  9, 8 , and 7 , I was way more accurate than I was with some of my wedges . I'm 63 and not a long hitter , but when I use this method , I am right on with my 9 : about 100yds , 8 about 120-130 , and 7 iron about 140 . I hit nice high shots almost to the exact distances , playing the ball in the middle of my stance , with the hands basically straight on . Anything closer than 100 , I'll do the same thing with 45 degree wedge . Is it because a 3/4 swing is just easier to control than a full swing wedge ? I am really pleased and have shaved several strokes off .

[Lihu]

When I am tired I do this as well. I should try it when I am not tired to see if my scores can drop as well. Thanks for the tip.

[iceman777]

That was actually a 46 degree wedge from inside 100 .  By 3/4 , I mean hands coming basically just above the top  of my right shoulder

[LuciusWooding]

Distance wise, you can certainly do that. 100y is 100y whether you hit a lob wedge or a 5 iron. However, you can't control the ball as well in terms of spin and you can't carry it over certain obstacles unless you hit a wedge. If there's no trouble in the way, you can use anything from a mid iron to a putter and just run it up. Very hard to screw it up if you're just trying to put it on the green, unlike an aggressive wedge shot where you can get it tighter but run risks of blading it or something. Plus if you find it hard to generate spin because of a poor swing, lack of power, or ill suited equipment/ball, you can be a lot more consistent with this sort of shot. You just have to focus on clean contact instead of trying to generate power or direction. That in itself will save many people a stroke, whether on the scorecard or otherwise.

That said, it certainly doesn't replace the wedges. I believe going with just 2 or 3 wedges can work fine, but you need them because they have more versatility than the irons. You could replace them at a given distance, but not the trajectory or utility from bad lies. Hitting out of the sand isn't advisable with irons unless you're Seve, and if you misjudge the ground conditions you'll end up sometimes in a very bad place to make par like a swale or off the back of the green. If it's a tough course you usually have trouble playing shots on the ground, but on a typical one you can get away with anything.

As long as you have something you can hit from the sand and a pitching wedge though, you should be able to play most shots pretty well. I don't think gap or lob wedges are strictly necessary for distance gapping purposes but many people who play them to allow themselves a full shot from more ranges do benefit. If you're comfortable with hitting partial shots, by all means use them. If you prefer to let the club selection dictate the distance and hit more stock shots, by all means carry an extra wedge or two.

I'm personally going for a 3 wedge setup on my next set, 48-54-60. Should give me distances of about 130-110-90 or so. So I'll have to take off 10 or 15 yards pretty regularly to find all the distances, but I have some options. The 54˚ SW is specifically for 100 yard shots, a distance that plagues me, so that I can hit it without as much force and not try to knock it down as much. I have to hit my 56 really clean with a full swing to fly it 100. I also expect to use the PW a lot for partial shots because I spin the ball a lot, and it should stop it from sucking back. The LW is more for the short game, since I like a low bounce wedge to have around. I could probably leave it out but I prefer chipping with it over my SW. I rarely use the lob on shots over 10 yards because I feel like I lose control of the height. So my set makeup is mainly about the versatility of the club, not just distances. Once you're within 100 yards, you have to think about much more than club selection.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by iceman777

That was actually a 46 degree wedge from inside 100 .  By 3/4 , I mean hands coming basically just above the top  of my right shoulder

Hands just above the shoulder is a full wedge swing for me.

[WUTiger]

Originally Posted by iceman777

I noticed recently that when I was using a 3/4 swing with  9, 8 , and 7 , I was way more accurate than I was with some of my wedges . ...

Some people have trouble on wedges because they tend to overswing on full shots. If the 3/4 works for you, go with it.

Reminds me of  trick a pro down in Oklahoma showed me circa 1982. He worked me into a half-swing for all clubs SW down through 7i. It worked find for awhile, but then I moved away and had a stretch when I couldn't play much. Unfortunately, I lost my knack for doing it.

The half-swing with numbered irons was especially useful for close-in shots in the wind down in Okla.