How to "Flight" Your Wedges and Short Irons

[mvmac]

While this thread takes a look at distance control with your wedges , this thread will discuss how to vary or control the trajectory of your wedges/short irons. A trait of the majority of tour players is that they hit their long to medium clubs high and flight their shorter clubs (they hit them lower than many realize). The average golfer does the opposite.

Being able to "flight" your wedges can make it easier to control distance and spin. If you go full out on a wedge you risk the ball ballooning, making distance control and spin control a guessing game. If you watch the pros or a better player they tend to hit their wedges with a lower, boring ball flight. To do this you need to grip down, play the ball a little further back and make more of a 3/4 swing.

I make this swing a lot from 75-85 yards with my gap wedge and 95-110 with my pitching wedge. I prefer it over hitting a full lob/gap because it's a shorter swing, I can still make a hard aggressive move on the downswing and I feel like my contact/impact is more consistent so I have a better chance at hitting my yardage. It's also a great shot to have when you're between distances.

Let's first look at a full swing with a wedge.

- Ball just forward of the middle of my stance.

- Then just make my stock full swing.

For the flighted swing.

- Ball is a little farther back, about a ball here. The farther back you play it the lower you can it but I wouldn't get into the habit of always playing it back of the middle of the stance.

- Grip down about halfway on the grip.

- Make a shorter backswing and a shorter followthrough. You'll see a lot of tour players go with the "cut-off" finish when they hit their wedges.

- Tips on the followthrough. Everyone might feel this a little differently but some general feels I can suggest are that the arms will feel straight, wrists uncocked (not re-hinging) and the followthrough will feel shorter than it looks. To me this followthrough felt like it was close to belt height. Feel ain't real.

- The ball will travel shorter than a full swing because the swing is shorter. How much depends on how long the backswing is.

Charlie Hoffman below hitting a full shot with a sand/gap wedge.

Compared to a shorter, flighted wedge. Obviously the backswing is shorter than the swing I'm demonstrating above, that's fine, he's just hitting a shorter shot.

[iacas]

Many who have played with me or worked with me will have heard me tell them that I almost never hit a full shot within about 165 yards. Distance and trajectory control are so important. Whether it's taking a 6-iron from 160 or an 8-iron from 130, the same principles apply: ball slightly back of where it might normally go, shorter backswing, still-aggressive downswing, and naturally shorter follow-through.

One little piece to add: when doing this it's not as important to achieve much secondary axis tilt, and sometimes I'll feel or even actually allow my head to move slightly forward during the downswing. I'll often set up with a little more weight on my left foot as well. If you do those two things, too, you may find you don't need to alter ball position at setup at all: you alter it by moving your upper rotational center forward a bit (your head being a reference point for the URC).

[saevel25]

Great information Mike!

Do you find yourself "flighting" your wedges more than hitting a standard wedge?

Many who have played with me or worked with me will have heard me tell them that I almost never hit a full shot within about 165 yards.

That's some good advice

[krupa]

ball slightly back of where it might normally go

What do you consider "slightly back"? 1 inch?  2 inches?  1/2 an inch?

[Mugs050]

How much should you practice it before you use it? I play today and I was thinking of putting it in right away. I just worry that I might juice up my shots to much and go long!

[Mr. Desmond]

What do you consider "slightly back"? 1 inch?  2 inches?  1/2 an inch?

I think Mike mentioned a ball back ...

[krupa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krupa

What do you consider "slightly back"? 1 inch?  2 inches?  1/2 an inch?

I think Mike mentioned a ball back ...

Thanks!  I see that now.

[mvmac]

One little piece to add: when doing this it's not as important to achieve much secondary axis tilt, and sometimes I'll feel or even actually allow my head to move slightly forward during the downswing.

Good point.

Do you find yourself "flighting" your wedges more than hitting a standard wedge?

Yes, I rarely hit a full wedge shot. Just easier for distance control to make a 3/4 swing. Even when it comes to 8 and 9 irons I play a lot of partial, "flighted" type swings.

What do you consider "slightly back"? 1 inch?  2 inches?  1/2 an inch?

I like to reference ball position by saying "one ball inside the left heel", etc. So slightly back to me is 1/2 ball to a ball. Also want to highlight that @iacas said "back of where you normally play it". So a "flighted" 8 iron will be a little forward of a "flighted" wedge.

How much should you practice it before you use it? I play today and I was thinking of putting it in right away. I just worry that I might juice up my shots to much and go long!

That's up to you, I guess until you're reasonably confident with it. It's a move that's simple to learn. I find that the gripping down part really makes the 3/4 backswing and followthrough easier.

I just worry that I might juice up my shots to much and go long!

You'll typically hit these flighted shots shorter. You're choking down and making a shorter swing.

Some golfers that struggle with Key#3 might hit them about the same distance or even a little longer at times.

[colin007]

Can I ask (I'm a moron so it may have been mentioned...) what is the purpose of gripping down on the club?

[SavvySwede]

Can I ask (I'm a moron so it may have been mentioned...) what is the purpose of gripping down on the club?

1. Slightly reduces clubhead speed

2. You need to stand closer to the ball which equates to a steeper swing and more downward AoA

[mvmac]

Just saw this, good example.

Can I ask (I'm a moron so it may have been mentioned...) what is the purpose of gripping down on the club?

Just helps you hit it a little lower and takes a little speed off. For me, gripping down puts me in the mindset to make a 3/4, even though you're really only gripping down a few inches.

[Abu3baid]

I don't even know why I try and take a full shot with my wedge.. I'll try the 3/4 pw at the range and see how it goes.. Just so much can go wrong trying a full shot with a wedge..

[boogielicious]

I did a 3/4 8 iron yesterday over water to a green from the fairway.  I normally would do a full 9 for the shot, but tried the 3/4 8 instead.  Worked great.

[colin007]

I think the key is, still make an aggressive downswing. If you ***** out on it because you're hitting more club, it'll lead to lol lol lol.....

[Ernest Jones]

I think the key is, still make an aggressive downswing. If you ***** out on it because you're hitting more club, it'll lead to lol lol lol.....

This.

[joekelly]

Let's first look at a full swing with a wedge.

Feel ain't feel.

Feel ain't feel?  Is this a typo Mike?  I have read, on these pages, that 'feel ain't real', so gotta wonder.

Express my props for a good and useful thread. thnx.

[saevel25]

Feel ain't feel?  Is this a typo Mike?  I have read, on these pages, that 'feel ain't real', so gotta wonder.

Express my props for a good and useful thread. thnx.

Not a typo.

[Golfingdad]

Not a typo.

Of course it was.