How to "Flight" Your Wedges and Short Irons

[mvmac]

Evolvr student hitting a flighted shot to gimme range.

[Duff McGee]

I still don't get that kind of backspin, even when I feel the club strike "ball first." But feel isn't real so maybe I'm hitting ground first.

[iacas]

I still don't get that kind of backspin, even when I feel the club strike "ball first." But feel isn't real so maybe I'm hitting ground first.

Depends on a lot of things, too:

• clubhead speed
• solidness of strike
• groove cleanliness/sharpness
• ball cover type
• temperature
• conditions of greens
• etc.

[Duff McGee]

Depends on a lot of things, too: [LIST] [*] clubhead speed [*] solidness of strike [*] groove cleanliness/sharpness [*] ball cover type [*] temperature [*] conditions of greens [*] etc. [/LIST]

Conditions of greens actually might have a lot to do with it now that I think about it. Whenever I have noticed some back spin it has been on certain types of greens (usually the bigger name courses).

[mvmac]

Looks like a 9 iron.

[Golfingdad]

I still don't get that kind of backspin, even when I feel the club strike "ball first." But feel isn't real so maybe I'm hitting ground first.

It's pretty clear to me from the action of that ball that there is a "backstop" there. It's not excessive spin, just a sloped green.

[Shindig]

I hit two greens from afar yesterday with this shot; in both cases, I was about 75 yards from the pin. I hit a flighted gap wedge to pin high. Both pins were to the side of the green, and I was at an odd angle, so they weren't in tight, but both were putts with a chance to make and a tap-in afterward. No complaints. I think this was my first time hitting a green with a flighted shot, although not my first attempt. Good day overall. Thanks again for the help Mike.

[Crazycanuck44]

Well with 21/2 months to go are there any indoor drills I can do for this?

[mvmac]

11 minutes ago, Crazycanuck44 said:

Well with 21/2 months to go are there any indoor drills I can do for this?

Heck yeah. You can work on "positioning" in a mirror, making 1/2 speed swings inside and even work up to full speed swings (video) if you have the carpet or a matt for it.

 

[Crazycanuck44]

Great thanks again Mike

[Howling Coyote]

mvmac

What do you mean "flight" your wedges? When I hight my sand wedge or pitching wedge, I get a lot of height.  The sw probably flies up about 150 feet up while traveling about 70-75 yards.

[saevel25]

57 minutes ago, Howling Coyote said:

mvmac

What do you mean "flight" your wedges? When I hight my sand wedge or pitching wedge, I get a lot of height.  The sw probably flies up about 150 feet up while traveling about 70-75 yards.

 

 

Check out the first post. 150 feet is way too high even for a wedge. You want more near 90-100 feet high. Flighting just means a lower more boring trajectory. 

[Howling Coyote]

27 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

 

 

Check out the first post. 150 feet is way too high even for a wedge. You want more near 90-100 feet high. Flighting just means a lower more boring trajectory. 

Saeve125

Without height, won't the ball skip off the green?

[saevel25]

1 minute ago, Howling Coyote said:

Saeve125

Without height, won't the ball skip off the green?

PGA Tour players average 30 yards in peak height (90 feet). They have no issue stopping the ball on the greens. Also partial wedge shots and pitch shots can stop as well. So I see no reason why flighting a wedge would not stop. I think you are overestimating the importance of height or how high you need to hit the ball. 

[Golfingdad]

13 minutes ago, Howling Coyote said:

Without height, won't the ball skip off the green?

It will still have some height, just not as much as a regular full swing wedge.  This means that you'll have more control in the wind and more control over the amount of spin.  Both of those lead to better control of overall distance.

[mvmac]

7 hours ago, Howling Coyote said:

mvmac

What do you mean "flight" your wedges? When I hight my sand wedge or pitching wedge, I get a lot of height.  The sw probably flies up about 150 feet up while traveling about 70-75 yards.

Like @saevel25 and @Golfingdad said, it's a technique for lowering the ball flight of wedges/short irons for better distance (possibly better contact) and spin control.

[mvmac]

 

Long-arc flighted short irons.... ? @connorspeterson

A video posted by Jeff Smith (@radargolfpro) on Feb 9, 2016 at 12:52pm PST

[ppine]

I am playing golf again after laying off several years after an accident.  I can still strike the ball fine, but touch within 30 yards is the toughest part of my game. After reading Dave Pelz I am working on getting calibrated with different wedges. The 9:30 swing with "dead hands" is by far the hardest to execute. Any pointers for the touchy, reproducible swing with a wedge on short shots?