How to "Flight" Your Wedges and Short Irons

[alleztom]

A question regarding this shot. I try to flight my approaches where I can, particularly into the wind where I get much better distance control. However yesterday I was playing with a 2 and a bit club tailwind (I mishit a pitching wedge pin high to my 8i distance) - and I was wondering what you would recommend doing to get the ball to stop on a green if you want to flight the ball in (with its lower trajectory)? Is it a case of hitting a higher lofted club with a fuller swing to get the distance?

Just interested in peoples thoughts on how to execute/the utility of this swing with a tailwind. Cheers.

[mvmac]

26 minutes ago, alleztom said:

and I was wondering what you would recommend doing to get the ball to stop on a green if you want to flight the ball in (with its lower trajectory)? Is it a case of hitting a higher lofted club with a fuller swing to get the distance?

You can flight it and play it to land on the front portion of the green, the ball should still spin enough to hold the green. Or you can take less club and make the fuller swing.

[alleztom]

10 minutes ago, mvmac said:

You can flight it and play it to land on the front portion of the green, the ball should still spin enough to hold the green. Or you can take less club and make the fuller swing.

Thanks - so thinking about it - it makes aiming #deadcenter a little towards the back of the hole. 

[ppine]

I have played for a long time. After reading Pelz it was obvious that I have the full swing, 9:00 swing with the wedges and the quiet hands for chipping and putting. What has been missing is the 7:30 swing with slight wrist movement. It is the magic way to swing a golf club for those short shots off the green that has not been there before. I practice that swing around the yard with a target and I believe it is going to make a difference in the score card this year.

[RFKFREAK]

How many things am I doing incorrect here?

 

 

[iacas]

Isn't that a full swing, @RFKFREAK?

[RFKFREAK]

4 minutes ago, iacas said:

Isn't that a full swing, @RFKFREAK?

It's not meant to be and doesn't "feel" like it.  In my mind, I went back like half-way.

@colin007 filmed it and said I went back real far and I didn't believe him until he showed me the video.

[colin007]

32 minutes ago, RFKFREAK said:

It's not meant to be and doesn't "feel" like it.  In my mind, I went back like half-way.

@colin007 filmed it and said I went back real far and I didn't believe him until he showed me the video.

yeah, my 3/4 swings have to feel like 1/4 swings for me to stop it short enough.

WTF why is your camera so wonky with the video?

[RFKFREAK]

11 minutes ago, colin007 said:

yeah, my 3/4 swings have to feel like 1/4 swings for me to stop it short enough.

WTF why is your camera so wonky with the video?

I almost think you need a stick or some barrier at the midpoint of the swing to get the feel of what a half-swing should be. 

And my camera normally isn't like that.  I'll try it later and see if it's still doing it. 

[mvmac]

13 hours ago, RFKFREAK said:

How many things am I doing incorrect here?

Seems like good contact?

[RFKFREAK]

13 hours ago, mvmac said:

Seems like good contact?

[ppine]

A game changer for me has been to keep the left leg weighted throughout the whole swing with wedges. This eliminates some sway and weight shift making for better ball contact.  I use the modern method of keeping the ball in the middle of the stance. Now taking a divot is automatic because I am hitting down on the ball and not trying to get under it.

[DrvFrShow]

I've come to the conclusion that people at my playing level do not practice these types of shots enough. While I don't have the SS to have a PW shot the distance of Erik, my full PW is about 115 yds. Inside of that distance I'm hitting partial shots. I have a 64* wedge. Someone asked me how far I hit it, and I looked at them funny. I never use it for more than a 50 yd pitch and only if I need to stop the ball dead. Sometimes I use my 55 for that shot. Depends upon the lie. Tight lie I'll use the 64. 

@RFKFREAK Yeah, I saw you thinned it. I assume you're just trying to hit a 60 yd shot lob shot? Try putting all most of your weight on your left side with these short shots. You really don't need a weight shift. 

And don't forget to practice about 4 million of them to make them look this good.

[RFKFREAK]

6 minutes ago, DrvFrShow said:

I've come to the conclusion that people at my playing level do not practice these types of shots enough. While I don't have the SS to have a PW shot the distance of Erik, my full PW is about 115 yds. Inside of that distance I'm hitting partial shots. I have a 64* wedge. Someone asked me how far I hit it, and I looked at them funny. I never use it for more than a 50 yd pitch and only if I need to stop the ball dead. Sometimes I use my 55 for that shot. Depends upon the lie. Tight lie I'll use the 64. 

@RFKFREAK Yeah, I saw you thinned it. I assume you're just trying to hit a 60 yd shot lob shot? Try putting all most of your weight on your left side with these short shots. You really don't need a weight shift. 

And don't forget to practice about 4 million of them to make them look this good.

 

Well, against my better judgement, I believe it was a 9I that @colin007 suggested.

I really didn't have a distance in mind, it was more about seeing what the swing was.

I hit my 9I roughly 140 yards and I'm under the impression that flighting my wedges takes about 10 yards off the distance. 

pt - Phil is awesome.

[DrvFrShow]

Just now, RFKFREAK said:

 

Well, against my better judgement, I believe it was a 9I that @colin007 suggested.

I really didn't have a distance in mind, it was more about seeing what the swing was.

I hit my 9I roughly 140 yards and I'm under the impression that flighting my wedges takes about 10 yards off the distance. 

pt - Phil is awesome.

I typically hit a full SW (55) about 92 yds, but I normally use it for shots anywhere from 25 - 70 yds. depending upon the lie. Sometimes it'll be my LW. Sometimes my 64. My GW will go from 70 - 105. PW from 90 - 115. 9i from 115 - 128.

Out of my 100 balls at the driving range I hit about 40 partial wedge shots.

One thing I noticed when I slowed the caddy view down was that you raised your head up at the top of your backswing from your set up position and kept it there. That may be why you thinned the shot. It was repeatable in the DTL view as well. Your spine angle changed to more vertical during the backswing. Watch your posture throughout your swing. There are good things. You get your weight moving forward, and your butt stays on the imaginary wall behind you, and I don't see lateral head movement. Slow the video down to .25 and you'll see it.

[RFKFREAK]

2 minutes ago, DrvFrShow said:

I typically hit a full SW (55) about 92 yds, but I normally use it for shots anywhere from 25 - 70 yds. depending upon the lie. Sometimes it'll be my LW. Sometimes my 64. My GW will go from 70 - 105. PW from 90 - 115. 9i from 115 - 128.

Out of my 100 balls at the driving range I hit about 40 partial wedge shots.

One thing I noticed when I slowed the caddy view down was that you raised your head up at the top of your backswing from your set up position and kept it there. That may be why you thinned the shot. It was repeatable in the DTL view as well. Your spine angle changed to more vertical during the backswing. Watch your posture throughout your swing. There are good things. You get your weight moving forward, and your butt stays on the imaginary wall behind you, and I don't see lateral head movement. Slow the video down to .25 and you'll see it.

I'm wondering how much this would be the case were I not go as far back on the backswing.  I mean, I'm trying to go about to about nine o'clock on the backswing and failing miserably  

[DrvFrShow]

23 minutes ago, RFKFREAK said:

I'm wondering how much this would be the case were I not go as far back on the backswing.  I mean, I'm trying to go about to about nine o'clock on the backswing and failing miserably  

I have a different problem of early extension which causes shanks and stuff like that. What happened in your video is that a swing fault came up even though you were only trying to go back to 9:00. I found a video I'll post here to give you an idea of how to fix it.

 

[RFKFREAK]

1 hour ago, DrvFrShow said:

I have a different problem of early extension which causes shanks and stuff like that. What happened in your video is that a swing fault came up even though you were only trying to go back to 9:00. I found a video I'll post here to give you an idea of how to fix it.

 

Sweet, thanks!