How to "Flight" Your Wedges and Short Irons

[iacas]

57 minutes ago, Nail said:

I was just wondering on these flighted wedge shots, do you setup with your feet open or parallel with your target line?

I'm typically slightly open. Depends on how you set up normally.

If you just "open" the stance, you risk moving the ball back in your stance without knowing it.

[Nail]

7 hours ago, iacas said:

I'm typically slightly open. Depends on how you set up normally.

If you just "open" the stance, you risk moving the ball back in your stance without knowing it.

I wondered because for a normal shot I set up parallel but I opened my stance for partial wedge shots and closer pitches but lately I have had a problem shanking those types of shots. I wonder if I am opening too much or probably opening my body as well as my hips at setup

[hespeler]

Sorry if this has already been discussed as I didn't get through the whole thread. 

I've finally been flighting my wedges into greens the last few rounds and it's made my game from 150 and in sooo much better.  Can't believe I've been hitting my wedges full-out all these years. 

I've now been trying to extend this into my short irons; ball back in stance, choke down, 3/4 swing.  I'm having some trouble though; can't seem to hit it straight, it's either a bit of a hook or has too much fade causing me a nGIR instead of a GIR.  Full 9-iron is about 160 for me so I'm now trying to flight it from 150.  I can stand on the range all day and hit these shots but a little bit different on the course.

Is it the same technique as the wedges?  Any tips?

Thanks.

 

[jas80s]

I also had a quick question on this shot as I have been trying to weave it into my game.  It has been going pretty well in terms of contact and direction.  But, I am getting a ton of roll out on the shot, as much as 10 or 15 yards if it lands on the green.  I know I am not posting a video of my swing, but does anyone have a thought as to why I might be generating so little spin?  I really feel like I am accelerating downward through the ball, but of course I could be wrong.  Thanks.

[boogielicious]

4 hours ago, jas80s said:

I also had a quick question on this shot as I have been trying to weave it into my game.  It has been going pretty well in terms of contact and direction.  But, I am getting a ton of roll out on the shot, as much as 10 or 15 yards if it lands on the green.  I know I am not posting a video of my swing, but does anyone have a thought as to why I might be generating so little spin?  I really feel like I am accelerating downward through the ball, but of course I could be wrong.  Thanks.

Which club and from what kinds of lies? I find that say for my PW, I can flight it higher and get it to check up with a 3/4 shot. If I play it back a bit, it comes out lower and will land, bounce a couple of times and roll out more. For the SW and LW, it checks more. LW will basically stop near the pitch mark.

[jas80s]

5 hours ago, boogielicious said:

Which club and from what kinds of lies? I find that say for my PW, I can flight it higher and get it to check up with a 3/4 shot. If I play it back a bit, it comes out lower and will land, bounce a couple of times and roll out more. For the SW and LW, it checks more. LW will basically stop near the pitch mark.

I have been going with a standard pitching wedge from the fairway.  But, I have been placing the ball pretty far back in my stance, so I am going to move it forward a bit and see if that leads to a little softer landing.  Thanks for taking the time!

[cooke119]

If I'm ~50+ yards out or have to go over a green side bunker I'm OK. My problem is when I'm two to three feet off the green with little room to work with and heavy grass. I have no confidence that I can hit this shot. What do you use?

If I try to chip it I usually stub it or skull it, I have no feel for this pesky shot. Some say use a 8 or 7 iron and bump and run it, but if you have little green to work with....

Any advise would help.  

[billchao]

8 hours ago, cooke119 said:

If I'm ~50+ yards out or have to go over a green side bunker I'm OK. My problem is when I'm two to three feet off the green with little room to work with and heavy grass. I have no confidence that I can hit this shot. What do you use?

If I try to chip it I usually stub it or skull it, I have no feel for this pesky shot. Some say use a 8 or 7 iron and bump and run it, but if you have little green to work with....

Any advise would help.  

You're OT for this thread, but these might help:

 

 

[cooke119]

16 hours ago, billchao said:

You're OT for this thread, but these might help:

 

 

Thanks for the videos, I'm playing today so I will give it a try.

[DrvFrShow]

On 9/9/2019 at 7:24 AM, cooke119 said:

If I'm ~50+ yards out or have to go over a green side bunker I'm OK. My problem is when I'm two to three feet off the green with little room to work with and heavy grass. I have no confidence that I can hit this shot. What do you use?

If I try to chip it I usually stub it or skull it, I have no feel for this pesky shot. Some say use a 8 or 7 iron and bump and run it, but if you have little green to work with....

Any advise would help.  

This is why I went to a Cleveland Smart Sole S wedge. It's great in heavy rough and soft sand. Plus it's not bad off the fairway on approach shots. It's 58 degrees. You can find them for $99. Their downside - hard, wet sand and hard pan. They only make that shot you describe easier. You still have to get out and practice it. 

[cooke119]

21 hours ago, DrvFrShow said:

This is why I went to a Cleveland Smart Sole S wedge. It's great in heavy rough and soft sand. Plus it's not bad off the fairway on approach shots. It's 58 degrees. You can find them for $99. Their downside - hard, wet sand and hard pan. They only make that shot you describe easier. You still have to get out and practice it. 

I use the Callaway Sure Out 58* S wedge, looks the same as your Cleveland. For this shot I watched a Mark Crossfield YouTube video and learned to hit down on the ball with a very steep strike, i.e., hinge your wrists on the back swing, hand forward, (de-lofting the club), and let the club pop the ball up and out. I tried it this week and damned if it didn't work. You're right though, I need to practice that shot more,

[DrvFrShow]

21 hours ago, cooke119 said:

I use the Callaway Sure Out 58* S wedge, looks the same as your Cleveland. For this shot I watched a Mark Crossfield YouTube video and learned to hit down on the ball with a very steep strike, i.e., hinge your wrists on the back swing, hand forward, (de-lofting the club), and let the club pop the ball up and out. I tried it this week and damned if it didn't work. You're right though, I need to practice that shot more,

I picked up a 58 degree Callaway MD4 C-grind 8 bounce for the local bunkers that have almost no sand in them. I had room for one more club. I can hit a normal bunker shot with it because it has almost no bounce, but it sounds like I'm hitting a rock. I'm almost tempted to get a rake, lift my ball and fluff the sand, and replace my ball. I've complained to the course several times and so have others. It rains here and it dries out and the bunkers turn into hard pan. Maintenance. Maintenance.

[cooke119]

1 hour ago, DrvFrShow said:

I picked up a 58 degree Callaway MD4 C-grind 8 bounce for the local bunkers that have almost no sand in them. I had room for one more club. I can hit a normal bunker shot with it because it has almost no bounce, but it sounds like I'm hitting a rock. I'm almost tempted to get a rake, lift my ball and fluff the sand, and replace my ball. I've complained to the course several times and so have others. It rains here and it dries out and the bunkers turn into hard pan. Maintenance. Maintenance.

I feel your pain. My 58* is not good off of hard pan I therefore also carry a 56* with little sole to hit off of hard pan, works much better then the 58*.

[Scmelik]

Worked on this this morning during my warm up and loved the feel and ball contact. Took it to the course and on the front nine my distance control had never been better. Let things slip mentally on the back nine but man I don’t know if I will hit a full short iron ever again, things were so much more in control today than ever before

[Big Duffer]

On 9/15/2019 at 5:10 PM, Scmelik said:

Worked on this this morning during my warm up and loved the feel and ball contact. Took it to the course and on the front nine my distance control had never been better. Let things slip mentally on the back nine but man I don’t know if I will hit a full short iron ever again, things were so much more in control today than ever before

Nice going.   Over the weekend worked on these techniques.  For some reason I abandoned them.  I first tried them after reading a Dave Pelz book some years ago but didn't practice enough.  Anyway, played nine yesterday:  twice instead of a wedge clubbed up to a nine, and instead of a 8 used a 7.   twice got the ball within 6 feet  flighting the ball noticeably lower.   

Great tip!

[Seenya]

On 9/9/2019 at 9:24 AM, cooke119 said:

If I'm ~50+ yards out or have to go over a green side bunker I'm OK. My problem is when I'm two to three feet off the green with little room to work with and heavy grass. I have no confidence that I can hit this shot. What do you use?

If I try to chip it I usually stub it or skull it, I have no feel for this pesky shot. Some say use a 8 or 7 iron and bump and run it, but if you have little green to work with....

Any advise would help.  

I would suggest using a 5-wood or a hybrid and hit it like a putt. They are phenomenal out of this type of lie.

[cooke119]

On 9/25/2019 at 7:57 PM, Seenya said:

I would suggest using a 5-wood or a hybrid and hit it like a putt. They are phenomenal out of this type of lie.

Hmmm, I will have to try that. Thanks

[Seenya]

On 9/27/2019 at 3:34 PM, cooke119 said:

Hmmm, I will have to try that. Thanks

I saw this earlier today. It's some tips from Nick Faldo about hybrids. He mentions using it from off the greens in tough lies.