Jump to content
IGNORED

How to "Flight" Your Wedges and Short Irons


mvmac
Note: This thread is 1284 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Recommended Posts

  • Administrator
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.

  • Thumbs Up 1

Erik J. Barzeski —  I knock a ball. It goes in a gopher hole. 🏌🏼‍♂️
Director of Instruction Golf Evolution • Owner, The Sand Trap .com • AuthorLowest Score Wins
Golf Digest "Best Young Teachers in America" 2016-17 & "Best in State" 2017-20 • WNY Section PGA Teacher of the Year 2019 :edel: :true_linkswear:

Check Out: New Topics | TST Blog | Golf Terms | Instructional Content | Analyzr | LSW | Instructional Droplets

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

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

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

  • 2 months later...

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.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

  • 3 weeks later...

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.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Moderator
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.

Scott

Titleist, Edel, Scotty Cameron Putter, Snell - AimPoint - Evolvr - MirrorVision

My Swing Thread

boogielicious - Adjective describing the perfect surf wave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

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!

  • Thumbs Up 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • 4 weeks later...

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.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Moderator
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:

 

 

  • Thumbs Up 1

Bill

“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.” - Confucius

My Swing Thread

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

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. 

Julia

:callaway:  :cobra:    :seemore:  :bushnell:  :clicgear:  :adidas:  :footjoy:

Spoiler

Driver: Callaway Big Bertha w/ Fubuki Z50 R 44.5"
FW: Cobra BiO CELL 14.5 degree; 
Hybrids: Cobra BiO CELL 22.5 degree Project X R-flex
Irons: Cobra BiO CELL 5 - GW Project X R-Flex
Wedges: Cobra BiO CELL SW, Fly-Z LW, 64* Callaway PM Grind.
Putter: 48" Odyssey Dart

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

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,

Link to comment
Share on other sites


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.

Julia

:callaway:  :cobra:    :seemore:  :bushnell:  :clicgear:  :adidas:  :footjoy:

Spoiler

Driver: Callaway Big Bertha w/ Fubuki Z50 R 44.5"
FW: Cobra BiO CELL 14.5 degree; 
Hybrids: Cobra BiO CELL 22.5 degree Project X R-flex
Irons: Cobra BiO CELL 5 - GW Project X R-Flex
Wedges: Cobra BiO CELL SW, Fly-Z LW, 64* Callaway PM Grind.
Putter: 48" Odyssey Dart

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

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*.

Link to comment
Share on other sites


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

Link to comment
Share on other sites


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!

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • 2 weeks later...
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.

Semper Fi,

Doc

Link to comment
Share on other sites


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.

 

 

Semper Fi,

Doc

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Note: This thread is 1284 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.

The popup will be closed in 10 seconds...