Dialing distance near green with gap 52 or lob 60 wedges

[metaswinger]

Question: I've recently started using my 60 lob wedge around the green but a problem has emerged.  While previously, I (almost) exclusively was using my 52 gap and was able to dial distance with the single club I now find that switching between the two is really creating distance problems.  Now, the 52 feels like the ball explodes off the head and I tend to hit it too far.  I know it's probably just more practice but is there anything clever that can help as well?

For longer shots, I've actually taped distances for a full, 3/4, and half swings on a tag on all my wedges and i've found it helps a bunch.

Any tricks for the short shots?

Tx.

[dchoye]

Same problem with me. I love my 52 around the green. I chipped in the hole more with that wedge than others.  But I also have been using LW more often and having distance control problems switching back and forth.   

I think I will go with a 56 and just deloft it so it feels like a 52 on some shots around the green when I need the same feel

Edited June 18, 2016 by dchoye

[amoline]

For me, the unequivocally best thing to do is hit shots to range targets where your arm goes no further than parallel to the ground on your backswing. Most likely, if you tape yourself doing it you'll almost guarantee swing past that point. Learning to accelerate properly from this position especially with wedges is really important, as someone who was once a chronic extreme overswinger, now just a chronic slight overswinger. :) 

What I do for my wedges is use this left arm parallel swing, hands gripped about an inch to an inch and a half, as my "stock shot" for that club. If I need more or less with that club, I simply grip down or let up further and make the same swing for +/- 5-ish yards on the lob wedge, and +/- 10-12 on the pitching wedges. Your mileage may vary of course ;)

My two cents.

[metaswinger]

On June 18, 2016 at 8:28 PM, amoline said:

For me, the unequivocally best thing to do is hit shots to range targets where your arm goes no further than parallel to the ground on your backswing. Most likely, if you tape yourself doing it you'll almost guarantee swing past that point. Learning to accelerate properly from this position especially with wedges is really important, as someone who was once a chronic extreme overswinger, now just a chronic slight overswinger. :) 

What I do for my wedges is use this left arm parallel swing, hands gripped about an inch to an inch and a half, as my "stock shot" for that club. If I need more or less with that club, I simply grip down or let up further and make the same swing for +/- 5-ish yards on the lob wedge, and +/- 10-12 on the pitching wedges. Your mileage may vary of course ;)

My two cents.

Thanks for this.  I tried it out on the range and a practice green this morning and initial impressions are positive.  In addition to 'dialing distance', the focus of my left arm parallel to the ground is super helpful (chronic elbow bender here!).

I'll be on the course tomorrow and we'll start to have opportunities to see more.

Best.

[amoline]

Glad it's working for you! I really enjoy that drill. Let me know how it goes! 

[Piz]

Man...talk about morphic resonance!  A friend of mine pointed out the arm-parallel-to-the-ground thing to me a week ago.  I was taking the club much farther back than I thought I was and then (my brain rapidly calculating) slowing down into impact.  A great technique if you find yourself in thick rough a foot and a half from the cup; but seldom indicated otherwise.  I would like to add one suggestion: a very narrow stance takes off a few yards and is handy on severely sloped lies as well.  Just ask Ernest Jones.

[metaswinger]

1 hour ago, Piz said:

  I would like to add one suggestion: a very narrow stance takes off a few yards and is handy on severely sloped lies as well.  Just ask Ernest Jones.

That's a great addition as well.  Gonna work on that.

[boogielicious]

On June 18, 2016 at 3:02 PM, metaswinger said:

Question: I've recently started using my 60 lob wedge around the green but a problem has emerged.  While previously, I (almost) exclusively was using my 52 gap and was able to dial distance with the single club I now find that switching between the two is really creating distance problems.  Now, the 52 feels like the ball explodes off the head and I tend to hit it too far.  I know it's probably just more practice but is there anything clever that can help as well?

For longer shots, I've actually taped distances for a full, 3/4, and half swings on a tag on all my wedges and i've found it helps a bunch.

Any tricks for the short shots?

Tx.

I find the shorter ones harder for some reason, so I switch to a pitch shot when under 30 yards or so. One thing I have worked on lately is starting off my practice with the 1/4 swings first. 

I believe there is some discussion of this in the above thread.