Wedges!!

[uga_dawg62]

Posted this in the Golf Talk section. Oops, wrong board; so, I'll repost here. Hopefully, some of you guys can help me out. Thanks in advance.


Ok, guys... I'm a novice golfer (only been at it a little over a year). I have improved my game by leaps and bounds since when I first started through frequent practice.

But here's my problem. I can get a good drive off of the tee on a par 4 and end up around the green or within reasonable PW/9 iron distance, hopefully, being able to reach the green in two. The problem arises when I pull out my PW and go for that shot. (Let it be known that I use a $100 set of Wal-mart clubs that I bought to see if I like the game; They're Knight I think.)

My chips and shots with my PW are sooooo inconsistent. Most of the time I'm smoking the ball way past and over the green. Is it that my PW is not the best quality, or is it that my game is not the best quality.

The reason I am asking is that someone told me that the cheaper PW's are made for 100 yd. full swing shots and not for chipping. Said that if I go buy and good, used wedge (i.e. cleveland, callaway), I would improve my game immediately.

Thank you.

[Fourputt]

  uga_dawg62 said:

Posted this in the Golf Talk section. Oops, wrong board; so, I'll repost here. Hopefully, some of you guys can help me out. Thanks in advance.

This is the same thing posted in your other thread....

A short game lesson to learn the correct fundamentals will take you farther than anything else. Good technique will work with bad clubs better than good clubs will work with bad technique. Develop good short game fundamentals before you spend money on clubs, then you can look for something that works with your game and feel. One more comment... keep your clubs clean. I see more beginners with grass and dirt caked on the faces of the their irons, then they wonder why they can't hit consistent shots with them.

[sandtrap]

Practice, practice, practice, If that doesn't work try lessons and then practice, pracyice, practice.

[uga_dawg62]

Thanks, guys. I appreciate the responses. Apparently, there is no way I can get a quick 180 degree turnaround in my game without practice. LOL.

I think my biggest problem is that I go out as a novice expecting to shoot a 70 or something, and when things don't go my way I tend to throw things. Particularly, clubs.

Thanks for the responses, though. I need to work on my chipping. Only problem is that when I'm at the range, I can't help but grab my driver and try to HIT IT FAR!

[Boosty16]

If you going to purchase a set of wedges, let me suggest the oil can vokey series by Titelist. I just bought my wedges a few weeks ago and I love them. They are so very soft off the club face which is big for me since I previously had the m/b's from ping for the last 4 years. Remember though, the finish wears after the first time you use them and they start to rust over time. I love the look of the oil cans as they start to rust. It reminds me of a club that has gone through hell and back!!! Your weopons that you use all the damn time...BELIVE IT!!!

[donkba]

i would suggest a vokey spin milled, but i have heard they cut up the golfball very easily. is this true or not because i dont want to spend £30 on a dozen golfballs for every round i play. i play tp reds so would they get cut easily or not?

[mookie]

For the first 10 rounds(appx) the spin milled Vokey's will definitely put a hurting on the golf ball, but after that the damage is minimal. If you go to the driving range first and hit a large bucket of balls first, that will help a lot when you get out there with your own ball.

The Vokey's are great wedges.

[JonnyGolf]

There's nothing more mentally defeating than hammering one down the middle, then missing the green with a short iron. It really used to suck the life out me. Then, watching the senior tour, I discovered they weren't hitting huge wedges, but were making 3/4 swings that are very accurate.

To gain consistency on your wedges, try those 3/4 shots rather than full shots. I try to never hit a wedge hard and really focus on making solid contact. Also, the pressure you put on yourself after a good drive can hamper making a good swing on the approach as you try to hit a "perfect" shot.

Have fun,
jg

[Ringer]

  uga_dawg62 said:

Posted this in the Golf Talk section. Oops, wrong board; so, I'll repost here. Hopefully, some of you guys can help me out. Thanks in advance.

This is a very very common problem and I can already tell you what is going on. You are taking the club too far back and trying to slow down when you get to the ball. This causes your follow through to be shorter than your backswing. What you need to work on is doing the exact opposite... you need a shorter backswing and a longer finish.

I recommend doing this drill in the video for a while on small chip shots to get a feel for what it's like to accelerate: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qm1kQPPMp2g

[powertrip240]

A pitching wedge may not be the best club to use around 40 or 50 yards. Your wedge probably has a loft of about 45 to 48 degrees. You may want to consider getting a higher angled wedge, like a gap wedge or a sand wedge. The only time I use my pitching wedge inside 60 yards is for a bump-n-run shot.

I personally use a 45* pitching wedge, a 50* gap wedge, a 56* sand wedge and a 60 * lob wedge. They all have a place in my bag, and I use them all each time I play.

Oh, and practice, practice, practice!!!