Help with Full Wedge Shots!

Does anyone have any instrucitonal youtube video suggestions for full wedge shots?!!! Last year towards the end of the season I started to notice I was blading a few Wedge shots Low and left (I am a lefty) when I was about 80-110 yards out. Took 2 months off for the winter. (Longest break in 5 years!) Went to the Range last weekend and almost Every wedge was horrible!

I will try to get out tomorrow/Sunday and post some videos of my swing, but I feel like a "start from scratch " approach would be a good step forward.

No idea about videos but anxiety over distance causes you to second guess how hard to go at it which you don’t want to be doing pitching. Some people don’t have the speed to hit proper full pitches after about 60-70 yards and maybe need to hit a normal wedge at 100 yards

Dave Pelz's distance wedge swing is simple and it holds up over time. Even as a big fan of Pelz it's a little awkward watching him. If you can watch Kite, Stewart, or Phil they all make it look natural.

if you are truly not making solid contact on these wedge shots, check your feet and knees and head movement. generally when i see a person who cant hit these finesse wedges at all, its because they have WAY WAY too much going on with their lower bodies and are moving around on roller skates. You dont need much lower body action on these shots. get stable. get comfortable and balanced. turn back and turn through on a stable quiet base with a head that stays centered. arms and hands quiet and relaxed. the turning of the chest and shoulders controls this swing entirely.

also, dont play too much loft! dont try to hit your lob wedge 85 yards! choke down and hit a smooth pitching wedge.

Thanks for all the tips and insight! Going to work hard on these shots out on the range and on the course this summer. Wanted to have the right insight and practice on the right things to improve!

Try keeping your head in a purposefully downward position over the ball. I went through a period of Thinning a lot of shots. I was keeping my neck the same angle as my spine which you shouldn’t do. Your neck should be angled down slightly.

Not free, but Monte's wedge videos are really good.

I do this when I keep using a pitch-type swing (for me that's more upright, level shoulders trying to use the bounce) and forget to switch back to a regular iron swing for full wedge shots.

I think my issue is being mostly self taught and not knowing all the ins and outs of the all different swing for different shots. Researching and viewing a bunch of vids, but all the replies so far have been helpful. And will try to work on the advice!

> @mission_scratch said:

> I think my issue is being mostly self taught and not knowing all the ins and outs of the all different swing for different shots. Researching and viewing a bunch of vids, but all the replies so far have been helpful. And will try to work on the advice!

You need a mentor, coach, methodology. Otherwise you're wasting your time. I'll give you a couple of examples. Trevino said no lessons from anyone who couldnt beat him. Makes sense but later he revised those those thoughts suggesting his lulls might have been shorter with more help. I recommended Dave Pelz distance wedge technique because its worked for me at my level and tour players on TV. Its advice I didnt think would hurt. But many think its only about about the clock faces & thats not accurate. Set-up, tempo, release, grip are all a part of the method. W/O that info you might just read an article or watch a video and conclude doesnt work. And it doesnt with your normal grip etc all. Tertiary how many players in todays top 10 dont have a teacher? This advice is only worth what you paid for it, but I can imagine you can save yourself some time. HTHs

Thanks @JAMH03 - that’s great advice.

I went ahead and bought Monte’s video on the short game / full wedges and already realized a lot of mistakes I’m making, and I’m searching for a great coach in my area. I like the thought of on-line lessons but having a person give me immediate feedback and instruction is much more important IMO.

Yeah online is better than nothing, but in person of course is the best.

Once your setup and swing are good enough, TEMPO is the most important thing on full wedge swings.

> @mission_scratch said:

> Thanks @JAMH03 - that’s great advice.

>

> I went ahead and bought Monte’s video on the short game / full wedges and already realized a lot of mistakes I’m making, and I’m searching for a great coach in my area. I like the thought of on-line lessons but having a person give me immediate feedback and instruction is much more important IMO.

Sweet!

How is it going so far?

> @JAMH03 said:

> > @mission_scratch said:

> > Thanks @JAMH03 - that’s great advice.

> >

> > I went ahead and bought Monte’s video on the short game / full wedges and already realized a lot of mistakes I’m making, and I’m searching for a great coach in my area. I like the thought of on-line lessons but having a person give me immediate feedback and instruction is much more important IMO.

>

> Sweet!

>

> How is it going so far?

>

So far, I can def say it's help make a huge impact. I am no longer hitting terrible shots, and I am back to being a decent wedge player. I have been working more and more to engrain those tips he gives to where it becomes second nature.

Unless your a single diget you shouldnt be trying to hit your wedges full

Sw 40 and in

Pw 80 and in

9 iron half your driver carry

Them gap up 10-15 yards per club from there

> @JAMH03 said:

> Dave Pelz's distance wedge swing is simple and it holds up over time. Even as a big fan of Pelz it's a little awkward watching him. If you can watch Kite, Stewart, or Phil they all make it look natural.

You cannot go wrong with Dave Pelz. I bought his short game bible and a range finder a few years ago and my wedge game has become a strength.

> @"Santiago Golf" said:

> Unless your a single diget you shouldnt be trying to hit your wedges full

> Sw 40 and in

> Pw 80 and in

> 9 iron half your driver carry

> Them gap up 10-15 yards per club from there

Single Digit - trying to get to low single digits

Obviously work with someone on technique, but once you know the right things to work on, dialing in tempo is important. Honestly, listening to music is a good way to be relaxed and implement a nice tempo. Doesn't matter the rhythm of the song, it just puts you in a state of mind where your sense of rhythm is enhanced, so you naturally have a nice even tempo. At least in my experience I get really dialed in this way.

^^ That's a good Suggestion, what I've been doing lately is thinking of a phase or word to say in my backswing then a shorter word on the downswing. I have been doing this at the range, to really engrain that smoother tempo.

Shorter backswing and stay aggressive through the ball. You will create more spin and better trajectory. Once you get that down then you can work on controlling spin via arm speed control. My wedge swing feels like it's to about P3 and then start down ...it gets past that in reality but you get the idea. If I'm worried about spin it's as simple as taking more club and trying to hit it shorter....such as my SW goes 110...I'll make a normal full/P3 swing and try to hit it 80 which in turn lowers my arm speed and the spin.

Learn to control low point of arc first...

I'd recommend avoid "full" shots with the wedges...

Mental check points that I use to make sure I am set up right for my wedges are:

1. Ball position, set an inch (roughly) back from middle of stance

2. Slightly push hands forward, so the shaft leans toward target

3. Make sure I stay on top of the ball

4. Tempo, keep it smooth

I agree with only using 1/2 to 3/4 swings with wedges, you'll become more consistent with trajectory and spin with each wedge.