Learning wedge distances

[Myherobobhope]

I’m working on a low flight, high spin wedge shot. Basically open stance, shoulders towards target, ball towards back foot... hitting down on ball with hands forward.

 

I love the shot but want to start dialing in distances. Any suggestions on drills for the range? Ideally I’d get three “swings” down and have them go consistent distances with 4-6 clubs.

[BM5D]

Yes, do what you said. Take the clubs you want to work the distances with and document how far each of them goes on a waist high, chest high, shoulder high and full backswing. If you want to get fancy see if choking down the grip an inch or 2 decreases your distance as well. If you went all the way you could have 8 reliable yardages with 1 club. I do this and keep a laminated spreadsheet card that I made and reference it if I'm not sure (most of it is memorized by now).

 

This also gives you options because there will be overlaps on a lot of the yardages so you can pick the right club for the situation based on how you want to flight it or the lie you have.

[Shipwreck]

Pretty much what BM5D said. Or you could use the ever popular “clock” method for dialing in wedges. Best thing to do is just get out there and hit balls and see what comes of it. It’s always good to have a full arsenal under your belt and being able to hit the same yardages with different wedges is also a highly undervalued. The ability to hit a 100 yard wedge shot that lands soft to a front pin and a 100 yard wedge shot that 2 hops and checks to a back pin is great.

[SNIPERBBB]

A drill really isn't what I call this, it's more of a game, but the ladder drill is great for this. Hita short shot with the first ball. Next ball needs to go longer than the first and so on. Then switch directions. Hit a longer shot then work backwards.

Add resets for when you fail to be like longer or shorter than you were supposed to be.

 

[Myherobobhope]

> @SNIPERBBB said:

> A drill really isn't what I call this, it's more of a game, but the ladder drill is great for this. Hita short shot with the first ball. Next ball needs to go longer than the first and so on. Then switch directions. Hit a longer shot then work backwards.

> Add resets for when you fail to be like longer or shorter than you were supposed to be.

>

 

Taking this to the range tomorrow.

[Hawkeye77]

Great ideas for practice. Not sure ball closer to back foot and focusing on hitting down with shaft lean is a recipe for consistent success but do what works for you. Sounds like leading edge chunk and thin party (for me anyway, but don’t have hours to practice and only limited talent).

[JAMH03]

MHBH Lot of information to follow.

 

What would I do first? Uhhhh IDK? Watch the videos? Read the article. Sorry I'm having some difficulty prioritizing what's most important I think it's all important. I hope this helps and if I was unclear I apologize just ask me so I can clarify. I get really excited about this area of the game.

 

3 swings with 4-6 clubs... Hmmm.

@Myherobobhope

So it sounds like your essentially talking about dialing in your approach game? Now from your posts I seem to recall that you're super smart and really tall. Less sure how far you might be swinging these clubs? IE your distances?

 

 

I'm far from a pro but I do have some ideas on this, there's no way you'd consider such a boring technique as the classic distance wedge but if you did I think you'd be surprised at how quickly you can get pretty solid on a couple of distances.

 

I've been thinking about this question since yesterday and it's really hard to get everything I have to say all in the same post but I'll do the best I can.

 

1 I don't think you'll want to continue to hit down on the ball that hard at all. I don't know this but I think that the shallower AOA is actually going to play much better for you even on the longer shots. On the shorter shots I know it will.

 

Dave Pelz does such a wonderful job of talking about the distance swing in his short game bible. I'll hit a few key points but you'd be well served to read his couple of chapters on distance wedges I think they will apply to what you're trying to do.

 

Though I think in theory DP has it nailed I think he's an awkward teacher and that it can benefit us to see how better pitchers and wedge players play these shots. I've included a link a video by Graeme McDowell that I think does a really nice job discussing how he deals with a 100 yard shot.

 

Even if your distances are different than GM's I'd the concept to work the same. 2 ways at least to get to every distance.

 

Obviously DP's 4x3 method fits here but as your friend let me say nobody likes the 1/4 wedge shot so just don't use it.

 

3x3 and ladder drill with your favored wedge for the shorties.

 

As for me I'm a big fan of James Ridyard and I think his study saying that 30º is what the pros do is useful.

 

Ridyards lecture at 2015 convention details this. On the shorties his work with Be better golf is easy to understand as well for AOA

 

All of that to say you want to take your hands out of the swing you want to hit the ball with a body turn as that will be more reliable under pressure and over time. How you do that is by eliminating the McClean x-factor.

 

 

 

This article by Mike Smith I think is sublime for the short shots.

 

http://www.golfwrx.com/323780/do-you-know-the-wedge-swing/

 

Beyond that what I've found for myself is that really controlling distances in a repeatable fashion means don't add power or torque to these shots aside from the turn.

 

 

2 more ideas. @Myherobobhope look at getting longer grips or using a sharpie to mark down on your grips where 1" is so you can choke down for different distances, and I'm pretty confident you can expect a ratio of 100:87 with your power swing vs your distance swing. So if you hit your full LW 100 you can expect your wedge swing LW goes 87

 

 

 

[JAMH03]

@ChipNRun do you still have your distance matrix? Maybe that would be cool to post here?

[Myherobobhope]

> @JAMH03 said:

> MHBH Lot of information to follow.

>

> What would I do first? Uhhhh IDK? Watch the videos? Read the article. Sorry I'm having some difficulty prioritizing what's most important I think it's all important. I hope this helps and if I was unclear I apologize just ask me so I can clarify. I get really excited about this area of the game.

>

> 3 swings with 4-6 clubs... Hmmm.

> @Myherobobhope

> So it sounds like your essentially talking about dialing in your approach game? Now from your posts I seem to recall that you're super smart and really tall. Less sure how far you might be swinging these clubs? IE your distances?

>

>

> I'm far from a pro but I do have some ideas on this, there's no way you'd consider such a boring technique as the classic distance wedge but if you did I think you'd be surprised at how quickly you can get pretty solid on a couple of distances.

>

> I've been thinking about this question since yesterday and it's really hard to get everything I have to say all in the same post but I'll do the best I can.

>

> 1 I don't think you'll want to continue to hit down on the ball that hard at all. I don't know this but I think that the shallower AOA is actually going to play much better for you even on the longer shots. On the shorter shots I know it will.

>

> Dave Pelz does such a wonderful job of talking about the distance swing in his short game bible. I'll hit a few key points but you'd be well served to read his couple of chapters on distance wedges I think they will apply to what you're trying to do.

>

> Though I think in theory DP has it nailed I think he's an awkward teacher and that it can benefit us to see how better pitchers and wedge players play these shots. I've included a link a video by Graeme McDowell that I think does a really nice job discussing how he deals with a 100 yard shot.

>

> Even if your distances are different than GM's I'd the concept to work the same. 2 ways at least to get to every distance.

>

> Obviously DP's 4x3 method fits here but as your friend let me say nobody likes the 1/4 wedge shot so just don't use it.

>

> 3x3 and ladder drill with your favored wedge for the shorties.

>

> As for me I'm a big fan of James Ridyard and I think his study saying that 30º is what the pros do is useful.

>

> Ridyards lecture at 2015 convention details this. On the shorties his work with Be better golf is easy to understand as well for AOA

>

> All of that to say you want to take your hands out of the swing you want to hit the ball with a body turn as that will be more reliable under pressure and over time. How you do that is by eliminating the McClean x-factor.

>

>

>

>

> This article by Mike Smith I think is sublime for the short shots.

>

> http://www.golfwrx.com/323780/do-you-know-the-wedge-swing/

>

> Beyond that what I've found for myself is that really controlling distances in a repeatable fashion means don't add power or torque to these shots aside from the turn.

>

>

>

> 2 more ideas. @Myherobobhope look at getting longer grips or using a sharpie to mark down on your grips where 1" is so you can choke down for different distances, and I'm pretty confident you can expect a ratio of 100:87 with your power swing vs your distance swing. So if you hit your full LW 100 you can expect your wedge swing LW goes 87

>

>

>

 

This is fantastic.

[ChipNRun]

> @JAMH03 said:

> @ChipNRun do you still have your distance matrix? Maybe that would be cool to post here?

Here is the matrix for my current three-wedge setup.

 

 

Not perfect, but I know the distances.

* The A-Drop line is for just off the green, and are more feel shots than bracketed, mechanical shots.

* The full LW is somewhat unstable for full shot - distance varies.

* If I need 110 yards, I can play the PW back an inch to deloft it, or choke down on a 9i. Or, I can try to avoid 110 yards out.

 

These figures are from last season. I need a week for solid play, so I can test out my Dean Snell urethane balls, see if the MTB-X or MTB Black will work wonders for me. Dean suggests that golfers can pick up both wedge distance and spin with a urethane ball with a softer core. More to follow.

 

 

 

 

[JAMH03]

> @JAMH03 said:

> MHBH Lot of information to follow.

>

> What would I do first? Uhhhh IDK? Watch the videos? Read the article. Sorry I'm having some difficulty prioritizing what's most important I think it's all important. I hope this helps and if I was unclear I apologize just ask me so I can clarify. I get really excited about this area of the game.

>

> 3 swings with 4-6 clubs... Hmmm.

> @Myherobobhope

> So it sounds like your essentially talking about dialing in your approach game? Now from your posts I seem to recall that you're super smart and really tall. Less sure how far you might be swinging these clubs? IE your distances?

>

>

> I'm far from a pro but I do have some ideas on this, there's no way you'd consider such a boring technique as the classic distance wedge but if you did I think you'd be surprised at how quickly you can get pretty solid on a couple of distances.

>

> I've been thinking about this question since yesterday and it's really hard to get everything I have to say all in the same post but I'll do the best I can.

>

> 1 I don't think you'll want to continue to hit down on the ball that hard at all. I don't know this but I think that the shallower AOA is actually going to play much better for you even on the longer shots. On the shorter shots I know it will.

>

> Dave Pelz does such a wonderful job of talking about the distance swing in his short game bible. I'll hit a few key points but you'd be well served to read his couple of chapters on distance wedges I think they will apply to what you're trying to do.

>

> Though I think in theory DP has it nailed I think he's an awkward teacher and that it can benefit us to see how better pitchers and wedge players play these shots. I've included a link a video by Graeme McDowell that I think does a really nice job discussing how he deals with a 100 yard shot.

>

> Even if your distances are different than GM's I'd the concept to work the same. 2 ways at least to get to every distance.

>

> Obviously DP's 4x3 method fits here but as your friend let me say nobody likes the 1/4 wedge shot so just don't use it.

>

> 3x3 and ladder drill with your favored wedge for the shorties.

>

> As for me I'm a big fan of James Ridyard and I think his study saying that 30º is what the pros do is useful.

>

> Ridyards lecture at 2015 convention details this. On the shorties his work with Be better golf is easy to understand as well for AOA

>

> All of that to say you want to take your hands out of the swing you want to hit the ball with a body turn as that will be more reliable under pressure and over time. How you do that is by eliminating the McClean x-factor.

>

>

>

>

> This article by Mike Smith I think is sublime for the short shots.

>

> http://www.golfwrx.com/323780/do-you-know-the-wedge-swing/

>

> Beyond that what I've found for myself is that really controlling distances in a repeatable fashion means don't add power or torque to these shots aside from the turn.

>

>

>

> 2 more ideas. @Myherobobhope look at getting longer grips or using a sharpie to mark down on your grips where 1" is so you can choke down for different distances, and I'm pretty confident you can expect a ratio of 100:87 with your power swing vs your distance swing. So if you hit your full LW 100 you can expect your wedge swing LW goes 87

>

>

>

 

@Ty_Webb there are 2 of his video's here. He has a few more. I didn't link to his Mark Crossfield work because bless his heart MC I thought was really over the top in those. JR's work was solid as always. There are 2 videos the 1st one is a long lecture and the 2nd one is shorter. Sound is bad but ideas are useful. Plenty of other good stuff from him as well but this is not a bad place to start to see if u can abide what he's saying.

 

I know you can PLAY and are looking for something of substance JR teaches pros so I don't feel bad recommending him to you. HTH's

[PorscheFan]

The Ridyard work is fantastic and explains to me why using multiple clubs for the same short game distances can become really complicated. I think the same smash factor principle works for simple chips too. It explains why getting distance control chipping with multiple lofts is so darned complicated.

[Red4282]

This was the best thing ive ever done for my game, how i did it. Shag bag full of beat up gamer balls that ive taken out of play. 4 swings- shaft parallel to ground or “900”, “half” swing, for this one i go back to where my shoulders have turned 45* or when my left shoulder is in view. 3/4 swing or left arm parallel to ground. And full. Did each swing with 3 wedges. I only measured carrry distance. Total distance is going to vary depending on course and condition, and i have to judge that like i would a putt. It has worked like a charm. Also, for these shots, its almost imperative you shift your weight forward on the downswing, almost like your stepping through, this has made my contact so much more consistent. Another byproduct of this is i went from using a lob wedge 95% of the time from inside 90 yards to almost never using it. The sw just gets it done so much better and only pull out then lw on flop type shots

[Myherobobhope]

Still a work in progress, but I’ve made significant improvements. Pretty confident from 90-110 yards which is where a good drive puts me on my home course.

 

Shot a 75 today and sank one put outside 10 feet... I was putting well, they just didn’t drop.