wedge play - poor distance control

[richardgrime]

ideas for hitting a part shot

I'm struggling with distance control when I have less than a full shot. So from 40 - 60 yards is all feel for me and I can pop it another ten yards under pressure or quit on it and hit it fat. Any ideas?

[xal951]

the best thing to help you with there shots is to go out on your course or range with a lot of balls and experiment. A good way is to take your SW or whatver and find out how far you hit a 1/2 shot and 3/4 shot and full shot. Another way to think about it is as a clock. Find what distances you get at 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12(full) oclock. This should help you with short shots. But then again, its kinda a fell thing as well, experiment with different clubs as well.

[smarshal75]

I'm struggling with distance control when I have less than a full shot. So from 40 - 60 yards is all feel for me and I can pop it another ten yards under pressure or quit on it and hit it fat. Any ideas?

 

I have similar issues on less than full shots. I have been having some improved success by a)choking down on the club somewhat; b) focusing on the length of my backswing and follow through; c) smooth, controlled takeaway; and d) confident pre-swing thoughts. For practice, I head out to a small chipping green and start out at 10 yards then work away in 10 yard increments to about 40 yards. I would go further, but my practice area is pretty small. Starting out, you will spray it long and short. However, the patterns will start getting tighter as you start to improve feel.

[joesgonegolfing]

Feel takes practice...a bunch of it. So your best bet if your time is limited is to get the distances of regular tempo swings with DRAMATIC choking down of the club.

 

Take you PW, down to the metal and make a regular pass and then take a swing not choked down. Do the same with your other wedges. 4-5 inches down the shaft makes a big difference and takes the feel part out.

 

However, I vote for practice and learning your distances.

 

Joe

[mikpga]

How do you practice your distance control with putting?

 

Apply the same principles to your wedge game...

 

It does take practice to develop the feel for these shots...

 

Or, avoid leaving yourself these distances...

[juststeve]

From my observation the major cause of poor distance control is inconsistant contact. Can you consistantly strike the ball off the center of the clubface with a decending blow? If you can't you will never have good distance control.

 

Steve

[mikpga]

Another question...What is your wedge make-up? PW? SW? LW? GP?

[richardgrime]

My set comprises Pw Sw and 58 lob. I hit Pw 115 ( 102 ) gripping down to the metal. SW 90 (80)gripping down to the metal. My lob is 77 (70) gripping down to the metal. I hit all my wedges better gripping down and standing real close to the ball. Trouble is even an easy half flick with the lob wedge still goes 60-65 - not that much difference from my full shot really. When I hit a full shot I don't take much divot but the half shot is kind of punchy with a decent divot. So with my half shot the club will have less loft on the club as I beating down on it somewhat.

[mikpga]

Have you had the lofts checked on your PW and SW?