[Photos: J.D. Cuban]
Most amateurs find 40 to 50 metres to be a difficult range for wedge shots. The awkwardness comes from having to dial back the power of the swing to cover a less-than-full distance, which can disrupt swing speed and rhythm and make it more difficult to hit the ball solidly. Here are a few setup and swing adjustments to make these partial-wedge shots feel more natural.
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Imagine you’re standing in a giant clockface with the club pointing to 6 o’clock at address. For a 50-metre pitch, you should take the club back so the shaft is at about 9 o’clock [top]. To help you make this shorter swing, choke down on the grip about an inch, which will get you standing closer to the ball. Assume a very narrow base with the ball slightly behind centre in your stance, behind your sternum and set about 60 percent of your weight on your front foot. These tweaks will accommodate a shorter motion, making it easier to limit the length of your backswing.
With your weight staying forward, swing down and through the ball, making sure your hands beat the clubhead to impact and your follow-through roughly mirrors the length of your backswing [above]. Feel like you maintain a consistent speed throughout the motion. The length of your backswing controls how far the ball goes, so there’s no need to speed up your swing. With some practice, you’ll be able to accurately correlate swing length to distance.
I can’t stress this enough: keep the pressure on your front foot all the way to the finish. This creates a post for you to pivot around, which brings the low point of the swing forward so that you can make crisp, solid contact. The instinct to lean back on the downswing and try to help the ball into the air is a major killer on these half-wedge shots.
Alana Swain, a Golf Digest Best Young Teacher, is based at the PGA Tour Performance Center at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
