Scoring Wedges...HELP!!!

[hankdaddy]

I really could use some advise for hitting a 56 or 60 degree beyond a half swing. I tend to have a more of an inside to out swing path causing a draw with the club face square to a few degrees shut(guessing). So basically I fight an exaggerated draw to a hook when my timing is off. if i have any swing thoughts at all or practice swing thoughts i almost try to come over the top, at least thats what it feels like, to get the swing path a lot straighter. 7 iron and up to my driver i play a slight draw which gets a little bigger the more club i have in my hand, i always keep my 8 - pw dead straight.

this is where everything i think i know about my swing or the swing in general goes to shit. if you give me a 56 or 60 degree i hit them high, right, and short, hell they even fade. first instinct without any thought about what is going on I come over the top hit it weak on the toe and you know the ball flight already. so what do i do, come in from the inside a hair, push it right with a little open club face somehow even manage to hit it on the toe even, damn near creates the same ball flight except it takes off right of the target line then fades.

i dont know why i cant get my hands right in these scenarios. past couple years ive really got my 56 toned down where its probably 35-40% chance i do what i described above. i had my 60 in the bag for years, but only chipped with it around the green in desperate situations and decided i wanted to learn how to hit that club this year. theres about a 80% chance i will do what i described above with my 60. what can i do about this, is it odd my swing tends to change so much when i get a scoring wedge in my hand to an instinct of coming over the top. maybe i should add this, im like a 4 handicap, i feel like i can hit these clubs, actually i feel like i cant and thats more of any reason why i want to.

thanks to anyone who reads all that and gives me any feedback.

[BrianW]

Re: Scoring Wedges...HELP!!!

I would suggest that you purchase Dave Pelz "Short Game Bible" It is a great book for learning how to get the best from you wedges.

[GregJWillis]

Re: Scoring Wedges...HELP!!!

...i hit them high, right, and short, hell they even fade...

Sounds like a scoop to me. I would be willing to bet that you are trying to help the ball up (for some reason) to gain the hight. For you to hit a good consistent 60 wedge, you need to have the same forward-leaning shaft angle into the shot (as any other shot), so your hands still need to be slightly in front of the ball, you still have to maintain the right hand's cupped position, and your swing still needs to start from the bottom up (legs, hips, torso, shoulders, then last arms and hands) in a easy smooth transition.
I suspect you are starting the swing with your shoulders, arms and hands only and your getting outside-in on it, and/or you are just getting around late.
Start to practice with a 3/4 shots...not full-all-out 100%. (it is rare you ever really needing a full 60 wedge) as it is always better to take a 3/4 56 or SW to help control your distances. Remember, a 3/4 shot has the same tempo, movements, and thoughts as any other shot...all you are doing is taking your arm hight 3/4 back (so somewhere around parallel to the ground is my mark). My swing is the same from there. If I do need a 100% 60, I play it slightly back in my stance...not a lot, just slightly. I want to be sure I hit it solid...no glancing blow. The reason is that I want the spin more then the hight to help control the shot. Hight is ok, but spin is key to getting the ball to not only go where you want, but also "not go" where you don't.

[LowPost42]

Re: Scoring Wedges...HELP!!!

Well, my advice is to NOT hit your 56 or 60 more than a half shot.

I like to setup bags with wedges shafted softer than the iron set, to allow more feel in those half shots. The problem is that full swing equipment issues (shaft bending, toe droop) are exaggerated in these softer shafted clubs.

Personally, it's how I play my bag, and I've got yardages up to 110 yards covered with full swing clubs (I play my gap wedge as a full swing, since it's really the PW from yesteryear).

Just another consideration.

[bill reed]

Re: Scoring Wedges...HELP!!!

hi
good suggestions from both Brian and Greg. i found it very hard to play a full shot with a 60% wedge and it was OK with a 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 shots but i kept getting different distances swing at full power and some would spin back about 20 feet and other shots stop dead and i just never knew what the result would be at full power with the 60%. i dropped the 60% wedge and use a 56% wedge that i can hit at full power and still control using 3/4, 1/2 and 1/4 swings. also found that when i had the 56% wedge in the bag i hardly ever needed to have the 60% wedge as well. if i did need a 60% then i would open the face of the 56% and that was a better club for me than the 60%.
cheers
bill

[RandomHero1090]

Re: Scoring Wedges...HELP!!!

Trying to hit a wedge SW or LW with more than a 60% backswing is almost pointless. You can try to make a big, 90-100% turn and hit your SW 80 yards, then make a 60% turn and hit it 75 yards. Heck, you can apply that to all of your clubs

The posts earlier hit it on the head, you are scooping and trying to help the ball into the air. Practice 1/2 shots and make sure you release the clubhead. If you have too much tension in your hands and arms, the clubhead won't close.

[BrianW]

Re: Scoring Wedges...HELP!!!

I learned a lot from dave Pelz and his 4 wedge - 3 clock face swings.

I carry 4 wedges, Mizuno MP R series which are fantastic tools, they form the foundation of my game. I practice my wedge game more than any other part and have developed some great scoring and recovery shots.

My course has some very big and steep sided bunkers that guard long narrow greens that can destroy a game. I like to play flop shots over bunkers that fly high and stop soft and dead with little spin. I play these shots by using the loft of the club, especially the lob wedge, I play the shaft upright to keep loft, preset my hips open and weight slightly on the back leg (Yes back!) I then make an appropriate backswing depending on the height and distance needed then swing through under the ball to a high finish with a lazy tempo. It takes a lot of practice but pays real dividends.