has this happened with anyone...

[aparhar]

I finished reading "Swing Like A Pro" a couple of weeks back and have been trying to incorporate its suggestion on my long irons on the range. During the past four visits to the range I have restricted myself to playing with my 5 iron and 3 iron. I have been trying to concentrate maximum on the transition step and on clearing my hips. Longer and more accurate shots with the longer irons as well as a slight feel of stretch in my belly muscles seems to indicate that things are going in the right direction (i.e. I feel I am turning my hips and upper body well enough to have the belly face the target during the follow through).

The strange thing though happened when I switched to my wedges towards the end of outing to the range today. I was consistently hitting left of the target with the wedges!! Try as much as I may, I could not rectify this. I suspect my hip and upper body rotation during the downswing is probably a bit more than what it should be and this is causing me to hit my wedge shots left of the target. But for some reason, the same hit turn is helping me hit solid shots with the irons. Anyone else experienced this before? Any guesses on what I may be doing wrong? Before I started working extensively on clearing the hips and using the long irons, I was hitting my wedges quite accurately with minimum ease. What have I done to cause this problem with the wedges?

Have to say, as a beginner one of the most frustrating things has been oscillation in my long and short game!! When I work on the short game extensively, the long irons seem to go awry and vice versa! Hopefully someday all of it will work together .

[GregJWillis]

Re: has this happened with anyone...

With your new body rotation and position more open to the target at impact came increased shoulder and arm rotational speed. You found that great with your longer clubs. But switching to the wedges, this new speed and position is too much for a shorter and easier to square up wedge. Relax the speed at which you get to this position now. Don't try to throw the body there hard, but get to this same position smoothly and you will see everything fall back into place.

[aparhar]

Re: has this happened with anyone...

With your new body rotation and position more open to the target at impact came increased shoulder and arm rotational speed. You found that great with your longer clubs. But switching to the wedges, this new speed and position is too much for a shorter and easier to square up wedge. Relax the speed at which you get to this position now. Don't try to throw the body there hard, but get to this same position smoothly and you will see everything fall back into place.

Yes, I think its the speed of my body rotation which I am not adjusting well enough when I go from the longer irons to the wedges (and vice versa depending on what aspect of the game I have been practicing most lately). I need to conciously tell myself to slow down when using the wedges. Will try and it out and let you know how it goes.

Thanks as always!

[aparhar]

Re: has this happened with anyone...

Golfone, these are interesting points you make.

"When you open the stance up, just have the club in the back hand, because the back shoulder is not turning and then take your final grip. Your clubface has stayed square."

The above statement has relevance as I am opening up my stance a bit by placing the toe of my left foot an inch behind my right foot toe as well as opening up the left foot. This setup was done as I had read it facilitates lower body rotation when using the drivers/long irons. Funny thing is that I am not pulling at all with the long irons but do so with the wedges which makes me feel that it has got something more to do than just the setup.

I will try and incorporate your suggestion when playing with the wedges and see how it goes.

Cheers