Problem with 40-100 yard shots

[GoBucks]

Hi all. Haven't written for awhile but still keep up with the boards. I'm about a 12 handicap, have played for about 18 years. Recently my wedges about 40 yards to 100 yards have been more and more inconsistent. Let me try to explain my thinking in these shots:

Set up with feet close together, ball in middle (slightly back in stance), hands set up in middle of stance, more weight towards front foot, head slightly behind ball, posture pretty much the same as my irons. Use 52 degree sand wedge. Begin swing with arms/shoulders... 40 yard shots I stop hands at about waist high (wrists hinge there as well), 60 yard shots hands go back about 3/4, 80-100 I usually take a full swing. Usually aiming (pulling and pushing) is an issue with the 40-60 yard shots and with the 80-100 yarders I am typically short and sometimes I blade the shot and send it over the green. I always thought a sand wedge should get me 100 yards, I can hit a pitching wedge 125ish and sometime with 100 yarders I grip down on a pitch and take a half swing. What I am looking for is a more repeatable swing with these shots, or develop a few KEY swing thoughts. Any suggestions?

Getting tired of giving up 4-5 strokes per 9 for making these dumb mistakes!

[bill reed]

Re: Problem with 40-100 yard shots

hi gobucks
can i ask three things, do you hit crisply into back of ball and do you take a pratice swing to see where your club first goes into the grass, and where do your hands fininsh. ie a hight finish or pointing nore at target
bill

[aftford]

Re: Problem with 40-100 yard shots

Hi all. Haven't written for awhile but still keep up with the boards. I'm about a 12 handicap, have played for about 18 years. Recently my wedges about 40 yards to 100 yards have been more and more inconsistent. Let me try to explain my thinking in these shots:

Set up with feet close together, ball in middle (slightly back in stance), hands set up in middle of stance, more weight towards front foot, head slightly behind ball, posture pretty much the same as my irons. Use 52 degree sand wedge. Begin swing with arms/shoulders... 40 yard shots I stop hands at about waist high (wrists hinge there as well), 60 yard shots hands go back about 3/4, 80-100 I usually take a full swing. Usually aiming (pulling and pushing) is an issue with the 40-60 yard shots and with the 80-100 yarders I am typically short and sometimes I blade the shot and send it over the green. I always thought a sand wedge should get me 100 yards, I can hit a pitching wedge 125ish and sometime with 100 yarders I grip down on a pitch and take a half swing. What I am looking for is a more repeatable swing with these shots, or develop a few KEY swing thoughts. Any suggestions?

Getting tired of giving up 4-5 strokes per 9 for making these dumb mistakes!

Hi bucks.
Thanks for describing your set up becuase it has helped me a great deal in being able ot give you a little advice.
1) at address , make sure that your hands are ahead of the ball
2) you have to keep your weight on your front foot throughout the swing, other wise you will fall backwards off the ball which will result in realy high shots with no distance or you will blade the ball ( hit the ball on its equator ) sending it very low across the green.
3) you cannot have your weight on your front foot and be behind the ball.


Don't be tempted to help the ball into the air by " flicking " your wrists, just let the club do the job.

cheers
aft

[GoBucks]

Re: Problem with 40-100 yard shots

Bill - To answer your questions...1) yes I hit crisply into the back of the ball (unless I blade the shot) 2) I always take a practice swing brushing the clubhead against the grass and 3) my hands finish high just like any other shot. I've been entertaining the idea of using a firm wristed swing (with a lower followthrough) , haven't really practiced it yet but that might give me better distance control on the 80-100 yard shots.

[GoBucks]

Re: Problem with 40-100 yard shots

2) you have to keep your weight on your front foot throughout the swing, other wise you will fall backwards off the ball which will result in realy high shots with no distance or you will blade the ball ( hit the ball on its equator ) sending it very low across the green.
3) you cannot have your weight on your front foot and be behind the ball.

So are you saying in #3 that your head and upper body should be in front of the ball at setup? It did feel strange to have weight on my front foot and keep my head behind the ball (probably looked weird too).

[bill reed]

Re: Problem with 40-100 yard shots

hi gobucks
just what aftford says he has cover it all i think, one think when you swing to 9 oclock on back swing make sure you swing forward to 2 oclock on forward swing, same if its a 7 oclock swing back then make it at least a 4 oclock finnish, stops you from slowing down throught he shot.
bill

[aftford]

Re: Problem with 40-100 yard shots

So are you saying in #3 that your head and upper body should be in front of the ball at setup? It did feel strange to have weight on my front foot and keep my head behind the ball (probably looked weird too).

Yes pal .
For the simple reason. The set up you described will be causing you to reverse pivot.

cheers pal.
aft

[edshaw]

Re: Problem with 40-100 yard shots

Why don't you try the video upload feature
of this website? It is quite easy to take
40 second videos today. Most digital still
cameras have the 40 second video feature.
Or, get some one to do it for you.
That feature of this site has great potential.
You can upload to the pro section and
your buddies can discuss the clip over here
in the amateur section.

[GoBucks]

Re: Problem with 40-100 yard shots

Thanks for the quick replies everyone, I will try the recommendations and get with you all with the results (and hopefully better golf scores). Also I may try to upload a video of my swing if I ever get a chance to record it.

[BrianW]

Re: Problem with 40-100 yard shots

Hi,

Your description suggests you are only using arms for these pitch shots, this will result in the problems you describe.

When pitching you should keep your weight 70% on the front foot but the swing must be a shortened version of a full one. Ensure you are making the appropriate shoulder turn and and pushing your hips and right knee through on the downswing and follow through, generally the follow through should be equal to or a little more than the backswing. Also never give in and decelerate on a chip or pitch, this will encourage a thinned shot across the green or a short 2 Ft lob.

In conclusion, you should be making an arms only swing when chipping not pitching and accelerating through the shot.

Regards
Brian

[msklar92]

Re: Problem with 40-100 yard shots

Something very simple:

1) Stand taller to the ball - make sure your head does not crouch down - look down at the ball with your eyes (not your head) this will give you room to swing your arms. All the above sx - pushing, pulling and thinning can come from not giving your arms and shoulders enough room to swing. Once your head is set at the right height - keep it their. Hope this helps - mike.

[shootin4par]

Re: Problem with 40-100 yard shots

swing arc bottoms out below left arm pit, somewhere near there. so now you got your weight on your left and the ball behind center, this will help you blade it. by having your weight on your left you are making sure you are on your front side at impact which will reinforce swing arc bottoming out more forward. you need to move your ball up. If I want I can play half shots with the ball off my left heal while haveing a narrow stance, personally I would never want to hit a ball behind center unless I am uphill or down hill, but then again I am talking about my swing

here is how I would play it
ball at center or slightly forward, no forward shaft lean at address, slightly open stance, short back swing and then have hips outrace hands to the finish
my .02
good luck in the search
neil

[vp27519]

Re: Problem with 40-100 yard shots

Bucks,

Recently changed my course management as I was finding my pitch shots were inconsistent.

Read my thread on 'punch rather than pitch' in the course management section on gto.

[pnearn]

Re: Problem with 40-100 yard shots

The little 40 yard punchy shots with the wedges, I tend to setup with my knees almost together, open stance but with good flex in my knees to lower my centre of gravity a little. Ball in line with left instep

Then I pick the club up quiet steeply with an early wrist hinge an have a fairly short backswing. This makes sure I accelerate down into the ball. I try and feel like I really punch into the back of the ball. I vary my followthrough length for how far i want it to go

I then tend to experiment with open or closed clubface positions to hit high lobs or low runs. Open clubface I open my stand a little more, close I get squarer to the target line

HTH, just my .02c