Wedge play 20-70 yards out

[Curtis Atkinson]

By far the most inconsistent part of my game is when I end up in the 20-70 yard range. <20 yards isn't too bad other than the occasional duffed chip. 80+ is coming around with full swings from SW, GW, etc. getting dialed in. However, when I'm in that no man's land, it's brutal. 60 yards is probably the range on a full swing LW the 1 out of 10 times I strike it well. Most end up slicing up turf and leaving myself halfway to the green with a wasted shot. One issue is my primary means of practice is off a mat into a net and without a membership with a range included I really only get to take these those a few times a round. Any tips or suggestions for getting in work for that range and increasing confidence?

[tchat07]

One suggestion would be instead of going with a full lob at 60 find which wedge you can hit a half shot consistently at that distance. I'm far better off going with my 50* wedge then trying a full 58*.

Sent from my SM-G950U using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[ncwoz]

21 minutes ago, Curtis Atkinson said:

Any tips or suggestions for getting in work for that range and increasing confidence?

Something that's helped me a ton in the last two years is knowing how far a few different length swings with a few wedges each go. For instance, my hip to hip 50° is 45 yd carry. Same swing with my 54° is more like 35 yds. This way I end up with pretty much any yardage I need from about 10-70 yards. And as @tchat07 mentioned, those partial swings with a bit more loft will hopefully give you some much better contact (especially when you can commit to a "length" swing in your mind's eye).

To get my yardages I took a dozen balls to a practice area at my local muni, hit 12 with each wedge/length of swing and then stepped off the distances they went. If you don't have any access to a little short game practice area, maybe you could give it a shot when the course is nice and empty.

[Curtis Atkinson]

21 minutes ago, tchat07 said:

One suggestion would be instead of going with a full lob at 60 find which wedge you can hit a half shot consistently at that distance. I'm far better off going with my 50* wedge then trying a full 58*.

Sent from my SM-G950U using MyGolfSpy mobile app
 

I've started trying this for sure. And I know it's just a matter of confidence over the shot but has led to a plethora of bladed shots over the green. My SW and GW are also a part of my fitted set so definitely more comfortable with those from distance instead of the LW. Appreciate it. 

[Curtis Atkinson]

4 minutes ago, ncwoz said:

Something that's helped me a ton in the last two years is knowing how far a few different length swings with a few wedges each go. For instance, my hip to hip 50° is 45 yd carry. Same swing with my 54° is more like 35 yds. This way I end up with pretty much any yardage I need from about 10-70 yards. And as @tchat07 mentioned, those partial swings with a bit more loft will hopefully give you some much better contact (especially when you can commit to a "length" swing in your mind's eye).

To get my yardages I took a dozen balls to a practice area at my local muni, hit 12 with each wedge/length of swing and then stepped off the distances they went. If you don't have any access to a little short game practice area, maybe you could give it a shot when the course is nice and empty.

That's a great word as well. Yeah, I would say I have little to no clue how far those shots go with 1/2 swings, hip to hip, etc so it's basically "Hope this works out" which doesn't lead to a confident shot. Great suggestion on working on if I can get on the course when it's empty because hitting those shots into a net even with a launch monitor doesn't provide the most accurate feedback. 

[cnosil]

I know this struggle well as I have spent the last year working on this aspect if my game. 40-60 yards is kind of golfs no mans land; it is the transition point from finesse shots to partial/full swing type mechanics. Professional golfers typically don’t hit a lot
Off shots from these distances.

How to work on this part of your game

1. Fix mechanics. Work on ensuring you can make good contact for these distances. You can do this into a net as you start to learn the swing that will go these distances.

2. Go to a short game practice area and hit shots in this distance range.

3. When playing, move up a set of tees to put yourself into this distance range more frequently.

Or you could just avoid this distance when playing. If you struggle with these shots don’t hit the ball into this range.

There isn’t a magic bullet. if your mechanics are suspect, get lesson. If mechanics are
Good you need to practice. Unfortunately this is the distance range that personal
Launch monitors struggle with so actual range time is probably best. If you have a launch monitor just keep in mind that the in course distance may vary.

[Curtis Atkinson]

8 minutes ago, cnosil said:

I know this struggle well as I have spent the last year working on this aspect if my game. 40-60 yards is kind of golfs no mans land; it is the transition point from finesse shots to partial/full swing type mechanics. Professional golfers typically don’t hit a lot
Off shots from these distances.

How to work on this part of your game

1. Fix mechanics. Work on ensuring you can make good contact for these distances. You can do this into a net as you start to learn the swing that will go these distances.

2. Go to a short game practice area and hit shots in this distance range.

3. When playing, move up a set of tees to put yourself into this distance range more frequently.

Or you could just avoid this distance when playing. If you struggle with these shots don’t hit the ball into this range.

There isn’t a magic bullet. if your mechanics are suspect, get lesson. If mechanics are
Good you need to practice. Unfortunately this is the distance range that personal
Launch monitors struggle with so actual range time is probably best. If you have a launch monitor just keep in mind that the in course distance may vary.

#3 is a great idea, especially paired with getting on the course when it's open and hitting multiple shots in. 

I've done this a bit as well although I do think mentally the missed shots from close stand out more than further out. Like playing to 125 to hit PW vs. 80 to hit SW because I remember that one time I shanked my SW and the one time I grooved a PW. Do I consistently get it closer from 125 than I do from 80? Probably not. 

[Shapotomous]

I found for me that yardage range is easiest with partial swings with different lofts.  The partial swing is different than my full swing motion in that the arms and wrists are 'quiet' and hold the set up position while the body rotates taking the club and arms with it back and then through the ball.  Doing this with the HS players I have helped gives them a better chance to keep the clubhead at the same level at impact as it was at set up.  The swing plane doesn't get too steep for a chunker or too shallow for a bladed shot.  Ideally the sole of the club glides along the ground without taking a divot.  I am sure the written description isn't as clear as a you tube video would be.  

You have to practice with the different loft wedges and how far and quickly you rotate the body to dial in the best combination to use for a different length shot.  My yardage guide is my 57* for 25 - 55 yards, 53* for 45 - 70 yards and 49* for 65 - 85 yards. 

These shots are used as long as I have some open green to work with and don't have to drop a shot to a pin behind a trap or water hazard.

There is no substitute for hitting dozens (hundreds...thousands)of balls to get the feel for the resulting distance.   

[LeftyRM7]

My advice would be to find a practice area where you can dedicate time to working on these shots. For me it’s always been my back yard. I can play with different techniques and clubs and pace off my distances. I know of a few parks by me that have walking trails and huge wide open fields that would be perfect. Whatever you can make work to find out what techniques work for you and which clubs you like to use. Experimentation is key to short game. There are so many different ways to go about it and none are right for everyone. Some guys use a clock system, some use the same swing with different clubs, some get comfy with a club and adjust their swing. The possibilities are endless, and finding out what works best for you and what your patterns are is only going to make you better.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[BMart519]

The SC200, SC200+ and SC300 launch monitors have a random number generator from 40-100 yards for these shots and can be had for a reasonable price for used units online. It scores each shot out of 10 and provides an overall score for a set of 10 shots. This practice is helpful in cleaning up contact and sequencing to build up towards full swings. 

My 50/GW is my 100 yard club on full swings and through practice with this unit I have developed swings for 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80 (3/4 swing - gripped down) by using the partial swings listed below and gripping down all the way on grip and narrowing stance as needed. I did this because I find the forgiveness of the 50deg set wedge to provide most consistency in carry numbers. 

I have known carry distances for all 4 wedges 60/54/50/45 using full swing, 3/4 swing (lead arm back to parallel), and shaft parallel. These 2 partial swings with 4 clubs should cover most of the distances in this range as another option (especially when you start considering roll out). A launch monitor is best to build these carry distances and swings quickly, but a practice green is the next best option and superior for verifying roll out. 

[GolfSpy MPR]

2 hours ago, ncwoz said:

Something that's helped me a ton in the last two years is knowing how far a few different length swings with a few wedges each go. For instance, my hip to hip 50° is 45 yd carry. Same swing with my 54° is more like 35 yds. This way I end up with pretty much any yardage I need from about 10-70 yards. And as @tchat07 mentioned, those partial swings with a bit more loft will hopefully give you some much better contact (especially when you can commit to a "length" swing in your mind's eye).

To get my yardages I took a dozen balls to a practice area at my local muni, hit 12 with each wedge/length of swing and then stepped off the distances they went. If you don't have any access to a little short game practice area, maybe you could give it a shot when the course is nice and empty.

I'm going to give this suggestion a strong second. Last season was the first time I committed to a "clock" wedge system for my partial wedge swings. I have the advantage of having a SkyTrak at home, but this is the kind of thing that the cheaper LMs (like @BMart519 suggested) would do well on, or if you have access to a facility with a monitor.

For me, I have four wedge swing backswing positions:

• 1/4 swing: wedge shaft to 7:30 or so
• 1/2 swing: wedge shaft parallel to the ground
• 3/4 swing: lead arm parallel to the ground
• Full swing: lead arm to 10:30 or so

With three wedges (I don't really use my PW as a wedge), that gives me 12 stock yardages on partial wedge swings. After nailing down those numbers, I print them in a grid and tape them to my range finder.

[GolfSpy AFG]

You're getting a lot of good advice here that I won't rehash, but bottom line from my perspective:  this is a part of the game where you really have to put in the work to dial in your wedges and know your distances so you can step up to these shots with confidence.  That uncertainty you're feeling in these "odd" distances is what leads to uncommitted half-hearted swings wherein you decelerate, dump the club, get fat/thin contact, etc.  Know your distances and get reps at those distances.

And while it's a subject of debate, I'm not a fan of laying up to leave yourself a full shot instead of these tweener distances.  You should be more accurate and able to get closer to the hole from 60 than 120, and you won't get better at those distances if you constantly avoid them.

[THEZIPR23]

I think all advice has been covered. One tip I will add is that when hitting the range: This is what I do. 100 yard target (you can vary this) hit every club you're going to hit that day to this distance, yes even the driver (not super important but fun). It helps develop the feel for a distance with each club. More than likely you will find a club that will hit that distance regularly regardless of the loft of the club. 

[goaliedad30]

This takes dedicated practice. Measure distances, and hit tons of balls with shorter, controlled swings with each club. The "clock face" idea is another good one. I also like to hit this shots choked down about an inch; I find the both promotes consistent contact and reduces the tendency to overswing.

From a mental perspective, I have to get the distance, make a few rehearsal swings with the chosen club, and then consciously tell myself "commit to that swing".

[Shankster]

The fun zone:

I have been playing these all knocked down. 70 yards either a 48° or a 52° For a stock one.  It depends on what you are trying to do really.  Do you need to go high and stop quick?  Low zipper (my fav)? Under 50 is the 58° 90% of the time, and that 70-60 range... shot dependent, but I’d probably go with a 52°... although my wedge game is marginal at best right now.  It is usually my beast quality.

[TBT]

I use the Dave Pelz system when it comes to short game....every club from 8 iron through LW has 3 distances.....the “stock” full swing, a “9’O’clock shot” basically hip to hip and a “7 O’clock” shot




Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy

[aerospace_ray]

Won't add anything as tons of great recommendations in nearly all previous post. I like the make time/put the work in comment.

Personal story from when I was learning the game. No wedges specific to gap, sand or lob. Back then two wedges: 48/50 deg pw and 55/57 sw. That's all I had. Local pro mentored to me a lot (never had official lessons-he just made one sentence comments and walked off). Told me to walk out 100 yards. Learn to hit in 10 yard increments all the way to right off green with each club. Did it every day. I learned how to swing a wedge and learned to feel my swing. As I got stronger I could hit the sw the full distance. But truth is learning to swing a club that theoretically was too much club for shorter distances established necessary tempo/rhythm for those 40-60 yard shots. Just a thought for practicing when you can get outside. Good luck.

Sent from my SM-N960U using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[BMart519]

50 minutes ago, aerospace_ray said:

Won't add anything as tons of great recommendations in nearly all previous post. I like the make time/put the work in comment.

Personal story from when I was learning the game. No wedges specific to gap, sand or lob. Back then two wedges: 48/50 deg pw and 55/57 sw. That's all I had. Local pro mentored to me a lot (never had official lessons-he just made one sentence comments and walked off). Told me to walk out 100 yards. Learn to hit in 10 yard increments all the way to right off green with each club. Did it every day. I learned how to swing a wedge and learned to feel my swing. As I got stronger I could hit the sw the full distance. But truth is learning to swing a club that theoretically was too much club for shorter distances established necessary tempo/rhythm for those 40-60 yard shots. Just a thought for practicing when you can get outside. Good luck.

Sent from my SM-N960U using MyGolfSpy mobile app
 

Did the same 10 yard increments except 30-80 yards as that was all the room I had... 30 yards was from the front of my house to cross the street into a park and 80 yards was a 20 yard buffer from the next street over . Hit the occasional 8/9 iron punch, but mostly just 4 wedges... In the backyard I do 5 yards for greenside and then 10-30 yards.

[Micah T]

So much good info to unpack... I constantly have 60-80 yard shots in from hitting my driver on shortish and medium par 4’s. For me, memorizing what club can hit 60 yards and stop quick most consistently was crucial; for me my 60* unless it’s a tight lie or the course is very wet. If it’s very wet I will hit 3 wood off the tee to leave me a more 100-115 stock full shot in with a 52 or 56, if it’s a tight lie I’ll use my 56 with less bounce due to me being a digger when it comes to wedges. As my game has improved Ive realized I spend so much more time practicing these type of approach shots and putting than I used to...


Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[Curtis Atkinson]

Seriously so much good info/advice to unpack and work through. I really appreciate it. I do love the idea of the clock face as that gives me a more consistent idea of length of swing vs. just "feel". And totally agree with uncertainty leading to a lot of not confident shots that aren't struck well. Was able to play yesterday and left in this range a couple of times and worked on more half swings with my 53* vs. full with 58* with moderate success (I think I was on both greens). One thing I focused on yesterday especially on those shots was setting hands forward a bit pre-swing in order to ensure more ball first contact and that felt better than it has. Additional thing I need to work on is trajectory of those shots based on what's needed as it's pretty much a hope and pray the ball stops at this point. Luckily I do have a rapsodo MLM so a session even off the mat working on those clock shots might be in the future.

[DiscipleofPenick]

Avoid distances that you struggle with, then work on those shots on the range to develop touch and feel. So if you don't like that 50 or 70 yard shot, play to the distance where you have a comfortable full shot where's that's 90, 100, 130 yards.

Take Dead Aim

[alfriday101]

Here is a great game to play to really dial in these shots.  
 

Randomly drop a ball in the range you want to practice.  Estimate the distance to the flag and write that on your score card.  Then laser the distance.  Write that down below your guess. Write down on the next line the difference between your estimate and the actual number.  Hit your shot, walk up to the green and step off your leave.  Be sure to note what club you hit.  (The first few times you do this, use the same club for nine holes and then shift to another for the next nine—so you can more easily compare club to club results.  Later. shift to using the club which you think is best for each shot).  On a practice area, you can putt out for a score on each hole and a nine hole total score.

 

you end up with the following information:

 

estimated distance 

actual distance 

difference 

club used

length of first putt (distance to hold)

 

 

 

You can do this at a short game practice area or while playing by your self or with understanding playing partners.  just grab an extra score card before the round.  You end up with your regular score and a separate score for your wedge game.  
 

Keep the score cards so you can track your progress.  
 

When I first started playing this game, my estimated v. Real distance was terrible, but it improved very quickly.  My feel for different length shots improved dramatically.
 

 

 

 

[myherobobhope]

I’m a big advocate of sieckmann, and highly recommend your short game solution... the techniques are great.

Practice is an interesting problem... it’s hard to get into situations where you can replicate on course conditions and build “feel”...

ive been working hard in a simulator to practice hitting the ball certain distances... it’s been mostly successful at creating a consistent feel, but my numbers are different on the course vs on the simulator... interestingly, I’m much longer on the course.

Honestly, this is one area where a great practice facility is a huge advantage... but you have to figure out what you can make work.

I think the key is to just work on developing the feel for consistent less than full swings... I didn’t focus on clock positions or 1/2 swings... just what felt comfortable for certain lengths.