Josh’s Tips & Tricks: New Wedges
Intro
Hello golfers, I hope you’re enjoying the lovely weather. I haven’t seen a few of you in a few weeks so I’m assuming that you’re all out on the golf course. That’s the best place to learn and improve so get yourselves out there as much as you can!
This week I would like to show you my new toys and how I will be using them on the course. MY new wedges will need some getting used to but there are certain times and places where each of them will be the best club to select. Club selection around the greens will give you the best chance of hitting a shot near the hole, even if it’s not the best shot you have ever hit.
Hi-Toe Wedges
My new wedges are the TaylorMade Hi-Toe wedges. I have them in 50*/54*/58* with KBS stiff shafts. They are all 1* strong and standard lie. My normal irons have KBS X-stiff shafts in but because I don’t swing my wedges as fast as the rest of my clubs I have them slightly softer. I have them 1* strong in loft so they run in sync with the rest of the bag and go the yardages I want them to go.
After using them only once I am absolutely in love. The feel of new grooves and a more forgiving design have already improved my game around the greens. Luckily, this is a part of the game I enjoy I have always been good at getting up and down from around the greens. This is partly through many hours of practice but also experience of club selection.
Club Selection
Take a look at the following video to see my new wedges, some varying lies, and some different types of shots that can be played from just off the edge of the greens.
The Lie
The first thing that should influence the type of shot is the lie. If you have a good lie on a tight bit of fairway you have slightly more choices of shot you can play. You maximum loft here could be slightly more risky so something between 50* and 56* would be a decent selection.
If you have a decent lie, perhaps in some light rough off the edge of the green you should start to look for a club with more loft. You can cut through the grass easier and the loft will help pop the ball out of the longer grass.
If your ball is sat down in thick rough you should be looking for maximum loft, somewhere between 56* and 60*. This loft means the clubhead can accelerate through the grass and pop the ball up quickly. Any deceleration with lower loft will encourage the heel to get caught up in the grass causing duffed strikes.
Distance From The Green
The distance from the green will also play a role in club selection. The usual rule here is that the closer you are to the green, the less loft you require. You want to get that ball running on the flat as soon as you can. This means that a short iron, or in my case here, my 50* wedge, will be used just a few feet off the edge. If I have something to go over, such as rough or a bunker, I’ll always use maximum loft. My new 58* has fresh new grooves and spins lots so I can make a confident swing knowing that the ball won’t run through the back of the green.
Ground conditions are changing. The ground is drying up and the greens are getting faster. This means controlling the spin is important around the greens. This is one of the main reasons I got new wedges. My old ones were wearing away and the spin was decreasing rapidly. If you are playing a chip and run you won’t have much spin. The ball will bounce forward and have topspin quickly. Understanding how the ball reacts when it hits the ground takes time. Practice and experience on the course will help you understand the types of shots that are required in each scenario.
Short Game Overview
I love chipping. It’s a part of the game that will 100% improve your scores. The likelihood is you will be faced with many different chip shots during a round. Making notes, doing stats, learning from mistakes and practice make you a better player. The technology and equipment also helps a lot. Custom fitting for wedges is as important as a fitting for a driver. Fresh wedges will help you control the ball better and the correct loft, lie and bounce can help you improve before you even hit a ball.
If you would like any help with your short game then BOOK A LESSON NOW.
We have an incredible short game facility that can be used to develop all parts of your short game. I love doing lessons this time of year out on The Mill because I get plenty of fresh air, I top up my tan, and give you guys the knowledge you require to chip it closer, or even in the hole.
Cheers,
Josh