Tip From the Archives

Know Your Wedges

Problem

You never seem to decide which of your wedges to use.

Cure

Spend some extra time practicing your wedges about once every 6 months. This will help you have accurate knowledge of your yardages as you improve or are not playing as much as you used to.

Therapy

Hit a dozen balls with each of your wedges at full swing. Now swing the club back until your leading arm is parallel with the ground. The clubshaft should now be pointing straight up. Record your yardages after hitting each shot. If you at a location where you can, you should also pace walk the distances to help ingrain these yardages into your mind. Calculate the average of each of these shots for each club. Use blank round stickers and write down your average yardage on one. Stick it to the butt of your club so you have it as a convenient reminder for the next time you play.

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12 votes

 
J. Winston Phillips | last year, mid-October

This is an excellent article. I play with four wedges; pitching, gap, sand, and lob wedge. With practice you can get very good at knowing the distances with half and full swings. This can be the difference between making a par or a bogey for people like me who are not on the green in regulation on most longer par 4's.

Michael Henry | last year, mid-October

The stickers are a good idea. Already measure distances and love my wedges to such an extent I know on a par 5,with a PW I can be on the green in 4! From 150yards in sheer bliss. SW and LW, love them too. Never mind searching for bragging rights on booming drives.3/4 wedges and the putter are the way to smiling at the end of the round, as you quaff your free beer etc. ex-mil types like me,know that 30"= normal marching pace. (Who do you know who can stride normally 1yd or one meter?)Using that as a guide, 50yds = 60 paces, 100yds =120paces, and so on. Ladies 50yds at 27" (normal marching) pace = 67paces and so on. Make a quick reference card to hang on your bag. I have :-)



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