Wedge Zone
If you were to hit perfect Drives on every par 4 and par 5 how many shots do you think you’d shave off your handicap? For the vast majority of you it actually wouldn’t result in the improvement you would expect. If you were to study your last few rounds you see that however well or badly you drove the ball most of your shots are lost to handicap from 110 yards in.
GOLFING BY NUMBERS
A low handicapper will rarely take more than three shots to get down from 110 yards or less, in fact they’ll probably get down in 2 far more often than they take 4 shots from that distance. Can you say the same?
While suspect putting actions account for around half of these shots it’s actually the other half where most of the damage occurs - the half when you have a WEDGE in hand. With this club you face the challenge of half and three-quarter swings, ‘knock-downs’, ‘flops’, ‘lobs’, ‘drop and stops’, ‘bump and runs’ and ‘splashes’. Add to this the challenge of a plugged lie in the bunker, a tight fairway or some overhanging branches and it becomes a real point of frustration; because you KNOW that you SHOULD be hitting the green.
If this is where most of your shots are lost, then ask yourself the following questions:
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Do you have a solid short-game technique?
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Do you practice your shots from 110 yards in?
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Did you inherit a Wedge system with your Irons?
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Have you put equipment in your bag that makes the game a little easier?
After your next round think back to each shot you played from 110 yards or less and count how many times it took you more than 3 shots to get down from that distance. With the right equipment – in the form of a properly fitted Wedge System – and some instruction, EVERY shot you count could be deducted from your handicap relatively easily.
The need for a Wedge System has materialised because manufacturers have been steadily shaving the loft off of their Irons – contributing to their ‘longest yet’ claims – and this has meant that we are now faced with Pitching Wedges of 48 (and in some cases 46 degrees) of loft. With the Sand Wedge left at 56 degrees the result is an 8 – 10 degree loft Gap (or 25 yards!) between a full Pitching Wedge and full Sand Wedge. Hence the need to manufacture shots in between.
From 95 yards out do you choke down on the Pitching Wedge or blast the Sand Wedge? Either shot will test a technique (which probably could do with more practice). Start down the road to ‘recovery golf’ by finding the gaps in your game. Simply click on the image above to book a full Wedge Assessment – because a combination of a better technique and the correct tools will make it considerably easier for you to start taking shots off your handicap.
To make matters worse, how many of you have ‘selected’ bounce angles that work with your swing or the course conditions that you are likely to face? Not many I suspect. So, now you are trying to feather a pitch with a bounce angle that isn’t right for you.
Why make it that difficult? Acquire a Wedge system with the correct lofts and bounce angles and golf from 110 yards in becomes a lot easier. The first step really ought to be putting a 52 degree Gap Wedge in the bag. Now the only shots you have to manufacture are from less than 85 yards in - and you can reduce that challenge by including a Lob Wedge.
Look at all the scenarios in the image above – now imagine having only a SW and a PW – in far too many instances you’d be forced to ‘manufacture’ a shot for distances that fall within the large distance Gap between clubs (created by the 8 – 10 degree Gap). Why place your technique, which probably doesn’t get enough practice, under so much pressure?
Without suitable equipment manufacturing shots is so much more difficult. Trying to ‘Flop’ a Sand Wedge, for example, is next to impossible for an amateur because of the increased bounce angle (often 12 degrees). A proper WEDGE SYSTEM gives you the option to take a low bounce, high loft Lob Wedge. It will be easier to get the ball airborne quicker and easier to stop it quickly.
Below you’ll find a test called the ‘Short Game Handicap’. This, by testing you in a variety of short game situations, will help quantify what’s been discussed above – that you’re losing too many shots around the greens. Once you’ve calculated your short game handicap (and identified the problem) go and talk to your PGA Pro about fitting you with a Wedge System and watch your handicap fall.
If you do nothing else, the next time you upgrade your set please don’t ‘inherit’ a Pitching Wedge and Sand Wedge with that set. Take the time to speak with me and let’s make sure that we select the ‘lofts’ that you will work for your golf game (minimum is probably 48, 52 and 56 degrees) and the bounce angles you need on those clubs to make the job easier with your swing plane and our course conditions.
Considering the amount of shots it can save, a WEDGE SYSTEM should be far more than just an afterthought. Consider this statistic: more than 50 PGA Tour players carry four (or more) wedges in their bags, and YOU miss A LOT more greens in regulation than they do! Invest in your short-game, book a Wedge Assessment, and let’s pick up some shots!
