Do the tour players want to control the distance of their wedges through the width of their stance and how quickly they pivot/turn through their wedge shots? I've generally tried to control distance with the clock method and by "feel" in my hands in realtion to the perceived clock. The problem with this hands based method is the flip that invariably occurs because my hands want to generate the power and can't do it effectively without a good pivot/turn.
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Distance Control - Wedge shots (50-115 yards)
- Thread starter cwdlaw223
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Pelz was popular for a long time with a 4 wedge system.
Essentially it went like this.
3 different swing lengths with 3 different grip lengths and 4 different clubs.
Half swing, 3/4 swings, and full swings.
Grip the end of the club, grip the middle of the grip, grip all the way to the shaft.
This essentially gave you 36 different distances that you could hit consistently.
Not a bad strategy. All you have to do is practice and measure.
If you can manage to get more precise with your swing length, IE: Half, 3/5ths, 4/5ths, full then you could be even more precise with your yardages. But that means tour level practice schedules.
Essentially it went like this.
3 different swing lengths with 3 different grip lengths and 4 different clubs.
Half swing, 3/4 swings, and full swings.
Grip the end of the club, grip the middle of the grip, grip all the way to the shaft.
This essentially gave you 36 different distances that you could hit consistently.
Not a bad strategy. All you have to do is practice and measure.
If you can manage to get more precise with your swing length, IE: Half, 3/5ths, 4/5ths, full then you could be even more precise with your yardages. But that means tour level practice schedules.
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Do the pros actually use Pelz's system? I believe that the wedge is the deciding factor for most of the touring pros from keeping their card or losing it (forget the top guys, they're good no matter what or hit it so far that the game is completely different).
I've had success with Pelz's system, but I'm not a touring pro and wonder what the best think they do when on the course with a wedge.
Great putting starts from the fairway with a wedge in your hand!
I've had success with Pelz's system, but I'm not a touring pro and wonder what the best think they do when on the course with a wedge.
Great putting starts from the fairway with a wedge in your hand!
birly-shirly
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Pelz was popular for a long time with a 4 wedge system.
Essentially it went like this.
3 different swing lengths with 3 different grip lengths and 4 different clubs.
Half swing, 3/4 swings, and full swings.
Grip the end of the club, grip the middle of the grip, grip all the way to the shaft.
This essentially gave you 36 different distances that you could hit consistently.
Not a bad strategy. All you have to do is practice and measure.
If you can manage to get more precise with your swing length, IE: Half, 3/5ths, 4/5ths, full then you could be even more precise with your yardages. But that means tour level practice schedules.
The thing I always struggled with in Pelz' wedge system was the assumption that you would find a consistent yardage for each permutation of wedge and swing. But once you factor in the varying loft and roll of different clubs and swings, I think that consistency is liable to break down. E.g. a quarter swing with a 50* wedge might go an average of 40 yards. But give yourself a downwind, or uphill, or onto a baked out green situation and even if your ballflight is perfectly consistent, you're going to be making pretty significant adjustments for run out. Your 40 yard wedge/swing combination might easily go 60 yds. To me, you're really thrown back on your native judgement and I'm not convinced that you aren't better off learning to judge distance and roll more intuitively with just the one wedge (AKA Utley and others...)
Also, Pelz made a big thing out of having different bounce configurations on each of 4 wedges in your bag to suit different conditions. But then you've got to ask yourself whether you still have 4 wedges to choose from on any particular shot.
Lastly, Pelz describes, but kind of skates over (in my opinion) the way in which his wedge system evolved. He had tour pros hitting hundreds of wedge shots to nominated distances - and eventually he claims 2 things spantaneously happened (1) each pro developed a passive hands swing and (2) each pro would find 2 or 3 yardages with each wedge that were really consistent. As a way of learning, that sounds great. But I think it's a heck of a leap to tell students to keep their hands out of the swing and then to measure off the average of their 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 swings with each club. I wouldn't assume that you'd get the same results at all.
There's good stuff in Pelz for sure, but it's hardly the bible...
I'm not a Pelz fan by any means. He isn't the guy I turn to for learning short game, but it is probably the most concise method out there. It isn't perfect.
I do think he is right about making sure that no matter how far back you take it, you should go to a complete finish. That assists in keeping some of the consistency. It helps to steady the rythm of the swing and make it consistent.
As far as passive arm-swing and hands, I think that too is a necessary evil of the system. Get the hands involved and you add another variable in the speed of the swing.
Personally I just took his choke down idea and added it to a "throw the club" concept. Take off about 5 yards for every 2 inches you choke down on the club. Then try to throw the club about 1/3rd of the way to the green.
I do think he is right about making sure that no matter how far back you take it, you should go to a complete finish. That assists in keeping some of the consistency. It helps to steady the rythm of the swing and make it consistent.
As far as passive arm-swing and hands, I think that too is a necessary evil of the system. Get the hands involved and you add another variable in the speed of the swing.
Personally I just took his choke down idea and added it to a "throw the club" concept. Take off about 5 yards for every 2 inches you choke down on the club. Then try to throw the club about 1/3rd of the way to the green.
It sounds to me like many just hit this shot instictively as opposed to relying upon a system. Thus, the need for practice. I'm definitely going to start turning more in this shot because distance control is lost if the strike point of the shot is all over the place (flip = bad strike point). I might go back to Pelz's method, but there are weaknesses and some strengths in his method.
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