The secret of the sand wedge.
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Jim Kobylinski
Super Moderator
If you hit the ball it compresses; it's about the effective loft at impact and spin.
If you are creating more loft on the club and spinning it too much it won't go anywhere. If you have too soft a shaft or one of those "spinner" wedge shafts in them, again they don't really go anywhere.
If you have a wedge that spins a ton like a spin millled, callaway MD groove, taylormade Y/Z groove head they don't go as far either.
Usually when you have someone who are hitting wedges shorter than they think they should go is because their effective loft at impact is MORE than the stated loft on the club
Jim Kobylinski
Super Moderator
I know this isn't the answer you want but it depends on what i'm trying to do. But if it's a regular ole wedge shot:
Ball up in my stance
Slightly open stance
"Feel like" a smooth 3/4 swing every time
This keeps me consistent
Definitely agree with you about the shorter distances of the spin milled wedges! I have 56 & 60 vokeys, and they are 5 - 10 yards shorter than the wedges I used to have. ( But they feel soooo much better lol! ) Even worse if there is even a slight breeze in my face
Guess that's the price we pay to hold more greens
birdie_man
New
"No I haven't got it but..."
joeparr's the best.
joeparr's the best.
Jim Kobylinski
Super Moderator
it can be either, i would suggest to try both and see what the ball does and the you decide
Leo-
Is that cause you were using lots of shaft lean to hit 145 yd PWs and now you are much more accurate with less lean (and less distance)? Or something else?
cmartingolf
New
???
Jim, although I agree with your first sentence and last sentence, I think you are sending Joe down the wrong road here with the shaft/groove bits.
Sure, shaft type and grooves effect distance, but I think Joe simply doesn't arrive at a solid impact condition. I'm sure any quality striker can hit any wedge of similar loft and shaft length within 5% of normal distance, with the 5% accounting for shaft and spin.
I've seen countless guys who flip wedges and hit them high and short and they would do it with any wedge I put in there hands.
IMO, Joeparr would be best suited at taking a look at his impact conditions. I bet the shaft is verticle and lacks a reasonable amount of forward lean.
Jim, although I agree with your first sentence and last sentence, I think you are sending Joe down the wrong road here with the shaft/groove bits.
Sure, shaft type and grooves effect distance, but I think Joe simply doesn't arrive at a solid impact condition. I'm sure any quality striker can hit any wedge of similar loft and shaft length within 5% of normal distance, with the 5% accounting for shaft and spin.
I've seen countless guys who flip wedges and hit them high and short and they would do it with any wedge I put in there hands.
IMO, Joeparr would be best suited at taking a look at his impact conditions. I bet the shaft is verticle and lacks a reasonable amount of forward lean.
Jim Kobylinski
Super Moderator
I agree with your post, i was just giving various reasons. Notice the first thing i said was that "If you are creating more loft on the club and spinning it too much it won't go anywhere." This relates to what you are talking about.
However, as a comparison:
My custom made 58* lob wedge with aggressive grooves, and a softer tip shaft to deflect more to aid in launch/spin goes about 80 yards.
My Callaway MD groove 58* lob wedge with even MORE aggressive grooves, however with a dynamic gold S400 shaft (much stiffer than other lob wedge) i can get to go about 90 yards as the S400 flattens out the flight enough.
Both were bent to proper loft too.
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But as you say, most likely it's impact conditions.
tongzilla
New
I do not think it's because I have less forward lean even though I haven't been 3-D analyzed to prove it. I think it's because my swing is shorter, I'm using a different release, and I snap my chain differently.
Jim and others, I went the range unfortunatly grass was wet so I had to hit off fake turf. I aimed at a 100yrd marker and hit the ball really good for me as far as compressing. Ball went very high and straight about 50yrds . Tryied a few shots all in the same area. I then tried taking club inside more like sort of soft draw and it went right at the 100yrd maker I did this a few times and it did the same thing. Now why did I get the distance by taking it inside ,the ball didnt draw that much. When I hit off a mat I ALWAYS hit it good compared to the real dirt does that mean its more forgiving because of my swing, club bounces into ball compared to hitting it fat on the ground?
Matt 4-L
New
Joe, it sounds like you have an open club face at impact. I would be curious to the sound of impact, is it kinda clunky? There is lots of ways to hit wedges, ball back, ball foward, open stance, square stance, ect. If it was me I would work on a nice stock wedge and experiment from there. Put the ball in the middle of your stance, weight favor the leftside a hair a square stance and square club face. Make some nice 3/4 swings and see what the ball does from there....If with a full shot your wedge is only going 50 yards with good compression you MUST have an open club face or your flipping. Just figure out which one it is and then figure out what your doing to cause it. Oh and stay off them lying mats, hit off the wet turf, then you will see how good your contact really is, make sure you bring a hanky to clean the mud out of your eyes!
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