Wedge Disasters

[trainerdug]

Hi all, I was wondering if there are good ideas, drills or general rules about wedge play that could help me out. I'm currently a 6 handicap and getting very good with my long game.

I would say the 4 iron is by far my best club in the bag, and I routinely hit 285-315 averages on driving. The problem seems to be that I'm very often left with 100 or less on my second shots, and for some reason, I hit the sandwedge/lobwedge much less consistently than any other club in the bag. My most common mistake is taking a divot that weighs 5 pounds and flies farther than the ball. It's getting to the point when I'm scared walking up to my ball that's barely more than a pitch shot away from the green. I figure the most common fault would be decelerating, I really don't think I am doing that though. Any ideas as to why I am such a clown with these shots? Thanks for any advice!

 

[faux_maestro]

Hi all, I was wondering if there are good ideas, drills or general rules about wedge play that could help me out. I'm currently a 6 handicap and getting very good with my long game.

I would say the 4 iron is by far my best club in the bag, and I routinely hit 285-315 averages on driving. The problem seems to be that I'm very often left with 100 or less on my second shots, and for some reason, I hit the sandwedge/lobwedge much less consistently than any other club in the bag. My most common mistake is taking a divot that weighs 5 pounds and flies farther than the ball. It's getting to the point when I'm scared walking up to my ball that's barely more than a pitch shot away from the green. I figure the most common fault would be decelerating, I really don't think I am doing that though. Any ideas as to why I am such a clown with these shots? Thanks for any advice!

Sounds to me like too steep angle of attack. I've felt the same as you a lot of my golfing life. I'm trying to have more shaft lean but feel like I'm sweeping the ball. Can't really explain what I'm doing very well, it has to do with pivot and stuff from the thread Brian started about "pull back, run up, jump".

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Sounds like you swing too far to the right or too inside/out. Do you know what the d-plane is or how much angle of attack affects your resultant path?

I would bet when you hit a wedge well you over draw it or even at times pull hook it. Just a guess but you tell me if i'm wrong.

 

[trainerdug]

Thanks for the replies guys. Yeah Jim that is accurate. I either hit it very, very fat and it goes about 30 yards, or I make solid contact and it goes around 115 with a draw, sometimes a big draw, which is weird since it's a sandwedge. I rarely hit any other iron fat, it's really strange, but i'd like to feel confident on what are supposed to be my "scoring" shots.

 

[Jwat]

trainer,

I had a game very similar to yours. Although I don't take the huge divots, i was consistantly hitting pulls and pull hooks with my wedges. My key was to make sure I was keeping my weight on the left side and getting a FULL shoulder turn when hitting any short shot including chips. Before I fixed this I thought I might be decelerating as well, but after a lesson with BManz, that definitley wasn't the case. If anything for 80 yard shots and in, he wanted me to take a longer swing and feel like I was decelerating into the ball. As long as the weight and the hands are forward of the ball at impact it should help tame the misses. JMO

Jerad

 

[trainerdug]

Thanks Jerad - I never would have thought that the fuller swing and possibly the feel of decelerating would help. I think I do find it difficult to keep my weight left on the wedge, and I suppose advice on learning how to feel that sort of swing would help as well. Most of my game is just swing hard and let it fly, and I feel myself get very nervous and instantly lose confidence when it seems like I have to tone down the effort. Did this help increase your accuracy as well as contact with your short irons?

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

You need to fix your path, without video it is difficult to know if you only swing too far right or you have full blown "below plane syndrome" problems. First question is do you understand or know what the d-plane is?

 

[trainerdug]

Hi Jim,

I know a little about d plane. I own several of Brian's videos and attended his long island 2-day school last summer. I'm not a total expert though, I do think sometimes I suffer from below plane, I've watched Brian's video (the one in his backyard) where he's talking about creating tumble and getting the club out in front of you.

 

[Jwat]

This absolutley helped increase accuracy. I also suffer from extreme underplane issues.

Also on my shots I take the hands more outside starting the B.S. than I do with full shots. This also helps with the pulls. I never ever take my hands back inside on a short shot, it = big pull.

 

[trainerdug]

That sounds awesome...if you don't mind me asking, did you do anything drill wise or other in the past, besides just conciously thinking about your B.S. path, that has helped you stop being so underplane? I try to think about Brian's never hook again videos but haven't been able to grasp it correctly as of yet. If I take the club more outside I feel like my wrists are cocking in the totally wrong direction and everything goes haywire.

 

[johnnymarlboro]

I have similar wedge problems myself. Getting underplane, getting too steep, or too shallow. Sometimes, when all else fails, I'll just try to copy this guy. I heard somewhere that he's decent with a wedge . It seems like there's alot less to think about on the backswing except for how hard you want to hit it:

 

[trainerdug]

I find it amazing that I've played sports my entire life and this one simple move that Stricker does it so completely challenging to replicate

edit: Was doing some searching on here and it sounds like I am a classic below planer. I was just reading that 10 page thread where Kevin gives tons of great information, though I certainly can't do any of it yet. If I am left and hit down with an iron, I hit it into the woods (on the left). If I aim right and swing up with a driver, I hit a monster hook. If I go to the range I can hit balls off the deck all day long. It takes work, which I like, I just hope I am doing the correct things. I've watched by SD and NHA a million times and I must be thick, because it hasn't stuck yet : \

 

[Jwat]

I am sure all the instructors are going to tell you to fix your closed clubface first. You can't work on correct path without this being addressed first. And believe me if I knew the answer to the closed clubface I would fix myself and a couple other buddies of mine.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

I am sure all the instructors are going to tell you to fix your closed clubface first. You can't work on correct path without this being addressed first. And believe me if I knew the answer to the closed clubface I would fix myself and a couple other buddies of mine.

Actually Jwat, in A LOT of cases, for people who swing too inside/out it's easier to fix their path first and then address clubface if it is necessary. Most people will adjust the face on their own once you fix the path BUT that is for drawers/hookers. If all you did was adjust the face with a severely in/out path you'd develop possible shanking problems

 

[trainerdug]

I'm sorry to bump this again, but this seems like a pretty common issue so I'm assuming many other people would be interested in more info on this subject as well.

I think I've read every thread archived on the site about "under plane" or "below plane" but I can't grasp it yet. Is there more Manzella video on this subject? I can't find anything useful on youtube from other instructors so I trust this sites information the most. Should I be twisting the club to get it in front of my body on the transition? Should I essentially feel like I am trying to hit a huge banana slice? I tried the SD takeaway with NHA downswing but I confused myself further I think. I'm sorry for my non-technical descriptions of everything, but like I saw Kevin Shields mention somewhere, I feel like this is really the key I need to get that next level of consistency and confidence.

 

[kc8kir]

Actually Jwat, in A LOT of cases, for people who swing too inside/out it's easier to fix their path first and then address clubface if it is necessary. Most people will adjust the face on their own once you fix the path BUT that is for drawers/hookers. If all you did was adjust the face with a severely in/out path you'd develop possible shanking problems

I'm proof of this. It isn't until I started fixing my 7-12 degree in to out path that I started hitting it solid again AND stopped shanking.

That being said... wedges are the devil. I have the same problem. 280 yard drive, 200 yard six iron, and a shanked / pull hooked / duffed / topped wedge. Makes for a great snowman starter... grrr...

 

[Jwat]

Actually Jwat, in A LOT of cases, for people who swing too inside/out it's easier to fix their path first and then address clubface if it is necessary. Most people will adjust the face on their own once you fix the path BUT that is for drawers/hookers. If all you did was adjust the face with a severely in/out path you'd develop possible shanking problems

I do agree with you now that I rethink about it. With my wedges and short irons I implement a NHA swing path which I stated in my original post. It definitley keeps me from hitting a big hook. But if I don't get a good shoulder turn I will pull it everytime. Very consistant with my full swing as well.

 

[mjstrong]

I'd start by making sure that your ball position isn't too far back.

 

[softconsult]

4 handicap and can't hit wedges. I can't picture how that is possible, but it's a nice problem to have. I would think this is easier to solve than the opposite circumstance.

Wouldn't "Confessions of a Former Flipper" be applicable? You can take that motion, hitting it with your pivot,
and hit a pitching wedge at least 100 yards.

 

[trainerdug]

I may be wrong, but I don't think the issue is flipping, it's more being severely underplane...two separate things, right? Or not... I'm confused : )