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How Much Versatility Do You Have In Wedges?

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JB

JB

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Are you a full swing only guy? Do you struggle from distances like 45 yards? Or do you have some different shots in your bag to take over. Do you practice different shots with your wedges including flighting high and low? And finally, do you purchase your wedges with this in mind? Or with full swings in mind?
 
I try to be versatile. It's really hard to dial in partial swings. But I do try to flight the ball. I do practice 50 yard pitch shots with my 60° and my 45°, even a PW every once in a while. I know carry and release will be affected.

It's a lot of feel really, I have such little distance feel in my game, it's staggering.
 
I purchase wedges with intent of using within 90 yards or so, and VERY rarely full swings. I don't typically struggle with the 50y shot as I'm fairly comfortable with 1/3, 1/2 swings, etc.

I rarely practice.....and I don't really try to flight unless required by objects in the way, etc.

In a wedge my biggest need is the greenside shots that come up when missing greens so the real focus is on the ability for that wedge to deliver those short touch shots.
 
I have never tested a wedge, but I do practice different shots on the range(high, low) and even different distances.

I believe I can hit a lot of different shots with wedges.
 
How Much Versatility Do You Have In Wedges?

I struggle from 40-60 to get the right distance and spin control combination. It's something I need to spend time practicing for sure. I purchase wedges based on all around versatility


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My last round I ended up with strange distances into the green,70-80 yards. Which I do not practice near as much as I should. Took my 58 and took a 3/4 all 4 times I ended up past the pin about 5 yards to so in the 2nd cut of rough. I plan on improving that next range session. Before this year it was my 40-50 yard shot but in the winter I got that yardage down pat. I practice all kinds of shots with my wedges for different types of conditions and occasions. I bought mine to gap yardages I was missing out with the 56,60 gapping.

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Yes!

I'm great at full shots but absolutely terrible on half shots, etc.

I decelerate and usually end up laying the sod over it.
 
Very rarely full swings. Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible really opened the door for me to see just how versatile wedges can be. A key for me with most of the swings, especially the shorter ones, is to feel confident and like I'm accelerating through the ball. Otherwise the results can be spectacular (blading, shanking, etc) when deaccelerating, or "thinking" that you're going to hit it too hard.
 
#Cookie said:
I purchase wedges with intent of using within 90 yards or so, and VERY rarely full swings. I don't typically struggle with the 50y shot as I'm fairly comfortable with 1/3, 1/2 swings, etc.

I rarely practice.....and I don't really try to flight unless required by objects in the way, etc.

In a wedge my biggest need is the greenside shots that come up when missing greens so the real focus is on the ability for that wedge to deliver those short touch shots.
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This is me with the exception that I do practice a good amount.
 
I'm more of an auto pilot swinger with wedges. Just back and through casually and hopefully my eyes are connected to my arms when it comes to touch. I currently have set PW, AW, and SW in the bag for full swing distances and matched them with a greenside LW that I will hit green side pitches and bunker shots with.
 
I rarely take full swings with my blade style wedges, I don't mind it and will if needed but generally prefer playing a knock down with a club or two higher. I think my favorite shot in all of golf is a partial swing that checks hard. I can play a high or low shot and will practice 15/25/35/45/55 yard shots of both in a range session. It's the only thing that keeps my scores respectable with how few GIR I get. I look for wedges that offer versatility and allow me to manipulate the face at address and make good contact. Some obsess about putters or drivers, I'm a wedge tinkerer.
 
My wedges are the only thing I trust 115 and in. I bought my wedges mostly for full shots and half shots. I was better chipping with my Bombtech Grenade but I was horrific with full shots with it. Full shots on wedges are very important to me. My Tour Trusty's are versatile in that I can hit different shots different lengths, but I'm not comfortable opening my 55 for a flop, and that's y I carry a 64
 
U wot m8


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I used to be full swing all clubs. Now I rarely do with my 56 and 60. If I'm inside 130 then I'm looking to do less than full swing now. What I look for first in wedges is the greenside chips and pitches. How does it feel, look, perform? Does the weight feel good or too light? Then I look for the distance I've come to expect in half, and 3/4 swings. I will take some full swings just to check yardage and hight of ball flight.
 
Way more than before. Wedges are something Ive really worked on this past year. I think at times im not quite as good on full shots as before but much better on pitches and different types of chips around the green. I still decelerate every once in awhile but I make good contact more often than not now. I really enjoy hitting all the different shots when the situation calls for it, but sometimes I can get to technical with it instead of just using the higher percentage shot.
 
How Much Versatility Do You Have In Wedges?

I do struggle a little bit from inside 100 yards due to the fact that I'm not very good at flighting the ball low to hit-and-stick. I have purchased my wedges with full shots and hard/tight fairways in mind. I really have started to practice more in my short game, but it's severely lacking ability on all but the general chip/pitch. I had two shots today with my wedges that ended up costing me more shots after the result. One was a chip in the rough on a downslope to an elevated green, the other was off hard pan under an oak that I had to pitch to the green 30 yards away, up a hill, with thick rough all the way to the green.
 
I do full swings when in the fairway and am flag hunting. I spent more time practice those low spinners or bump and run shots then any other shot. I love the crisp contact feeling you get with those that they have become my go to. Sand is the next thing I practice a bunch so I feel confident. For 110-130 yard between my 51 degree and pitching wedge is my worst. I'm either long or short or step on on 50 degree and suck it back. So I try to avoid those shots. From 40 yards in I feel very confident.

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Since I hit a whopping 3 fairways and maybe 5 greens in regulation per 18, I have no choice but to have versatility in my wedges. High, low, full shot, 3/4 shot, 1/2 shot, whatever. I'm pretty comfortable hitting wedge shots.

- My favorite wedge shot is the low, checking wedge shot.
- The most difficult wedge shot for me is controlling the distance on a flop shot. I only use it as a last resort.
 
JRod said:
Yes!

I'm great at full shots but absolutely terrible on half shots, etc.

I decelerate and usually end up laying the sod over it.
Click to expand...

Pelz Short Game bible helped me understand partial shots a lot more. I don't practice his method religiously but I know I gained a lot of control when following his techniques.
 
I have never really tested spin on wedges, I may be wrong but I think they are all very similar. I use mine for full swings and 3/4 swings and don't really try to flight it low or high because when I have tried to go low my technique is awful and hit it fat.
 
I try to be versatile and work on hitting different shots. I have been practicing more of these shots. I hit full swing shots with most of my wedges and when I buy wedges lately.
 
As much as I love hitting my driver, playing all sorts of shots with my gap wedge is the greatest pleasure of the game, for me.
 
Personally I try to find as many different ways to contact a ball with a wedge as possible. I love practicing wedges.
 
fupresti said:
Pelz Short Game bible helped me understand partial shots a lot more. I don't practice his method religiously but I know I gained a lot of control when following his techniques.
Click to expand...

I 2nd this. A THP had me watch a Phil Mickelson video on the hinge and hold and ever since then I put Pelz's shots and putts into my tool box.... flipped my short game a complete 180
 
JB said:
Are you a full swing only guy? Do you struggle from distances like 45 yards? Or do you have some different shots in your bag to take over. Do you practice different shots with your wedges including flighting high and low? And finally, do you purchase your wedges with this in mind? Or with full swings in mind?
Click to expand...

I'm a full swing guy until I'm too close, and if I'm too close I probably missed the previous shot or had a course management brain fart.

45y is a struggle, but I think it's a struggle for most people. I'm trying to use my 56 more for these 35-60y shots because of the higher bounce.

I don't really like to flight the ball. I figure it's tricky enough to dial in the length of the swing, and flighting adds another variable to be accounted for. I like a mid trajectory that bounces once and stops within 10', hopefully 5'.

I have been through a wedge fitting indoors with only a trackman, and it was as pointless as it sounds. then I talked to another fitter about wedges, and the only thing we ever discussed was price point then picked heads from there. I've become of the opinion that in general most wedges will fit just about anybody, with the major difference being swing weight and aesthetics. I ultimately picked my wedge brand because of price, shaft because that's what the fitter recommended, and lofts because that's what the fitter recommended. after 15-20 rounds with my irons and about double that with the wedges, I knew my distance gapping and we've made some adjustments accordingly.


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