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Need Help with Short Iron

Phil75070

Phil75070

Proud Member of Team THP - 2018 #TheGrandaddy
Albatross 2024 Club
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May 18, 2014
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GHIN 6.3
I play to a 3 to 5 handicap and am a pretty consistent ball striker......except when it comes to full shots with my gap wedge and sand wedge. More often than not, I come up woefully short of the distances I know I can hit those clubs with a good swing. I suspect that I am sliding the club underneath the ball, but like so many things in golf what you think you are doing may not be the case. Any suggestions would be appreciated!
 
The first thing I'd Cleve are your lofts and lies. If those are correct then I ask you this. Why swing the scoring irons full? Insiread of trying to hit a full lob wedge, hit a 3/4 sand. Instead of a full sand, try a 3/4 gap.

If you are opposed to that then I'd check your release point. You may be releasing to early which means the swing may be too long. The early release could be causing the ball to roll up the face just enough to rob you of yardage.

I used to have the same issue so I switched to a 54 from a 56 and 50 from a 52. I also started playing 3/4 and 1/2 shots inside 120. The accuracy is better as is the control. I hope this helps!!
 
Tadashi70 said:
The first thing I'd Cleve are your lofts and lies. If those are correct then I ask you this. Why swing the scoring irons full? Insiread of trying to hit a full lob wedge, hit a 3/4 sand. Instead of a full sand, try a 3/4 gap.

If you are opposed to that then I'd check your release point. You may be releasing to early which means the swing may be too long. The early release could be causing the ball to roll up the face just enough to rob you of yardage.

I used to have the same issue so I switched to a 54 from a 56 and 50 from a 52. I also started playing 3/4 and 1/2 shots inside 120. The accuracy is better as is the control. I hope this helps!!
Click to expand...

Solid advice as always from the swing guru.

I would also add that I struggled as a teenager with full wedges coming up short until I moved the ball back in my stance and really understood how to take different size/depth divots. Play with different ball positions on the range along with different length swings. Lean how to "punch" a wedge and flight it down. Learn what moving the ball back off your right heel does to the flight and divot.
 
tahoebum said:
Solid advice as always from the swing guru.

I would also add that I struggled as a teenager with full wedges coming up short until I moved the ball back in my stance and really understood how to take different size/depth divots. Play with different ball positions on the range along with different length swings. Lean how to "punch" a wedge and flight it down. Learn what moving the ball back off your right heel does to the flight and divot.
Click to expand...

Great point, thanks for the add on!!
 
I'll try the 3/4 swing idea. What I try to do sometimes is take a longer club and choke up. The problem I have when I do that is convincing myself to take a full swing. Instead I swing easier and can;t seem to convince myself it is one or the other not choke up AND swing easy. :)

I'll also have to get out on the range and experiment with ball position more.

Thanks for the suggestions!
 
tahoebum said:
Solid advice as always from the swing guru.

I would also add that I struggled as a teenager with full wedges coming up short until I moved the ball back in my stance and really understood how to take different size/depth divots. Play with different ball positions on the range along with different length swings. Lean how to "punch" a wedge and flight it down. Learn what moving the ball back off your right heel does to the flight and divot.
Click to expand...

Just ran across this tip from you guys and could not agree more..I found once I started taking 1/2 and 3/4 swings with wedges inside 120 yrds.. my game became so solid..i stopped worrying about what club I was hitting into what yardage and it just freed me up..before I was so concerned that maybe I wasn't swing fast enough to have to need a pitching wedge from 110 yrds for eg..
To compound that I used it in even mid iron shots, 7 irons etc and that worked with great success, but still my ego said that can't be right as i'm not taking full swings with a 7 iron.. sigh..i just can't get of my way sometimes..topic for another day..:)
 
tahoebum said:
Solid advice as always from the swing guru.

I would also add that I struggled as a teenager with full wedges coming up short until I moved the ball back in my stance and really understood how to take different size/depth divots. Play with different ball positions on the range along with different length swings. Lean how to "punch" a wedge and flight it down. Learn what moving the ball back off your right heel does to the flight and divot.
Click to expand...

So ..like you and Tadashi suggested I've been working on hitting a lot more 3/4 and 1/2 wedge shots, but at times struggle with the release.., not sure if to open up wedge along with forward lean to get a cut type wedge shot or setup square and just turn with the body.. Also if playing in fairways that are somewhat wet/slightly soft for shots in the 50 to 90 yrd range I at times hit them chunky.. I've always needed to remind myself to not let the clubhead beat my hands when coming through and hitting wedges.. Just trying for that consistent setup that allows for consistent wedge shots...
 
I've been trying, lately, to think about trajectory rather than distance. If it needs to drop out of the sky...fine...I'll open up a 9 iron and drop it out of the sky. You can take off distance, and still take a full swing, from 150, 140, 130, etc...and you can knock it down. The question to ask is: what do I want to happen once it lands? I am playing shorter shots, with more club, and having better results. Try playing multiple trajectories with a 50. That will help with your decision making. Bon Chance.
 
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