BREAKING 90
Do You Carry Enough Wedges?
You have a short shot to the green that does require you to hit the shot into the air and land softly on the green. But you don’t think you have the right club to hit the shot. Sound familiar?
Most golfers looking to break 90 tend not to carry enough wedges in their bag to get the job done. Relying on just one wedge, and attempting to alter the amount you swing that club, can have its moments. Why? Because you’re probably decelerating the club to control the distance the ball goes. All shots require acceleration to create the spin needed to land the ball softly.
If you have a swing you can rely on with your pitching wedge, you can rely on the same swing to hit a shorter, higher, softer shot using a series of more lofted wedges.
- Know the degree of loft of your pitching wedge and gap each wedge you carry off that club. A four-degree difference in each wedge loft will make life easier for you. If your pitching wedge is 48 degrees, carrying a 52, 56, and a 60-degree wedge will most likely optimize your ability to hit shorter shots using the same swing.
- Swing your pitching wedge normally for a shorter than average pitch shot. How far does it travel in the air? Take the average of 10 or more shots to determine the average length you’ll hit your pitching wedge.
- Using the same swing, now hit 10 shots with each of the other wedges, deter-mining an average carry distance for each. What you’ll find is a trending and shorter difference each club carries. Ideally at your skill level, achieving an 8 to 10-yard difference between all your wedges will increase your chances of breaking 90 more often.
