Joe,
I have been golfing for about 3 years. I carry a sand wedge but no other wedge. It was recently recommended that I purchase a couple of other wedges as I usually am laying somewhere within a 100 yards of the green. What degree wedges are available, what is available and are they really useful? Pat
Hi Pat,
Are you able to adjust your swing for varying distances with your sand wedge? If you can do that, and if you are happy with your results, you are a “shotmaker” and you may not need more wedges, although I am a bit surprised that you do not have a pitching wedge since that comes standard with most sets of irons. I assume you can also finesse your 9-iron for varying distances as well, so maybe you feel you don’t need a pitching wedge. If I ever get to be king for a day, I am going to institute a new set of rules called “Shotmakers Rules” where you can only carry 7 clubs and you will be forced to use finesse shots instead of no-brainer full swings for any distance, for example you can get 3 distances out of any club simply by swinging easier, harder, or normal. However, to answer your question, most people who seek lower scores are carrying 4 wedges. Modern irons have lower lofts than older irons, so today’s pitching wedge is about the same as yesterday’s 9-iron. Therefore if you like taking a full swing with a wedge, you would need a “gap” wedge which has a 52 degree loft, which is in between the 48 degree pitching wedge and 56 degree sand wedge. If you like flop shots, you might want to try a 60 or 64 degree lob wedge. Are they really useful? Generally yes, they should get you closer to the hole, but if you are really good with finessing your sand wedge, you may not need the others. The only way to know for sure is to have a contest and see which clubs win at varying distances. If you try this, let me know what happens.
Joe
Monday, March 22, 2004
Joe,
If you break your putter or forget to put it in your bag, what other club should you use to putt with? John
Hi John,
If you are in a friendly foursome, you can borrow someone else’s putter, but let’s assume you really want to try a different club. Tournament pros sometimes get angry and break their putters, and then they usually putt with their flattest long iron, either a 2 or 3-iron. However, it seems to me that the longer shaft is an awkward length. I am always having contests on the practice green with different putters and putting styles, and I got some really scary results when I had a contest between a long iron and a driver, and the driver won big-time. Now you would think that the flatter surface of the long iron would be more accurate than the curved face of the driver, right? Plus, if the length of the long iron shaft is awkward to me, why isn’t the longer driver shaft even more awkward?
Here is what I found out. The driver shaft was so long that I had no choice but to bury the butt end of the shaft into my belly and putt with my hands way down the shaft like Vijay Singh. Actually the length of the driver shaft is about the same as the length of a belly putter anyway. And then came the scary part about accuracy. Could it be that the curved face on the driver actually helped to keep the ball on line when I happened to strike the ball a little off center? Think about it, if you strike the ball a little toward the toe or the heel, that means your stroke went off line one way, and the curved face sent the ball the other way, which is back on line.
Then I could not resist having a contest between my driver and my regular putter, and it was a tie! Then I got a real belly putter and it beat both my regular putter and my driver, so now I am sold on the belly putter concept, and that explains why the driver did so well. The scary thing is how the curved face of the driver is somewhat self-correcting for an errant stroke. Maybe this only works for me, I guess you will have to try it and see for yourself.
P.S. Here is another scary thing, I just had another contest, and belly-chipping with a 5-wood beat my regular chipping with an iron (yikes!). Sounds strange, but don’t knock it until you have tried it. This is why you must constantly challenge your regular methods with other methods to see which ones can stand up under pressure.
Joe
If you break your putter or forget to put it in your bag, what other club should you use to putt with? John
Hi John,
If you are in a friendly foursome, you can borrow someone else’s putter, but let’s assume you really want to try a different club. Tournament pros sometimes get angry and break their putters, and then they usually putt with their flattest long iron, either a 2 or 3-iron. However, it seems to me that the longer shaft is an awkward length. I am always having contests on the practice green with different putters and putting styles, and I got some really scary results when I had a contest between a long iron and a driver, and the driver won big-time. Now you would think that the flatter surface of the long iron would be more accurate than the curved face of the driver, right? Plus, if the length of the long iron shaft is awkward to me, why isn’t the longer driver shaft even more awkward?
Here is what I found out. The driver shaft was so long that I had no choice but to bury the butt end of the shaft into my belly and putt with my hands way down the shaft like Vijay Singh. Actually the length of the driver shaft is about the same as the length of a belly putter anyway. And then came the scary part about accuracy. Could it be that the curved face on the driver actually helped to keep the ball on line when I happened to strike the ball a little off center? Think about it, if you strike the ball a little toward the toe or the heel, that means your stroke went off line one way, and the curved face sent the ball the other way, which is back on line.
Then I could not resist having a contest between my driver and my regular putter, and it was a tie! Then I got a real belly putter and it beat both my regular putter and my driver, so now I am sold on the belly putter concept, and that explains why the driver did so well. The scary thing is how the curved face of the driver is somewhat self-correcting for an errant stroke. Maybe this only works for me, I guess you will have to try it and see for yourself.
P.S. Here is another scary thing, I just had another contest, and belly-chipping with a 5-wood beat my regular chipping with an iron (yikes!). Sounds strange, but don’t knock it until you have tried it. This is why you must constantly challenge your regular methods with other methods to see which ones can stand up under pressure.
Joe
Sunday, March 21, 2004
Joe,
One of the most difficult shots for me is the little 20 yard pitches. I only get to play once a week. I do practice twice a week. I currently have a +.5 index. I play four wedges. 50*, 53*, 57*, 60*. I am much to quick with the shot. I am currently using a flop shot with the 60*, and open it to regulate the distance. I would like to be able to make a more fluid swing and use a less lofted club in those distances. From the fringe, my shots are ok. I make some and get the rest up and down more than 60% of the time. From 50 yards plus, I can get it close most of the time. Overall the mechanics are good, I just need a mental transplant!
Regards,
Jack Mitchell
Hi Jack (never say this in an airport),
Wow, a scratch golfer who only plays once per week? I’ll bet that over 99 percent of all the golfers in the world will volunteer for your mental transplant if they could have your game in return. Like you, most golfers have a “no mans land” of partial-swing wedge shots that give you The Yips. Most people only associate The Yips with putting, but I feel The Yips can be even worse with the wedge because there is the added danger of hitting it fat or thin. You say you are too quick with the shot, but what is your result? Is it poor ball striking or just distance control? If it is only distance control, just try to more carefully control the length of your backswing depending on the distance. If it is poor ball striking, have a contest with all 4 of your wedges and use only the winner when it counts on the course. As a matter of course management in competition, try to stay away from “no mans land”.
Joe
One of the most difficult shots for me is the little 20 yard pitches. I only get to play once a week. I do practice twice a week. I currently have a +.5 index. I play four wedges. 50*, 53*, 57*, 60*. I am much to quick with the shot. I am currently using a flop shot with the 60*, and open it to regulate the distance. I would like to be able to make a more fluid swing and use a less lofted club in those distances. From the fringe, my shots are ok. I make some and get the rest up and down more than 60% of the time. From 50 yards plus, I can get it close most of the time. Overall the mechanics are good, I just need a mental transplant!
Regards,
Jack Mitchell
Hi Jack (never say this in an airport),
Wow, a scratch golfer who only plays once per week? I’ll bet that over 99 percent of all the golfers in the world will volunteer for your mental transplant if they could have your game in return. Like you, most golfers have a “no mans land” of partial-swing wedge shots that give you The Yips. Most people only associate The Yips with putting, but I feel The Yips can be even worse with the wedge because there is the added danger of hitting it fat or thin. You say you are too quick with the shot, but what is your result? Is it poor ball striking or just distance control? If it is only distance control, just try to more carefully control the length of your backswing depending on the distance. If it is poor ball striking, have a contest with all 4 of your wedges and use only the winner when it counts on the course. As a matter of course management in competition, try to stay away from “no mans land”.
Joe
