What do you find are the best drills for controlling wedge height, spin, and distance?
This is how I practice my wedges, and I think can be a good framework for you
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I just finished your short game solution by sieckmann… it was really good! Definitely worth a read.
Jon lists it in his article.
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GREAT book, highly recommend
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I think I bought it because you recommended it on Twitter… might have been Adam… or Irish mike…
That’s a GREAT book to set up and refine good fundamentals.
Defer to others on how to practice, but I think hitting wedges off of grass 1x per week while trying to improve is critical.
I get a significant hit impulse with the lofted clubs… the only way for me to fight is to be hitting balls frequently and focusing on staying shallow / rotating
If I take a month off, I can usually figure out how to get off the tee and hit mid irons but looking at all that loft short circuits my brain inside 100
For people that have read the Dave Pelz Short Game Bible and that book, is it worth reading both? I feel the two Pelz books fundamentally changed how I approached the game and what equipment I carry around
I was taught the clock system as a junior so it was cool to hear Bryson mention it at the US open. I have an 8,9 and 10 oclock feel for my 3 wedges, I just need to stick to it and practice more so the numbers are more accurate.
I think for controlling spin etc. the best thing anyone can do is practice a lot from different lies. There is a point where hitting shots off a mat gets a bit pointless, so I try and do a lot of wedge practice out on the course. It helps to play at a course that doesn’t get too much traffic.
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I think your short game solution is worth reading… he worked with Pelz but has some different advice.
I read short game bible years ago, so I don’t fully remember it. Solution has a ton of technique, especially for chipping.
I haven’t gotten to play with the new technique yet, but like the feel.
I’ve read both, and Pelz’s book is really the foundations of my wedge game (read over 10 years ago). I would say Sieckmann’s book is more up to date though, perhaps it’s best to start with his.
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I like the Pelz system for wedge play - although not too much of a fan of his technical philosophy (ball back, shaft excessively forwards etc).
I use a modified system - 3 wedges, 2 swings (full and half), 3 accelerations (lazy, normal and aggressive). This gives me every yardage between 40 and 130 yards, amped out at 5 yard increments.
I can further adjust up/down by 5 yards by gripping down/up on the wedge more
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More of a side comment, but the only thing that has been bad for my golf game with COVID is that all the short game and putting practice areas are closed around here. I don’t have enough yard for short game practice at home (besides technique with no ball or foam ball) and have always felt strange practicing it out in a park. Might have to get over that though if things stay the same as they are for a while longer.
I agree, over the years I’ve modified my own “feels” on wedge technique, but when I’m presented with different distances, I’m still thinking about the clock. I think Sieckmann’s book can help more with technique since it takes into account more modern knowledge.
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The more I learn, the more I think this game is all about distance control, especially with wedges, short game, and putting. I’ve been a sucker all
my life to focusing on technique thoughts and direction thoughts. Get close enough on direction, no technique thoughts on the course, and focus 100 PERCENT on getting the distance right. Your preshot routine should be about using your eyes to judge the distance and how hard you need to hit it. Get over the ball, take a good look at the hole and internalize how far it is and how hard you need to hit, feel it, and swing. Still not sure if clock or any other system is better, or if it’s better to rely on your eyes and athleticism to respond to the situation. What I do think I know is that to think of anything other than distance/speed is distracting yourself from the task at hand.
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My goal this off season is to get on a gcquad and spend time dialing in club head speed… really get a feel for how fast different swings are and try to build that out…
Hopefully that translates to more consistency on the course.
This is perhaps one of the most valuable ways to use a launch monitor. Once you can match up your wedge “feels” to a specific distance then you can have more confidence on the course when those numbers pop up.
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This was a huge point of improvement for my game this year (Arccos agrees). This past winter, I committed to a wedge clock system, and used the SkyTrak wedge matrix to build it.
I’m using GW, SW, and LW. And the keys for my partial swings are 1) shaft parallel in the backswing, 2) lead arm parallel in the backswing, and 3) lead arm to about 10:30 in the backswing (that’s what I link to 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 swings).
After repeating this multiple times on SkyTrak, I took the numbers and printed them on a chart, and then taped the chart to my range finder. It was a great combination!
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That is THE combo! Not surprised you saw great results on the course.
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Would the PRGR launch monitor work for this practice?
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