Dial in Your Distance Wedges
From Mark Blackburn On January 25, 2023
Distance wedge shots (shots inside 120 yards or so) require three ingredients. First, you need to know how far away from the pin you are (and how far the shot will play given factors like wind and... elevation). Second, you need to have a reliable technique that allows you to make consistent contact and flight the ball the same way every time (within reason). And third, you need to know which wedge in your bag, hit with your reliable technique, will match the distance required.
Nearly everyone can get the first ingredient right. It just takes a range finder (or a little practice pacing off yardages) and some experience judging the effects of wind, elevation, different types of lies, etc.
A good number of players have reasonable technique. To use a baseball analogy, poor distance wedge players throw pop-ups to second base. Better wedge players are like strong-armed catchers, throwing low darts to second base. In this video, Titleist staff member Mark Blackburn will show you how to throw bullets using technique that varies slightly, but significantly from your stock iron swing.
Only a small number of players with skillful technique take the time to learn how far the ball flies with a few different lengths of swing. Most try to improvise, swinging "somewhere" short of a full swing. And hardly anyone calibrates a few different swing lengths with each wedge in their bag. And yet, as Mark shares, this is precisely what you need to do in order to hit wedges close.
The good news? It's not that hard to do. Follow Mark's keys for technique to build a simple, repeatable swing that's driven by rotation and then spend half an hour or so charting your distances as prescribed. Follow these steps for each wedge that you carry:
• Hit 3-5 balls with your half wedge swing (7:30 - 9:00 on the clock face as Mark describes it). Use a range finder or pace off the average distance that those shots flew with your half-wedge technique. Using a permanent marker, write that number down on the shaft of the wedge.
• Using the same club, now hit 3-5 balls with your 3/4 wedge swing (9:00 - 10:30 on the clock face as Mark describes it). Use a range finder or pace off the average distance that those shots flew with your 3/4-wedge technique. Write that number down on the shaft of the wedge, just above the half-wedge distance.
• Using the same club, now hit 3-5 balls with your full wedge swing (10:30- 12:00) on the clock face as Mark describes it). Use a range finder or pace off the average distance that those shots flew with your full wedge technique. Write that number down on the shaft of the wedge, just above the 3/4-wedge distance. You now have three distances you can refer to out on the course.
• Lather, rinse, repeat - Repeat the process with your other wedges. You'll now be armed with an entire matrix of distances that you can refer to on the course. You won't need to guess or improvise. Just look at your shaft band and match the shot to the wedge and the swing length that's needed.
Nearly everyone can get the first ingredient right. It just takes a range finder (or a little practice pacing off yardages) and some experience judging the effects of wind, elevation, different types of lies, etc.
A good number of players have reasonable technique. To use a baseball analogy, poor distance wedge players throw pop-ups to second base. Better wedge players are like strong-armed catchers, throwing low darts to second base. In this video, Titleist staff member Mark Blackburn will show you how to throw bullets using technique that varies slightly, but significantly from your stock iron swing.
Only a small number of players with skillful technique take the time to learn how far the ball flies with a few different lengths of swing. Most try to improvise, swinging "somewhere" short of a full swing. And hardly anyone calibrates a few different swing lengths with each wedge in their bag. And yet, as Mark shares, this is precisely what you need to do in order to hit wedges close.
The good news? It's not that hard to do. Follow Mark's keys for technique to build a simple, repeatable swing that's driven by rotation and then spend half an hour or so charting your distances as prescribed. Follow these steps for each wedge that you carry:
• Hit 3-5 balls with your half wedge swing (7:30 - 9:00 on the clock face as Mark describes it). Use a range finder or pace off the average distance that those shots flew with your half-wedge technique. Using a permanent marker, write that number down on the shaft of the wedge.
• Using the same club, now hit 3-5 balls with your 3/4 wedge swing (9:00 - 10:30 on the clock face as Mark describes it). Use a range finder or pace off the average distance that those shots flew with your 3/4-wedge technique. Write that number down on the shaft of the wedge, just above the half-wedge distance.
• Using the same club, now hit 3-5 balls with your full wedge swing (10:30- 12:00) on the clock face as Mark describes it). Use a range finder or pace off the average distance that those shots flew with your full wedge technique. Write that number down on the shaft of the wedge, just above the 3/4-wedge distance. You now have three distances you can refer to out on the course.
• Lather, rinse, repeat - Repeat the process with your other wedges. You'll now be armed with an entire matrix of distances that you can refer to on the course. You won't need to guess or improvise. Just look at your shaft band and match the shot to the wedge and the swing length that's needed.
Distance wedge shots (shots inside 120 yards or so) require three ingredients. First,
...
you need to know how far away from the pin you are (and how far the shot will play given factors like wind and elevation). Second, you need to have a reliable technique that allows you to make consistent contact and flight the ball the same way every time (within reason). And third, you need to know which wedge in your bag, hit with your reliable technique, will match the distance required.
Nearly everyone can get the first ingredient right. It just takes a range finder (or a little practice pacing off yardages) and some experience judging the effects of wind, elevation, different types of lies, etc.
A good number of players have reasonable technique. To use a baseball analogy, poor distance wedge players throw pop-ups to second base. Better wedge players are like strong-armed catchers, throwing low darts to second base. In this video, Titleist staff member Mark Blackburn will show you how to throw bullets using technique that varies slightly, but significantly from your stock iron swing.
Only a small number of players with skillful technique take the time to learn how far the ball flies with a few different lengths of swing. Most try to improvise, swinging "somewhere" short of a full swing. And hardly anyone calibrates a few different swing lengths with each wedge in their bag. And yet, as Mark shares, this is precisely what you need to do in order to hit wedges close.
The good news? It's not that hard to do. Follow Mark's keys for technique to build a simple, repeatable swing that's driven by rotation and then spend half an hour or so charting your distances as prescribed. Follow these steps for each wedge that you carry:
• Hit 3-5 balls with your half wedge swing (7:30 - 9:00 on the clock face as Mark describes it). Use a range finder or pace off the average distance that those shots flew with your half-wedge technique. Using a permanent marker, write that number down on the shaft of the wedge.
• Using the same club, now hit 3-5 balls with your 3/4 wedge swing (9:00 - 10:30 on the clock face as Mark describes it). Use a range finder or pace off the average distance that those shots flew with your 3/4-wedge technique. Write that number down on the shaft of the wedge, just above the half-wedge distance.
• Using the same club, now hit 3-5 balls with your full wedge swing (10:30- 12:00) on the clock face as Mark describes it). Use a range finder or pace off the average distance that those shots flew with your full wedge technique. Write that number down on the shaft of the wedge, just above the 3/4-wedge distance. You now have three distances you can refer to out on the course.
• Lather, rinse, repeat - Repeat the process with your other wedges. You'll now be armed with an entire matrix of distances that you can refer to on the course. You won't need to guess or improvise. Just look at your shaft band and match the shot to the wedge and the swing length that's needed.
Nearly everyone can get the first ingredient right. It just takes a range finder (or a little practice pacing off yardages) and some experience judging the effects of wind, elevation, different types of lies, etc.
A good number of players have reasonable technique. To use a baseball analogy, poor distance wedge players throw pop-ups to second base. Better wedge players are like strong-armed catchers, throwing low darts to second base. In this video, Titleist staff member Mark Blackburn will show you how to throw bullets using technique that varies slightly, but significantly from your stock iron swing.
Only a small number of players with skillful technique take the time to learn how far the ball flies with a few different lengths of swing. Most try to improvise, swinging "somewhere" short of a full swing. And hardly anyone calibrates a few different swing lengths with each wedge in their bag. And yet, as Mark shares, this is precisely what you need to do in order to hit wedges close.
The good news? It's not that hard to do. Follow Mark's keys for technique to build a simple, repeatable swing that's driven by rotation and then spend half an hour or so charting your distances as prescribed. Follow these steps for each wedge that you carry:
• Hit 3-5 balls with your half wedge swing (7:30 - 9:00 on the clock face as Mark describes it). Use a range finder or pace off the average distance that those shots flew with your half-wedge technique. Using a permanent marker, write that number down on the shaft of the wedge.
• Using the same club, now hit 3-5 balls with your 3/4 wedge swing (9:00 - 10:30 on the clock face as Mark describes it). Use a range finder or pace off the average distance that those shots flew with your 3/4-wedge technique. Write that number down on the shaft of the wedge, just above the half-wedge distance.
• Using the same club, now hit 3-5 balls with your full wedge swing (10:30- 12:00) on the clock face as Mark describes it). Use a range finder or pace off the average distance that those shots flew with your full wedge technique. Write that number down on the shaft of the wedge, just above the 3/4-wedge distance. You now have three distances you can refer to out on the course.
• Lather, rinse, repeat - Repeat the process with your other wedges. You'll now be armed with an entire matrix of distances that you can refer to on the course. You won't need to guess or improvise. Just look at your shaft band and match the shot to the wedge and the swing length that's needed.
404
Videos
Filter:
- Alex Buckner
- Brad Faxon
- Dan Whittaker
- Dr. Mo Pickens
- Matt Leach
- Matthew Johns
- Sophie Walker
- Cameron McCormick
- James Sieckmann
- Mark Blackburn
- Michael Breed
- Trillium Rose
- Jonathan Yarwood
- Dave Phillips
- Brandon Stooksbury
- Justin Parsons
- Layne Savoie
- Dr. Rob Neal
- Dr. Greg Rose
- Skip Guss
- Jason Baile
- John Kostis
- Jennifer Hudson
- Ryan Hager
- Corey Lundberg
- Tom Patri
- Driver
- Fairway
- Hybrid
- Utility Iron
- Iron
- Wedge
- Putter
- Fundamentals
- Shot Shaping
- Anti-hook
- Anti-slice
- Alignment
- Tight Lie
- Long Rough
- Bunker Play
- Consistency
- Distance Control
- Trajectory
The Fundamentals Every Golfer Needs
From Justin Parsons On July 24, 2024
When it comes to the golf swing, there are certain fundamentals that they all...
Golf Statistics You Should Be Tracking
From Justin Parsons On July 10, 2024
On the PGA Tour, ShotLink tracking and Strokes Gained data are making it...
How to Overcome First Tee Jitters
From Dr. Mo Pickens On June 27, 2024
Every golfer gets nervous on the first tee. You're filled with anticipation,...
Two Paths to Hitting the Golf Ball Farther
From Dr. Greg Rose On June 24, 2024
"How do I hit the golf ball farther?" This is the frequently-asked question by...
Five Steps to Get Out of Trouble
From Dr. Mo Pickens On June 07, 2024
In golf it's inevitable - at some point you're going to hit a wayward shot that...
Advanced Technique for Half-Wedge
From Dr. Rob Neal, Trillium Rose On May 16, 2024
Titleist staff member Dr. Rob Neal has spent years studying the best golfers in...
No results
Titleist Instruction Newsletter
Titleist Tips: Make the Most of Your Golf Practice Time
One of the coolest things about the game of golf is the fact that we play the same game as the pros. Most of us will never take batting practice in...
Morgan Hoffmann: #ProvingIt
On Dec. 4, 2017, Morgan Hoffmann penned an article for The Players' Tribune, an online media platform that provides first-person content written by...
Iron Selector Tool
This iron selection tool starts the fitting process by suggesting a recommended and alternative iron set. The next step is to experience a...