Wedge shots from 50 to 125 yards can make a huge difference to your golf game.
If you succeed and find yourself in the green, there’s a good chance you’ll shoot low. But if you circle the green or go a short distance, you’re putting extra pressure on yourself to get up and down – which isn’t always easy for amateur players.
While many amateurs believe club selection is important when countering shots from this yardage, there is another important factor in play: the length of the backswing.
We all know that every golf shot is different, so it takes some creativity every time you stand over the ball.
Distance is a factor, as is the lie of the ball, as are any obstacles in your path; Like trees, water or bunkers. So it is important to get a feel for how long your back should be when using a 50- to 125-yard wedge.
To help move the peg game to a better place, Parker MacLachlan, aka “Short game chef” Shares necessary ingredients in order to see more consistency.
In the video above, McLachlin shares two different ways golfers tend to measure the length of their swing — whether that’s something visual or something that requires a little more feel.
“Dave Beals had the clock system,” McLachin says. “The lead arm will be at nine o’clock, ten o’clock, eleven o’clock; that’s how some players feel.
“Some guys who might not be completely visible that way feel it 50, 75, 90 percent more. I’m a little more into it that way, but find what works for you.”
No matter what type of backswing looks best on your game, McLachlin reminds viewers that one thing a golfer should never do with his wedge putt is swing at 100%.
“What I mean by that is, I’ll never get to a place where I feel right here [in the full backswing] And by 100 per cent. It’s always going to be 50, 75, 90 percent, and 90 is usually the limit,” he says.
This is where acceleration through the ball is key, with McLachlin emphasizing the importance of doing so with a downward swing.
“All the PGA Tour players I’ve talked to, they always feel the acceleration in the road,” he adds. “They realize that acceleration will give them spin, and it will give them good distance control.
“The amateur players I work with, what I usually see is they take their full natural swing to shoot 50%, then just slow their way down; it never works out well. There is no spin control, no distance control, and they usually lose control left and right.” also. “
McLachlin says that in order to combat these amateur issues, he wants to see some structure in the backswing. This will help create some friction between the putter and the golf ball.
“I don’t want to feel too loose and disorganized,” he says. “We don’t want to slow our way through this shot. So, we have to be really precise about that.”
For more tips from Short Game Chef, Check out McLachlin’s website.
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Short game chef membership
Rethink your short game with the help of Parker McLachlin, aka Short Game Chef. McLachlin is a PGA Tour winner and short game maestro, cooking up modern ingredients to power up your shots around the green. Register now and get 20% off for full access to the chef’s kitchen, from conquering thick grits to decadent picks in the cellar. Your scorecard will thank you!
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