I have recently added more distance and accuracy to my drive and thus find myself within 100 yards on a lot of par fours (muni courses mainly). I have around a 12 handicap and feel that I could lower it greatly if I could stop duffing/whatever you want to call it- leaving my 60 degree wedge wayyy short every time. Any quick stance, swing, etc. tips??? Thanks! I hit my 52 degree around 100-115..... Need that under 100 yard club/help...

Hit it fat a lot? Maybe move your ball position back some, make sure your hands are ahead of the ball, and concentrate on hitting down on it...don't want to try to lift it at all.

Quit thinking

Couple things you could do....

First is try to choke down with your other wedges and try to hit those. I have a problem hitting my 58 degree 100 yards. So instead of trying to max the distance out, I will choke down on my 52 and put a full solid swing on it and I have found that to take off some yardage.

Another thing you can try is to look at the front of the ball when you swing. This will help you make contact with the ball first and help you get through the ball all the way. I was having trouble recently hitting short irons solid and I tried this technique and it has been working great for me.

To add to what others have stated one thing that I find helps me is to use less of a full swing with the wedges than I do with other irons. I try to keep the lower body much quieter.

Also a 60 degree is hard to hit period. Especially with low bounce (not sure what yours is but 60 degrees tend to have low bounce because they arent really designed for bunker play). Its very easy for the club to slide under the ball, therefore not making solid contact with the ball and hitting the ball first.

I play with a friend all the time who is a great wedge player and a scratch golfer. Hes about to get rid of his 60 degree for the reason I explained above. Its just a tough club to hit consistently.

I am the same type of player. I find hitting a 5 iron is the way to go because I can hit a 9 iron into the green.

If you are stuck on trying to make the 60 degree work, study your lie more. Ex: a slight downhill lie will be exaggerated on a 60 because there is more chance for error. A slight uphill will be easier.

Practice moving your hands down on all your wedges, and practice a ¾ swing on all wedges. Assuming you have 3 wedges, that gives you 9 shots you should be confident in.

D,

I will be in H-town from February 11-15. We should try to play that weekend.

A 56 is infinitely easier to hit than a 60. Try that.

To dial it down, don't swing slower, just take a shorter backswing.

Even if it is a muni, sounds like you need to move back to the big boy tees if you are within 100 yards THAT much off the box.

Honestly, I used to carry a 60 degree, but I think the loft is WAY overdoing it. I recently took it out of the bag. You end up thinking a lot with it and I've found that I'm ONLY good at hitting my lob wedge about 80 yards... for a wedge I find that the club just isn't diverse enough in its usefulness. If I don't put a full swing on it, there's so much loft to it that I just fully shank my approach. That's why I just use my 52 or 56 for anything from 115 in (with the exception of a couple of shots where I'll grab my 7 or 8 iron). I say practice a bunch with a couple wedges w/ less loft and ditch the lob wedge.

I have found that a 3/4 swing with a 56 degree wedge is a rather reliable shot.

+1 on the 56. i carry a 52 and 56 and proved more consistent than duffing that 60. if i was playing and practicing like i used to, i could probably go back to carrying a 60.

If you are going to carry 2 wedges (not including a PW), I think a 58 is the way to go over the 56.

The 58 (8 degrees bounce) is more versatile for me around the greens. I like it much better than my 56 I used for a while. Its also hands down the best bunker club I have ever used. I only hit it about 95 yards, while I hit the 56 about 105. But Ive learned how to hit that 105 gap wedge shot now.


Proud- Remind me a week before you get here and I'll get a group and tee time together. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. Its been real spotty lately.

If I were carrying two wedges, I'd go with a 52.5 or 53 + a 57 or 58.

If I were carrying 3 wedges: 51.5/52 + 55 + 58.

The OP mentions a 52 and 60. You could bend the 60 down to 58.5 to get a little more distance and less loft. If you have a 56, I'd bend it to 57* to give you a little more loft.

D,

I will let you know. I am hoping for some good weather when I visit. It was nice here Friday (43* and sunny..... what 55 feels like in Houston), but there was still plenty of snow patches and wet/hard fairways.

The problem with the 60 is that unless you're really good and have a pretty strong swing is that you don't know if you'll get the downward pinch into the ground or if it will roll off the top of the face without compressing. That's why the distances and spin are so inconsistent.

Definitely try a 56 with a 11 degree bounce. You can do a ton with it.

The 60* wedge was a horrible invention. Switch to the 56*. You can easily turn that into a 60* if you really need it.

I hit my 52* around the same distance but still use it between 60-100 yards. I use different types of shots depending on the situation. (i.e. knock down shots, half swings, quarter swings, moving it in my stance, choking down)

You just have to get comfortable with your wedges. Find out what works for you. Confidence in the short game will reduce your scores.

I dont think the 60 degree was a horrible invention. You have to be really good to use one consistently. For the pros and good players, 60 degree wedges are fine. Mid handicaps and even low handicaps shouldnt be playing with them however.

[This message has been edited by The D (edited 1/26/2010 9:05a).]

quote:

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The 60* wedge was a horrible invention. Switch to the 56*. You can easily turn that into a 60* if you really need it.

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I agree with D. The 60* is a huge asset if you know how to hit it. It comes in handy when you have to carry it over water or a trap to a tucked pin & when you are short-sided on a chip shot. If a 56 can easily be turned into a 60, then a 60 can easily be turned into a 64.

I hit wedge into at least 60% of par-4s, so wedge play is critical to me. I have a 58* because it gives me more options around the green & I feel more confident with it on approach shots. I will add to the discussion that golf is a game of managing and utilizing your talent.... knowing your abilities & playing within yourself. It is a game of percentages. If one is faced with a 25-yard shot over a bunker or deep rough (with the pin being only 10-15 feet on the other side), it is usually better to hit a safe shot to to 10 feet than to go for broke & try to stick it. I think many golfers dwell on "that one time I made/almost made a shot just like that", instead of playing smart and taking double bogey out of the equation. The 60* gives them the temptation. I think a 57-58* is sufficient loft for most players.

Choke down on the grip and use a shorter backswing. That way you still have to excelerate thru the ball. trying to hit 70% or 60% shots, ends with alot of fat shots thru deceleration.

My full 60 goes 105, choked up 60 goes 70 everytime.

Thanks for the help everybody!!! Will definitely try some of the tips out this week at the range... As for moving back a tee box.. I was told several time that you dont choose a tee box based on distance. Instead, that you choose a T-Box based on Handicap- single digits to the back.. not there yet...

Funny, I guess I didn't know I shouldn't hit the 60. I'm a 14 and hit mine from 60 to 80 adjusting the backswing. IMO, the key to golf is acceleration through the ball and that is especially true with the 60. My wedges hit full swing run:

60 = 80 yds (I go down to about 50 yards by adjusting backswing and then switch to pitching clubs)
Sand (58) = 95
U (56ish) = 105 (club was adjusted to fit this distance)
P (52) = 115

quote:

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I was told several time that you dont choose a tee box based on distance. Instead, that you choose a T-Box based on Handicap- single digits to the back.. not there yet...

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You're correct. Too many guys think that just because they can hit a 300+ yards drive once in a while that lands in the fairway warrants them being able to play from the black tees.

quote:

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60 = 80 yds (I go down to about 50 yards by adjusting backswing and then switch to pitching clubs)
Sand (58) = 95
U (56ish) = 105 (club was adjusted to fit this distance)
P (52) = 115

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You carry 5 wedges? Im assuming you have a 46 or 48 also....

56, 58, and 60?

Nope. Just checked and I'm off 2 degrees. They were all adjusted by the HotStix guys based on distance to give me those gaps, but the sand is the only other one marked. I though it was 2* gaps, but it's 4, so 60-56-52-48 with the last two assumed.

Tee boxes are typically reated by handicaps

0-7 back tees
8-15 Blues
15 + Whites

I carrying a PW, 52, 56, 60. I use the 60 more than any other club in my bag

More than your putter?

Just write 52 over the 60 and swing the same as you would your 52 from the proportional yardage for your 60.

It's all in your head.

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"Crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentation of their women."



[This message has been edited by TxAginAz (edited 1/27/2010 2:32p).]

My 60 degree vokey oil can has been money for me. I play a course that has well protected , firm greens and lots of sand. You have to hit a lofted shot to make it stop.


Couldn't imagine playing without one.

[This message has been edited by Layne Staley (edited 1/27/2010 2:33p).]