It is one of the most important parts of our game to train, but also one of the most neglected. Because, let’s face it, the driver gets most of our attention at the range. But most of our shots in any given round are from within 100 yards, meaning those wedges and that short game is something that needs more attention if you want to Prime your Game.
Wedge play requires a different focus than most other clubs or shots. The finesse and soft touch required from around the green is an entirely different place of attention than other clubs that we spend our time trying to hit farther and farther.
But, how exactly does one focus a training session on just wedges? We’ve got some tips for you to try out the next time you’re booked in here at Prime Golf!
1) Clock-face wedge shot drill
One of the trickiest parts of perfecting your short game is learning how hard and how far all of your shots need to go. Nothing is worse than finding yourself with a 50-yard approach shot but only hitting it 35 and needing a second chip to get it on the green. One way to work around this and truly learn distance control and estimation with your wedges is the clock face drill.
How to do this drill
Line yourself up in a bay here at Prime Golf on target practice or driving range mode, depending if you want to hit at pins or not. Then, grab your wedges and begin hitting shots with the same club. Treating 6 o’clock as where the golf ball is and 12 o’clock as directly above your head, pick spots on the clock to reach in your backswing and follow through, such as using 8 and 4 for shorter shorts and 10 and 2 for longer ones. Hit shots on repeat with that same swing path to nail down how far you can consistently hit that shot. And repeat this exercise for each of your wedges.
With some practice, you should begin to become better at making good, consistent contact with your wedges as well as know exactly which club to pull out of your bag and swing to replicate at different distances.
2) Launch angle practice
Generally, your wedges will be the clubs that get the most height. But sometimes, you need to find a way to hit a wedge but at different heights. Maybe you’re chipping out from near a tree or trying to hit a rolling shot up the fairway. Regardless of your reason, this is a situation where you can take advantage of the launch angle data on our Trackman simulators. If you can learn how to hit different angle wedge shots, you add another dynamic to your game that might help you shave a few strokes off of your score.
How to do this drill?
Grab a wedge and choose a distance you can regularly hit with that club. This would be good to do after the previous drill where you learn distance control with your wedges. Hit about 5-10 shots consistently to that target in the distance. You can do this easily in target practice mode on Trackman, where you can choose a target and tee spot placing you that distance from the pin.
From there, practice tweaking your swing to see the impact it has on the launch angle and flight path of your shot. Try putting the ball forward in your stance to hit it higher, but with less roll. And vice versa for lower wedge shots with the ball farther back in your stance.
Other tweaks you can test out to see the impact are opening and closing the clubface and the amount of hinging in your wrists.
Being able to alter the launch angle of your wedge shots will give you more tools to optimize your short game.
3) Progressive Distance and Accuracy Drill
Not only is it important to know the distances of your wedges, but you also need to be able to hit them reliably at the target. This drill combines both distance control and accuracy. What you will be doing is setting up situations for yourself to hit consistent shots at a selected target at selected distances, moving farther and farther away as you progress. This way, you will minimize the amount of second approach shots you need because the first one was short or off target.
How to do this drill?
Pick your wedge and set a target at whatever distance away you want, starting closer to the pin. Say, begin at 15 yards away. Your goal is to hit a predetermined amount of shots within a certain distance of your target, 3 of 5 shots within 4 feet, for example. Once you accomplish that, you can move farther away and repeat the drill from 25, 35, 45 yards, and so on.
Doing this will help you understand your short game better with a more accurate reading of your distances, as well as helping you work out inconsistencies in your swing to improve your contact and accuracy.
More advanced versions of this drill can work in launch angle practice and spin rate practice, as well.
With this new knowledge, you should be ready to start priming your game! Book in a simulator bay to give your wedges some practice.