Creating spin with your wedges requires clear contact.
@CallawayGolfEU / X
There is no shot that draws more admiration from a gallery than one wedge that stops on a coin. When the pros throw a tight shot with a ton of spin on the ball, it’s sure to be a fan favorite.
If you’ve ever seen a pro hit a shot like this, you’ve probably tried to replicate it the next time you hit the links. Unlike the 300 yard car bomb, a wedge shot with a ton of spin actually feels repeatable.
Easier said than done.
The blow pitch with tons of spins can look easy when the pros do it, but in practice it’s not that simple. At least, not without proper technique. Fortunately for you, this shot can be learned with a little practice.
Alex Noren’s Wedge Workout
The biggest key to generating spin with your wedges is clean contact. If you want to make the ball spin, you need to get grooves in the clubface to catch the ball. This can only be done by hitting a hard blow.
The problem with most amateurs is that they have a fundamental misunderstanding of how to properly use their wedge to hit a solid shot. Instead of hitting the ball and letting the clubhouse do its magic (and help generate spin), they drive underneath the ball.
Exercise above from European Pro Alex Noren can help fix this. All you have to do is place the club perpendicular to your target line about a foot behind the ball and then start hitting shots. With the club acting as a barrier, you will be forced to swing the club head over it and hit the ball.
“It’s just a reminder not to brush it off,” Noren says. “It’s just about the angle of attack that he comes in.”
Once you start hitting the ball with your wedges, you’ll find that clear contact is much easier to achieve – and it will also help you generate a lot more spin. Give it a try and in no time you’ll be swinging your wedge shots like the pros.
