Welcome to Play Smarta regular GOLF.com game improvement column that will help you become a smarter and better golfer.
Your wedges are your scoring clubs. When you have one in hand from the fairway, you have to think bird. And when you need to grab a green wedge, it’s all about getting up and down for the same level. If you can increase the conversion rate in both scenarios, you will quickly see your results drop.
But despite how important wedges are to low scores, many recreational golfers have no idea what the proper technique is for hitting them. When they go to the range, it’s all about catching and ripping it – little thought is given to the short clubs.
This lack of focus in practice sessions often leads to bad habits, and with them, higher scores. But if you know what kinds of mistakes to avoid, hitting sharp wedges becomes much easier.
In the following video, Dr. Greg Rose from Titleist Performance Institute shares two big mistakes he often sees recreational players make with their spin-reducing wedges. Get them right and you’ll be hitting more spin in no time.
Every golfer wants to be able to spin his ball like a tournament player, but doesn’t understand how to optimize the physics in his favor.
Two of the biggest mistakes we see wedge amateurs make is slowing down and relaxing the club at impact.
This reduces two… pic.twitter.com/I3sQ8fIoUk
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2 ways to add spin
Wedges are essential for scoring because they can get into hard-to-reach pin locations, allowing you to fill the ball close to the hole locations. This is mainly thanks to the amount of torque they produce.
When you can put spin on a wedge, you can hit it up and smooth it out. Plus, you can stop the ball on a dime when the situation calls for it. Simply put, knowing how to properly place spin on the ball can unlock your scoring ability.
Putting spin on the ball is achieved in two ways. One is speed through impact (ie clubhead speed) and the other is high spin loft, what is the difference between the angle of attack and club face loft at impact.
1. Accelerate through influence
The first mistake golfers make when trying to build speed is slowing down through impact. This is usually because they take a backswing that is too long for the shot they are trying to hit, so they slow down during the stroke to keep the ball from screaming past the flag. If you really want to create spin, you should start by making a smaller backswing and accelerating through impact.
“For the wedge, if you want the ball to spin back, I need speed all the way,” Rose says. “Make sure you release and increase clubhead speed.”
2. Raise the loft with a twist
Another mistake golfers make when trying to generate spin is not creating enough spin loft. As described above, spin loft is the difference between your angle of attack and the clubface loft at impact.
Feeling like you are hitting the ball is a great way to get the right angle of attack to create spin. However, what many recreational golfers do wrong is that when they do this, they close the club face and drop the club.
“The key here is to feel like you’re moving down, but make sure you’re adding loft,” says Rose. “If you look at the big wedge players, not only are they creating a downward angle of attack, (but) the face is also open.”
