Every golfer knows that a sharp wedge game is a real difference maker. It can elevate your round from good to great—or send it the other way if your distances aren’t on record. Dustin Johnson break down his combine training in an episode of ours Warming up with Dylan Dethier. It’s the same routine that helped him become a major champion and world No. 1.
So if it was good enough to turn him into a clutch wedge player, I thought it might help me take my wedge game to the next level.
DJ’s Wedge Workout
Johnson’s routine is simple and straightforward. With each wedge, he takes half, three-quarter and full swings — five to 10 shots per swing length — tracking how far each one goes. The goal is to land each ball within a narrow window.
It’s a repeatable system that Johnson completes before each round of competition, and the precision is what makes this combine-style workout so effective.
How I tried it
Armed with my wedges (gap, 56 and 60) and mine Full Swing KIT Launch Monitor — the same one Johnson uses — hit the beam. I started with my wedge, setting a target to hit five shots on each swing length that all carried within five feet of each other. However, that doesn’t mean it only took five swings. With my first club, it actually took more than 10 tries before I could get my half swings to land on a stable yard window.
However, I eventually got into a groove and was able to close my wedge. To give you an idea of what my yards were, my half swing averaged about 55 yards, my three quarter swing was around 60 and my full swing was close to 70.
Next, I repeated the process with my 56-degree and gap wedge, recording my distances along the way.
What I thought
This training was humbling. My early sets were quite scattered, especially half swings with my wedge. But as I settled in and found a more relaxed pace, things started to click. Moving into my 56, my distribution strengthened and my confidence increased. By the time I reached my gap wedge, my pace felt slower and my yards were no longer a guess. After about 45 minutes, I left the range feeling more in control of my wedges and ready to hit whatever shots the course might throw at me.
I’m sure this workout takes a lot less time to DJ, but that’s part of what makes this workout so valuable: your time and consistency become a barometer of your progress. For example, the next time I go through it, I might challenge myself to complete this compound workout in 30 minutes or less.
Although it’s simple, this workout is brutally honest and doesn’t let your weaknesses hide. I love that it forces you to be aware of your numbers and trust your movement. After one session, I totally understand why DJ’s swear by it. After all, mastering your wedges is one of the best ways to lower your scores.
