| Whether it's the third shot on a par 5 or the second | | | | shot. (Take notes if you want to, something I |
| on a par 4, the full swing wedge shot is a potent | | | | sometimes have students do in my golf lessons.) |
| short game weapon, maybe the most potent. Players | | | | Remember adjust your backswing, not your tempo. |
| with high golf handicaps hit wedge shots from the | | | | 4. Maintain the Position of Your Front Shoulder |
| rough, a trap, or just behind the cart path. While | | | | Poor wedge players often lift their heads when |
| players with low golf handicaps hit them from the | | | | approaching the ball. While that in itself isn't a major |
| fairway with a full swing. That's because they work | | | | crime, it forces you to bring your front shoulder up |
| on positioning themselves to be able to do it. | | | | and out. That is. It's a fault I emphasize in my golf |
| Players with low golf handicaps feature common | | | | lessons and golf tips. Work on allowing your head to |
| swing elements when hitting full swing wedge shots. | | | | rotate along with your back shoulder as it swings |
| Below are six I key on in my golf instruction sessions. | | | | underneath your chin. Rotating facilitates the shifting |
| 1. Open Up | | | | of weight to the front side, keeps the spine angle |
| Watch a good wedge player and you'll see him/her | | | | intact, and allows the back shoulder to move toward |
| keep the lower body quiet. Since you don't need a | | | | the target. |
| lot of power to hit a wedge, you don't need a lot of | | | | 5. Keep It Low |
| lower body action. But you can't hit a sound wedge | | | | There's a saying in golf that you don't high five other |
| shot without opening your hips. The best place to do | | | | players, you shake hands like a gentlemen. In other |
| it is at address. Opening up your stance allows you to | | | | words, keep your hands low after impact on a |
| use your arms and shoulders to hit the shot without | | | | full-swing wedge shot, almost as if you were about |
| using your lower body. | | | | to shake hands with someone to the side of you. |
| 2. Hinge the Wrists | | | | Why? One sign of a solid wedge shot is low hands |
| Poor players try sweeping, scooping, or lifting the ball | | | | after impact, which indicates hitting down and |
| in the air when hitting a wedge shot. Good players hit | | | | through. Finishing high tends to negate weight shift |
| down and through, creating a nice big divot. One of | | | | and hinders your ability to hit down and through the |
| the secrets to hitting down is wrist hinge. If you | | | | ball. So keep it low after impact and you'll approve |
| don't hinge your wrists, you'll sweep the ball of the | | | | the result. |
| floor. Here's what I advocate in my golf lessons and | | | | 6. Pose For The Camera |
| golf tips: Hinge early. In fact, start your wrist bend as | | | | A good swing and a good finish usually go hand in |
| take away. If you wait until the midpoint of your | | | | hand. Take a few practice swings not with the focus |
| backswing, you may never hinge. | | | | on mechanics but on making a nice comfortable finish. |
| 3. Adjust Your Backswing | | | | So take some practice swings and finish by posing |
| Tempo is a constant in golf. Backswing length isn't. | | | | for the camera before hitting a wedge shot. Think |
| Never add speed or apply the brakes to control the | | | | finish first in this situation. It can help generate a |
| distance of a shot. The length of the backswing, not | | | | smooth swing and a better result. |
| the speed of the swing, dictates shot distances with | | | | There you have it--six elements common to all sound |
| your wedges--actually with any club. Learn how far | | | | wedge shots. There are more that we could discuss, |
| you hit each wedge with 25, 50, 75, and 100 percent | | | | but if you follow these when hitting a wedge shot, |
| backswing lengths. Since the full-swing wedge shot | | | | you'll eventually master wedge play from 75, 50, 25, |
| we're talking about could be 36, 42, or 53 yards | | | | or any short distance. Do that and you'll put yourself |
| away, you'll now have options with which to hit the | | | | in an exclusive club--players with low golf handicaps. |