MILLION LESSON SECRET #98:
HITTING IT HIGH AND SOFT

KEEP THE BOUNCE EXPOSED
by Casey Wire, GolfTEC Coach
Santa Monica, CA

REASON SECRET IS REVEALED:
Most golfers I work with have trouble getting loft and spin on short pitches and bunker shots. Often times, the club tends to dig into the ground instead of glide through the sand or greenside rough. The result is a lower shot that rolls out when it lands, which leads to inconsistency in distance control. A correct setup is a critical component of a well-executed wedge shot.

COMMON FALSE STARTS:
Before the stroke even begins, most golfers I work with are set up for disaster. The three common keep mistakes I see:

• Club too far back in the stance
• Hands pressed too far forward
• Using the wrong wedge altogether

The first two setup mistakes de-loft the club and result in the leading edge of the club digging from the start.

CHANGE RECOMMENDED:
Set up so your head or sternum is just behind the ball with your hands directly above the ball. With an open stance and open clubface, the ball should be slightly forward in your stance. This setup is the first step towards hitting high, soft shots around the green.

I also recommend taking a look at which wedges you use for certain shots. From the greenside rough and sand, the sand wedge is the more commonly used club because it has more bounce on the bottom and will allow it to glide through the tough lies without digging too much. The lob wedge, which has less bounce than a sand wedge, will be used more from the fairway and on tight lies.

RESULTS TO ANTICIPATE:
Using the right club and the correct setup will help your shots come out higher and softer. You will also make a shallower divot in the sand for better height and distance control. Having a square club face through impact instead of a closed position allows the ball to stay on the face longer resulting better contact, feel and spin. The typical miss when practicing this will be a thin shot. When this happens you need to power the stroke by turning the body more back and through while using less hands.

OTHER FACTORS:
Wedges have one of the highest turnover rates of any club in the bag.  The bounce and grooves of your wedges will gradually wear down, eventually causing them to play considerably different than when you first bought them. If you play once a week or more, this can happen after only a year of use. Talk to your GolfTEC Coach about finding the best wedge setup and configuration for your game.