The Three-Wedge System Increases Accuracy
By Jack Moorehouse
A survey conducted by golf digest in 1988 revealed that the three-wedge system had just begun to be accepted as a viable on-course strategy. Almost one-quarter of survey respondents carried a high-lofted wedge along with a sand wedge and the traditional pitching wedge. Not surprisingly, the better players were more inclined to favor the three-wedge system than the weekend player.
Not much has changed since 1988. You still will find more accomplished players with low golf handicaps favoring the three-wedge system than you will weekend players with high golf handicaps who like it. Some reluctance by weekend players is due to experience and confidence. Some is due to personal decision-making. But as I tell players who take my golf lessons, if you really want to reduce your golf handicap to single digits, the three-wedge system is a viable on-course strategy.
Standard Wedge Shot
The sand wedge is the club of choice for the standard pitches. It has an advantage over the pitching wedge because it generates more loft than the latter, giving the ball more height in flight and more backspin. Thus, you can hit a fuller shot with the sand wedge than the pitching wedge from the same spot and get better results. Many accomplished players hit a sand wedge from about 65 yards in. They'll reserve the pitching wedge for 65 yards out.
Here are five keys to pitching with the sand wedge: Adopt a normal address as if you were hitting a driver. Keep the grip and posture the same, then do the following:
* Divide your weight equally between sides
* Move the front foot back slightly
* Play the ball in the center of your stance
* Position your hands ahead of the ball
* Hit the ball cleanly before the ground
The emphasis of the swing is on your hands and arms, not your body. Moving your front foot back opens your stance slightly, allowing the club to clear your hips. Keep the shoulders lined up with the intended target line, however. Also, keep your wrists flexed in the backswing, ensuring that the club remains in the slanted position—as it was at the beginning of the swing—when it strikes the ball. The steeper swing creates a deeper divot.
The Three-Wedge System
The two wedge system while effective is not as precise as the three-wedge system.
The three-wedge system covers shots from about 100 yards in, and it's simple and easy to use. In the three-wedge system, the pitching wedge—with a loft of about 48 degrees— is used for full wedge shots about 100-yards out. The sand wedge (SW)—with a loft of about 56 degrees—is used for shorter shots. With the three-wedge system, many players with low golf handicaps add a gap wedge (GW) to their bag. It has a loft of about 52 degrees, filling in the missing lofts between the pitching and sand wedges. This three-wedge system offers better coverage of shots between ranges between 15 to 100 yards out.
So how do you cover that distance? You combine them with three different backswing lengths—full, medium, and short. Since for the standard wedge shot the wrists are fully angled, it's the angle of the left arm that produces the distance. The three possible angles are 135 degrees for a full back swing, 90 degrees for a seventy five percent swing, and 45 five degrees for a half stroke. When combined with the three wedges, you get 9 different shots covering the 100 yards to the green.
As for determining distance with the three-wedge approach, it depends on how well you hit the clubs and how strong you are. For example, on full shots away from the green, a typical recreational golfer might hit a sand wedge 75 to 90 yards. While a woman or senior, may only hit it about 40 to 60 yards. The best thing to do is to go to the range and see how far you can hit each wedge while varying the backswing lengths of each shot. That will give you a more accurate assessment of your shot making capabilities with these clubs.
Carrying Additional Wedges
Some accomplished players sometimes carry two other wedges. The loft or lob wedge (LW) has a loft of about 60 degrees, while a flop wedge (FW) has a loft of about 64 degrees. These are two of the harder clubs to hit, so I don't usually recommend them for the weekend player. Once you've mastered the other clubs, you can add another wedge or two. But using the three-wedge system—and varying swing length —enables you cover the most, if not all of the shots, you'll face from 100 yards in.
In addition, the three-wedge system is simpler and easier to learn than the four-wedge or five- wage system. It also lets you carry another club in your bag. Remember you have a limited number of clubs you can carry, so make the most of the ones you have. Once you've mastered the clubs in three-wedge system, you can then add the other two wedges, giving you even more precision in your shot-making arsenal.
Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book "How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros." He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly newsletter with the latest golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.
|
