How do pros tackle short wedge shots? Here’s Will Zalatoris’ method
PGA Tour winner Will Zalatoris shares how more amateurs can dial in their distances on approach shots from 100 yards and in.
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There are plenty of tricky shots for amateurs out on the golf course, but one area that always seems to give players fits is the 100-yard approach shot.
On the surface, this shouldn’t be too difficult — just grab your most-trusted wedge and knock your ball somewhere on the green. But as everyone reading this knows, it’s much more complicated than that.
These shorter approach shots don’t just require trust in a specific club, but they require an understanding of your yardages and swing length. Even when you have those two things dialed in, executing the shot can be tough, with other factors playing a role in the outcome as well — like weather, course management skills and, of course, the quality of contact.
But finding a system to help you control your swing length should be your first task.
To do that, take a look at some tips from Will Zalatoris below (courtesy of Titleist’s YouTube channel), who presents a unique strategy for how he masters the 100-yard approach shot.
How Will Zalatoris dials in shots from 100 yards and in
What’s the best way to feel different distances from 100 yards and in? Many top teachers preach the clock system — where golfers treat their swing length like the hour-hand on a clock — but Zalatoris says he prefers a different approach, and getting there largely relies on feel.
“For me, I have four or five different swings with each wedge, which [kind of gives me] drunk-blind numbers,” he says.
So what exactly does that mean? Zalatoris explains that it’s a way for his mind to envision a scenario before hitting a specific shot. It comes from work on the range, saying he and other pros often stack their practice to get the necessary feels to dial in their wedge distances — especially on approach shots from 100 yards and in.
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“A lot of guys on Tour are either doing wedge distance work, or they’re doing block work — where they’re working on a certain move in their game,” Zalatoris says.
Zalatoris prefers using a handful of different swings with each wedge, as it allows him to “get those feelings of how far I should take a club back and how far [each shot] is going.”
“Let’s say I blind you and you’ve got 78 yards and need to hit a sand wedge, how do you hit that?” he asks. With enough repetition, his body uses muscle memory and his athleticism takes over.
So how can you apply something similar to your next range session? The easiest way would be to hit different types of shots with the same wedge, helping you feel the swing length for each, as well as seeing the trajectory of the ball.
For instance, are you hitting a high draw to reach that 78-yard mark, or do you need to fade your ball around a tree? These aren’t typical shots that amateurs practice on the range, but they should be so you have an idea of what to do when on the course.
While having a good barometer of your swing length is important for distance control, Zalatoris reminds players that versatility is even more crucial.
“If I’m trying to hit something 78 yards and I hit it 82 yards, pins are pretty hard on Tour, so that can be the difference between having a 10-foot birdie look and me trying to have to scramble for par,” he says.
By using Zalatoris’ unique approach during practice, you can rethink how to use each club in your bag from within 100 yards, giving you a higher percentage shot during your next round.
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