Never do this with your wedges, says Top 100 Teacher
GOLF Top 100 Teacher Todd Sones says there is "no such thing" as this common golf shot players try to pull off all the time.
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How do golfers hit more greens? It starts by selecting the right club, and if you are in that tricky — and crucial — wedge range, one GOLF Top 100 Teacher says there’s one thing you should never do: muscle up.
Todd Sones, who is based in Vernon Hills, Ill., says one common mistake golfers make when they get to full-swing wedge range is that they hit the wrong shot when in-between distances.
“There’s no such thing as a hard wedge,” said Sones, who was at GOLF’s Top 100 Teachers Summit last week at Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. “I’d rather have someone hit a 3/4 9-iron than a full wedge. And I’d rather have someone hit a 3/4 wedge than a full gap wedge. There’s no such thing as a hard wedge. Because then the ball spins too much, curves too much. You see what I’m saying?”
Yes, we do. What Sones means is that a harder swing would put more club-head speed on the golf ball, create more spin and make it more difficult to predict or control the distance.
Plus, with a harder swing, there’s also a larger margin for error. Especially for high-handicappers trying to improve, taking big, out-of-control swings with wedges isn’t always the best recipe for success. (Hint: Blade City.)
Instead of the hard wedge, Sones recommends playing the ball a little farther back in your stance — he says this helps the arms match up better — and making a 3/4 swing with a club less.
Sones says this rule isn’t true with every club, just wedges.
“Short iron on down [it’s true],” he says. “I like to say anything with a W on it, there’s no such thing as a hard one.”
So there you have it. Now start practicing those 3/4 short-iron shots — dialing in your wedges is crucial for scoring — and see if you start hitting more greens your next time out.
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