PGA Championship contender’s drill for solid contact with wedges

When you’re standing in the fairway, wedge in hand, do you feel confident and ready to attack? Or are you a bundle of nerves, fearful of leaving it short or hitting it thin?

If these key scoring shots are anxiety-inducing, Alex Noren’s simple range drill could be just the thing you need to clean up your contact and dial in your wedges. 

Noren, who is currently T7 at the 2025 PGA Championship, was top 20 on Tour during the 2024 season for approaches from 50-75 yards. Last year, Noren shared one of his favorite drills that he uses to dial in his wedges. 

Noren’s range drill

To try out Noren’s drill, find a spot on the range and place a club or alignment rod about a foot behind the ball, perpendicular to your target line. Next, grab a mid-to-low lofted wedge; in the video above, Noren uses his 56-degree.

“You don’t have to put it close,” Noren says, “[it’s] just a reminder of not kind of scooping it.”

With your alignment aid in position, Noren says to make short swings focusing on one thing: missing the stick. 

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“You see I get above this [the stick], above it coming down but I didn’t take a divot,” Noren says, “So, it’s not all about the divot. It’s just about the angle of attack.”

As Noren demonstrates, avoiding the alignment rod helps you practice coming in on a steeper angle of attack, promoting a cleaner strike and ball-first contact—which you’ll need if you want to control your spin and trajectory on these shots. 

Once you can consistently hit these shorter shots and miss the stick, gradually lengthen your swing. Remember, with these clubs, there’s no need to scoop or “help” the ball in the air. They do all the work for you. 

With enough practice, you’ll increase your consistency and confidence on these key scoring shots and stick your wedges close—setting you up for an easy two-putt, or if you’re really dialed, getting up and down from everywhere.

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