Newly minted Masters champ Rory McIlroy is one of the greatest drivers in history. Since 2015, his worst finish in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee has been 6th, and he’s led the category on several occasions. But his Achilles’ heel over the years has been his inability to capitalize on his driving prowess when he’s hitting wedges into greens.
Rory’s speed assets have made him a ton of money, but some aren’t necessarily advantageous when trying to control wedge distances. Rors keeps his head down and back through impact — an excellent way to create an upward angle of attack off the tee, but something that can wreak havoc when trying to manage the bottom of your swing arc on precision shots. (Side note: Search YouTube and watch Steve Stricker with a short iron. He’s still the gold standard.)
That said, there’s plenty to learn from McIlroy in generating a solid strike. Read on below.
1. Caution!
Keeping your head down isn’t great on wedge shots — it makes rotating your body through to the finish a challenge. Rory makes it work because of his incredible flexibility, but it’s mostly a negative for rec players.
2. Belly it
Sir Nick Faldo was an exceptional wedge player. His focus was to keep his navel going around to the finish to ensure solid contact and control distance. Rory keeps his belly going around (despite keeping his head down). Copy this!
3. Let it go
There’s no holding on for Rory. This is the same free and aggressive release you see with his driver and midirons. It’s perfectly fine to carry your full-swing mechanics into your wedge swing. No need to reinvent yourself.
4. Go long and left
While Rory doesn’t push up through the ground as he does when hitting driver, he’s still lengthening his front leg during and after impact. This is a critical technique to gain control of the depth and location of the bottom of the swing.
Brady Riggs is a GOLF Top 100 Teacher who teaches at Hansen Dam GC in Pacoima, Calif., and at the PGA West Academy in La Quinta, Calif.
