Titleist Tips: The Lost Art of the Intermediate Wedge

"The distance you hit a full shot with a wedge is only a reference, a starting point,” says Titleist staff member Tom Patri. “Your ability to take the distance you hit a stock wedge and either bump it up or dial it down a few yards is paramount to your ability to shoot a good score." Adding a little finesse to your distance wedge game can greatly increase the number of scoring opportunities you create from round to round. First order of business, know precisely how far (on average, from a good lie on flat terrain, in still wind conditions) you hit each wedge in your bag. These are your baseline distances from which you can make the same adjustments (ball position, stance, square, open or closed club face, shaft lean, etc.) to fit the distance and type of shot that is called for. In the video above, Tom hits an 85-yard shot to a front pin that is tucked right behind a bunker. To hit the high soft shot that the situation demands, he chooses his 100-yard club, a 52° Vokey SM7 gap wedge. To take off some distance, he moves the ball position up and opens the club face slightly. He also grips down on the handle of the club, shortening the arc of the swing, which reduces the speed of the club head. If you face a full wedge shot with a pin position toward the back of the green, Tom suggests the following: To Hit a Low Intermediate Wedge Shot: ° Use a club with less loft or reduce the dynamic loft of the wedge by closing the face slightly. ° Strengthen (rotate clockwise) the grip of your left hand (for a right-handed player). ° Move the ball position back in your stance, closer to your trail foot. ° Close your stance slightly to promote an in-to-out swing path that covers and traps the ball. ° At impact, feel like your hands are ahead of the ball and the club shaft is leaning forward, toward the target. ° Accelerate through the shot, feeling the face of the wedge drive into the back of the ball. ° Make an abbreviated through-swing and finish with your hands low. ° Envision a low shot that hits the middle of the green, takes one jump forward and then releases gently to the hole. We hope you enjoy the tip and to learn more about Tom and the instructional programs he offers, check out his website at http://tompatri.com as well as his Facebook, Twitter and Instagram channels. Check out Tom's social media channels, too. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tom.patri.3 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tompatrigolf/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TomPatri