Power can take you only so far in golf. To get over that next plateau, you need to improve your approach shots. You must hit them close to go low. So if you’re serious about breaking 80 and lowering your golf handicap, you need to learn to hit precise golf wedges and long irons—two key weapons in your shot arsenal.
But mastering these clubs is easier said than done. Learning to stick it close from long range or fly a wedge to tap-in distance takes hard work and practice. But the effort pays off. Mastering your wedges and long irons can help you cut two or maybe even three strokes from your golf handicap, if not more. It can also make you the player to beat in your weekly foursome.
To help, I discuss several golf tips below on how to hit ultra precise golf wedges. Â
Choosing the Right Golf Shot
The key to scoring with your wedges is choosing the right shot for the situation. Doing that sets you up for easily makeable putts. Below are two golf tips on choosing the right shot.
-If the pin is in front, set up to hit the ball higher and with a lot of spin so it can suck back to the hole.
-If the pin is back, set up to hit the ball lower so that it finds the middle of the green and then bounces forward.
Also, don’t try to fly the ball all the way to the green if the flag is back. If you overcook it, you could find yourself in deep trouble.
Hitting Low Golf Wedge Shots
Play the ball back in your stance with your feet fairly close together and your weight favoring your front foot. This setup makes it easier to turn back and through. Also, angle your knees slightly toward the target, which places your sternum on top of the ball in perfect impact position. This position is where you want to be when you contact the ball.
The key to the low wedge swing is minimizing hand action. Put another way, hitting low golf wedge shots is about the turn. You want to feel like you’re turning around your front leg without shifting a lot of weight back and forth. That places your hands ahead of the ball at impact, generating a lower shot.
Hitting High Golf Wedge Shots
Play the ball slightly forward in your stance with your weight evenly distributed. Also, make sure you point the grip at your belt buckle. That positions your hands ahead of the ball at address, which is where they should be. For extra loft, open the face at address and hold off on your release slightly.
The key to the high wedge swing is to use your everyday wedge swing, but with a slightly open clubface. The open clubface provides the needed ball flight trajectory. So you need to scoop the ball. Instead, hit down and take a nice divot.
If you want to make consistent contact, keep your left arm as close to you as possible—regardless of the type of wedge shot you hit. If you’re tall, press the inner side of the left bicep against your left pectoral muscle. That helps you keep the left arm-to-chest connection through the swing.
Power can only get you so far in golf. To break 80 and lower your golf handicap, you need to hit precise approach shots with both your long irons and your golf wedges. The golf tips discussed above help you hit pinpoint golf wedges. Part two of this article discusses the secrets of hitting laser-like long irons.
