Great Wedge Play, It's A Matter of 6 Elements

The wedge shot is a potent short game weapon, maybe the most potent . Players with high handicaps hit wedge shots from the rough, a trap, or just behind the cart path. While players with low golf handicaps hit them in the fairway with a full swing. It's because they work hard to get themselves into that position.

Golfers with low handicaps all have the same key elements in their wedge shots . Below are descriptions of those key steps.

1. Be Sure Your Stance Is Open

Better wedge players keep the lower body quiet . Power is not required to hit a wedge and you don't need a lot of lower body action . But you can't hit a sound wedge shot without opening your hips. The open stance allows you to use your arms and shoulders to hit the shot without requiring the help of your lower body.

2. Let Your Wrists Hinge

Poor players try sweeping, scooping, or lifting the ball in the air when hitting a wedge shot . Good players hit down and through, creating a divot. One of the secrets to hitting down is wrist hinge. If you don't hinge your wrists, you'll sweep the ball of the floor . Hinge early in the backswing. Start your wrist bend in the start of take away. If you wait until the midpoint of your backswing , you may never hinge.

3. Adjust the Distance of Your Backswing

Tempo is a constant in golf . Backswing length isn't. Never add speed or stop short to control the distance of a shot. The length of the backswing , not the speed of the swing, determines shot distances with your wedges–actually with any of your golf clubs. Learn how far you hit each wedge with 25, 50, 75, and 100 percent backswing lengths. Since the full-swing wedge shot we're talking about could be 36, 42, or 53 yards away, you'll now have options with which to hit the shot. Remember adjust your backswing, not your tempo.

4. Hold the Front Shoulder Position

Poor wedge players often lift their heads when approaching the ball. While that in itself isn't a major crime, it forces you to bring your front shoulder up and out. That is. It's a fault I emphasize in my golf lessons and golf tips. Work on allowing your head to rotate along with your back shoulder as it swings underneath your chin. Rotating facilitates the shifting of weight to the front side, keeps the spine angle intact, and allows the back shoulder to move toward the target.

5. Finish Low

Keep your hands low after impact on a full-swing wedge shot, almost as if you were about to shake hands with someone to the side of you. Why? One sign of a solid wedge shot is low hands after impact, which indicates hitting down and through. Finishing high tends to negate weight shift and hinders your ability to hit down and through the ball. So keep it low after impact and you'll approve the result.

6. Strike A Pose For The Cameras

A good swing and a good finish usually go together . Take a few practice swings not focusing on mechanics but on making a nice comfortable finish. So take some practice swings and finish by posing for the camera before hitting a wedge shot. Think finish first in this situation. It can help generate a smooth swing and a better result.

Assuming you have the correct golf equipment, adopting these key elements will lower your handicap.