As you play this crazy game, you will undoubtedly run across a multitude of lies at all courses, including the waste area. In this two part article, we will discover some of the ideas and techniques necessary to navigate this situation. This section will be about hitting successful wedge shots off the super tight and firm waste areas.
Before we even hit the shot, you must take a few things into consideration for your plan before we begin to execute the shot; 1. Even a perfectly struck shot will come off lower and with less spin. 2. Wedges with higher bounce can we used successfully, however, some may find it more beneficial to use a wedge with a lower bounce angle.
Both of these items will have a direct correlation to the balls actions after you hit the shot so it is imperative that you take them into account while reading and planning the shot.
As we’ve found with most wedge shots, a shallow angle of attack is crucial for this shot as well. Anything steep will tend to dig and either hit the shot fat or skull it across the green like a cat running from a sprinkler. Keeping the angle of attack shallow with increase the margin of error as the club slides across the ground, allowing you to have a flat spot at the bottom in which the ball can lay at any point to create a clean strike.
Any vertical movement like wrist hinge or lifting of the arms will therefore require you to drop the club back down to the ground forcing a steep angle of attack. Quick and jerky movements and a lot of tension can also create many digging motions.
We need to focus on everything that will keep the club head moving softly and close to the ground, starting with an extremely soft or light grip. This leads to better touch, feel & control. The overall swing motion should be very much Rounded as though swinging in a circle with the center of the circle at your feet. This will keep the club head from getting to vertical. Please feel as though you are swinging your arms or elbows and everything below that (hands,club) are just along for the ride. Be sure to Let Contact Happen as any desire to hit at the ball will only cause you jerky movements and poor results…. In the words of Frozen… Let It Go!
Before we even hit the shot, you must take a few things into consideration for your plan before we begin to execute the shot; 1. Even a perfectly struck shot will come off lower and with less spin. 2. Wedges with higher bounce can we used successfully, however, some may find it more beneficial to use a wedge with a lower bounce angle.
Both of these items will have a direct correlation to the balls actions after you hit the shot so it is imperative that you take them into account while reading and planning the shot.
As we’ve found with most wedge shots, a shallow angle of attack is crucial for this shot as well. Anything steep will tend to dig and either hit the shot fat or skull it across the green like a cat running from a sprinkler. Keeping the angle of attack shallow with increase the margin of error as the club slides across the ground, allowing you to have a flat spot at the bottom in which the ball can lay at any point to create a clean strike.
Any vertical movement like wrist hinge or lifting of the arms will therefore require you to drop the club back down to the ground forcing a steep angle of attack. Quick and jerky movements and a lot of tension can also create many digging motions.
We need to focus on everything that will keep the club head moving softly and close to the ground, starting with an extremely soft or light grip. This leads to better touch, feel & control. The overall swing motion should be very much Rounded as though swinging in a circle with the center of the circle at your feet. This will keep the club head from getting to vertical. Please feel as though you are swinging your arms or elbows and everything below that (hands,club) are just along for the ride. Be sure to Let Contact Happen as any desire to hit at the ball will only cause you jerky movements and poor results…. In the words of Frozen… Let It Go!