Using a wedge too much

medwayjon

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What do you guys think, are some golfers hung up on the wedge viewing it as some sort of magic stick?

Reason I ask is that the group I was playing behind on saturday had a guy who was using a wedge for every single shot around the green whether it be 40ft or 8ft. He was duffing so many shots and ending up a country mile away from the hole.

In the same situation I generally use a 5-iron for the delicate stuff in the fringe/semi rough stuff and find that accuracy is good.

I see it more and more where people just reach for the wedges without much thought.
 
monkey see monkey do, probably.

See pro's doing it so that must be the way to do it then.

I will use a wedge to get over stuff but will use 5 - 9 for bump and runs just of the green.
 
Until I'm a better player in all other departments, for chipping I'll leave my gap and sand wedges in the bag unless there is no other option. I'll use my standard P/W where the shot dictates it's use but far prefer using a 9/8/7 iron dependant on distance.

I look on that shot as a strong putt. Lets face it, you'll usually get a far better result from a mis-hit "putt" than you will from a mis-hit chip.

The number of mid h/cap players I see throwing shots away with their lob wedges is incredible. The only time it seems to work for them is on a full shot and then if they don't thin it or fat it.
 
I use my wedge if I have a fair amount of rough or something in the way of the hole or its over 30 yards, but if on the fairway & I have the confidence I use my 7i or 5i to knock it near the hole, it might not be pretty golf but least shots to the hole is the key to the game, I saved par yesterday by hitting it about 20 yards short on a par 3 and the green was on slope and curving at the bottom (like a wide V) and I chipped it with the 7i and it stopped about 2 foot from the hole ;)
 
I like 8&9 irons for chipping. When I use a 6 or 7 the club is a little long and can get caught up in clothing etc as you should choke way down the club for chipping.
Wedges are ok but you need to be very precise and commit to the shot, less backswing and accelerate through the ball, as sson as you back off the shot and decelerate you've had it.
Rule of thumb is take the club that'll get you to the green edge on the lowest trajectory so the ball can roll rather than fly. If you are back from the green obviously a mid iron won't do and you'll need some loft but if you are near the green edge and can't putt then chip with a mid iron.
Exceptions to this are dry hard-running links courses where you can run it along the fairway and sometimes with very undulating greens it's easier to chip high to the flag than run it along the deck.
 
I used to use the 7 iron bump and run to good effect, but seem to have lost my mojo with those kinds of shot.

I have been using my 52 degree wedge for bump and runs and have to say I probably prefer this to the 7 iron option now. I feel I get better control and can hit my landing area a lot more consistently.
 
I used to be like this but now tend to use my rescue/utility for shots from the fringe. It stops me duffing shots as it doesn't get caught up in the grass.
 
The number of mid h/cap players I see throwing shots away with their lob wedges is incredible.

Music to my ears, leftie.....

1st rule of short game.....learn how to chip before developing your fancy pitch shots.....

my sw and lw only come out with something to go over....otherwise it's pw/9/8/7 dependent on the amount of roll I need.

I'll chip it from 10 yards short/wide and not a single player I've played with yet at my club (who likes the clever stuff) can match the consistency with their high degree/high spin/low percentage trickery.

ALL the mid-low h'cap players play the high percentage shot.
ONLY the pros (and low, low) turn these difficult shots into high chance returns.
 
if ive nothing to clear and plenty of green to work with ill use my utility or 5 iron always gets me inside that 4 ft circle always get a good strong roll a flop shot is far too extravegent especially when there isnt even a hazard between you and the pin
 
For me the high-bounce wedges stay in the bag unless the balls' on a nice crown of grass and back from the green otherwise I can't see the point.

A heavily choked 7 or 8 iron seems to produce better results from the fringe for me.

Who wouldn't like to be able to knock one stiff on a sharp perabola from short range but it's a fantasy shot for many- myself included. Even if I could do it I would be doubtful of the virtues if it meant shredding golf balls and re-milling every couple of months.
 
I was once like that with my wedges!

I have now seen the light and use my 5 wood around the green. I love it and it works so much better than any wedge.
 
I got used to playing with my wedge cos at west malling the fringe and the rough even the fairway is sticky so the bumb n run shots werent working like they used to at poult wood and the ridge, so i learnt to fly everything to the hole(try to anyway). yesterday i played a mixture of world class wedge shots and some donkey ones too. I do want to start playing more 7iron shots but ive lost a bit of confidence in them at the mo, so im afraid i probably fall into the category your talking about jon!
 
I was bought up on Wimbledon Common which was a bit linksy in set up and as a junior the adult members would take the time to explain why a pitch and run (even from as far away as 40-50 yards) was the way to go especially with the firm fairways and small greens.

I've taken the pitch and run wherever I've palyed golf and use a PW, 9 or and 8 on most occasions and will only use a SW or LW if there is a specific need to get over an obstacle or on the rare moment when there isn't enough room for the pitch and run
 
I got used to playing with my wedge cos at west malling the fringe and the rough even the fairway is sticky so the bumb n run shots werent working like they used to at poult wood and the ridge, so i learnt to fly everything to the hole(try to anyway). yesterday i played a mixture of world class wedge shots and some donkey ones too. I do want to start playing more 7iron shots but ive lost a bit of confidence in them at the mo, so im afraid i probably fall into the category your talking about jon!

further to this i find judging the speed of the shot 'spin vs run' a lot more difficult i get a decent amount of spin on a wedge so if i get it to the whole it stops pretty well so all i got to do is get the distance right and make good contact., .
 
I think that most people who struggle with chipping and resort to wedges do so by using the wrong grip.

Unless I'm pitching, I will always, always use my putting grip AND stroke on my PW - 7i + utility. This seems to generate so much more consistency, as well as putting the mind into a different frame.

The lob wedges are designed for a very specific shot, just like the sand wedge, so I find it very odd to hear/see people trying to chip with them. Such a low-odds shot too. One day, I'll be Ollie-like and drop them around the hole. Another day, I'll be Thing-like and either hoof it across the green or duff it into the bunker I was trying to get over. Only fly it when you need to, otherwise drive it to the hole!
 
What I have noticed amongst the juniors at my club (links course) is that lob wedge is out for every bloody shot,I played against 2 of our up and coming ones last August in a hurricane and they sure hit the ball a long way but everything 80 yards in was thrown into the sky,1 hole we were 80 yards short, pin at the back and straight into a 30mph wind and sure enough out it came again.....we beat them 4 and 3 and it was all won from 60 yards in with our 9,8,7 and 6 iron under the wind approaches coming up trumps to their wedges launched into the air.I asked them after why they did not posses a bump and run the reply was 'its what they all do on the PGA Tour' told them if you dont work on something to go with a lob you guys wont go anywhere near single figurse never mind th PGA Tour!
 
They don't call it the 'blob' wedge for nothing.

I see all the juniors at my club firing lob wedges 20 feet in the air to go 6 feet forwards all the time. It wouldn't occur to them to do anything else. I suppose they think this is how Tiger or Phil would do it (which is stupid and wrong), there is also the macho factor with their mates, and finally they have the confidence of youth because they haven't thinned or shanked that many yet. They will learn.

A guy I know now plays on the European tour, and he always used to needlessly flop shot alot, but last time I played with him he was putting from off the green, and the blob wedge stayed in the bag.
 
What I have noticed amongst the juniors at my club (links course) is that lob wedge is out for every bloody shot,I played against 2 of our up and coming ones last August in a hurricane and they sure hit the ball a long way but everything 80 yards in was thrown into the sky,1 hole we were 80 yards short, pin at the back and straight into a 30mph wind and sure enough out it came again.....we beat them 4 and 3 and it was all won from 60 yards in with our 9,8,7 and 6 iron under the wind approaches coming up trumps to their wedges launched into the air.I asked them after why they did not posses a bump and run the reply was 'its what they all do on the PGA Tour' told them if you dont work on something to go with a lob you guys wont go anywhere near single figurse never mind th PGA Tour!

reminds me of the film days of thunder.

Robert duval tells tom cruise who is doing the driving the hard way do it your way then do it my way and see who's way is better.

This is the type of thing juniors should be taught in my opinion.
Youth knows everything about nothing but think they know everything about everything.
1 round there way, 2nd round with no lob wedge and see how they get on.

I am a bit that way myself, I need to know why a certain way does not work, hate do it this way cause its the best way. sorry need more info than that.
 
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