Sand wedge 90 yds... Lob wedge 50?

[Cut Off 6-iron]

why??

I have a decent swing and would like to know if this happens for everyone.
Even on perfectly struck shots, the lob wedge seems to just... lob up and go nowhere. I had about 70 left with wind behind me, and I thought a perfect lob wedge would get it there. I was about 15-10 yards short. This is very strange because I hit my sand wedge 90-100 yds and gap wedge 100-105 yds. Should I stop making full swings with the lob wedge?

[TheAztec27]

wedges should never be used for 100% shots. they are meant to be controlled at certain distances. i can hit 100% 52 close to 115 yards but i have a certain swing i know will go 100 yards everytime. my sand wedge goes close to 100 on a full swing but i have it dialed down to 75 yards so have a consistent, reliable distance everytime. 100% shots with wedges lead to frustrations, pulled, hooked, and other bad things. wedges are about distance conrtol not straight up distance. Hope it helps.

disclaimer: this is how i approach it, not everyone will agree with my approach

[Cut Off 6-iron]

I agree with you, but it seems like for the lob wedge, it goes even less than 50 on those 80% approach shots. On 100 yard shots, I like to hit 3/4 PW shots over a full gap. However, a FULL POWERED 60 degree goes [i]nowhere[/i]. When I try the 75% shot approach, it goes about 40. I use my 60 degree for those 20-30 yard pitches, so I'd like to make it work for those in-between yardages like a 60 yard or 70 yard.

[TheAztec27]

make sure your striking the ball and compressing it/ trapping it. also if that doesnt work then develop a comfortable swing for those yardages with your 56* instead. whatever gets your putting is what you need. maybe your 60 should only be the 40 yard and in specialty club where as your 56* is 40 yards and up. just a thought

[Cut Off 6-iron]

I see. Thanks for the help

[TheAztec27]

by no means is that the right way! however thats what i would maybe try, remember im a hack not a certified professional. if it gives you too much trouble i would definitely have a pro give your short irons/ wedges a once over!

[elunoputter]

with the higher lofted wedges, the harder you hit them, the higher they go but not necessarily further...if you want or need them to go a little further, move it back a bit and do more of a 3/4 punch shot....but you really should not try and force a wedge....do the pelz thing...find out how far a 3/4, 1/2, 1/4 swing goes for each of your wedges, played from the center of your body, middle of your inside ankles.....that way you have 3 distances with each club. write them down.

[Guia]

The lob wedge is designed for specialty shots, most short sided shots. I use mine only within 40 yards at most. The lob is also very easy to scoop unintentionally. I love my lob wedge, but never use until really needed.

[buttuh]

If you have a low bounce wedge and you're a sweeper than that could be another reason why you're not getting the distance that you're expecting. I'm in the same boat. If I really want to get 70-75 of carry out of my 60* I'll address it with the ball just inside of my right foot (I'm right handed) and really trap it against the turf. More often than not I'll just go to my 56* which has more bounce and I can hit a variety of shots/distances with that wedge.

[tony_teetime]

Get that shaft leaning towards the target. You are probably coming into impact with flippy hands and adding loft and loosing distance.

[sigmapete1]

I agree with the above poster. I have the same problem and it made me realize just how much I flip, cast, early release, etc. I always thought I struck down on the ball but the 60 degree wedge proved me otherwise. You can get away with a little flipping with just about any other club but with the LW you'll just end up hitting a 40 yd flop shot. I am still working on it and 60-70% of my practice time is on grass with an LW. I've noticed as my LW shots get more respectable, all my iron shots are starting to improve as well. All part of eliminating the flipping for me.

[Timanator]

[quote name='Guia' date='20 April 2010 - 08:49 PM' timestamp='1271810954' post='2391230']
The lob is also very easy to scoop unintentionally.
[/quote]

Thats the truth! Faldo had a segment on the Golf Fix recently where he talked about how to approach wedge by delofting on your shots mentally. It helped me tremendously in hitting my lob around 70-80 with 70% power.

[cvn72]

I am having the same issue with this....to the point where i dropped my L wedge and got a new Vokey 56-8 to use as my high lofted wedge and use my 52-12 as my primary sand wedge....and the system works great for me.

when you guys are saying trap the ball...back in the stance etc......you are effectively decreasing the loft. How much are you closing the toe down? Are you setting the hands ahead a lot and closing the toe down square?

[Cmartingolf]

[quote name='tony_teetime' date='20 April 2010 - 08:28 PM' timestamp='1271820481' post='2391521']
Get that shaft leaning towards the target. You are probably coming into impact with flippy hands and adding loft and loosing distance.
[/quote]

Bingo..

Good players tend to have more shaft lean as they increase the loft of the club... 4-5 degrees on a mid iron, 6-8 degrees on a short iron...

Leaky swings can't really make lob wedges work very well on full shots. The strike isn't dependable.

[Cut Off 6-iron]

I thought my hands were leading on all shots, guess not

 

I will definitely focus on the pronounced shaft lean next time out, thanks