We all marvel at the skills that the world’s best players have with their wedges, whether it is from the sand or around the greens. Their killer short games regularly turn 3 shots into 2, or sometimes even 1, to keep the pars and birdies on the card and the bogeys off it. So what are the key fundamentals that the great wedge players do that you can learn from?
Roger Cleveland of Callaway has worked with and designed clubs for some of the greatest wedge players in the game such as Seve Ballesteros and Phil Mickelson so we asked him for some advice on what they do that you can learn from to improve your short game too.
1. Create the space with your stance
A professional’s stance for flop shots and bunker play creates space that allows them to lower their hands at address to create loft. Most amateurs stand too close to the ball in these scenarios which means the club is coming in with a steeper angle of attack and less loft. Widen your stance, get your body angles right and allow your hands to sit a little lower to create space for your swing and add loft to the club.
(Image credit: Getty Images)
2. Keep your shoulder height
The wedge face needs to travel on a long arc and therefore your right shoulder position (for right handers) is key. The best players keep the height in their right shoulder from address through the shot so that the club head is released by the downswing activating the rotation of the body to hit the shot. Look at how, in the photo above, Jon Rahm’s body has rotated through the shot even though he’s only hitting the ball a short distance.
A useful drill here is to take a stance with the trailing foot pulled back as if you are hitting a draw and then swing the wedge with your right hand if you are a right handed player.
3. Keep your arc constant
With their wedges, Steve Stricker and Jason Day are renowned for using their shoulders and arms to create the momentum in the swing rather than the hands. This keeps the path and tempo of the arc of their swing consistent and avoids them getting too handsy by setting and un-setting…
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