Equipment
Tips to get up & down more often
How do you find your short game?
Your short game often decides whether you’re going on to score well on a hole or whether it’s one to forget. It’s also notoriously one of the most difficult aspects of the game.
Imagine you’ve hit your approach shot just to the side of an 18th green and you’ve landed in a bunker. You’ve now got to make a successful shot somewhere between thinning the ball through the green and struggling to get out of the sandpit.
You can feel all the eyes on you from the clubhouse as you commit to your shot, the whole time feeling like you’re inviting scrutiny should you hit anything but the perfect shot. If you’ve ever messed up a shot in such a situation, it can be hard to forget it.
That being said, on the flipside, hitting an excellent wedge shot can be one of the most exhilarating feelings in golf. Sailing an approach shot over a body of water for it to end up directly pin-high or chipping in from off the green is always 100% a fist pump moment.
Today we want to give you some guidance that includes how to approach each shot with the right technique in mind, and having the right grind setup can help you get up and down more often.
Course management
First things first, you need to assess the situation you’re in. If you’re nicely in the middle of the fairway with the green within reach and you have a club in hand that you’re comfortable with, then go for it. But if a shot is considered risky, you’ve got to ‘play the percentages.’
Playing the percentages largely means considering your options and picking the club and strategy that will land you with the highest possibility of success. You want to limit your mistakes and if you’re off the fairway, keep the end number on the scorecard as low as you can.
For example, if you’re off the fairway and have an obscured view, it would serve you better tactically to hit your shot to the side and get back on the fairway rather than going for glory from a poor lie.
Technique
Once you’re settled on an approach, you need to consider the kind of technique you’re going to incorporate into your shot. Wedges are arguably the most versatile tools in the bag, giving you a huge range of options when it comes to getting creative with your short game.
You’ll want to adapt your shot technique for the task at hand. If you’re hitting onto the green over a hazard, you’re going to want to hit a pitch shot with an open clubface to give you the elevation to land on the green.
If you have a stretch of fairway between you and the hole, it may give you more control to approach the ball with a closed clubface and hit a bump-and-run style shot, letting the ball run up to and come to rest on the green rather than trying to pitch it on.
You’ve got to consider your setup and backswing too. Keep in mind your backswing should get shorter the closer you are to the hole. Pitch shots from dozens of yards out require more power and a waist-high swing whereas delicate chip shots close to the green need a more controlled, shorter swing.
While how you pull off your shot largely depends on your ability, the club’s construction can have a huge bearing on how forgiving your strikes are. Different wedges have shaped sole grinds that have a direct impact on how you strike the ball.
What are grind & bounce?
On the very bottom of the club you have the grind on the sole. The grind is the shape left by the removal of certain sections of the sole. Different grinds allow for different kinds of contact with the ground, and preference will vary by player.
The shape of the grind therefore provides a certain degree of bounce. You measure the bounce angle when you stand the wedge vertically with the clubhead resting flat on a horizontal surface.
Wedges with a high bounce are ideal for players with steep swings as it helps prevent the club from digging into the dirt, while wedges with low bounce allow for a cleaner contact with the ball for better workability.
Certain grinds promote greater versatility while others offer more forgiveness. It goes without saying that you’ll be having a lot more success in your short game if you have a quality golf wedge in-hand, and the new TaylorMade wedges are phenomenal in every regard.
TaylorMade golf wedges
Both the MG5 and Hi-Toe 4 are beautifully crafted golf wedges that will have you hitting the ball just as you intended whether you’re 50 yards from the hole or just off the green.
With a stunning chrome clubhead, this wedge looks fantastic from all angles. The tech within the MG5 wedge builds on previous generations to give you an even greater wedge performance. The Spin Tread treatment works with the saw-milled grooves to give you 13% more spin in wet conditions than the MG4. You’ll certainly appreciate the extra spin this wedge will give you when you’re making your way around the golf course this season.
There are 6 individual grinds when it comes to the MG5 wedge. The SC grind offers peak versatility for workable shot-making while the HB is designed to improve stability. The SX grind has a wide sole design that provides a more consistent turf interaction.
The Hi-Toe 4 is an excellent alternative. The center of gravity within the clubhead has been strategically positioned high in the face to give you shots with low launch and high trajectory, perfect for soft touches around the greens.
The Hi-Toe 4 has a truly distinctive design, and you can pick it up in 3 individual grind varieties. The ATC grind is a low bounce grind that provides lots of workability while the ATS makes it easier to hit both open and closed strikes. The ATV grind offers all-round versatility and relief in firm conditions.
How do you know which grind is best for you with your ability and style of play? It can be hard to know where to start with wedges, but we’ll clear everything up for you when you visit us in the pro shop.
