YOUR AD HERE »

IVGID Tip: How to improve your wedge shots

Frank O’Connell demonstrates that on your initial stance, you should grip down slightly on the club with light pressure at a 10- to 12-inch stance.
Photos courtesy IVGID |

Pitching or wedge shots are challenging for a lot of golfers since many have the tendency to decelerate on a partial swing and shift their weight to the back foot, causing the ball to hit thin or fat.

Remembering the key characteristics of pitching and following the tips below can help improve your pitching and lower your score.

Think left. Your weight starts left, stays left, turns left. Grip down slightly on the club with light pressure, at a 10- to 12-inch stance. The ball should be in the center of your stance with 60 percent of your weight on your front foot.



Keep your lower body quiet during the backswing and don’t shift your weight. Feel the hinge in the wrists on the takeaway but don’t roll them. Maintain your speed through impact and remember that distance is controlled by length and pace of swing.

You can use this three position system to determine the length of your swing. Imagine you are a clock. Your head is 12 and your feet are 6.



Position 1: The left arm points to 8 o’clock on the backswing and 4 o’clock on the follow though.

Position 2: The left arm points to 9 o’clock on the backswing and 3 o’clock on the follow though.

Position 3: The left arm points to 10 o’clock on the backswing and 2 o’clock on the follow though.

Test out this drill and get more tips at the Cleveland wedge clinic this Saturday, July 19 at 10am and 2pm at the Incline Championship Course driving range.

“Tip of the week” is a weekly feature running in the North Lake Tahoe Bonanza, in partnership with the Incline Village General Improvement District, providing locals with various tips pertaining to the recreation opportunities and services the district provides. This tip was provided by Frank O’Connell, PGA Director of instruction at the Incline Village Championship Golf Course.


Support Local Journalism

 

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Lake Tahoe, Truckee, and beyond make the Sierra Sun's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Your donation will help us continue to cover COVID-19 and our other vital local news.