Swinging a Full Wedge in the Scoring Zone

Since I’ve been playing on the Moonlight Golf Tour, I’ve had to come up with a new approach to how I play the game. One of the biggest things I’ve had to adjust to in tournament golf is getting the mindset that it’s a whole lot different from playing with friends. If you're playing a game of skins with friends, you really only need to be focused on a few holes, and what you shoot is not that important. In tournament golf, every shot counts. There isn’t a moment to spare because one shot can make the difference between cashing a check or not. This year, I’m going to write a series of articles focused on how to score. In this issue, I will target the most important aspect of playing the game -- how to score from 100 yards in. I hope in the coming months I will help you increase your ability to score and improve your overall game

In the photos below, I am hitting to the target with my 54-degree sand wedge, approximately 110 yards. This is my swing.

Notice how my body is positioned, using my right hand to position myself properly to the golf ball and aligning my clubface toward my intended target.

THIS IS RIGHT. You can see I've positioned myself properly in front of the golf ball, and I've positioned both hands on the club. My stance is slightly open, but most important, you will notice that I've raised my chin off my chest. A trick to remind me that my head is in the proper position: I try to feel as if the golf ball is underneath my nose. This is what lifts my head into the proper position.

THIS IS WRONG. I've noticed that most people who have problems with their wedges often start with their chin buried into their chest. This completely impedes a proper and smooth turn.

As I start my backswing, I slightly turn my head to the right, which allows my club to turn back freely. As you will notice in the photo, my club is moving slightly back outside of my hands.

I've taken the club back, keeping the club in front of my body with my head focused on the golf ball. Knees are flexed and my body is turned slightly behind the golf ball. This is a key position to get the body set up for the downswing.

Here you notice that I've reached the top of my backswing and because I'm using a wedge, I've only taken club back about three-quarters. From here, all I have to do is lower my arms and allow the club to do its job.

As I allow my arms to drop, I am in a good hitting position to allow the club to swing through, making ball-to-turf contact. Notice how my feet are planted on the ground without any unnecessary lifting of my heels or twisting of my body. The club just falls down naturally in a rhythmic fashion.

My right heel has slightly come off the ground, but I've stayed behind the golf ball. The club head has traveled a considerable distance, and all of this is based on momentum of the club weight and not overly aggressive movements of my body.

This is what I'm trying to achieve -- a nice full finish, even with a wedge, that produces a high shot based on the finish for a ball to land soft toward the intended target.