Have A Yardage Gap Within Your Wedges? Not For Long…
MINIMIZE YOUR WEDGE YARDAGE GAPS
Do you find yourself struggling with certain distance gaps with your wedges? Wouldn’t it be nice if you didn’t have to hit as many half or three-quarter wedge shots? Chances are, there is a large yardage gap between your wedges. I’m going to help you understand how to optimize the lofts of your wedges. This may mean you’ll have to add a wedge or two to your bag, or have the lofts bent on your current wedges. Trust me though, it’ll be money well spent.
Years ago, a typical pitching wedge (PW) was 48 degrees. Recently, club makers have strengthened the PW to 43-47 degrees to give golfers the impression they’re hitting the ball further. In fact, they’re just hitting a 9-iron that says PW. It’s really not a big deal what the bottom of the club says. What’s important is the real loft of the clubs and how far you hit them.
THE PROBLEM
The problem may occur if your PW is 44 degrees and your next wedge is a SW with 56 degrees of loft. That’s a huge gap. That’d be like taking both your 7 and 8-iron out of your bag. How would you like to do that? And we’re talking about the clubs you’ll be using more than any other clubs in your bag not counting the putter and driver. Approximately 70% of the game occurs inside 100 yards so it’s important to get the most out of the wedges that you carry.
Typically, there is a 4 degree gap between the irons in your bag. Believe it or not, this means that many of you should be carrying 4 wedges, if not 5. I understand, that’s really hard to believe. It’s all based on the actual loft of your PW. If your wedge is 44, then you may need another wedge at 48, then 52, 56, and possibly 60. That’d be 5 clubs considered to be wedges, although I would argue the 44 is actually a 9-iron.
RECOMMENDATION
Wedges are your scoring clubs so it’s imperative to have the lofts correct to maximize your scoring cability. Here’s what I would recommend. Find out the true loft of your PW at a golf shop (Etter’s or Golf Galaxy) that measures loft. It’ll cost a few bucks, but it’s well worth it. Add 4-5 degrees of loft to each wedge after that. Example: If your PW is 46, I would recommend a GW at 50, a SW at 54, and a LW at 58. Or, you could carry a 51 GW and a 56 SW. If you’re wondering, I carry 48, 53, and 58 degree wedges in my bag (The numbers on my wedges actually say 47, 54, and 58. I’ve had them bent).
Obviously, there are plenty of routes you can go. You may need all the long irons, woods, and hybrids in your bag. Some may need the extra loft around the green. It’s up to you to decide, but if you’re not certain, a PGA Professional like myself can certainly offer you the guidance you may need.
Thanks for reading and make sure you get your lofts checked before the season is here.
Warm-Up With Pitch Shots
The next time you go to a driving range either for practice or prior to a round, I highly recommend you start your session by hitting plenty of pitch shots. And, if you’ve ever had a lesson with me, you know I like to start our lessons by having you hit some short wedge shots. There are a few reasons why I recommend this:
1) Injury Prevention – The last time I checked, none of us are getting younger. Warming up with short swings is a great way to prevent an injury when hitting golf balls. You should never start with full, aggressive golf swings.
2) Rhythm and Balance – Warming up slowly with pitch shots is a great way to groove a nice rhythm for the day. Plus, it allows you to work on your balance. If you can’t maintain your balance when pitching, then you’re probably going to struggle with your full-swing balance. Practice holding your finish on pitch shots. It will lead to better balance for every shot you hit.
3) Improving Your Form – The pitch shot is simply a mini-golf swing. The better your technique is on pitch shots, the better full-swing technique you’ll have. Focus on syncing up your arms and body on pitch shots, it’ll help you stay connected with your full swing.
4) Scoring - The pitch shot is a very important shot in golf. You’ll hit some version of a pitch shot on many, if not most, of the holes you play. Warming up with pitch shots will help your score. I would recommend warming up with all your wedges hitting them at different heights and distances.
About
KYLE VOSKA, PGA PROFESSIONAL
I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and graduated from St. Michael’s, St. Xavier, and Miami University. After graduating from Miami with a Finance degree, I moved to Florida to pursue my professional golf dreams. After a few successful years and a couple of difficult ones, I stopped playing full-time. After a year of caddying on the LPGA Tour for Young Jo, Kim Williams, and Angela Stanford, I moved back home to Cincinnati. Currently, I live near Sharonville with my lovely wife, Lindsay, our kids, Maclin and Ellie, and our dog, Nora.
Teaching golf for over a year in Florida and having taken and watched many lessons from PGA Master Teaching Professional Carl Rabito, becoming a golf instructor was something I really wanted to do. Fortunately, I was able to find a home at Sharon Woods Golf Course in Cincinnati to pursue this career path. Now, as the Head Professional at The Mill Course in Winton Woods, I manage and supervise a staff of 35 while teaching golf lessons to over a 100 students. I’m thankful for how my career has taken shape and I look forward to the opportunity of mentoring future golf professionals like myself.
Email: kvoska@hotmail.com
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
- PGA Member – June, 2009
- Inducted into the Miami University Hall of Fame – Class of 2013
- 2008 PGA National Assistants Champion
- 43 Professional Tournament Victories
- 2010 Southern Ohio PGA Section Player-of-the-Year
- 2010 Southern Ohio PGA SW Chapter Player-of-the-Year
- 2009 Cincinnati Chapter Match Play Champion
- 2009 Southern Ohio PGA Assistant’s Champion
- 2001 and 2010 Southern Ohio PGA Open Champion
- 2000 PGA Buick Open Contestant
- 1998 Miami Athlete-of-the-Year
- 2-Time NCAA Division I All-American
- Mid-American Conference Sportsman and Player-of-the Year (1998)
- 2-Time Cincinnati Met Amateur Champion (1997, 1998)
- Cincinnati Met Amateur Medalist and Runner-Up (1996)
- NCAA low scoring average on Par 3′s (2.91) in 1998
- Low competitive round – 62 (3 times): Four Bridges CC (’01), Oasis CC (’09), and Juniper Hills GC (’02)
- Low non-competitive round – 61: Browns Run CC – White tees
- Won a 54-hole Developmental Players Tour event by 9 shots shooting 19 under par with no bogies (64,64,69)
- 4 career Holes-in-One and 3 career double eagles
MY PGA MENTORS:
Tom Bach – Head Professional at Sharon Woods Golf Course
George Long – Kenwood CC PGA Professional/Head Pro at The Mill Course (17 Years)
Carl Rabito – PGA Certified Master Teaching Professional (Top 100 Instructor)
Mike Bender – 2009 PGA National Teacher-of-the-Year (Top 100)
Craig Shankland – 2001 PGA National Teacher-of-the-Year (Top 100)
Jim Suttie, Ph.D - 2000 PGA National Teacher-of-the-Year (Top 100)
Bill Madonna – Bill Madonna Golf Academy (Top 100)
Andrew Park – The David Leadbetter Golf Academy
Chris Toulson – Jim McLean Golf School at Doral
As you can see, I’ve been very fortunate to have learned from some of the best PGA Professionals in the country. I feel privileged to pass on the wealth of knowledge I’ve gained from spending time with these great gentlemen.
