by Jim Bromley, PGA
As I mentioned in my first article, the half-wedge shot may be the most important. This is a shot that ranges from 15-100 yards. Getting the ball on the green close enough to the hole for a one or two-putt will help limit the “blow-up” holes or high scores. Here are the keys to this shot:
First, we adjust your stance by bringing your feet closer together and playing the ball in the center of the your stance (ball should be even with your nose). Next, you must control the backswing (you shorten the shot by the decreasing the length of your backswing, not by easing up on the downswing or follow-through). Since you are making a shorter backswing, your wrists need to hinge a little faster than normal. The complete backswing should form an “L” with your lead arm and the club shaft. The downswing or through swing is controlled by moving your waist, not your arms and wrists. My description of how this feels to me is a hinge of the wrists on the backswing and holding my wrists back on the downswing. I call it a hinge-and-hold. I have different-length backswings to vary my distance but I would recommend learning a “hip-high” swing and a “shoulder-high” swing. As you become more consistent with these, you can always add more options in the future.
