Advanced Technique for Half-Wedge

6 min
Added on August 24, 2022
Titleist staff member Dr. Rob Neal has spent years studying the best golfers in the game and how we can learn from their example. Recently, Doc's fellow Titleist staff member Trillium Rose invited Rob out to Woodmont Country Club. There, Trillium asked Rob to dissect a very challenging shot – a down-wind, 40-yard pitch from a tight fairway lie. This shot gives many golfers fits, but with some insight from Doc and Trillium, you'll greatly improve your odds of getting up and down from this tough spot.

For this shot, you need as much spin as possible coupled with the right launch angle and landing angle. If the trajectory is too low, even with a lot of spin, the ball will come in too hot and bound forward, releasing past the pin. Too high and you won't generate enough stopping spin. The ball will land softly but keep rolling away from your target. You have a very narrow window and you need to practice this shot a lot to find your best combination of launch and spin.

What the Pros Do:

• Played with either a sand wedge or lob wedge.
• Approximately 10 degrees of shaft lean at impact.
• Club face slightly open.
• Club path slightly out-to-in, cutting across the ball.
• Weight stays toward lead side - no backing up away from the target on this shot.
• Face contact towards the toe and slightly low on the face of the wedge for more spin while deadening ball speed.
• A relatively short swing, but the body rotates aggressively through impact.
• The lead wrist flexes (bows) on the downswing, de-lofting the club through impact.
• Very much a hit-and-hold shot, with an abbreviated finish.
• Use a Vokey wedge with fresh clean grooves and a premium golf ball like Pro V1 or Pro V1x.

Instruction

437 Videos

  1. Categories
  2. Long Game
  3. Iron Game
  4. Wedge Game
  5. Putting
  6. Mental Game
  7. Course Strategy
  8. Golf Fitness
  9. At Home
  1. Instructor
  2. Brad Faxon
  3. Dr. Mo Pickens
  4. Me and My Golf
  5. Peter Finch
  6. Cameron McCormick
  7. James Sieckmann
  8. Mark Blackburn
  9. Michael Breed
  10. Trillium Rose
  11. Jonathan Yarwood
  12. Dave Phillips
  13. Brandon Stooksbury
  14. Justin Parsons
  15. Joe Plecker
  16. Layne Savoie
  17. Dr. Rob Neal
  18. Dr. Greg Rose
  19. Skip Guss
  20. Jason Baile
  21. John Kostis
  22. Jennifer Hudson
  23. Ryan Hager
  24. Corey Lundberg
  25. Tom Patri
  1. Drill
  2. Speed and Power
  3. Fundamentals
  4. Swing Biomechanics
  5. Clubface Control
  6. Turf Interaction
  7. Consistency
  8. Trajectory
  9. Shot Shaping
  10. Bunker Play
Clear All Filters
The World's Best Putters Do These 3 Things
New
user icon
4 min

The World's Best Putters Do These 3 Things

What does it take to be a great putter? It may be easier than you think. Titleist staff member Dave Phillips has...

Power Stretch for Driver Speed
user icon
3 min

Power Stretch for Driver Speed

Everyone could use a few more yards off the tee, but as Titleist staff member Ryan Hager shares in this video, many...

Wyndham Clark's TPI Assessment: Evaluating the Data Behind the 2023 U.S. Open Champ
user icon

Wyndham Clark's TPI Assessment: Evaluating the Data Behind the 2023 U.S. Open Champ

We don’t need to use state-of-the-art technology to confirm that Wyndham Clark is one of the best golfers in the...

Improve Your Ball Striking with Low Point Laneway Drill
user icon
3 min

Improve Your Ball Striking with Low Point Laneway Drill

Titleist Staff Member Cameron McCormick is here with one of his favorite drills that will help you dial in your...

What a Rotary Chair Can Teach You About Ground Reaction Forces
New
user icon
4 min

What a Rotary Chair Can Teach You About Ground Reaction Forces

Believe it or not, at the Titleist Performance Institute one of the favorite tools we use for teaching power in the...

Introduction to Pressure and Ground Reaction Forces
user icon
5 min

Introduction to Pressure and Ground Reaction Forces

In this video Titleist staff member and Swing Catalyst Head of Ambassadors, Joe Plecker, introduces the key...

Playing Golf in WIndy Conditions
user icon
4 min

Playing Golf in WIndy Conditions

Do you struggle to play good golf in windy conditions? If so, Titleist staff member Justin Parsons is here to help....

How to Use Ground Reaction Forces in Chipping
New
user icon
6 min

How to Use Ground Reaction Forces in Chipping

Towards the Target, Back and Up. This is how the best players in the world move when they hit short finesse wedge...

Me and My Golf - How Far Should You Stand From The Golf Ball?
New
user icon
6 min

Me and My Golf - How Far Should You Stand From The Golf Ball?

Andy and Piers demonstrate the correct way to address the ball at setup and share a great process that you can use...

Great Players Create S.P.A.C.E.
user icon
3 min

Great Players Create S.P.A.C.E.

The best players in the world create SPACE in their swings so that they can generate S.P.A.C.E. (an acronym for...

Titleist Tips: Five Drills for a World Class Short Game
user icon
3 min

Titleist Tips: Five Drills for a World Class Short Game

To improve your short game, Titleist staff member James Sieckmann stresses that you have to practice with a...

How to Start the Golf Swing Correctly with Pressure
user icon
7 min

How to Start the Golf Swing Correctly with Pressure

In this video Titleist staff member Joe Plecker uses Swing Catalyst Dual Motion Plates to discuss the crucial role...

Results loading...
No results