Tips on How to Avoid Deceleration during Wedge Play

Keefe Gorman leverages extensive experience in financial planning and wealth management to serve as a managing director with Merrill Lynch. When he isn’t assisting clients at Merrill Lynch, Keefe Gorman enjoys various outdoor activities, including golf.

In a recent article for Golf Magazine, golf coach Dave Pelz shared tips on how to execute a 10- to 15-yard pitch shot over a hazard. He explains that improper technique is typically to blame when players hit into the hazard by “chunking” the ball, as they use their standard pitching club, a normal grip, and their usual backswing length. According to Mr. Pelz, this technique is appropriate for a 30- to 40-yard shot, so players decelerate during the swing in an effort to hit the ball a shorter distance.

To avoid detrimental deceleration in wedge play, Dave Pelz recommends that players utilize a lob wedge for more loft and a softer shot. He also suggests that players shorten their grip on the loft wedge to remove power while shortening their backswing to about hip height.