Mind the gap

I am always encouraging golfers to get custom fitted for their clubs whatever level they play to. The benefits cannot be overstated as technology has made a big difference to how we play today and with much technology available it is good to know you have the correct clubs in your bag.

One club that is often overlooked in this regard is your wedges. Most sets now require a "gap wedge" between your Pitching Wedge and Sand Wedge to give you even increments and distances but many golfers still play with a Pitching Wedge and a Sand wedge only. I'm sure you have often heard of the word "bounce" and its effect on how we strike our shots and use the club's profile to improve contact and spin (bounce is basically the angle between the very bottom edge of the club and leading-edge or bottom of the face).

We have always known that bounce was important but a relatively recent study by Stephen Orr (former tour player) and Dr. Robert Neal (leading biomechanist) found, using robotic testing that when we delivered the club in the correct way, bounce created strike forgiveness of up to 10 inches behind the ball! Yes, that means that from a good lie, you can make contact with the ground 10 inches before impact and still hit a reasonable shot! All the more reason for you to be correctly fitted for your wedges and also to understand what good technique actually is.

If you would like an assessment of your wedges or would like to get more from your short game please click here to book a fitting or short game lesson where I can take you through what you need to know.