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Date Posted: 07:21:41 06/20/07 Wed
Author: David Lake
Subject: Re: Clarification Needed
In reply to: Mike 's message, "Clarification Needed" on 19:12:27 06/19/07 Tue

Mike,

The extra distance you are getting with your sand wedge out of a bunker is not due to the club length, but rather the fact that you are now in a comfortable and powerful swing posture. That being said, there are only two situations where you would vary the ball position using your 1 Irons:

1) Playing out of the sand is the only time you are purposely trying to hit the shot fat. In other words, you are trying to come under the ball as if you were slicing a dollar bill from the sand with the ball resting on top of the bill. For this reason the ball should be placed forward in the stance as you would if using a standard sand wedge. Make sure that you use the same set-up as your fairway shots and do not choke down on the club. For a shorter sand shot you may wish to open the clubface slightly and aim a little to the left of the pin.

2) When you have to hit a low shot (overhanging tree limbs, etc.), I use my #5 iron and play the ball well back in my stance (off my right toe). I then use a pendulum half-swing and come down into the ball hard for a 180+ yard shot or softer for a shorter shot (experience will dictate the power necessary). Again, I do not choke down on the club.

Chip and pitch shots should be played just like any other full fairway shot except that you shorten your swing and do not swing as hard (again, experience will dictate distance). For example, I only use my #8 iron for chip shots around the green regardless of distance to the pin. Since it is a much shorter shot I basically use my putting stroke (a much shorter swing) for this type of shot. My pitching swing, which 99% of the time is with my lob wedge, is the same as my full swing except that it is much shorter. Again, I never choke down on any club for any shot.

Practicing these shots is the only way to gain proficiency as to distance. Realistically, the only way I have found to practice them is to play a round of golf by myself in the evening when the course is empty and park on one hole hitting a number of varying length shots from the bunker and varying length pitch and chip shots. Soon you will develop an uncanny feel for distance which you could never do if you changed your normal set-up, choked down on the club, or used different clubs for the same type of shot.

David Lake

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Replies:

[> [> Re: Clarification Needed -- Chris, 18:38:46 06/23/07 Sat

"Chip and pitch shots should be played just like any other full fairway shot except that you shorten your swing and do not swing as hard (again, experience will dictate distance)"

Well I'll be... I played 9 holes today, my first outing in more than 50 days (!!!--I am experiencing the misfortune of full-time work at the moment, including numerous weekends). My pitching has usually been atrocious, despite having tried a number of methods, not counting the above. I'm sure David has preached this before, but I've never tried it or thought about it or remembered it.

And yet today, the 9th hole left me with with maybe 35 yards to the hole, with me in the rough. And I thought gee, why don't I just line up square like usual and forget about choking down and just shorten the beginning and the end of my swing.

Nice arced pop, four feet from the hole.

Maybe David uses subliminal teaching methods.


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