Instruction
The Wedge Notebook: A Guide to Improve Your Entire Wedge Game
As you’ve probably heard from friends, instructors, and instruction articles like this one, improving your wedge play from inside 100 yards is essential to knocking strokes of your score. But how do you go about getting better? I provide you a basic strategy for improving your overall wedge game below.
These are the same basics we use for wedge play at Combine Golf in Scottsdale, Arizona, with our students. Click here to learn more about Combine Golf.
The Grip
Your grip is the only connection between the club and your body. Thus, ensuring you have a fundamentally sound grip is imperative for you to become the best wedge player possible.
The grip directly influences the club face and its directional position during impact, and as we know, the golf ball begins mostly in the direction of the face at impact. At slower speeds and with higher lofted clubs, the ball will not curve as much, which makes this point even more important if you want to get the ball close to the hole.
The V’s formed between your thumb and forefinger will be used to audit where your grip is positioned. For most players, the V’s should point somewhere between your right ear and right shoulder. Of course, there are exceptions to this fact and you will have to experiment to find your “perfect” grip position.
There are also three pressure points to ensure that your grip is solid on the club:
- Where the right thumb pad meets the top of the left thumb
- The last three fingers of the left hand
- The underside of the right index finger
Posture
The posture you establish at address determines where your center of gravity is located and heavily influences the shape of your overall golf swing.
With wedges, there are two things you must ensure at address:
- You are not too close to the ball.
- Your spine is in a centered position.
In the photo below, you can see that the arms hang vertically and the club shaft is pointing at the belt-line, but there is still freedom between the arms and body. If you are too close, or crowd the ball, the club will work too vertically, or steep. If you stand too far away, the club will work too horizontally, or flat. Both of these swing shapes may cause poor wedge play.
To establish the correct forward bending of your spine, lean forward from the hips with a flat back, allowing the arms to hang down just over the ends of your toes. Your center of gravity should be on the laces of your shoes in this position, as well. To complete this process, set the grip of the club in-line with your belt, and you will have a balanced forward bending of the spine with plenty of freedom to swing the club around your body.
A “Centered” Spine
With wedges, unlike most of the other shots, we will preset the spine in a more centered condition to ensure your low point stays in front of the ball during impact.
Stance and Ball Position
Your stance is the foundational “base” that you will swing around, and it’s the launching pad for clubhead speed. The proper stance is one that allows the player to have ample balance coupled with the rotational freedom to move. For most players, the checkpoint is a stance that is around shoulder width.
It is our goal with wedge shots to have a stance that allows the player the ability to rotate in a way that ensures a more connected motion back and through. Some players prefer a more narrow stance width on shorter shots. This is OK, but be careful that you don’t inhibit motion in the process.
Ball Position
The position of the golf ball between your feet is influenced by the pivot of your body (how you twist, turn, and displace weight), as well as the club you are using.
With wedges, it depends on the shot and the trajectory you desire, however, for 90 percent of the shots you will play you should have the ball in the middle of your stance, just under your sternum. This will encourage a downward blow on the ball, which is what we’re looking for!
Alignment
Surely you’ve heard somehwere along your golfing journey that your feet should line up “parallel left” of your target as if you were standing on railroad tracks. As demonstrated in the photo above, your body points along the left rail of the tracks while the clubhead points directly towards the target.
As Trackman Launch Monitor has shown us in recent years, however, this is not entirely correct because when you hit down on a golf ball the swing path is shifted more rightward.
Therefore, when hitting wedges, you must aim a touch more to the left to ensure that your swing path does not shift too far rightward causing you to curve the ball too much from right-to-left.
The Pivot
The pivot is simply defined as how your body twists and turns during the swing while displacing weight. Your pivot controls things like rhythm, balance, a steady head, and influences your low point.
When hitting wedges, your weight should stay mostly centered within your feet (as shown below) and on the inside of your rear foot. If the weight moves side-to-side too much while hitting these type of shots, it will be more difficult to impact the golf ball solidly.
In order to understand and feel the pivot, cross your arms and turn your shoulders to the “top” of your backswing while keeping the weight on the inside of you rear foot. Now reverse the process into your “finish” position, keeping the weight on the inside of your forward foot.
As you pivot back and forth, everything should work together back and through so the club, arms and hands, sternum, and zipper all reach the top, impact, and the finish together, thus reducing hand action. The better the pivot, the less you will rely on your arms and hands to drive the club; this will make your low point and release point more reliable under pressure.
Low Point Control
One of the most important things in order to facilitate solid wedge shots is the ability for you to control where the club impacts the ground. The club’s low point must be in front of the golf ball for all shots hit off the ground. If not, you will instantly lose power and consistency.
The easiest way to visualize your low point is to draw a line on the ground when you practice. Hit a shot and note where your divot begins. It should always start on the line and forward, never too far in front or behind it.
Face-to-Path
Trackman has also shown us that curvature is created when the face and path diverge, so your face-to-path relationship is very important when hitting wedges. Studies have also shown that the ball begins mostly in the direction of the face and curves away from the path (with a centered hit) as shown above.
The face is the red arrow (11.8 degrees right of the target) and the path is the blue line (-1.2 degrees left of the target), so the face-to-path relationship in the example above is 13 degrees and the ball curves to the right. Obviously, more loft on the club, coupled with less clubhead speed, causes the ball not to curve as much. But, if you want to hit your wedges as straight as possible, I would suggest you put the following image in your mind: Imagine the path and the face moving in the same “down-the-line” direction at impact. If you diminish the amount of face-to-path dispersion, you WILL hit the ball straighter than you ever have with the wedges.
Lastly, enjoy the process of becoming a better wedge player. Remember, the more often you practice, work on your fundamentals, and develop your feel around the green, the more strokes you will save and the lower you will score. Enjoy the journey!
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
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Dave R
Aug 8, 2017 at 12:35 pm
So do you replace all your divots and repair all your ball marks. Why do you loose golf balls your short game is like a touring pro?
Matt
Aug 8, 2017 at 5:21 am
Hi Tom, great info. Just wanted to add, as a very average golfer with limited time to play, etc, that knowing a range of wedge distances is also really valuable information to have. I noted wedge distances recently using Pelz’ system (for each wedge loft in my bag using 7:30, 9:00 and 10:30 backswings) and have noticed a big improvement in my scores.
Ude
Aug 7, 2017 at 5:25 pm
and you don’t play golf …. sooo obvious
Bob Jones
Aug 7, 2017 at 11:48 am
Low point control is the part of pitching that doesn’t get talked about much, but is as important as anything else for controlling distance. During a playing lesson, my practice swings for an ~80 yard pitch were all clearly of different depths, and the pro told me right away I had to correct that if I wanted to master this shot.
Chris
Aug 5, 2017 at 11:53 pm
I find this to be fairly sound, basic advice. However, I wish more instructors would also discuss the alignment of the forearms, elbows, and upper arms in the setup as well. You can have a technically sound grip, but misalign those parts and suffer with inconsistent face and path conditions. With wedge practice, those inconsistencies may not become as evident without a launch monitor, and bleed into and influence a full swing, to the players detriment.