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How to properly gap your wedges

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Every golf equipment company has a theory and pitch for why you should play its wedges. I am here to say that, yes, certain wedges from certain manufacturers have advantages over others, both in performance and looks and feel. For that reason, golfers should spend some time determining what wedge is best for their game. If they don’t understand the process of wedge gapping, however, their next wedge purchase is unlikely to help them shoot lower scores.

The performance differences between today’s wedges include slight changes in spin production, sole grinds, stock shaft options, head construction and forgiveness. On the looks/feel side of things, there are big differences in head shape, finishes and feel. But again, these are secondary factors that should only be tackled once you properly gap your wedges. Doing so will not only give you more confidence about how far your wedges actually fly, but will leave you with fewer “tweener” yardages that are often harder to convert into birdies and pars.

So where should golfers start? Many fall into the trap of thinking that they need to buy specific wedges with specific lofts in order to achieve consistent yardage gaps. Sometimes they’re right, but before they make any new purchases they should first exhaust the simplest, most obvious solution. All they need to do is chart how far their wedges currently fly in the air, either on the course or on a launch monitor like Trackman. The feedback will be even more precise if you use the same golf ball you use when you play — and as I wrote about previously, premium golf balls are the way to go for a better wedge game.

To show you how important a wedge gapping is, I performed one on my wedge game with my Trackman. I currently use four wedges, and have a 4-degree loft separation between them as many players do. This is not done by customization, usually; it’s become the default configuration promoted by the manufacturers, and PW-52-56-60 or PW-50-54-58 are the most commonly recommended wedge sets.

As a PGA Professional, I’ve been so busy teaching in recent years that I haven’t gotten to play much golf, so I was particularly interested to see if I was playing a properly gapped set of wedges.

My current wedges 

  • TaylorMade PSi Tour (PW) — 46 Degrees
  • TaylorMade Tour Preferred (ATV Grind) — 50 Degrees
  • TaylorMade ATV — 54 Degrees
  • TaylorMade Tour Preferred (ATV Grind) — 58 Degrees

WedgeGapsGolf

My average carry distances

  • 115 yards,TaylorMade PSi Tour (PW) —  46 Degrees
  • 104.1 yards,TaylorMade Tour Preferred (ATV Grind) — 50 Degrees
  • 96.5 yards,TaylorMade ATV — 54 Degrees
  • 88.8 yards,TaylorMade Tour Preferred (ATV Grind) — 58 Degrees

My gaps

  • PW to GW: 10.9 yards
  • GW to SW: 7.6 yards
  • SW to LW: 7.7 yards

While my wedge gaps proved to be somewhat even, they were too close together. Do I really need four clubs for a distance range that covers less than 30 yards? The answer for me is no, so I will need to reconsider my wedge makeup to achieve the 12-yard gaps that I prefer.

Many golfers, especially those who have been playing a long time, will have different preferences about what they want their yardage gaps to be on full swings — 10 yards, 15 yards, 20 yards, etc. Generally, the more full swings golfers make with their wedges, the tighter their yardage gaps should be. Other players will never “max out” a wedge, preferring to hit finesse shots and alter their trajectory. These types of golfers generally play wedges with wider yardage gaps, as their distances are more feel-based.

Whatever type of wedge game you have, gapping is still of the utmost importance, because if you don’t know how far your wedges fly then you have no chance to play your best.

My friend Scott Felix, a Golf Digest Top 100 club fitter and owner of Felix Clubworks in Memphis, Tenn., says that every 1 degree change in wedge loft will create approximately a 3-yard change in carry distance. It’s not an exact science — if it was, my wedges would have already had 12-yard gaps between them —  but it’s a good starting point.

The achieve more consistent wedge gaps, I have two choices, as many of you will as well:

  1. Bend the wedges I already have to lofts that create the yardage gaps I want.
  2. Identify what wedge lofts aren’t working for me, and replace them with new models.

Altering the loft of a wedge, which involves bending it weaker or stronger, changes more than loft — it also changes the bounce angle on the wedge’s sole, as well as its amount of offset. Adding loft increases bounce and removes offset, while decreasing loft decreases bounce and adds offset.

Most PGA Tour players are generally ok with bending their wedges 1-to-2 degrees, but after that the look and performance of a wedge will start to become noticeably affected.

I’m sure that some of you reading this story wish your 52-degree wedge went a little farther, shorter, whatever, but don’t have access to a loft/lie machine.

If you’re in the market for new wedges, and want to dial in your distances without needing to bend the lofts, there is a viable option — Ben Hogan wedges. The company’s new TK-15 wedges are offered in every loft between 45 and 62 degrees, meaning that each wedge is designed to be played at a specific loft. That allows the sole grinds and bounce characteristics stay consistent from loft to loft.

Regardless of what wedges you buy, however, make sure you get to the course or to a Trackman to figure out how far your wedges fly. That will help you understand what lofts you need to fill the troublesome gaps in your wedge game.

Tom F. Stickney II, is a specialist in Biomechanics for Golf, Physiology, and 3d Motion Analysis. He has a degree in Exercise and Fitness and has been a Director of Instruction for almost 30 years at resorts and clubs such as- The Four Seasons Punta Mita, BIGHORN Golf Club, The Club at Cordillera, The Promontory Club, and the Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort. His past and present instructional awards include the following: Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher, Golf Digest Top 50 International Instructor, Golf Tips Top 25 Instructor, Best in State (Florida, Colorado, and California,) Top 20 Teachers Under 40, Best Young Teachers and many more. Tom is a Trackman University Master/Partner, a distinction held by less than 25 people in the world. Tom is TPI Certified- Level 1, Golf Level 2, Level 2- Power, and Level 2- Fitness and believes that you cannot reach your maximum potential as a player with out some focus on your physiology. You can reach him at tomstickneygolf@gmail.com and he welcomes any questions you may have.

32 Comments

32 Comments

  1. Jim

    Dec 8, 2015 at 10:32 am

    Nice article, but you’re possibly missing one group of us that carry multiple wedges that not only gap distances but also elicit different feels for touch shots. I currently carry PW, UW, 52 and 56 degree wedges. I’d rather open up a 56 in a sand shot than use a higher lofted wedge (I had one several years ago and it doesn’t agree with me). I think there’s a lot to be said for being creative with shots too and not simply relying on the loft. Just my thought.

  2. Derek

    Dec 7, 2015 at 6:39 pm

    Great read Tom! I tried 3 wedges but now happy with my sm4 52-12 and 58-06.
    I have a sm4 62-07 but didn’t get along with the grind. The grind (feel and turf interaction) for me is the biggest thing with sand/ lob wedges.
    Having two wedges does make life simpler and I also try to play 100 or 50m from the green to avoid all thes different chip yardages. I saw Phil mickelson talk about understanding your yardage for a 3/4 backswing to full follow through and then a 1/2 and 1/4 backswing which is easy to remember on the course. You can do the same but grip down Whig should take off 20m. Once you have a yardage and shot system life is a lot easier

  3. KK

    Dec 5, 2015 at 5:19 pm

    If many pros have 5 or 6 degree gaps between wedges, we lowly ams should probably have 6 or 8 degree gaps.

  4. Scooter McGavin

    Dec 5, 2015 at 9:18 am

    If you have access to a golf shop that can fit and sell you those Hogan wedges, you have access to a shop that can bend your lofts for less than $5.

  5. Steve

    Dec 5, 2015 at 8:51 am

    Another infomercial, wedge gapping is fundamenatally easy. Pw, 52,58 for me. Used to play a 54 but as pw became more 9i had to adjust

  6. Robert

    Dec 4, 2015 at 10:43 pm

    I was always trying to find the perfect gaps carrying 4 wedges. I’ve now settled on just my 714 AP2 PW and my 30 year old Bu Eye2 SW (57.5*). Sometimes what works is nowhere near what you initially thought.

  7. Thomas

    Dec 4, 2015 at 10:40 pm

    Under what will seem like a shameless plug but is in reality my sharing what I think is a great solution, a suggestion. If you’re serious about getting fit for wedges, go to Titleist’s pro fitting facility at Manchester Lane.

    I went for a fitting because I wasn’t happy with my gapping (apropos!) and I wasn’t happy with rough interaction with my 60, which is my main chipping / pitching club. They have the facilities to make it a meaningful exercise. Notably, it was range with a trackman for 45 minutes and most importantly short game for 45-60 minutes with all the shots – green side fairway and rough, short and long bunker, flip wedges. I wanted to beg off hitting the 70-85 yard flip wedges, but my fitter cajoled me to confirming that I liked the turf interaction, flight, and landing characteristics on the actual green. All this while using the specific ball I play (V1x).

    It’s spendy – $200 for the service alone. You get specs and then have to go order. But I found it well worth the money. (So much so that I’m going to Oceanside in January to try a driver fitting.)

    For those who might be curious, I played MP-68s bent really weak so had a 50* PW, 56* vokey sm4-12, and 60-10 (or 12?) K grind. Had a 20 gap between PW and 56. Had trouble through rough with 60. I ended up with a 50-08 F grind (less bounce that PW which was up to 11*) so much better through the turf, a 56-12 S bent to 55*, and a 60* TVD low bounce K which has been so much better with a slightly smaller head and less depth bunch continued wide flange.

  8. Marc

    Dec 4, 2015 at 9:27 pm

    I have 46-50-54-58 with carry yardages of 115-103-90-77

    I feel comfortable with any yardage within these gaps. It dialing in the 45 yard shots that need some extra work.

  9. Dangeruss21

    Dec 4, 2015 at 8:54 pm

    I want to do a wedge / full iron gapping and living in the northeast with cold weather on it way, would you recommend I do a gapping on the indoor trackman or wait until Spring when we can do it outdoors? Is there a difference when gapping on the trackman?

    • Dangeruss21

      Dec 5, 2015 at 5:07 pm

      What did you do to gap your wedges? Indoor / outdoor?

  10. Dj

    Dec 4, 2015 at 5:32 pm

    Honestly, most people should not even carry anything higher than a sand wedge. I’ve never seen a 10 handicap hit a 60* well

    • Tom

      Dec 5, 2015 at 11:52 am

      generalizing.

    • KK

      Dec 5, 2015 at 5:18 pm

      I disagree. I think the vast majority of bunker shots should be played with a 58 or 60 for casual golfers, let alone 10 handicaps. It’s also a must for tight approach or scramble shots with lower spin balls used by many casual golfers. I’m a 16 HCP and my 60 is my 2nd or 3rd favorite club and probably my #2 club that elicits complements from my playing buds.

      • Joe Golfer

        Jan 18, 2016 at 12:37 am

        That is potentially correct, but many of those 58* or 60* wedges are definitely NOT sand wedges.
        They are lob wedges, and they have very little bounce on them.
        I have an old, old sand wedge that is 60*, but it has a lot of bounce on it.
        It is wonderful for sand shots, but not much good for anything else in my personal case due to difficulty in hitting a 60* wedge from fairway.
        If a player has a typical 60* wedge, it very well may be a lob wedge with little bounce on it, so it won’t be very good for sand play.

        • Nath

          Apr 25, 2016 at 8:30 am

          Unless you have very little sand in bunkers

  11. Atomic Wedge

    Dec 4, 2015 at 4:22 pm

    46-52-58 for me. An extra club off the tee is more important for me.

  12. Dan K

    Dec 4, 2015 at 3:02 pm

    I have 4 wedges with mostly a 4 degree gap – 47, 52, 56, 60. My yardages are about 12 yards apart on a comfortable full swing – 138, 125, 112, 100. I can say I rarely try to hit a full 60 as it would spin off most of the greens at the course I play. The grooves on my SW are a bit worn down so I don’t mind hitting that at full. Typically I play 80-85% shots vs swinging hard with my 52,56 and 60 to cover 115, 100 and 85. I spend more time working on these gaps than any other club on the range when practicing and usually wrap up my pre-round practice getting a feel for my 80-85% shot.

  13. BD57

    Dec 4, 2015 at 1:32 pm

    I carry 4 wedges 45-50-56-62 for yardages. While I can’t say I’m super precise with them, in general terms, they’re good for 115, 100, 85, and 70 yards. If I need something in between, choking down a bit takes care of it.

  14. Jack F

    Dec 4, 2015 at 11:29 am

    The hardest part for me isn’t the gap, since I feel yardages shorter than a full SW. The issue for me is a upright lie at address. During the full swing, you get deflection in the shaft so the club naturally flattens, but with half shots or chips, the shaft just doesn’t deflect. I have found that managing toe down on a full swing is easier to manage than trying to set up and finesse a pitch/chip with the toe too high. Therefore, my wedges (PW on down) are all flatter lie than my 9-iron on up. I don’t know if this is common knowledge, but it’s how I set up my wedges.

  15. Chris

    Dec 4, 2015 at 11:18 am

    You people need to lighten up. Bunch of whiners and complainers. The author goes over a very important aspect of golf here – who cares if he drops a name or two. Get over it already. You people make it almost unbearable to even read these things.

    • Nath

      Apr 25, 2016 at 8:33 am

      Yea sure, and i was expecting to read an advertisement

  16. Jay

    Dec 4, 2015 at 11:07 am

    Tom, just curious if you feel that your 50* may be a slightly more upright lie than the other wedges, as it seems to be the only wedge that missed the center line, with the entire grouping left of center.

  17. Tom

    Dec 4, 2015 at 10:52 am

    Wow the Titleist crowd gets bent if another brand is mentioned.

  18. Get it together WRXer's

    Dec 4, 2015 at 10:05 am

    How in the world is this a shameless plug for Hogan? They are doing something that entirely ties into the article. Tom is on staff with TM and they don’t own Hogan. Here is how the rest of his search goes, he bends his wedges until he gets the lofts and yardage gaps he wants and then orders them from TM. Great article Tom, it shows an aspect of club fitting that is often overlooked by players and fitters.

    • Joe Golfer

      Jan 18, 2016 at 12:43 am

      Totally agree with you. This is not a “shameless plug” for Hogan.
      If Hogan happens to sell wedges that one can purchase at just 1* difference, many people may be interested in that rather than bending their current wedges, which changes their bounce and offset, as the article states.

  19. That Bob Guy

    Dec 4, 2015 at 9:16 am

    So, the playing length of each wedge plays no role in distance gaps? I understood gaps were divided 50/50, between loft and length.

  20. Mikko U

    Dec 4, 2015 at 9:13 am

    The article was good until the last three paragraphs. I was expecting the author to go through the search for new wedges and show us the results.

    Unfortunately the article was just an add for Hogan.

  21. Chris

    Dec 4, 2015 at 8:49 am

    I really enjoyed the article until the shameless Ben Hogan wedge plug.

  22. Teaj

    Dec 4, 2015 at 8:43 am

    Great articular. I work in golf and I see the standard 4 deg gap go out the door everyday which I have also fell into myself. This year the 50, 54, 58 is going to change as I feel my 58 isn’t quite enough loft around the green and I never use the 54 other than full shots. keeping the 50 as it bending the 54 to 55 and I am going to purchase a 60 degree at some point before the spring which works out as the 58 has been used and abused for the last 2 seasons.

    Summer hurry up and get back here as I have already got the itch.

    • Josh

      Dec 4, 2015 at 6:20 pm

      You read my mind. I was also thinking of bending my PW one weak to 47, bending the 54 to 53 and bending the 58 to 59 giving 6 degree gaps and adding a 5 wood or 3 hybrid to the setup up top…

      • Manuel

        Dec 5, 2015 at 8:13 pm

        Exactly what I have and has worked fine for years as a 2 cap. My current PW is 47 and use a 54 bent to 53 and a 60. The 60 is by far the most important club for me as I do like to get aggressive around the greens with numerous flop shots.

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Instruction

How to play your best golf when the temperature drops

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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!

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3 lessons from Brooks Koepka that’ll actually lower your score

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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!

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What we can learn from Blades Brown’s impressive American Express performance

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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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