ShareThisBy RICK MARTINO
Scripps Howard News Service
Monday, May 14, 2007
Today's golf courses require good wedge play if you want to enjoy low scores.
Golf course architects have the ability to move and shape as much soil as necessary to build green complexes. Just ask the PGA Tour players who survived the Tournament Players Championship at Sawgrass over the weekend following the magic that designer Pete Dye did on his renovations to the Stadium Course and the famous Island Green on No. 17.
This will not be the last time you see Dye's mastery of course design this month, as the Senior PGA Championship heads to the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island (S.C.) Golf Resort, May 24-27. The Ocean Course, which made its grand debut during one of the most famous Ryder Cups in 1991, is another masterpiece creation by Dye that he has recently "tweaked."
In order to leave you with a makeable putt, designed green complexes, such as at Sawgrass or the Ocean Course, consist of multiple terrain changes that include run-off areas, different grasses mowed at a verity of heights and greens that require controlled spin and trajectories.
First, let's focus on the ways you can control both the spin and trajectory of your wedge shots.
At impact, spin is a function of the loft of your club, the angle your club head is descending, the speed the club is traveling and the lie of your ball. In situations that require a maximum amount of spin on the ball, choose the most lofted wedge you have in your golf bag. Then, use a stroke that enables your wrists to hinge as much as possible and that you can maintain through the hit.
Also, make sure that your shaft has a forward-leaning angle, in order to have as much of a descending and accelerating forward swing that your shot will allow. This usually creates a follow through that is low and around the player.
Meanwhile, maximum trajectory is a function of the same conditions as spin, but we need to move the club quite differently. The most lofted wedge is chosen to gain the highest trajectory. So, the shaft position at impact needs to be either straight up from the ball or leaning backwards. This is arrived at by allowing your wrist hinge to fully release during impact, so that the club is traveling at the lowest rate of acceleration possible. Your finish should be high and much more on the target line.
Ideally, choose the rate of spin and launch trajectory necessary to leave yourself with a tap in putt _ just like Phil Mickelson did by using his lob wedge on a 50-foot flop shot on the 72nd hole to win the 2005 PGA Championship.
You can learn more about wedge play and the rest of the golf game during May's PGA Free Lesson Month. Log on to www.playgolfamerica.com and use the zip code search engine to find a PGA Professional near you who is offering free 10 minute lessons to players from beginners to advanced all month long.
(Rick Martino is director of instruction at the PGA Learning Center in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Golf Tips is a feature of Scripps Treasure Coast (Fla.) Newspapers, The Stuart News, Fort Pierce Tribune and Vero Beach Press Journal.)
