There is more than one way to add loft to a wedge shot, but some are easier than others – an important point for those who don’t have a lot of time for short-game practice. Â
The method I teach a lot of golfers gets much of the work done at address. When trying to create more loft with a wedge, some players get into their traditional chipping stance (narrow feet, ball back, shaft leaning forward) and then spin the face open so that it’s pointing more skyward [above left]. That setup can work, for sure, but executing from it requires more practice and near-precise execution.Â
Instead, you can create more height on your shots by simply standing wider and further away from the ball than normal, which lowers the shaft in relation to the ground- so that it’s less upright. Coupled with a forward ball position, almost where you’d play it with a driver [above right], you’ve done most of what you need to create loft. There’s no reason to open the face. Just let the wedge trace the ground and slide under the ball through impact. You’ll pop it up every time.
Erika Larkin is one of Golf Digest’s 50 Best Teachers in America. She is director of instruction at the Club at Creighton Farms in Aldie, Virginia.
