When using the wedge to play shots on the green, you will get some natural spin on the ball. However, when you watch the professionals play golf on the PGA and European Tour, they generate huge amounts of spin, which often see the ball land beyond the hole and spin back, leaving an easy putt for birdie.
To play this shot successfully, you need to ensure you have the best lie. Playing a wedge shot with a lot of spin is not all about that you do with the club, the lie of the ball needs to be advantageous. The ball must be sitting up nicely, with a clean lie and little grass behind it. If there is grass behind the ball, you are advised not to attempt this shot.
The key thing to remember when attempting to impart a lot of spin on a wedge shot is the more of the club face you connect with the ball, the more spin it will produce. If there is some grass blocking a clean route between the club face and the ball, the shot will not generate as much spin.
So, if you have a clean shot at the ball, with nothing in-front or behind and it is sitting up nicely, you are in prime position to a play a wedge shot with more spin.
When setting up to play the shot, put most of your wright on your front leg and lean your upper body slightly towards the target. This will help the club to hit the ball before the grass and you can further increase the chances of that happening by opening your stance a little.
As you make the backswing, keep the bulk of your weight on the front leg and keep your upper body leaning slightly towards the target. Always keep your arms and club in-front of your body and do not allow them to swing behind or to the side of you.
As you contact the ball, your top wrist should be ahead of the ball, with the club at an angle towards the green. With your hands and club in this position, you should hit the ball first, which is what we are aiming for to generate more spin. The club head should not pass the hands before contacting the ball.
To finish the shot, the trailing arm should not rotate over the lead arm, as this will reduce the chances of achieving maximum spin on the ball.
You can try getting into the correct position for the shot by practicing at home in-front of a full-length mirror. Get into to the set-up position and stop the swing just before hitting the ball. Check your body position in the mirror to see if it matches that described above.
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