How to Learn to Change Your Wedge Trajectory

Great short-game players know more than how far their wedges go. They also know how to control how the ball gets there. Changing trajectory gives them another way to manage distance, spin and the ball’s reaction after landing.

A key part of that control is understanding how much loft you deliver to the ball at impact. Adding loft generally launches the ball higher. Delivering less loft while maintaining a quality strike produces a lower, more penetrating flight.

How to control wedge trajectory

One of the best ways to learn this is with a simple ramp placed behind the ball. Its angle provides a visual representation of what you want to create at impact: a downward strike with forward shaft lean toward the target.

The goal is not to consciously chop down on the ball or make the swing excessively steep. The ramp helps you see and feel how the club should approach impact. As the hands lead the clubhead and the shaft leans forward, you deliver less dynamic loft while preserving ball-first contact.

Many golfers try to hit a lower wedge by simply moving the ball farther back in the stance or forcing the hands forward at address. That can sometimes lower the flight, but it can also create an excessively steep attack and inconsistent contact. A better approach is to learn to control loft through impact.

The ramp gives the player a clear visual for that relationship. The club is still moving downward at impact while the shaft leans forward. That combination reduces the loft delivered to the ball and produces the lower, more controlled trajectory you are seeking.

The ramp drill

Place the ramp behind the ball so its angle represents the downward strike you want to create. Then hit short wedge shots while focusing on letting the hands lead the clubhead through impact. You should begin to feel the shaft leaning forward as the club continues downward into the ball.

Start with small swings and focus on learning what the correct impact condition feels like. Once you can reproduce that strike consistently, gradually lengthen the swing and begin experimenting with different trajectories.

The better you understand how to control the loft you deliver, the less dependent you become on simply changing clubs or ball position. That is when wedge play becomes much more versatile.

By Joey Wuertemberger and Zephyr Melton; published by Golftwitt based on GOLF.com.