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DRILL OVERVIEW
Distance Wedge Control Drill
Your drill at a glance
Wedge playDrill category
Carry distancesPractice focus
30 minutesPractice time
7 / 10Difficulty
Wedge, balls + conesEquipment
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This distance wedge control drill helps you learn how far your wedges carry with three repeatable swing lengths. Use a full swing, a 9 o’clock swing and a shorter 7:30 swing to build a useful set of benchmark numbers.
Choose one wedge for today’s scored practice. Use the same club for two sets of nine shots, then work through your other wedges in future sessions. Record the landing distance as well as the score so you learn something useful from every shot.
Watch the distance wedge demonstration
The original drill uses five shots with each swing length for every wedge. The 18-shot format below adapts that practice to one wedge, with three shots per swing length in each set of nine. The five-yard scoring window is this post’s practice challenge.
Step 1. Set your distance markers
What to do
| Action | What to do |
|---|---|
| Mark the range | Place cones or use existing range markers every 10 yards from 30 to 120 yards. Choose a safe practice area where you can identify the first landing point. |
| Choose one wedge | Use a wedge you want to understand better. The original examples are 48°, 52°, 56° and 60°, but use the lofts in your own bag. |
| Find your benchmarks | Use your existing carry numbers for full, 9 o’clock and 7:30 swings. If you do not know them, hit a few unscored calibration shots with each length and note the typical carry. |
| Write the targets down | Set one carry target for each swing length before scoring. Keep those targets fixed for both sets, rather than changing them after each shot. |
Use carry distance—the distance to the first landing point—rather than total distance after the ball rolls. A launch monitor can help, but clear landing markers also let you estimate your carry consistently.
Step 2. Use three benchmark swings
What to do
| Swing length | What to do |
|---|---|
| Full swing | Make your normal controlled full wedge swing. Keep the effort repeatable rather than trying to hit your maximum distance. |
| 9 o’clock | Use the lead arm as your clock reference. On the backswing, take it approximately horizontal, then swing through smoothly. |
| 7:30 | Make a shorter backswing with the lead arm angled down between the address position and horizontal. Keep the same comfortable rhythm. |
| Compare the carries | Keep the wedge, ball type, starting point and target line the same while you compare the three lengths. |
Quick practice checks
| Watch for | Try this |
|---|---|
| Changing speed to chase a number | Return to your chosen swing length and steady rhythm. Let the recorded carry show what that swing produces today. |
| Confusing carry with roll | Watch the first landing point. A firm surface can add roll without changing your carry. |
| Different conditions | Note the wind and temperature beside your results. Compare sessions under similar conditions before changing your usual numbers. |
Step 3. Record and score 18 shots
What to do
With one wedge, play three full swings, three 9 o’clock swings and three 7:30 swings. Repeat once for eighteen shots.
| Score | When to award it |
|---|---|
| 1 point | The carry is within five yards short or long of that swing’s benchmark. |
| 0 points | The carry finishes outside that window. |
Add your points for a total out of eighteen.
George’s Conclusion
The distance wedge control drill gives you a practical answer to a simple question: how far does this swing carry with this wedge? Build your numbers patiently and write them down.
Keep your score out of 18 alongside the actual carry distances. For a different wedge-control exercise, try the One Arm Wedge Drill.
MAKE THE NEXT BUCKET COUNT
Pick a card. Practise with purpose.
