Delo’s Divots: We are often faced with the dilemma of the
short-approach shot that is only sand-wedge distance away. However,
it’s likely to have experienced ‘skull’ or ‘chunk’ shots off this
hard-pan lie more often that not.
We are often faced with the dilemma of the short-approach shot that is only sand-wedge distance away. However, it’s likely to have experienced ‘skull’ or ‘chunk’ shots off this hard-pan lie more often that not.
You will be happy to know that it is a club-selection mistake and not a swing mistake. Trying to hit a rounded-designed sand or lob wedge will often cause the club to bounce into the ball, and causing the ball to soar well over the target. You are better off taking a pitching wedge for these shots – one that doesn’t have as much of a rounded sole but instead offers more of a flat sole – as the pitching wedge doesn’t have as great of a chance to bounce or dig as the sand wedge.
Plan on this shot coming off the club lower and running further than the sand wedge. This club selection and planning is true with any firm tight lie. It can be applied to fairway metal or wood shots as well. Choose an iron over a fairway metal. You will almost never get a fairway metal up in the air off hard thin lies.
