TECHNIC \u00b7 PITCHING WEDGE<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>The Pitching Wedge \u2014 the 100-yard weapon.<\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>The PW is the club with the highest score impact per shot in the senior bag. 90m full swing, 70m three-quarter, 50m half swing. Three wedge distances that represent the greatest scoring leverage in senior golf.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>M<\/span>A pitching wedge is my most used club after my putter and 7-iron. Approach distances of 80-95 meters occur frequently \u2013 almost every round multiple times. Those who consistently master the pitching wedge hold the key to a good senior score: minimal dispersion at these distances means greens in regulation instead of bogey saves.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nIn a senior golfer\u2019s bag, the pitching wedge is the most precise approach club for the 80\u2013100-meter range\u2014and thus the most important factor in improving your score. Mark Broadie\u2019s Strokes Gained analysis shows that clubs in the 80\u2013100 m range account for over 25 % of the score difference between top and bottom performers. That\u2019s exactly where the PW comes into play.<\/p>\n<\/div>
Three swing variations with a pitching wedge<\/h2>\n\n
Variant 1 \u2014 Full Swing (90 m)<\/div>\n
\u2713 STANDARD APPROACH.<\/div>\n
Full-swing PW: 90 m median carry. High trajectory, soft landing, moderate dispersion (\u00b14 m). The standard approach weapon for 85\u201395 m. With a good hit, 50\u201360 % hit rate.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Variant 2 \u2014 Three-Quarter Swing (70 m)<\/div>\n
\u2713 HIGHEST PRECISION.<\/div>\n
Three-quarter PW: 70 yd, very small dispersion (\u00b12 yd), best spin control. The most precise wedge distance in the senior bag \u2014 ideal for tight pins or firm greens.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Variant 3 \u2014 Half-Swing (50 m)<\/div>\n
\u2713 RELIABLE SHORT APPROACH.<\/div>\n
Half Swing PW: 50m controlled. Lower trajectory than a full swing, more roll-out, very predictable. Senior alternative to SW pitch on firm greens.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
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25 %<\/div>\n
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The score difference between top and bottom performers occurs in the 80-100 m zone<\/div>\n
Mark Broadie: Strokes Gained Analysis 2014\u20132024<\/div>\n
Exactly there is the PW the main club \u2014 Score lever number one in the senior bag.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
Three tips for precise pitching wedge shots<\/h2>\n\n
Tip 1 - Calibrate Distances<\/div>\n
\u2713 10 BALLS FULL\/3-4\/HALF.<\/div>\n
A range session with launch monitor: 10 full swings, 10 three-quarter swings, 10 half swings. Record median distances in writing. On the course, decide based on median, not feel.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Tip 2 - Median instead of Best<\/div>\n
\u2717 DO NOT SAVE BEST-OF-SEASON.<\/div>\n
Frequent senior mistake: Best shot is saved (\u201emy drive is 100 m\u201d). Actually, median 90 m. Plan with median values - avoids systematic short landings.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Tip 3 - Keep the setup calm<\/div>\n
No forceful swinging.<\/div>\n
Setup stability is especially important with wedges. Stand still, breathe cleanly, pause for three seconds before the swing. Senior wedges suffer particularly from a rushed tempo.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>
Wedges from 80 to 100 yards are where senior golfers either save or surrender their handicaps. There's no middle ground.<\/em><\/h2>\n\u2014 Dave Pelz, Short Game Coach (Phil Mickelson, Lee Janzen)<\/p>\n<\/div>
Three Principles for PW Mastery.<\/p>\n
Master three swing variations<\/h2>\n
Full, Three-Quarter, Half-Swing. These three pitching wedge swings cover 50-90 meters precisely \u2013 the most important approach zone for senior scoring.<\/p>\n
Calibrate Median-Carry<\/h2>\n
Know the exact median distance per swing variation. Best-shot memories systematically distort \u2014 correct data.<\/p>\n
Prioritize setup stability<\/h2>\n
For wedges, setup consistency determines the quality of your shots. Calmness before the swing produces the small dispersions that lead to greens in regulation.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
On this page<\/p>\n<\/div>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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ON THIS PAGE<\/div>\n
01<\/strong> Three swing variations<\/div>\n02<\/strong> Three tips for technology<\/div>\n03<\/strong> What the PW does not replace<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n
MS<\/div>\n
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Mathias Struwe<\/div>\n
PUBLISHER \u00b7 HCP 31 \u00b7 68 YRS.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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90 m<\/div>\n
Median-carry full swing PW.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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REFERENCE<\/div>\n
Lamontagne et al. (2021):
Senior Golf Biomechanics<\/em>. MyTPI (2020): The Golf Body<\/em>. Rose, G. & Phillips, D. (2018): The Golf Body<\/em>. Trackman Performance Database 2024. PGA Tour Stats 2014\u20132024.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>What the pitching wedge doesn't replace<\/h2>\n
The pitching wedge is the most important scoring club in the senior bag\u2014but it doesn't replace putting or the other wedges. Someone who perfectly masters the pitching wedge but struggles with lag putts will lose the scoring advantage on the green again. Pitching wedge mastery is a lever\u2014combined with putting discipline, it becomes a real scoring leap.<\/p>\n
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THREE FIRST STEPS<\/div>\n
How to calibrate the PW in 30 days<\/h3>\n\n
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01<\/div>\n
Three-distance test<\/div>\n
A range session: 10 full swings, 10 three-quarter swings, 10 half swings with a pitching wedge. Median and dispersion per variation. Update bag tag with three distances.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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02<\/div>\n
Establish a pre-shot routine<\/div>\n
Define and practice a consistent pre-shot routine for PW: Setup steps, breath, visualization. 30 seconds standard. Apply consistently on the next round.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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03<\/div>\n
Train setup quiet<\/div>\n
Before every wedge shot on the range, stand still for 3 seconds consciously before starting your backswing. Apply this on the course. Small exercise, big impact on your score.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":517,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,231,6,4,34],"tags":[61,70,71,17,69],"class_list":["post-709","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-annaeherung-short-game","category-ausruestung-schlaeger","category-putt-und-lag","category-senioren-technik","category-senioren-golf-training","tag-approach","tag-pitching-wedge","tag-pw","tag-senior-golf","tag-short-game"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/senior-golf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/709","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/senior-golf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/senior-golf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/senior-golf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/senior-golf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=709"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/senior-golf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/709\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1083,"href":"https:\/\/senior-golf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/709\/revisions\/1083"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/senior-golf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/517"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/senior-golf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/senior-golf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/senior-golf.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}