One of the most important areas of golf is the short game and one of the most important clubs in the short game is the lofted wedge. However, in order to take advantage of the versatility of the lofted wedge you must have a proper shoulder turn, swing, and wrist release.
The lofted wedge chip shot is extremely difficult for most amateurs and at times even gives the pros challenges. There are basically three things during the chip shot that makes this type of shot so difficult to execute properly with accuracy and distance control. Besides keeping the upper body/spine stable (in its original position at address) until contact is made with the ball, there are two other important elements that are critical to a well-played lofted wedge shot. One of those elements is the proper shoulder turn and the other is a deliberate, although somewhat awkward in the beginning, wrist release.
As with all clubs in golf and especially when handling a lofted wedge, "feel" is the most important aspect of the short game. The importance of feel in the short game can't be over emphasized because it is so important to be successful. You must be able to separate how the shoulders feel when they are turned around the spine, and have a separate feel of the upper body as the upper body/spine unit must remain stable throughout the swing.
It tends to be easier to make a proper shoulder turn with the longer clubs than with the lofted wedge. There is a tendency to "move" the left shoulder (for a right-handed golfer) from left to right causing a slight swaying motion as opposed to the correct should turn which is an around-the-spine/downward rotation. Addressing the ball properly puts the left shoulder above the right shoulder with the spine at an angle from left to right. In order for the shoulder to turn around the spine, the left shoulder must begin turning toward the ball and then toward the rear making an around (the spine) and down motion which until it is practiced extensively feels very awkward. It is too easy to stop rotating around the spine and begin a motion that starts from the left but instead of going downward to the right detours and moves right and doesn't complete the downward portion of the shoulders movement. This change in swing direction tends to cause a sway that moves you off the ball and usually causes a fat shot or a pull to the left and possibly a sculled hit. There is no question that the proper shoulder turn on a lofted wedge shot is awkward for the amateur which leads to many fat shots and other types of poor contact with the ball. Because of this, many amateurs try to putt from lies where a lofted wedge is the proper club and greatly reduce their odds for success in getting up and down.
Once the proper shoulder turn has been mastered (Well, hopefully a reasonable measure of success has been achieved.), the next critical aspect of the lofted wedge shot is the wrist release. Many amateurs actually don't understand how to "release the club" properly. I have read a number of golf instruction articles on the release of the club and the ones I think best describe it are the ones that refer to the movement as similar to casting a fishing rod. If you imagine you have a fishing pole in your hand and attempt to cast it, notice how your wrist releases. The back of the wrist is in line with the back of your forearm. You may have heard the famous Ben Hogan use of the term pronation and/or supination, but I'm not going to get into that. Suffice it to say, that there will be movement of the left forearm during the backswing. Turning the forearm clockwise during the downswing gets you into the proper position to be able to release the wrist into the ball. In order to get into the proper wrist release position, you may have to practice getting the forearm and left wrist (for right-handed golfers) into the correct position with the back of the forearm and the back of the wrist into alignment and being on a closely similar plane. In the beginning, this positioning may feel very awkward, but after practice you should see significant improvement in your chipping. However, you must remember to swing back slowly and not be tense which is difficult when you are learning something new.
All of the major equipment manufacturers including Mizuno, Cleveland Golf, Taylor Made, Direct Golf, Ping Golf, and Adams Golf offer numerous styles, lofts, and designs of wedges. In my opinion, it's more important to choose a wedge that feels good to you and that you like the look of than to purchase a club that may be the latest, greatest wedge.
In conclusion, the swing keys for the lofted wedge shot are:
Take the club back slowly in a downward motion rotation of the shoulders around the spine.During the backswing, maintain the upper body in the position it was in at setup as the shoulders rotate around the spine.At the beginning of the downswing and up until contact is made with the ball, be sure to not change the position of the upper body.Move the left forearm (for right-handed golfers) and wrist into position so the backs of both are on a similar plane just prior to impact with the ball.Release the wrist (like casting a fishing pole) moving the clubface into the ball.I have to assume that your lower body movements are supportive of the upper body as this area of the swing is not part of this article.
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