Tyler Ferrell is the only person in the world named to Golf Digest's list of Best Young Teachers in America AND its list of Best Golf Fitness Professionals in America.

Understand the Distance Wedge Release for Better Control

After this video, you'll be able to:

  • Identify the key differences in release mechanics between your full swing and distance wedge swing.
  • Recognize how less dynamic lower body movement affects your distance wedge release.
  • Visualize the gradual hand motion needed for effective distance wedge shots.

In this video, you'll learn how to properly release your distance wedge swing, emphasizing the subtle differences from your full swing. Understanding this concept will help you achieve more consistent contact and distance control.

Video Transcript
WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.000
In this drill video, we're going to look at the release of the distance wedge

2
00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:05.040
swing.

3
00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:09.440
Now the release of the distance wedge swing in concept is going to be exactly

4
00:00:09.440 --> 00:00:09.960
the same

5
00:00:09.960 --> 00:00:13.250
as your stock full swing, but I'm going to show you how it's going to be

6
00:00:13.250 --> 00:00:14.320
slightly different

7
00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:16.380
because of what you do in transition.

8
00:00:16.380 --> 00:00:20.340
So you know in the stock full swing, I talk a lot about how your arms are going

9
00:00:20.340 --> 00:00:20.840
to kind

10
00:00:20.840 --> 00:00:25.850
of rotate through impact, but if you remember from Zorro swings, the reason

11
00:00:25.850 --> 00:00:26.800
that they are

12
00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:31.760
going to rotate through impact is because there has been this pronounced flatt

13
00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:32.920
ening move

14
00:00:32.920 --> 00:00:35.320
during transition.

15
00:00:35.320 --> 00:00:38.880
Because my arms have been rotated when they go to extend, they're going to

16
00:00:38.880 --> 00:00:39.720
rotate pretty

17
00:00:39.720 --> 00:00:42.280
aggressively, like so.

18
00:00:42.280 --> 00:00:46.930
Well in the distance wedge, when you get to the top of the swing, there's not

19
00:00:46.930 --> 00:00:47.240
going

20
00:00:47.240 --> 00:00:49.880
to be this drastic flattening move.

21
00:00:49.880 --> 00:00:54.880
In fact from here, it's basically going to go straight towards the golf ball.

22
00:00:54.880 --> 00:01:00.090
So how that ends up looking is it's going to look like my hands had nowhere

23
00:01:00.090 --> 00:01:00.960
near as much

24
00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:05.790
rotation because it's going to be a much more gradual occurrence and it's going

25
00:01:05.790 --> 00:01:06.320
to go over

26
00:01:06.320 --> 00:01:08.080
a shorter range of motion.

27
00:01:08.080 --> 00:01:10.880
Like I'm not going to come from way here to way there.

28
00:01:10.880 --> 00:01:16.120
I'm going to come from maybe vertical to just past vertical.

29
00:01:16.120 --> 00:01:21.440
So it's a smaller range of motion and it's a more gradual occurrence.

30
00:01:21.440 --> 00:01:26.400
And the other thing is it's not going to be as driven by the lower body the way

31
00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:26.600
it is

32
00:01:26.600 --> 00:01:27.720
in the full swing.

33
00:01:27.720 --> 00:01:32.330
So in the transition section or in the release section of the full swing, I

34
00:01:32.330 --> 00:01:33.300
talk about how

35
00:01:33.300 --> 00:01:38.520
that left leg pressing, that right leg pressing that belt rising helps to

36
00:01:38.520 --> 00:01:39.680
propel the club

37
00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:42.640
down and initiate that transition.

38
00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:45.970
You're not going to have nearly as much dynamic movement of the lower body in

39
00:01:45.970 --> 00:01:46.680
your distance

40
00:01:46.680 --> 00:01:47.760
wedges.

41
00:01:47.760 --> 00:01:54.480
And so what propels those arms extending is more falling with gravity than it

42
00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:55.600
is pressing

43
00:01:55.600 --> 00:01:57.160
with your legs.

44
00:01:57.160 --> 00:02:05.220
So just to demonstrate, you'll see for my chest height, just like so finishes

45
00:02:05.220 --> 00:02:06.600
left finishes

46
00:02:06.600 --> 00:02:08.000
up in front.

47
00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:12.360
There was rotation if you looked at it, the left hand got under the right, but

48
00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:12.800
it was

49
00:02:12.800 --> 00:02:17.770
much more gradual because from this point of view, it's working a little bit

50
00:02:17.770 --> 00:02:19.280
more left

51
00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:24.280
as opposed to working more into out or up.

52
00:02:24.280 --> 00:02:28.160
In the finesse wedge, I talk about the chop versus lift.

53
00:02:28.160 --> 00:02:33.630
This is also a chop type movement where my hands are working more down and left

54
00:02:33.630 --> 00:02:34.240
as opposed

55
00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:37.840
to the full swing where it's a little bit more of a lift type movement.

56
00:02:37.840 --> 00:02:43.220
So those are fair mounted details, just kind of what I want you to focus on is

57
00:02:43.220 --> 00:02:43.920
gradual

58
00:02:43.920 --> 00:02:49.520
tumble or gradual closing of the club face as your arms are extending and your

59
00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:50.200
body keeps

60
00:02:50.200 --> 00:02:53.520
turning and you'll get really good at controlling the distance with your

61
00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:54.520
distance wedges.

Have questions?

Ask Mulligan for help
Related topics
This video hasn't been assigned to any topics yet. Browse all topics in the sidebar.
Tyler Ferrell is the only person in the world named to Golf Digest's list of Best Young Teachers in America AND its list of Best Golf Fitness Professionals in America.

Understand the Distance Wedge Release for Better Control

After this video, you'll be able to:

  • Identify the key differences in release mechanics between your full swing and distance wedge swing.
  • Recognize how less dynamic lower body movement affects your distance wedge release.
  • Visualize the gradual hand motion needed for effective distance wedge shots.

In this video, you'll learn how to properly release your distance wedge swing, emphasizing the subtle differences from your full swing. Understanding this concept will help you achieve more consistent contact and distance control.

Video Transcript
WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.000
In this drill video, we're going to look at the release of the distance wedge

2
00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:05.040
swing.

3
00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:09.440
Now the release of the distance wedge swing in concept is going to be exactly

4
00:00:09.440 --> 00:00:09.960
the same

5
00:00:09.960 --> 00:00:13.250
as your stock full swing, but I'm going to show you how it's going to be

6
00:00:13.250 --> 00:00:14.320
slightly different

7
00:00:14.320 --> 00:00:16.380
because of what you do in transition.

8
00:00:16.380 --> 00:00:20.340
So you know in the stock full swing, I talk a lot about how your arms are going

9
00:00:20.340 --> 00:00:20.840
to kind

10
00:00:20.840 --> 00:00:25.850
of rotate through impact, but if you remember from Zorro swings, the reason

11
00:00:25.850 --> 00:00:26.800
that they are

12
00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:31.760
going to rotate through impact is because there has been this pronounced flatt

13
00:00:31.760 --> 00:00:32.920
ening move

14
00:00:32.920 --> 00:00:35.320
during transition.

15
00:00:35.320 --> 00:00:38.880
Because my arms have been rotated when they go to extend, they're going to

16
00:00:38.880 --> 00:00:39.720
rotate pretty

17
00:00:39.720 --> 00:00:42.280
aggressively, like so.

18
00:00:42.280 --> 00:00:46.930
Well in the distance wedge, when you get to the top of the swing, there's not

19
00:00:46.930 --> 00:00:47.240
going

20
00:00:47.240 --> 00:00:49.880
to be this drastic flattening move.

21
00:00:49.880 --> 00:00:54.880
In fact from here, it's basically going to go straight towards the golf ball.

22
00:00:54.880 --> 00:01:00.090
So how that ends up looking is it's going to look like my hands had nowhere

23
00:01:00.090 --> 00:01:00.960
near as much

24
00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:05.790
rotation because it's going to be a much more gradual occurrence and it's going

25
00:01:05.790 --> 00:01:06.320
to go over

26
00:01:06.320 --> 00:01:08.080
a shorter range of motion.

27
00:01:08.080 --> 00:01:10.880
Like I'm not going to come from way here to way there.

28
00:01:10.880 --> 00:01:16.120
I'm going to come from maybe vertical to just past vertical.

29
00:01:16.120 --> 00:01:21.440
So it's a smaller range of motion and it's a more gradual occurrence.

30
00:01:21.440 --> 00:01:26.400
And the other thing is it's not going to be as driven by the lower body the way

31
00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:26.600
it is

32
00:01:26.600 --> 00:01:27.720
in the full swing.

33
00:01:27.720 --> 00:01:32.330
So in the transition section or in the release section of the full swing, I

34
00:01:32.330 --> 00:01:33.300
talk about how

35
00:01:33.300 --> 00:01:38.520
that left leg pressing, that right leg pressing that belt rising helps to

36
00:01:38.520 --> 00:01:39.680
propel the club

37
00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:42.640
down and initiate that transition.

38
00:01:42.640 --> 00:01:45.970
You're not going to have nearly as much dynamic movement of the lower body in

39
00:01:45.970 --> 00:01:46.680
your distance

40
00:01:46.680 --> 00:01:47.760
wedges.

41
00:01:47.760 --> 00:01:54.480
And so what propels those arms extending is more falling with gravity than it

42
00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:55.600
is pressing

43
00:01:55.600 --> 00:01:57.160
with your legs.

44
00:01:57.160 --> 00:02:05.220
So just to demonstrate, you'll see for my chest height, just like so finishes

45
00:02:05.220 --> 00:02:06.600
left finishes

46
00:02:06.600 --> 00:02:08.000
up in front.

47
00:02:08.000 --> 00:02:12.360
There was rotation if you looked at it, the left hand got under the right, but

48
00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:12.800
it was

49
00:02:12.800 --> 00:02:17.770
much more gradual because from this point of view, it's working a little bit

50
00:02:17.770 --> 00:02:19.280
more left

51
00:02:19.280 --> 00:02:24.280
as opposed to working more into out or up.

52
00:02:24.280 --> 00:02:28.160
In the finesse wedge, I talk about the chop versus lift.

53
00:02:28.160 --> 00:02:33.630
This is also a chop type movement where my hands are working more down and left

54
00:02:33.630 --> 00:02:34.240
as opposed

55
00:02:34.240 --> 00:02:37.840
to the full swing where it's a little bit more of a lift type movement.

56
00:02:37.840 --> 00:02:43.220
So those are fair mounted details, just kind of what I want you to focus on is

57
00:02:43.220 --> 00:02:43.920
gradual

58
00:02:43.920 --> 00:02:49.520
tumble or gradual closing of the club face as your arms are extending and your

59
00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:50.200
body keeps

60
00:02:50.200 --> 00:02:53.520
turning and you'll get really good at controlling the distance with your

61
00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:54.520
distance wedges.

Have questions about this video?

Ask Mulligan for personalized guidance on technique, drills, or how to apply what you've learned.

Ask Mulligan
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