Tee Box TIPS: Bellied wedge from high grass can save your score




Use your sand wedge for the bellied wedge shot.

Use your sand wedge for the bellied wedge shot.

Unfortunately as we all know the golf gods don’t always smile upon us. Sometimes you hit a good shot into a green, and the ball releases and finishes up against the higher grass surrounding the green.

So now what do you do? First, don’t get upset. You have an opportu­nity to recover and it’s not that difficult. Follow these steps and use a shot called the bellied wedge.

Take your sand wedge and use your putting grip. When you swing, the goal is to strike the belly of the ball with the leading edge of the clubface. The ball will roll like a putt.

 

 

At address, hold the club shaft more upright so the club’s heel is off the ground. This helps the club-head slide through the longer grass without twisting or getting stuck.

As you get ready to swing, hover the club off the ground so the leading edge is in line with the belly or middle of the ball.

Swing the club smoothly, keeping your follow-through short because the ball will come off with a lot of overspin.

With a little bit of practice this can become a predictable shot and a valuable one to have in your bag.

Mark Moffatt is director of instruction at Shadow Wood Country Club. He can be reached at markm@swspotlight.com


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