NEED MORE TOUCH AROUND THE GREENS? DEADEN THE STRIKE Here’s how to take advantage of the newest wedge designs High-lofted wedges are more forgiving and user- friendly than ever. In addition to being designed to glide along the turf better, many have bigger heads and grooves from one end of the face to the other. Not only do they give you a decent result on less-than-perfect strikes, they also can add more touch to your shots around the greens. Here’s one way to take advantage of the tech. I often see amateurs mistakenly decelerate the club into the ball because of a lack of confidence – they fear hitting the chip too far. You have to keep your speed up through impact, and one way to be more aggressive is to strike the ball closer to the toe of the clubface. This dead- ens the shot, so it doesn’t go as far. It’s a play that is super useful if you are short-sided in high grass. Just get into a normal chipping stance – slightly open with your weight forward – and address the ball more out on the toe like I am here ( below ). Now make a healthy, accelerating swing focused on getting the club back to the ball in the same position you had it at address. The ball will come off soft and a little higher, stopping quickly. Hitting it off the heel is terrifying, but shots off the toe are confidence-builders.
ODYSSEY Ai-One Square 2 Square R6 300
GOLD
OVERALL RATING ★★★★ ½
• Weighting and shaft
position align the shaft with the head’s centre of gravity so that the face angle naturally remains square to the stroke path.
PERFORMANCE ★★★★ INNOVATION ★★★★★ LOOK / SOUND / FEEL ★★★★
• The shaft angle’s
built-in forward press promotes consistent contact with the centre of the face. • The face insert is the same as the standard Ai-One models. • Designers used AI and machine learning to explore more than 2,000 design versions to develop the face insert’s asymmetrical thickness pattern. • Models: 2. Lengths: 33-35 inches
‘The stability of the face was amazing. The tech was working for me on mis-hits for sure. Gave me confidence to focus on just making a stroke with no need to manipulate.’ – 1-HANDICAP
– Megan Padua Buzza, Golf Digest Best Young Teacher, Buzza Golf Coaching, Frisco, Texas
AESTHETICS
Plain
Elaborate
ACOUSTICS
Quieter
Louder
SENSORY
Softer
Firmer
HEFT
Lighter
Heavier
ALIGNMENT
Modest
Aggressive
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 121
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