Wedge distance control: build a three-swing chart for 50–100 yards

A 15-handicapper hitting from 50 to 100 yards finishes inside 15 feet only 7% of the time, according to Shot Scope data published by MyGolfSpy in January 2026. Almost three in five of those shots (59%) finish more than 30 feet away.

Most amateurs practise full wedges, so a 65-yard wedge is usually a guess. Give yourself three set swing lengths, measure how far each one carries, and write the numbers down. If you still struggle to make solid contact with a wedge, start with our low-point drill for fat and thin iron shots and come back to this afterwards.

50–100 yards, handicap by handicap

From 50 to 100 yards, a 5-handicapper finishes on average 32 to 39 feet from the hole, a 15-handicapper 42 to 53 feet and a 25-handicapper 47 to 67 feet. A 25-handicapper leaves 72% of these shots outside 30 feet.

PGA TOUR players averaged about 18 feet from 50 to 75 yards in a 2017 Arccos analysis of its shot database. Shot Scope data, again published by MyGolfSpy, shows that 83% of three-putts begin with a first putt from more than 32 feet (see our piece on lag putting).

Three backswings per wedge

The best-known method is the “clock system”. Picture yourself at the centre of a clock face, with your lead arm as the hour hand. In a GOLF.com lesson, Kevin Sprecher, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher, suggests that a backswing to 7:30 produces roughly 50% of your full-swing distance, 9:00 about 75% and 10:30 about 90%. Your own numbers will differ, which is why you measure them.

Keep everything else the same: the same tempo, the same full turn through the ball, the same balanced finish. Only the length of the backswing changes. With three wedges and three swings each, you have nine distances between your shortest pitch and a full pitching wedge.

The drill: build your chart

You need a range or practice ground with flags at known distances, 15 balls per wedge and a notepad or phone. A launch monitor helps but is not essential.

1. Pick one wedge. Start with the one you use most from inside 100 yards.
2. Rehearse the three swings without a ball. Make two practice swings to 7:30, two to 9:00 and two to 10:30. Check where your lead arm stops; a mirror or a phone video helps the first time.
3. Hit five balls with each swing. Aim at a flag but don’t try to hit it: your job is to make the same swing five times and watch where the balls land.
4. Record carry, not total. Note where each ball lands, not where it stops. Roll changes with every green; carry stays much more stable. Without a launch monitor, pace from the hitting area to where the balls pitched, or use a rangefinder on a ball lying near the landing spot. Discard any obvious mishits and average the rest.
5. Repeat with your other wedges over the next few sessions, then write all the numbers on a small card or a strip of tape on the shaft.

Using the chart on the course

From inside 100 yards:

1. Get the carry number, not the flag number. Take the yardage to the flag and subtract the roll you expect on this green. Firm and downhill means more roll; soft and uphill means less.
2. Find the closest number on your card. Choose that club and swing length.
3. If the number falls between two swings, take the longer swing with the more lofted club, rather than trying to take a bit off by feel.
4. Rehearse the exact swing. Make one practice swing, exactly the length of the one you are about to play, then hit it.

Length or speed: coaches disagree

In a Backswing.com roundup of 30 golf professionals, most favoured changing swing length, some preferred changing speed or tempo, and several said it depends on the player. If a steady tempo with a shorter swing feels unnatural, try keeping the length fixed and changing the pace instead. Use whichever produces the tighter group in the drill.

Golfers with limited shoulder turn may find their “10:30” is close to a full swing. The labels on your card are yours; only the carry numbers need to be accurate. Gripping down the handle is another way to take a little off any swing.

Targets from 25 handicap to single figures

• Around 25 handicap: build the chart for one wedge only and aim to hit the green from 50 to 80 yards.
• 10 to 20 handicap: chart two or three wedges. Aim for more shots finishing inside 30 feet.
• Single figures: chart every wedge and check the numbers every few months. Track how close you finish in the 50–100-yard band and work on whichever swing gives the widest spread.

Tape on the shaft

Before you play, write three carry numbers on a piece of tape on the shaft of your most-used wedge, even if they are rough estimates. On every shot inside 100 yards, pick a swing from the tape. After the round, note how many finished on the green and whether the misses were long or short. Then go to the range and correct the numbers.

Sources

• MyGolfSpy: The short-game skills you think you have versus what the data shows (Shot Scope data, 2026)
• MyGolfSpy: Arccos – the 50-yard wedge shot
• GOLF.com: This clever trick can help you dial in difficult wedge distance control (Kevin Sprecher)
• Backswing.com: To dial in distance on wedge shots, should players focus more on swing length or swing speed?
• MyGolfSpy: The anatomy of a 3-putt (powered by Shot Scope)