Did you know that in the 2021 PGA Tour season, the average proximity to the hole from 50-75 yards was 25 feet, five inches?
Hard to believe, right? Here are the stats from the PGA Tour website to prove it.
It’s very hard to believe that they don’t get closer in proximity from such a short range. But that goes to show, this distance isn’t easy, even for the best of the best golfers on the planet.
Ideally, you would never leave yourself this distance as it’s so challenging. But golf is not a game of perfection and you are bound to find yourself in this tough distance from time to time. To help you hit it closer and take the fear out of this shot, let’s get into it.
How to Hit a Wedge Shot 50 to 75 Yards
Chances are you’ve asked a coach or solid player you golf with, “How do you hit a 50 yard wedge?”
It’s a good question because the 50-75 yard range is a challenging shot, even for scratch golfers and professionals. Heck, I’m a scratch player myself but remember struggling with this shot myself and have a specific memory that still sticks with me.
In a one-day qualifier I found myself with this awkward distance on the first hole. My tee shot found the right fairway bunker and I hit a decent 7-iron out of the sand, but left myself 60 yards to a front pin. There was water long too but not in play… or so I thought.
I had no idea what to do. Do I go low and bump it? Do I hit it high with spin?
All I remember is decelerating on my downswing, thinning the shot in the water, and making double bogey to start the round (on an easy par 5). Needless to say, I didn’t advance in the qualifier.
The next week I saw my coach and asked him how to hit the shot. His answer, “Play smarter so you don’t have that distance… especially to a front pin.”
The truth hurts and he’s 100% right. My course management was lacking on my second shot and left me with a terrible distance to a tough pin position. Luckily, we worked on the shot and I learned from my mistake.
As you know, weird stuff happens on the golf course as you know so it’s important to learn how to hit this shot so you’re prepared for anything. Here is the step-by-step plan to play the 50-75 yard shot.
Step 1: Assess the Shot
The first step in learning how to hit a wedge shot 50 to 75 yards is assessing the shot before committing to a club or target. Just your basic approach shot strategy applies here.
Here are five things to think about; total distance, pin position, lie, green conditions, and wind. Each factor will dictate the type of shot you should play and where you want the ball to land.
Do not skip this step! I know it feels like a lot of analyzing for such a short shot, but you need to have all of this to make a confident swing on your wedge shot.
Total Distance
Before picking a club for the shot, first use your rangefinder or golf GPS to find your distance to the flag. Then, get your number to the front or back of the green depending on the pin position.
Now you have the pin number and the distance to the front or back of the green.
Pin Location
Next up, you need to figure out where the pin is located on the green as it dictates the club and landing spot.
For example, if you have 65 yards to a back pin, how much room do you have to the back of the green? If you’re in a tournament, this is easy to figure out with a pin sheet. If not, take your best guess as you’re close enough to the green you should be able to take an educated guess.
A middle or back pin is usually easier to get close as you can play a variety of shots. While a front pin is the most challenging since you won’t get a ton of spin. Since you’re hitting a half or three quarter shot, you won’t get nearly the type of spin as you would with a full swing wedge.
Lie
Once you have your two distances (one to the pin and one to the front or back of the green), you need to assess your lie. Your lie plays a huge role in deciding the type of shot to hit and where you want the ball to land.
If you’re in the fairway cut of grass, you will get the most spin and the shot will be easier to make solid contact. If you’re in the rough, you will need to swing harder (depending on how deep the rough length) and won’t get as much spin in the 50 to 75 yards range.
Greens
Don’t forget about the greens themselves either as the conditions dictate your landing spot. Are the greens firm and fast? Or, are they slower and more receptive?
If the greens are firm and fast, you might need to play more bounce and forward spin. But if the greens are soft, the shot is generally easier as you can expect it to land and stop quickly on the green.
Wind
Lastly, make sure you double-check the wind too.
If you’re hitting into the wind, the shot is easier as it’ll stop quickly. But if you’re hitting downwind, the ball will bounce forward more as you don’t get as much spin.
Once you do your due diligence in assessing the shot, it’s time to pick the target and club to make it happen.
Step 2: Choose the Right Shot and Golf Club
Pick Your Shot
Once you have all the details to analyze the shot, it’s time to pick one shot and commit. Do you want to hit it high, medium, or low trajectory?
This should be based on the five factors above. Here are a few scenarios on how to play different types of shots.
- Front pin, downwind, firm conditions: This is arguably the hardest shot from the 50 to 75 yards range. When you find yourself here, try to land the ball near the pin and it should release to the middle of the green. This isn’t the time to get cute and leave it short of the green.
- Middle pin, no wind, soft conditions: A middle pin is much easier as you have some green to work with. You can take a high LW and when the greens are soft, it shouldn’t roll more than a few feet once it hits the green. Or, you can take a lower lofted wedge (GW or SW) and land it on the front and release it back to the pin.
- Back pin, no wind, medium conditions: With a back pin, I like to take a lower approach and land it in the middle of the green. A higher approach shot isn’t ideal to a back pin and can result in missing long which is short siding yourself. Instead, use a SW or GW as it makes the shot easier and there is a larger margin for error.
Pick the Right Wedge
If you’re like most golfers, you probably think that you should automatically hit LW from this distance. Since it’s inside 75 yards, you don’t need much club… right?
Wrong. Sure, sometimes a LW is the right play from this distance, especially if you’re short sided and don’t have much green to work with. Or, if the greens are firm and not very receptive.
But you shouldn’t hit LW 100% of the time for a few reasons.
First, a lob wedge isn’t the easiest club to hit consistently. While it’s the shortest club in the bag, it’s easy to hit it high on the face due to the loft unless you have perfect form. That’s why I don’t even recommend a lob wedge to someone who can’t break 90 yet.
Read our full article to see if it’s time to put a lob wedge in your bag.
Second, I don’t recommend the average golfer to hit a “hard” LW for a few yards extra. Meaning, if you hit it 80 yards full, don’t try to hit one 85 or 90 yards. It will likely throw off your tempo and can lead to poor contact and big misses.
Plus, if you do hit it perfectly when you try to “step on” a wedge, it’s going to spin a lot. This extra spin might land close to the pin but then suck back or completely off the green.
Instead, the play is sometimes using less club like an SW and take a half swing. It’s almost always better to hit a SW, choke up, and take a shorter, half swing. The ball will be flighted down, should hit once, then bounce, and stop.
Play the percentages with partial wedge shots for a more consistent short game!
Step 3: Confirm Your Carry Distance and Landing Spot
Once you have the right shot and wedge, confirm your distance and landing spot. Please remember, your distance isn’t the distance to the flag.
You have to play for the golf ball to release, especially from short range.
Since you won’t spin a golf ball as much from 40 or 50 yards, you need to anticipate the ball to roll out 5-10 (or more) feet. For example, if you have a 65 yard shot, the number you want to confirm to yourself might be “59 or 60 yards.”
The more you can make a full swing with a golf club, the more spin you will get!
After you pick your number, try to find a spot or area to land the shot. This will give your mind a clear picture of where you want the ball to land and then release like pitch shots.
So many golfers look at the flagstick, not the pin, and then end up hitting it too hard. When in reality, it’s confusing to the mind as you’re focusing on the pin, not your landing spot.
Try to find something; a ridge, dark or light colored spot of grass, or a shadow. The more clear a picture you can give your mind, the better. Remember, 25 feet is the average for elite players so don’t feel like you have to force it to a tucked pin either.
Step 4 – Nail Your Pre-Shot Routine
The pre-shot routine is one of the most important parts of any shot in golf; whether it’s a pitching wedge or any golf club. But specifically with tricky shots like this one as they are intimidating wedge shots. It’s vital that you go through your routine and rehearse the shot with your practice swing.
Try to clip the grass like you will on your swing. Pick your target, hone in on it, and execute the shot.
My final piece of advice?
Make sure to accelerate through the shot. So many golfers decelerate from short range which leads to chunking or skulling it over the green.
Don’t forget, speed equals spin (and solid contact) which you need both to hit a wedge shot well. Commit to the shot and hit it with conviction!
Step 5: Practice on the Driving Range
Finally, to learn how to hit a wedge shot 50 to 75 yards, you need to practice. I’ve found this type of shot is one of the first to go after a break from the game so make sure it’s something you incorporate into your practice routine.
It’s hard to put the golf bag in the garage for a few months and still expect to pull it off. Make sure you hit plenty of balls so you have more options and better distance control on the course.
Go here to read about how a wedge swing differs from an iron swing.
FAQs
Now that you know the mindset to hitting these types of shots, chances are you want some mechanics too. Let’s get into it…
How do you hit a 50 yard wedge?
50 yards isn’t an easy shot as it’s not a full club distance for pretty much any golfer. Since it’s more like a half or three quarter swing, it’s harder to generate spin and get it close to the hole. But remember, the goal isn’t always to get to tap in, as the pros don’t even hit it that close consistently.
Instead, you want to hit a high percentage shot and try to get inside 25 feet (the PGA Tour average). The last thing you want to do is miss the green from this distance and waste shots from close range.
To play the 50 yard shot, here are two options, neither of which requiring you to have an open clubface. I think that an open club face adds more variables and ultimately makes the shot quite a bit more difficult.
Option 1: Front Pin, High Shot
As I discussed earlier, a front pin is the hardest pin position from short range.
In this case, you want to land it close to the hole and it will release depending on the green speed. Do not try to land it short of the green in the rough and “hope” it will bounce up!
Always play the higher percentage shot, which is landing it on the green. Here’s how to hit the 50-yard shot:
- Choke up one inch on your most lofted wedge.
- Move 60-70% of your weight on your lead foot to help hit down on it.
- Keep the ball position off your front foot to promote a higher ball flight.
- Cock your wrists quickly on the backswing and take a less than full swing to accommodate for the shorter distance.
- Finish with a high follow through to promote a higher ball flight, which should land softer due to the launch.
If you find yourself in this position, take your medicine (aka the middle of the green) and move on. Don’t try to force it and get too cute by leaving it short as you invite a big number on the scorecard.
Option 2: Middle or Back Pin
A middle or back pin is much easier from 50 yards and can play it a number of different ways. Some players like to use the approach for a front pin but move the ball back slightly in their stance. While other golfers prefer to use a 56 degree sand wedge and hit it lower.
This is 100% your choice. My only advice here is to make sure to commit to the shot and landing spot. Then, take practice swings that mimic your upcoming swing to get your mind and body on the same page.
How do you chip 75 yards?
If you have a lot of green to work with, sometimes “chipping” it is better than a full swing. Pitch shots like these give you great distance control and a pitching wedge is usually much easier to hit shots with than higher lofted clubs.
For example, let’s say you have 75 yards to the pin but the front of the green is only 45 yards. You can play this shot a lot of different ways, one of which is sort of like a bump and run from longer range.
Personally, I think the higher percentage play is going lower so the shot releases like a putt. It’s always a good idea to keep the ball low to the ground and get it rolling on the green.
For this shot, a good idea might be to try a GW or PW as it has less loft. This will flight it lower and make it easier to get forward spin and have the ball release it to a back pin. If you’re more of an advanced golfer, you can opt for an LW or SW but if contact isn’t great, you’ll have a much longer putt.
If you go the low route, choke up on the club and stand closer at address. Move the ball to the center or just back of center of your stance.
Then, take a half swing about waist high on the way back and through. This should create a low flying shot that hits with less spin, and releases to the back pin.
Make sure to hit these shots on the driving range to test the trajectory and get comfortable before taking it to the golf course.
How do you hit a 70 yard wedge?
A 70-yard wedge shot is much easier than a 50 or 60 yard shot. For most golfers, a 70 yard shot is nearly a full lob wedge distance so not much changes from a normal swing.
But if you find yourself with some wind or a tough pin position, you might want to opt for a GW or SW instead. Since your lob wedge is meant to go high, it’s not always a great option to hit it into the wind as it’ll likely end up short.
How do you hit wedges under 100 yards?
You must know your distances first and foremost. So many golfers have vague ideas of carry distance with each club but not clear numbers which makes it harder to score well on the course.
Step one is using a launch monitor or app to track how far you hit each club. Then, you can have a benchmark that makes it easier to decide what club to use on the golf course.
For example, let’s say you hit LW 75 yards and SW 95 yards. For 85 yards, choke up an inch and hit your sand wedge. If it’s 60 yards, follow the advice above, choke up on the LW, and hit your shot.
Knowing your distances is key to playing your best golf and scoring well from inside 100 yards.
How far do pros hit their wedges?
PGA pros can hit wedge shots in a variety of ways with tons of different distances. But for reference’s sake, this Trackman study found the average PGA distance of PW is 136 yards. Sadly, they don’t include distances for other wedges like LW, SW, or GW.
But the point is that distance doesn’t matter with wedges. You should play the right club to get it close, whether it’s a pitching wedge or LW. Most PGA players love to hit knockdown, half swing shots to better control trajectory and spin.
Don’t feel like you have to use one club always or take a full swing on every wedge shot! Practice hitting balls on the range to find a consistent shot with a wedge you feel comfortable with on the golf course.
Make sure to read our full article on how far you should hit your wedges.
Does the clock system work?
Phil Mickelson says no and he’s the king of wedges in my opinion. Why does he not like this system for tricky in between yardages?
Because he says the clock method promotes deceleration. In theory, it’s a great idea to chop up a normal swing into hands on a clock. But the clock method assumes you have absolute perfect timing and tempo, which most golfers do not.
You can improve your short game tempo after reading this article.
Meanwhile, a partial wedge shot with a shorter swing on the way back will help promote acceleration. Which is needed to hit a wedge with consistency and better than the clock system as you will always create speed through the shot.
How do I get better at 100 yards?
I’m convinced you can’t practice your short game enough.
Whether you want to learn how to hit a wedge shot 50 to 75 yards or just want a few more shots in your game, spend more time inside 100 yards.
Learning how to hit shorter shots comes from spending more time working on it. Give yourself time to experiment with different wedges, trajectories, and distances.
Final Thoughts
The 50 to 75 yard shot is not the easiest but it’s achievable with the right strategy and shot selection. But remember what my coach said, “Don’t leave yourself this distance if possible.”
Use your course management skills to lay up to a better distance for a closer chip shot or full swing wedge. This should make it easier to get the ball close and give yourself a good putt to drain it.
Also, don’t feel like you need to try to stick every wedge shot from this distance to close range. Remember, even PGA pros only hit it to 25.5 feet to the flag. And these are the best guys in the world, playing on the best greens, with brand-new custom fit wedges.
So if you find yourself in this distance and get inside 25 feet, congratulate yourself instead of berating yourself!
