Anyone Want an Open-Faced Sand Wedge?

A longtime PGA TOUR pro debunks the myth that the clubface should remain open through impact

You probably have heard that the face of your wedge should be open enough after impact that you could balance a wine glass on it. Whoever said that might have drunk the contents of the glass before dispensing that advice.

Keeping the clubface open past impact with the body rotating and the hands pulling supposedly holds the angle in the back of the right hand.

The truth is, according to 3-D experts and video, with any speed in the clubhead, its inertia will rotate the clubface or close it past impact.

You want to release the clubhead with rotation in your arms and hands to have the proper shaft lean and use the bounce of the sand wedge at impact. If you hold the angle by pulling and turning, you will have too much shaft lean at impact. The sharp leading edge will dig into the ground, and if you hit a quarter inch behind the ball you will chili-dip it.

You will have more room for error by releasing your hands and wrists, because the wedge sole will bounce or dropkick into the ball. There will be little difference in the distance between this shot and a clean strike. Start releasing the club head, hitting down, and feeling the club releasing with speed as you go past impact. You want the orbit of the club head to be unimpeded as it goes through impact to your finish.

Above: I pulled the handle through, rotated my body, and held the angle.

Above: The clubface rotated perpendicular to the plane and the speed in the club head rotated my arms, hands, and wrists. Notice that my hips only slightly rotated vs the pulling and turning method.

Above: Past impact, you can see that the hips are only slightly rotated with the club head passing my left arm and hand with the club face toe up and perpendicular to the plane.

Above: At impact, I am still hitting the ball with loft in the slightly open clubface and the shaft leaning slightly more forward than at address due to my lower body shirting laterally toward the target.

DRILL:
To get the feel, tee a ball up, put it forward in your stance and start hitting some shots with just your trailing right arm and hand. This will give you the proper feel of the release and using less body rotation. Now hit some with both hands and try to get that feel. If you are still having trouble, make sure your weight is in your lead side, and the club head is on plane coming into the ball. Better to be steep with your club head plane than shallow. Being on plane coming into the ball is crucial. 25-Year PGA Tour veteran Larry Rinker is director of instruction at Red Sky Golf Academy in Wolcott from June to September. For more information call the Red Sky golf shop at 970-754-8377 or email [email protected].

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