I worked hard on the clock system over last winter with launch monitor and reversed engineered my swings to get certain distances that were spread out more and like Pelz distances he had in the book. His 10:30 swing is ~90% of his full swing with that particular wedge. I even used my 10:30 swing down to 8 iron and it produces a high straight shot. He also talked about taking yards off by choking down. Great video!
Gday James , firstly i am really enjoying your wedge tips , i myself use the clock-face method and when i have an odd distance i just adjust slightly to create the distance required , at least you have a base reference to start with . The complete feel method would just be wildly guessing . I also use many clubs for chipping and pitching depending on carry and roll out , eg . 60 =1/1 , 56 = 1/2 roll out etc right through the bag, depending where i want to land it and how far i want it to runout .some days i will spend a whole range session with just pw to lob wedge for windows and flights kicking left or right when it lands . Excellent content thank you.
Love it, James. I think I use both.. I have 3 clock face yardages for each club as a baseline, to help eliminate some doubt, then use feel from there. If I’m struggling though, I just go strict clock face and accept whatever may come.
Yes I think you're onto the best idea there, ultimately you can't eliminate the need to train feel so maybe better to embrace this and use the clock face as the foundation
Hi James, cheers from Boston! I like this clock method for consistency and very little thinking. I'm determined to dial my wedges in this Spring and will use this method daily. Thank you
I worked hard on method #2 one summer with a launch monitor and net, and it's been great. 58 degree for everything up until about 75 yards. The other thing that's nice about this method is that spin loft/launch is kept consistent. If you use the clock system and are going all the way down to a PW, for instance, you won't be getting the same spin on the ball.
I tried the clock face strategy but was unable to consistently regulate my club head speeds on the course. I think it would work if I had a launch monitor and could practice each setting to get consistent speeds and build confidence, then maybe I would trust it enough for the course.
Brilliant. Excellent summary. Re where your required yardage to pin doesn't line up with your clock yardages ...4 wedges resulting in 12 yardages will help minimize occurrence & size of yardage variance...could gripping down on club & keep everything else the same/no other adjustments, be a good approach/solution?
Thanks. Yes using an additional wedge would help plug the gaps for sure. Other adjustments as you suggest might help. I'd be tempted to use a two wedge system to avoid the higher smash factors with the less lofted and maybe use some other adjustments with those.
Another great video James, I personally use the clockface but only 9 - 12 with 4 wedges, this gives me distances between 60 and 120yds. Anything less than that i go by feel but I try not to leave those 30 - 50 yard shots as I feel I have less control of the spin especially if shot sided.
I know Sasho Mackenzie has done a lot of research into heads up putting and found that it would benefit most people as far as distance control goes, i.e. looking at your target whilst you putt. Would be interesting to see if heads up chipping would also work out better for distance control. I suspect it may work out OK up to a certain distance - the better the short game technique, the further you could go with it. Like heads up putting does for my putting stroke (I've done this for the past couple of years now), it would also free up the chipping motion. Will give it another go next practice session (tried it for the first time last week). Would be an interesting video to see Mr R.
I've always done a hybrid model of both with a 56° as my dominant wedge. I recommend a clock system as starting point but with a minor twist - I think of my body parts (ie belly button, chest, shoulder) as opposed to 10pm on a clock. I can relate to my hands level to my shoulder easier than imagining a clock
Great video and we must remember that the clock also relies on clubhead speed. I use the 9 o'clock feel but hit them much longer than you did in the video so i must have more speed through impact, keeping that speed the same or changing it again is a skill so even the clock requires skill. I think changes in speed will have a way bigger effect on distance than the arm swining a few inches longer or shorter.
Great vid, thanks for sharing. For high handicappers trying to get scores down I feel clock gives them a reference point and confidence. 'Feel' comes from practice and experience, which occassional high hcp players often lack. For micro adjustment you can take off 5 yards by chunking down grip or add 5 yards by putting ball back in stance and having hands slightly forward at impact to decrease loft and send further. Invaluable for high handicappers but even Tour Pros like Bryson DeChambeau use similar concepts to clock I believe.
Great video James! I think your feel system would be way improved if you had visual targets at the yardage as well. What do you think about using more of a speed based system - eg something like 3/4 swing soft, smooth, and fast + full swing soft, smooth and fast ? So it’s less about thinking how far back to swing and more about how quick you swing
Interesting point, I've always been pretty good at not needing a target and able to hit to numbers. This removes the potential to be fooled by perspective, ie shorter/taller flags, trees behind vs empty and dead ground hidden in front of greens. Having said that many players NEED a visual target. It's comparable to sight line vs no sight line on a putter. Can help or hurt. Altering speeds from the same length backswing is tough! Maybe worth a test though 😉
Interesting. Would be interesting to see if you did try and adjust shots slightly to compensate for yardage’s with the clock face system whether it would change things. I would guess not.
Good question, I think it would allow me to choose the most lofted option close to the number needed though. Then I could put more aggressive swings on it.
@@JamesRidyardGolf I find the clock work is so efficient for the lack of time to practice all the time. It helps remove the eye test on feel too. Far too long in my youth it was all 56 degrees as swing harder and softer. But I found sometimes the arms would out race the body or not take them back far enough and then throw them basically never really in sync. Clock work changed my game. But definitely the lesser 7:30 / 8 o clock move. Requires practice or just removing it totally because of the amount of pace you need for how short it is. For that it's a short distance in general anyway so I binned that off and just used feel by the eyes. Went 9,10,11, full. And stayed with them. Great video James. Helps validate my decision thanks.
If you think about it, you barely practiced the clockface and was within 6 feet of accuracy to what you do all the time. Also it seems accept that distance wedge variance will be about 4 yards at the best of circumstances.
Absolutely, it was pretty close. Before adding things up I felt it had outperformed my usual method. The thing I would struggle to get past is hitting a 7:30 52 for example, find it hard to hit something that soft. The issue with a high smash factor starts to come into play.
Before my break I used the clock face but I struggled from 100-125 and below 50. Since coming back I have 9 o’clock yardages with 2 clubs and feel it from there I’m not too sure I’m much worse between those dodgy points but I am better below 50 and over 100
I worked hard on the clock system over last winter with launch monitor and reversed engineered my swings to get certain distances that were spread out more and like Pelz distances he had in the book. His 10:30 swing is ~90% of his full swing with that particular wedge. I even used my 10:30 swing down to 8 iron and it produces a high straight shot. He also talked about taking yards off by choking down. Great video!
I know you have been at it for quite a while, but your smooth and consistent swing (and balance) is envy-inspiring!
Thanks, I'm definitely at peace with wedges!
Gday James , firstly i am really enjoying your wedge tips , i myself use the clock-face method and when i have an odd distance i just adjust slightly to create the distance required , at least you have a base reference to start with . The complete feel method would just be wildly guessing . I also use many clubs for chipping and pitching depending on carry and roll out , eg . 60 =1/1 , 56 = 1/2 roll out etc right through the bag, depending where i want to land it and how far i want it to runout .some days i will spend a whole range session with just pw to lob wedge for windows and flights kicking left or right when it lands . Excellent content thank you.
Love it, James. I think I use both.. I have 3 clock face yardages for each club as a baseline, to help eliminate some doubt, then use feel from there. If I’m struggling though, I just go strict clock face and accept whatever may come.
Yes I think you're onto the best idea there, ultimately you can't eliminate the need to train feel so maybe better to embrace this and use the clock face as the foundation
Hi James, cheers from Boston! I like this clock method for consistency and very little thinking. I'm determined to dial my wedges in this Spring and will use this method daily. Thank you
Small efforts daily will take you far Neil! Thanks!!
I worked hard on method #2 one summer with a launch monitor and net, and it's been great. 58 degree for everything up until about 75 yards. The other thing that's nice about this method is that spin loft/launch is kept consistent. If you use the clock system and are going all the way down to a PW, for instance, you won't be getting the same spin on the ball.
I tried the clock face strategy but was unable to consistently regulate my club head speeds on the course. I think it would work if I had a launch monitor and could practice each setting to get consistent speeds and build confidence, then maybe I would trust it enough for the course.
These videos are so good!! Smart, informative and motivating. Need to get the Winter practice in!
Glad you like them!
Brilliant. Excellent summary.
Re where your required yardage to pin doesn't line up with your clock yardages ...4 wedges resulting in 12 yardages will help minimize occurrence & size of yardage variance...could gripping down on club & keep everything else the same/no other adjustments, be a good approach/solution?
Thanks.
Yes using an additional wedge would help plug the gaps for sure. Other adjustments as you suggest might help.
I'd be tempted to use a two wedge system to avoid the higher smash factors with the less lofted and maybe use some other adjustments with those.
Another great video James, I personally use the clockface but only 9 - 12 with 4 wedges, this gives me distances between 60 and 120yds. Anything less than that i go by feel but I try not to leave those 30 - 50 yard shots as I feel I have less control of the spin especially if shot sided.
Fantastic video 👍
I know Sasho Mackenzie has done a lot of research into heads up putting and found that it would benefit most people as far as distance control goes, i.e. looking at your target whilst you putt. Would be interesting to see if heads up chipping would also work out better for distance control. I suspect it may work out OK up to a certain distance - the better the short game technique, the further you could go with it. Like heads up putting does for my putting stroke (I've done this for the past couple of years now), it would also free up the chipping motion. Will give it another go next practice session (tried it for the first time last week). Would be an interesting video to see Mr R.
I've always done a hybrid model of both with a 56° as my dominant wedge. I recommend a clock system as starting point but with a minor twist - I think of my body parts (ie belly button, chest, shoulder) as opposed to 10pm on a clock. I can relate to my hands level to my shoulder easier than imagining a clock
Great video and we must remember that the clock also relies on clubhead speed. I use the 9 o'clock feel but hit them much longer than you did in the video so i must have more speed through impact, keeping that speed the same or changing it again is a skill so even the clock requires skill. I think changes in speed will have a way bigger effect on distance than the arm swining a few inches longer or shorter.
Exactly, there's a good chance that either system might hold advantages depending on the acceleration profile of the player. Just a thought!
Great vid, thanks for sharing. For high handicappers trying to get scores down I feel clock gives them a reference point and confidence. 'Feel' comes from practice and experience, which occassional high hcp players often lack. For micro adjustment you can take off 5 yards by chunking down grip or add 5 yards by putting ball back in stance and having hands slightly forward at impact to decrease loft and send further. Invaluable for high handicappers but even Tour Pros like Bryson DeChambeau use similar concepts to clock I believe.
Great video James! I think your feel system would be way improved if you had visual targets at the yardage as well.
What do you think about using more of a speed based system - eg something like 3/4 swing soft, smooth, and fast + full swing soft, smooth and fast ?
So it’s less about thinking how far back to swing and more about how quick you swing
Interesting point, I've always been pretty good at not needing a target and able to hit to numbers. This removes the potential to be fooled by perspective, ie shorter/taller flags, trees behind vs empty and dead ground hidden in front of greens.
Having said that many players NEED a visual target. It's comparable to sight line vs no sight line on a putter. Can help or hurt.
Altering speeds from the same length backswing is tough! Maybe worth a test though 😉
Interesting. Would be interesting to see if you did try and adjust shots slightly to compensate for yardage’s with the clock face system whether it would change things. I would guess not.
Good question, I think it would allow me to choose the most lofted option close to the number needed though. Then I could put more aggressive swings on it.
@@JamesRidyardGolf I find the clock work is so efficient for the lack of time to practice all the time. It helps remove the eye test on feel too. Far too long in my youth it was all 56 degrees as swing harder and softer. But I found sometimes the arms would out race the body or not take them back far enough and then throw them basically never really in sync. Clock work changed my game. But definitely the lesser 7:30 / 8 o clock move. Requires practice or just removing it totally because of the amount of pace you need for how short it is. For that it's a short distance in general anyway so I binned that off and just used feel by the eyes.
Went 9,10,11, full. And stayed with them.
Great video James. Helps validate my decision thanks.
If you think about it, you barely practiced the clockface and was within 6 feet of accuracy to what you do all the time. Also it seems accept that distance wedge variance will be about 4 yards at the best of circumstances.
Absolutely, it was pretty close. Before adding things up I felt it had outperformed my usual method. The thing I would struggle to get past is hitting a 7:30 52 for example, find it hard to hit something that soft. The issue with a high smash factor starts to come into play.
Before my break I used the clock face but I struggled from 100-125 and below 50. Since coming back I have 9 o’clock yardages with 2 clubs and feel it from there I’m not too sure I’m much worse between those dodgy points but I am better below 50 and over 100
It was kinda confusing changing wedges and clock hand at the same time.
You're telling me!