Wedge Distance Control Made Simple: 6 Tips & Drills for Better Short Game Precision

The short game is the most important aspect of golf if you really want to lower your scores. Having control over your wedge distance and being able to adapt to any shot will help you save pars and make birdies.

To improve your accuracy and consistency with wedge distance, it’s best to practice striking a balance between having mechanics and great feel. The combination of these two areas is how the best wedge players are able to attack pins from any distance.

The tips and drills below address both feel and mechanics, allowing any level golfer to gain control over their wedge distances in a short timeframe.

Wedge Distance Control (Key Takeaways)

Before you get frustrated with your wedge game again, review these key takeaways and try to get some practice in before your next round. You may be surprised by the results.

• Develop a system to control and track your wedge distance by backswing length.
• Make more precise distance adjustments with varying ball positions.
• Maintain consistent wrist angles and shaft lean with all wedges through impact.
• Commit to a balanced follow-through with all wedge shots.
• A smooth tempo will encourage consistent strikes for accurate distances.

Prefer watching over reading? Check out the video below, where Rob Cheney breaks down how to control your wedge distances with precision and confidence.

6 Tips to Gain More Control Over Your Wedge Distance

Getting consistent distance is a combination of feel and mechanics. Operating in this grey area is how the best wedge players get the job done.

Review these tips thoroughly so you can strike a balance and make your wedge game a strength of your game as well.

Control Backswing Length

One of the most widely suggested techniques for wedge distance is the “clock system.”

Imagine your lead arm as the hand of a clock, representing different backswing positions, starting with 12 o’clock as your address position and moving to 3 o’clock as a half backswing and 6 o’clock as the top of the swing.

By repeating specific arm positions and matching them with consistent follow-throughs, you can hit each wedge a more precise distance, like having multiple clubs in one.

This makes practice measurable, reinforces muscle memory, and enables you to dial in any shot between a full and half swing.

Spend time on the range recording how far each length goes for all your wedges, then chart those numbers. This method eliminates guesswork under pressure, allowing for a sense of feel and precision.

	Carry Distance (yards)
52° Wedge
6 o’clock (100%)	120
5 o’clock (85%)	102
3 o’clock (50%)	60
56° Wedge
6 o’clock (100%)	100
5 o’clock (85%)	85
3 o’clock (50%)	50
60° Wedge
6 o’clock (100%)	80
5 o’clock (85%)	68
3 o’clock (50%)	40

Alter Ball Position for Height and Distance

Swing length is not the only way to affect distance with your wedges.

A more technical method involves shifting the ball back in the stance, which delofts the club and lengthens carry. Moving it forward, on the other hand, adds loft and shortens the carry distance.

Experimentation allows you to reliably choose the right position for each shot and know how far each setup will carry.

For example, if you know that moving the ball back one ball width in your stance adds 5% distance, then you can apply it to the appropriate swing.

When choosing your target, always discuss carry distances first and then any additional rollout. Focusing on a landing spot rather than a general yardage to the pin will give you even more control over your wedge distances.  

Example wedge distances with adjusted ball positions:

	Carry Distance (yards)	One Ball BACK in Stance (Carry distance only, does not include added rollout)	One Ball FORWARD in Stance (Carry distance only, does not include reduced rollout)
52° Wedge
6 o’clock (100%)	120	126	114
5 o’clock (85%)	102	107	97
3 o’clock (50%)	60	63	57
56° Wedge
6 o’clock (100%)	100	105	95
5 o’clock (85%)	85	89	81
3 o’clock (50%)	50	53	47
60° Wedge
6 o’clock (100%)	80	84	76
5 o’clock (85%)	68	71	65
3 o’clock (50%)	40	42	38

Control Shaft Lean Through Impact

Trying to “help” the ball up with excessive forward shaft lean or flipping wrists at impact is a common amateur error that can totally change loft, bounce, and spin – all of which affect distance.

Set up with the correct amount of shaft lean (a slight forward shaft lean, but not exaggerated) and maintain this through impact. This leads to a positive role for the wrists, more predictable wedge distances, and better interaction with the turf.

Practicing with Hackmotion prevents bad habits from forming by informing you when your angles are off. If you don’t have one, then wrist flipping can be identified by using a mirror or asking a friend for assistance.

Always Follow Through

Although follow-throughs may be abbreviated on certain wedge shots, they should never be neglected. An indifferent follow-through encourages deceleration, which can drastically affect wedge distance more so than any other club.

No matter the length of your shot and subsequent follow-through, you should always practice using follow-through drills and strive to hit the key checkpoints.

• Weight Forward – Even the shortest wedge shots will require your weight to be forward. This promotes consistent contact, which means consistent distance control.
• Fully Rotated – Being fully rotated doesn’t always refer to your hands and arms. However, even on shorter shots, your belt buckle and shirt buttons should face the target or be very close to it.
• Wrists and Clubhead Released – Releasing the club still needs to happen on short wedge shots, and proof of that is when the wrists are extended. Sometimes they start that way, but no matter what, they should be extended and in a comfortable finish position.

Develop Consistent Tempo and Rhythm

While most amateurs look for success by working on mechanics, professionals stress the importance of tempo. Rushed, jerky, or swings that are too calculated lead to inconsistent contact and unpredictable distances.

Practice with a free metronome app or counting out a steady rhythm (such as “one-two” or “tick-tock”) to develop a sense of smooth acceleration through the ball.

Your backswing and follow-through should mirror each other in pace.

By keeping tempo constant, you can then make deliberate changes to swing length or club selection to fine-tune distance rather than compensating unconsciously. Finding your rhythm seeds trust, even when nervous or playing from tough lies.

Develop a Practice Routine That Includes Randomization

You’ll never face the same shot twice, so it’s best to prepare your wedges to be adaptable to any situation.

Emulate playing conditions by choosing a random target and trying to land it on different spots with various clubs. This enhances adaptability, helps in developing “feel,” and trains your mind and body to trust your swing on the course, where every shot is unique.

Incorporate competitive games (such as HORSE or up-and-down challenges against friends) to add pressure and simulate real conditions.

Over time, you’ll become more versatile and better able to assess the shot and control distance in any situation, just like Phil Mickelson.

Drills to Improve Wedge Distance Control

Knowing that mechanics are just as important as developing a feel for distance is only half the battle. To hone this skill effectively, use the dedicated drills below that will sharpen your sense of distance.

Towel Drill for Wedges

This drill is designed to improve the feel of your wedge swing and helps create a consistent motion through impact. You can also combine this drill with the Hackmotion sensor to further optimize your move towards and through the ball.

The goal of this drill is to unite your body with your arms. Hackmotion helps with this while also tracking your wrist movement, tempo, and multiple other key metrics that are essential when trying to get wedge distances dialed in.

Even without Hackmotion, this drill has been popular on driving ranges for decades because it works.

• Video Timestamp: 3:35 – 7:18

Wedge Progression Drill

If you’re new to controlling your distances, then the best place to start is with small swings like a simple chipping stroke.

This technical drill requires very little rotation, weight transfer, and wrist action at the start. But, by slowly working your way up, you can add more movement as dictated by the distance of your target.

• Video Timestamp: 3:55 – 4:55

One Step Tempo Drill

Develop a repeated tempo for all your wedges with this simple drill. It will help you develop a feel for all wedge distances, and, if used with Hackmotion, can also identify instinctual errors that may occur while you’re out on the golf course.

Tempo may not be the most glamorous aspect of golf to work on, but it will have a positive impact on creating a consistent swing, which is crucial when managing wedge distance.

• Video Timestamp: 3:07 – 4:35

Bump & Pump Downswing Drill

This technical drill is best performed indoors, but can also be adapted for outdoor use. It will help you get into the same position on the downswing, allowing you to gauge your distance more accurately.

This drill works excellently with the HackMotion system because it monitors your wrists at the most crucial point of the swing, the impact position.

• Video Timestamp: 7:51 – 10:04

Final Thoughts

Controlling your wedge distance is a huge advantage to have if you’re trying to lower your handicap. It’s something that’s not discussed enough, as many teaching professionals struggle to explain such a feeling-based skill.

Using the tips above and the drills that are designed to address the mechanical and feel side of controlling wedge distance, you’ll be able to hit your wedges more accurately and consistently.

Hackmotion was also designed to address these two essential factors. The system can track your positions as well as your tempo to help you improve overall with real results. Utilize the system to enhance other aspects of your game in the same manner. In many ways, it’s better than having just one instructor helping you because it addresses so many aspects of the game.