- Increase your overall swing speed
- Control your low point
- Have a predictable shot pattern
- Control the height of the shot
- Measure your distances with a launch monitor
Ready to become a great wedge player?
The good news is that the wedge and short game can be mastered even by those that might lack certain swing speeds or overall great technique.
Don’t get us wrong, the extra swing speed does make it easier as you have less club and more loft to hit one close.
When a golfer is less than 125 yards into a green, it is essential that they are able to dial in their distances and hit a shot on the green and within a quality distance to the pin.
Did you know that the proximity to the pin from 100 yards on the PGA Tour is only 18 feet? Yes, I would have thought it was closer. This is a good lesson for all of us to have realistic expectations.
Data pulled from pgatour.com
Whether you struggle with hitting your sand wedge far enough or hitting it close enough, we have some great tips to take your game to the next level!
How To Hit A Sand Wedge 100 Yards (5 Tips)
Update: I found that developing feel at different key yardages helps you hit shots pin high and within 10 feet. For example, this past seasons, I could feel the 97 yard shot vs the 105 yard shot. From there I would make minor tweaks based on what the shot called for. This came from hitting enough shots with a launch monitor and having a really good idea what these different shots felt like! This lead to an increase in the number of birdies per round to 4.0 for 18 holes! A complete game changer! Also, make sure you have a range finder for your game!
Tip #1: Increase your overall swing speed
If you are someone that can only hit your sand wedge 70-90 yards and are looking for more distance we have a great overspeed training program to increase your swing speed with every club. From your driver to your wedges, an increase in swing speed can help your game greatly. Having 20-30 less yards into a green and then having less club from 100 yard, will make you a better golfer according to the analytics.
With the SuperSpeed Training System detailed below, with the proper time and training, you can take your game to new levels. The next time you have 100 yards left, you can pull the sand wedge and swing with confidence!
I spent many years wondering how I can increase my swing speed. When I was playing junior golf, we weren’t fortunate enough to have some of the training aids and knowledge that is now available. Smart people have studied the golf swing and have created training aids and protocols to help all golfers increase their distance!
At around the same time, the statistics from the PGA Tour have become more clear and the importance of speed is acknowledged by many to be a key to being the best on the PGA Tour.
Within the past several years, there have been several products hit the market to make speed gains possible. While many people for many years waited for the latest driver to come out to gain an additional 5-10 yards, you can now do this even with your current clubs.
Did you know that with the SuperSpeed Training System you can gain 5-8% increase in swing speed as early as the first training session? This would allow you to gain somewhere between 10 and 30 yards depending on your current swing speed.
SuperSpeed Golf – Use Discount Code Golfjourney365 for some savings!
The SuperSpeed Training System is based on three different swing speed sticks all weighing at different weights. There is a green club that is 10% lighter than the average driver, the blue club which is 5% lighter and the red club which is actually 5% heavier!
Following their prescribed protocols the golfer completes the training every other day. The total time to complete most of their protocols is between 10-15 minutes. Most people can find the time to make this happen. The golfer will also need a swing radar to measure their progress.
The science behind the SuperSpeed Training System is based on overspeed training. Overspeed training has been around for several decades now and has been used by olympic athletics in the sport of Track and Field.
The science behind this overspeed training is based on the premise that your brain will only allow your body to move as fast as it feels it can stop safely! So, you get to work and swing the clubs as fast as possible, retraining your brain to allow you to swing your driver faster.
For more permanent results, the golfer should continue these training protocols for several months. The initial 5-8% is great and can become more permanent with the right length of training. The golfer can expect to continue to break down barriers every several months at a 1-2% increase.
My own experience has been an increase of 7-10 miles per hour on average from between 98-101 all the way up to 106-109. My goal is to hit the PGA Tour average of 113 mph in the coming months. I will continue to train every other day and watch in amazement as I am hitting drivers longer now than ever before!
Phil Mickelson (a senior golfer now) has been known to increase his swing speed in the past year or so and is close to 120 miles per hour in his swing speed. There are potential results for golfers of all ability levels and age!
Check the current price on SuperSpeed Golf System, here!
| Original Swing Speed | After 4-6 Weeks | New Carry Distance | Total Distance |
| 95 | 102 | 245 | 265 |
| 100 | 108 | 259 | 279 |
| 105 | 113 | 271 | 291 |
| 110 | 118 | 283 | 303 |
Tip #2: Control your low point
If you have trouble with distance control or maximizing your carry distance, it might be related to your low point control in your golf swing.
All great wedge players are able to control their low point, regardless of their swing speed. The low point control in a swing helps guarantee solid contract with impacts total distance the ability to control your distance. If you have 100 yards left and catch one really clean and hit it 110 yards, it might be fun to brag to your partners that you just flew a sand wedge 110 yards, but it won’t help your score.
Dialing in your low point to hit the ball solid everytime is essential to hitting your sand wedge 100 yards and becoming a quality wedge player.
The Low Point Control Dril
- Take some yard paint and paint a 1-2 yard long line.
- Setup with 55% of your weight on your front side.
- Try to hit the target side of the line and see how many times out of 10 you can do this successfully!
- Repeat this drill every day for a month, tracking your progress and your ability to to this successfully in trials of ten.
- You may need to start with half swing and progress to full swings.
If you are struggling, put more weight forward and work on keep your head still to help control the low point in the swing. Work on this drill consistently and you will become a better wedge player!
How to hit your irons pure (5 Tips)
Tip #3: Have a predictable shot pattern
If one time you hit a draw and the next time you hit a fade, it might be difficult to really dial in the 100 yard wedge shot. Gaining a predictable pattern not only with your wedges, but all of your clubs can help you reach new heights in your golf journey. Fortunately, there is a great drill to help you develop a stock shot. Practicing this drill will help you build the confidence to know you are going to curve the ball in one direction 90% of the time!
Stock Shot Drill
- At the driving range, set up an alignment stick about 6-8 yards in front of you, straight down your target line.
- If you have a second alignment stick, set the stick 3-4 feet right of the first stick (for a draw) or left of the first stick (for a fade).
- Complete your initial assessment see how many times out of 10 you can start the ball to the right or left of your target. Pick one side and measure your game at this point.
- The goal is to eventually get 7 out of 10 shots to start to the correct side and draw back towards the target.
Tip #4: Control the height of the shot
If you are someone always trying to hit the ball really high with your wedges, you might struggle with your distance control as well or even your total distance. Trying to hit your sand wedge high up in the air might look great to your playing partners, but to truly dial in distance, we need to control the height of the shot.
The golfer can control the height of the shot by using certain ball positions and the angle of attack. We want the angle of attack to be similar on every swing and use the ball position to alter the height of the shot.
Did you know that PGA Tour players often hit their long irons high and their short irons and wedges low? Why is that? Well they need the heigh with the long irons to hold the greens and prefer the lower shot with short irons and wedges to control their distances.
I would recommend the 9 shot drill to help you hit different heights and to control the shape of your shot.
Low wedge vs Sand wedge: Similarities and Differences
Tip #5: Measure your distances with a launch monitor
Too many golfers think they hit their 8 iron 160 yards or their sand wedge 110 yards and then get stuck in the front bunker when they do not have enough club. Wouldn’t your game be so much better with a chart that is built on real numbers and the real distances that you actually hit every club in your bag?
I would highly recommend each golfer create a distance chart like the sample below:
| Club | Carry Distance (100%) | 90% | 80% |
| 2 Utility Iron | 210 | ||
| 4 iron | 190 | ||
| 5 iron | 181 | ||
| 6 iron | 171 | ||
| 7 iron | 163 | ||
| 8 iron | 153 | ||
| 9 iron | 143 | ||
| P Club | 130 | 123 | 115 |
| Pitching Wedge | 118 | 110 | 102 |
| SW Club | 105 | 97 | 91 |
| LW Club | 90 | 82 | 74 |
This might be the most important information you can use to help you play quality golf. I have heard so many stories and have seen it first hand where golfers completely over estimate how far they hit each iron.
They hit one 7 iron 165 yards one time and think this is their carry distance. So they step up to a 165 yard shot, hit the 7 iron and end up in a bunker. They blade it out of the bunker and are looking at a double bogey as their reality. Instead, if they had the right club and hit the 6 iron, their chance of hitting the middle of the green would increase greatly!
How can you create your own chart?
Best Option: I would highly recommend a launch monitor!
These portable devices can be used at the driving range, golf course or set up in your home net or golf simulator. These devices are game changers not only on being able to map your bag and know your distances, but they also provide quality feedback after on every shot and provide the following information:
- Carry Distance
- Spin Rate
- Launch Angle
- Spin Axis
- Total Distance
- Ball Speed
This information will help you map your bag, decide on which clubs are best for your game, develop a stock shot and much more. I love using my SkyTrak 365 days a year in my golf simulator setup.
The process for mapping your bag can looking something like this:
- Hit 5 shots with each club in your bag.
- Log the carry distance and total distance for each shot.
- Eliminate any outlier numbers (poor hits or low spin rates).
- Take the average and create a map of your bag.
If you visit any PGA Tour event you will see plenty of golfers utilizing their launch monitors. While most can’t afford a Trackman, there are some very affordable options in the 500-2000 dollar range. I own the SkyTrak and think the world of it.
Here are the top 3 options to check out:
My Secret To Golf Improvement
Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently. About four years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage. I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.
This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer. I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day. I can practice or play rounds of golf. I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.
It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.
Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:
Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better
What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:
1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:
3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:
We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.
4 – Practice Frequently
Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:
- Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator?
- What is the Best Golf Simulator?
- Golf Simulator Accessories?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
- Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
- Why Build A Golf Simulator?
- What Space is Needed?
- Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
- How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
- Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.