Gary Boyd: Clock face wedge distance drill
Next up in our exclusive Gary Boyd instruction series, the Callaway and IJP Design staffer talks us through his go-to wedge routine...
Next up in our exclusive Gary Boyd instruction series, the European Tour player assesses how best to tackle those scoring shots with a short-game drill he calls ‘tick tock’.
Hello Golfmagic.
Here’s a great short-game drill to help you become more consistent with your wedges.
One of the common faults I see in amateurs when it comes to the scoring shots is that they don’t accelerate properly through impact.
Deceleration into the ball, especially on those delicate shots or when trying to take something off a shot, will more often than not lead to poor contact with the ball.
Thankfully there’s a great method to eliminate this problem with a clock face wedge distance drill that I like to call ‘tick tock’.
It’s perfect for keeping good rhythm and consistency in your golf swing, and also great under pressure. It’s a drill I continue to work on out on the range.
First set up into a good spot , keeping feet and shoulders parallel to your target. Aim with a slightly open stance only one or two yards left off the target helping you to clear nicely onto the shot.
Now onto the clock face drill.
I base my distance control shots on my hand position in relation to an imaginary clock face, with 6 o’clock acting as ball position.
I personally work on a 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock swing for the little 30 to 50-yard shots, and then increase to 10 o’clock to 2 o’clock for shots in and around 60 and 120 yards. But play around with whatever works best for you and your game.
As long as you have a consistent clock face process, you will achieve consistent results. Your goal each time should be to swing your hands consistently to these positions with the same rhythm.
I’d suggest practising this drill at first without a club in your hand and just make a few rehearsal moves. This takes the hit out of the equation and will improve your rhythm. When you feel comfortable, move on to hitting pitch shots and measuring your yardages.
Working on your wedge game will improve the rest of your swing because a lot of faults are within the first part of the takeaway and the half-way position (i.e. 9 o’clock). It's your left arm and hand position, not just your hand position.
What's in Boyd's bag
Driver: Callaway X Hot Pro (9.5-degree)
3-wood: Callaway X Hot Pro (15-degree)
Utility: Callaway X Utility (18-degree)
Irons: Callaway Forged
Wedges: Callaway Mack Daddy 2
Putter: Odyssey Versa #2
Ball: Callaway HEX Chrome ++
Apparel: IJP Design
