How to improve wedge distance control from 80 metres

If the ball comes up short, you will have a longer putt. If it flies too far, it may carry beyond the green.

At this distance, gaining more yardage is no longer the priority. What matters is knowing how far you want the ball to fly and having a swing you can repeat. For an intermediate player, working on this type of approach can make a real difference to scoring.

The starting point is knowing your own distances and finding a combination of club and swing that reaches the target without forcing the shot.

Choosing the right wedge

The same distance does not necessarily call for the same wedge for every player. Loft, swing speed and strike quality mean that every player gets different results.

You can reach the flag with a higher-lofted wedge and a longer swing. You can also use a lower-lofted club and shorten the motion. Both options can work. What matters is finding the one that gives you consistent contact and a trajectory you can repeat.

If you need to accelerate too much to reach the distance, you are probably asking too much of the club. If you have to slow the swing down to avoid going long, the choice is not comfortable either. The right wedge is the one you can strike confidently while maintaining a natural rhythm.

Controlling distance with swing length

Wedges give you plenty of options for working on different distances with the same club. One of the most useful approaches is to maintain a similar tempo and vary the length of the swing.

During a practice session, you can establish three reference points: a short swing, a medium swing and a longer swing. Each one will produce a different distance. These references do not need to match those of another player. What matters is knowing what each swing produces for you.

If your medium swing carries around 70 metres and your longer swing reaches 85, a flag positioned somewhere between those distances is no longer an unknown. You can adjust the length of the swing or choose another wedge that allows you to make a more comfortable motion.

With several reference points, your approach shots rely less on feel alone.

Strike matters too

You can make two swings that look almost identical and get very different results. Strike quality plays a major role.

A thin strike can produce a ball that comes off faster than expected. If you catch the ball too far behind the ideal point of contact, it loses speed and may finish short.

With a wedge, it is worth paying attention to the strike before focusing only on where the ball finishes. A consistent trajectory and reasonable dispersion tell you more than one shot that happens to finish close to the flag.

During practice, look for an impact sensation that you can recognise and reproduce. Then check how much the distance changes from one shot to the next.

Measuring carry distance

Knowing where the ball finishes is not always enough to assess a wedge shot. The first bounce can change the result considerably when the firmness of the green, the slope or the landing area changes.

That is why it is useful to know your carry distance, meaning how far the ball travels through the air before it lands. To establish a reliable reference, you can hit ten balls towards a target 80 metres away and record the results. Rather than looking for one perfect shot, look at where most of the shots finish.

A system such as Toptracer makes this easier by providing data for each shot during practice. Golf Alcanada added Toptracer to its practice range in 2022 and became the first golf course in Mallorca to have the system.

The data may show that your wedge consistently carries a different distance from the one you had in mind. That information is much more useful during a round than an estimate based purely on feel.

Working on the distances in between

If you only practise one specific distance, sooner or later you will face a shot for which you have no clear reference.

Try working on 60, 70, 80 and 90 metres, then introduce distances in between. The exercise does not need to become complicated. Simply change the targets and see how you respond.

Imagine you have 76 metres to the flag. You could play the swing you use for 70 and accept that the ball may finish short, make the swing slightly longer, or change wedges and use a fuller motion.

With practice, these decisions become more natural. You start to recognise which option gives you more margin and which one forces you to manipulate the shot.

Reading the conditions before you play

The number on the rangefinder is only one of the factors in front of you. A headwind may call for more club. A flag at the back of the green can change the landing area. An uphill slope affects the trajectory you need, while the firmness of the surface will influence what happens when the ball lands.

Look at the whole situation before playing the wedge.

You may have 80 metres to the flag but want the ball to land a few metres short to use the slope. In another situation, the wind may make it preferable to play for a longer distance. The decision changes with the shot in front of you.

Taking your practice onto the course

A practice session can help you build reference points that become useful during a round.

Start with a few shots without a specific target. Look for clean contact and a tempo you can maintain comfortably. Then work on a set distance and record the carry of each shot.

Move between different distances and change the swing length or club. See which combination feels most natural and produces the tightest dispersion. To finish, introduce a course situation: a flag, a landing area or a specific part of the green.

Knowing how far the ball flies is no longer enough. You also have to decide where you want it to land. That final step brings the practice session closer to what happens during a round.

Turn your wedge game into a scoring advantage

A few metres can completely change the position from which you play your next shot. Knowing your distances does not guarantee that you will always finish close to the flag, but it does give you real information on which to base your decisions and helps you commit to the wedge shot with greater confidence.

Golf Alcanada has a practice range equipped with Toptracer and a Golf Academy with PGA-certified professionals. A good place to check your distance references and keep refining your short game.