What in the heck is a Texas Wedge and how do you use it?

What in the heck is a Texas Wedge, and how do you use it?

Hi, I’m Mel Sole, Director of Instruction at the Mel Sole Golf School, headquartered at Pawleys Plantation Golf and Country Club in Pawleys Island, SC.  We conduct 1, 2, and 3-day golf schools, hourly golf lessons, and senior golf schools—any golf instruction program your heart desires. Give us a call at 800-624-4653 or 843-237-4993.  We will be happy to book a commuter school or a package that contains accommodations, golf, and golf school.

Monthly Golf Tip by the Mel Sole Golf School.

The Texas Wedge is a putt from off the green where the grass is not too long.  You can use your putter instead of trying to chip.

Where does the term come from?

Texas, of course! I believe that the term was made popular by that great Texas golfer, Ben Hogan.  But why Texas? Back in Hogan's day and earlier, many Texas golf courses, especially those outside the biggest cities,  had arid, hard conditions. Fairway grass could be thin and very tightly mowed.  Fairways had little to no rough and winds high.  Many Texas courses had push-up greens. Chipping or pitching from 20, 30, 50 feet off the green, from very tight lies to small, domed greens, and in plenty of wind, was a challenge, even for outstanding golfers.  In that circumstance, golfers developed an alternative: They pulled out the putter and rapped the ball up to the green on the ground—the Texas wedge.

The Technique: 

My formula for using the Texas Wedge is to take the distance from the ball to the edge of the green and add it to the putt's distance. For example, if my ball is 12 feet off the green, I would add twelve feet onto the putt.  Particularly on Bermuda fairways in the South, this works very well. Each time you have a situation that demands a putter, pace off the distance from your ball to the edge of the green.  Then pace off the same number of steps past the hole.  Look for a mark or blemish on the green to look at while you have your practice swings.  Then go ahead and hit your putt.  Your distance control should be a whole lot better!

Source: Mel Sole Golf School.

Thanks for reading - What in the heck is a Texas Wedge, and how do you use it?

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