The Texas Wedge Do's and Don'ts.

October 1, 2001

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 Tips by the Mel Sole Golf School.

The Texas Wedge is the common expression people give when using a putter from off the putting surface. These are several instances when the use of the Texas wedge will outperform chipping:

When the fairway is mowed fairly tight and the ball is sitting down slightly.
If you lack confidence in your chipping stroke.
You have a sandy lie.

Let's Address these Separately.

Mown Fairway.

When you have a mown fairway that is very short, and the ball is sitting down slightly. The tendency is to scoop the ball. Do not allow the lower hand to flip forward. This causes you to scuff behind the ball. Retief Goosen found himself in this very situation on the 18th hole in the playoff for the US Open against Mark Brooks. Johnny Miller said Retief could very easily chili dip that chip from there. Retief then calmly took out his putter and proceeded to two-putt for the victory. With such a lot of pressure on the shot, this was the perfect club selection.

Confidence.

Some golfers lose confidence in their chipping stroke from time to time. However, when playing an important match and have a key chip, the putter is a safer bet to get the ball onto the putting surface and near the hole.

Sandy Lie.

This is a particularly tough shot if close to the putting surface. Use the putter for a safer result than chipping the ball with a lofted club. You could hit the shot fat or skull it trying not to hit it fat!

To judge the speed correctly, calculate the distance from your ball to the edge of the green, and add that distance onto the putt.

The Texas Wedge. Do's and Don'ts.

For instance, in the picture above, my ball is 4 feet off the putting surface and 20 feet from the hole. So, when doing my practice swings, I look at a spot 4 feet beyond the hole, getting the feel of a 24-foot putt, making up for the loss of speed as the ball travels through the fringe.

Use the putter next time you find yourself in one of these situations. You'll surprise yourself.

Remember, the area between the edge of the green and your ball must be fairly smooth. If not, it may be time to use fairway wood, but we'll cover that next month.

Source: Mel Sole Golf School.

Thanks for reading - The Texas Wedge Do's and Don'ts.

Monthly Golf Tips by the Mel Sole Golf School.

Let's Address these Separately.

Mown Fairway.

Confidence.

Sandy Lie.

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