See how Tiger Woods and Fred Couples tackle short shots.
YouTube / PGA TOUR Superstore
Welcome to Shaving Strokes, the GOLF.com series where we share the progress, lessons learned and takeaways from novice golfers like you — including the speed bumps and challenges they've faced along the way.
One of the best pieces of advice I've learned from our Top 100 Golf Instructors is this: The greatest players excel from 100 yards and inside.
While every punter likes to try to add yards or figure out why he keeps hitting the 6-bell — both important problems to solve — it's the same. More essential for mastering your shots from within 100 yards.
So how can you do that? By watching the video below (courtesy of YouTube's PGA Tour Superstore), it shows Tiger Woods and Fred Couples explaining a variety of shots from that range. Let's find it!
Tiger Woods and Fred Couples share 3 types of 50 yard shots
If you are within 50 yards, different types of shots can work well.
So whether you're playing a draw to take advantage of the slope of the green, a cut to add some spin or a shot with low ball flight, Woods provides specifics on how to approach each type of shot.
“I like to play a little draw, myself, so I always aim to the right, open a little and close it a little with touch,” said Woods.
How Woods hits the cut (or fade)
“If I'm going to hit the cutter, I want it to grab the grain and stick to the hill.” So I'm close to it,” said Woods. “What people don't realize is that I will cover my face a little bit. So my face is open for the draw and slightly open for the cut.
“The drawing will be slower, and it will be more powerful – because it will move forward.”
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Eric Johnson, Top 100 Teachers
No matter what wedge you hit, Woods reminds players to always place the clubface where you want to launch the ball.
“Wherever I want the golf ball to go is where I put the face,” Woods said. “So if I start it on the right side, my face will open. Then I try to close it a bit [as I come through impact].
The couple then sang, adding, “A lot of people think that, because they have to hook it up, they have to cover their faces. But that is difficult to control.”
“I don't like that,” Woods said. “Wherever I want the ball to start is where I have a face.”
How Woods controls the trajectory of the ball
A couple asked Woods if his secret sauce from 130 yards was his fairway. Woods says it is.
“How I want to hit it, the trajectory, the spin – all of this feels good,” Woods said. “And this is millions upon millions of reps. If I want to hit a straight ball really high, I have a high follow through.”
But when Woods wants a lower ball flight, he changes his setup slightly, controls his clubface differently, and shortens his return.
“Now with a low, driving shot, I moved the ball from the right toe, I closed a little, I caught it. [and then hit it],” he says.
The pair saw Woods walk the pin, which Woods said was the result of cutting the ball.
Couples says, “Yes, the ability is great, but when he puts in the effort, it's because he cuts it.” That doesn't mean everything is up and running [with a steeper angle of attack].”
Why Woods likes to use the hook shot with his wedge
Finally, Woods shares his tips for hitting a sweeping hook on the 50-yard wedge shot.
“My face is like that way open, and that's where I stand differently,” Woods said. “I'm standing too far from it, I'm going to stand right, make my arc round, too [after hitting] we see there's a big hook to it.”
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The pair ask Woods to take a moment to explain when he might hit that type of shot.
“Yeah, I use the slope,” Woods said. “He said we were at Augusta and I had a back pin. I have that big, big slope on the right, so I'm going to use that to feed it down [to the pin].”
So if you want to dial in your 50-yard wedge shots, using the advice from Woods and Couples above will help you get a feel for the different types of options. Try them out and see which ones work best for you.
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