How to strike your wedges

Golf Monthly Top 25 coach Gary Smith explains how to strike your wedges sweetly everytime

Good ball striking is the key to consistency in your golf game. There is a major misconception when it comes to ball striking and it realtes to where you should be aiming to strike the ball.

Players often thing they need to strike the equator of the ball but actually you want to hit down on it a little. Take a close look at the best players in the world, such as Rory McIlroy with his pitching tips, and you will notice that the divot starts after the ball. This is because they are hitting down slightly on the shot and you should be trying to do the same.

So lesson one is not to look at the back of the ball as you are stood in the address position - this could lead to you catch the ground first and hitting the ball fat. Instead focus your aim on a spot more towards the top of the ball. This will help you cover the ball with with your upper body for more consistent strikes.

If you get the strike right, you will also get the ball climbing up the face at impact and it is this that creates spin with your wedges.

To help you in practice, use a marker pen to create a mark on the ball and set it on the ground so that point is looking up towards you as shown in this video.

Finally, make sure that your arms and body work together in the swing. You often see players swinging their arms without any hint of body rotation in the short game but this is a mistake. You should work your body and shift your weight towards the target as you move into the finish position. Keep the connection between your arms and body as you turn and you should be able to find more consistent strikes with your wedges.

Hold your finish position and from there you can evaluate the move you have just made.