Knock, Knock, Knock It Down

Published in the MET GOLFER, 2005


By Brad Worthington and Peter Woford
Head Professional at Brooklawn CC, Fairfield, Conn.


The knockdown wedge is one of the game’s finer secrets that separate good golfers from great players. The common fault I see amongst amateurs is to think that the wedge has to be a full-swing at full-speed producing a balloon-like high-arch ball flight and making guesswork of yardages, spin and how much the wind might effect their shot. Basically a trajectory that is too high, too steep and too unpredictable. However, the better player knows to knockdown their wedge play to produce a more penetrating ball flight.

I first witnessed and learned this shot first hand nearly 20 years ago when as assistant professional at Winged Foot I was paired with then Quaker Ridge-based teacher Jim McLean in the New York State Open. As I stood on the back of the par 5 green facing a 45-foot downhill eagle putt, I feared an ounce too hard with my stroke and I might trickle off the green into the creek fronting the green or otherwise no guarantee birdie. Whereas back in the fairway, 100 yards away was McLean striking his third shot. I had a great view of how his wedge came into the green so low, minimum spin and the ball danced around the cup leaving a 6-inch tap-in birdie. It was a great shot and it took me a week to finally ask Jim for a lesson on how-to hit the knockdown wedge.

As a teacher developing this 110-yard-and-in-shot is a matter of practice, technique and confidence. From a player’s perspective having the knockdown wedge in your repertoire is an advantage in course management, boost to confidence for scoring birdies and lifesaver for up and down pars. The advantage of the knockdown wedge besides a low penetrating ball flight is it is a more solid contact, makes controlling distances easier, and keeps the ball on a straighter flight. It is an easier ___ swing and more efficient. Also, there is the psychological advantage knowing that an errant drive does NOT mean bogey or worse, all you have to do is get your next shot to within 110 yards.

My only caution in using the term knockdown wedge is the image of an abbreviated swing, or a too steep, closed clubface as if keeping the ball under a tree branch or into a gale wind. Yes, the ball position is slightly further back in your stance. Yes your hands, in line with the shaft are slightly ahead of the ball. And, yes the follow-through has an extension of the arms lower to the ground. But it is a regular swing with a balance of weight and A NEARLY full follow-through. The ability to measure how far you want to hit the ball is in MIRRORING THE length of the backswing AND THE LENGTH OF THE FOLLOW THROUGH. The skill learned is: farther the target the longer your backswing, while BLENDING THE ACCLERATION OF THE BODY WITH THE ACCELERATION OF THE HANDS AND ARMS.

How-to Play the Knockdown Wedge
It is a 110-yard or closer shot, so naturally your address position is slightly narrower and WEIGHT FAVORING THE LEFT. Because there is not much body rotation the swing of the arms is important. Club selection is a pitching wedge, in that 47- to 50-degree loft where the leading edge of the clubhead is more square (straighter line), and the flange or bounce is less than a gap- or sand wedge.

Choke down on the grip maybe ONE TO TWO INCHES. The shorter club will make the club feel lighter, and shorten your backswing. The ball position is slightly further back in your stance, centered between your feet. A ball-pack position allows you to address the knockdown with the hands and shaft leaning slightly ahead of the ball.

Your swing thought is more of a “u-shape” path, where the low takeaway mirrors the low follow-through. Think just the opposite if you want height in your shot, how the steep angle of approach to impact will cause the ball to spin more and climb higher. Here we are thinking a flatter trajectory.

See here in the first image how shallow my angle is when approaching the ball at impact and how my wrists have started to release.

The key of the knockdown is in that split second at and after impact where you should consciously FEEL like you are am extending your arms through impact, delaying the rotation of the forearms. Naturally, because you are generating so much speed in the swing the arms will rotate. Again the thought is to make a full BODY ROTATION with extension and balance, facing your target.

The 3-ball Drill
A quick and easy drill to visualize the desired impact is the 3-ball drill. By aligning three balls perpendicular to the target the goal is to strike the middle ball at angle that creates a divot “after” the imaginary perpendicular line.

Notice the ball position in relation to my stance, centered, and how the hands and shaft are slightly ahead of the ball. The secret to this drill, and even in the shot on the golf course, is don’t ground the club. I like to have the club hover slightly off the ground, again no resistance in the take away, and it reminds me of the “u-shape” swing low back, and low follow-through.

The answer here is in the divot. How “crisp” or square did you strike the ball? A heavy or even fat shot will show the divot starting too soon of that imaginary perpendicular line, and more than likely too deep.


The Swing Ball Solution
Another great drill is in conditioning or strength training of your golf swing. For years tour players have been seen “throwing” medicine balls to their coaches. In short easy tosses they are basically simulating the low takeaway and the low follow-through, the weight of the medicine ball and centrifugal force keeps the arms extended.

Well try throwing the eight-pound medicine ball to your wife or children, and watch them run away. Therefore a friend of mine and I sat down one day and designed The Swing Ball. Basically it is a medicine ball with elastic straps as handles, and it is color-coded – blue half for the backswing and yellow half for the follow-through. The goal is to simulate the golf swing slowly, allowing the muscles to be stressed. As you get stronger, then the longer the simulated swings.

Scoring Tips

As the Club Championship nears for some and the fall approaches for all, it is a good time to consider golf’s most important challenge: SCORING! Here are some simple drills and thoughts to lower your golf scores.

1) Practice on the Putting Green: practice distance control - place a tee two feet past the hole. Using five balls, try to roll them so they finish past the hole, but not past the tee. Once you can stop 5 balls between the front of the cup but not past the tee choose another putt as a reward. With a little practice you will find yourself imagining the tee on all you putts and your distance control will improve!

2) Work on wedge play: From 100 yards and in, practice distance control. Aim each practice shot a different ball out on the range. Set up with 60% and 70% of your weight on your forward side, do not shift your weight to your back foot. Use your body turn to vary distance- not your arm speed! Try to hit all wedge shots as low as possible, unless you have something to hit over!

3) Work on the driver contact: Hitting fairways is important, but the most important thing when hitting a driver is solid contact, which increases distance and helps your direction. Focus on contact between the ball and the club face. For both practice and play, “hover” the driver as close to the ball as possible.
“See” the club hitting the sweet spot as you swing through the ball. Another great swing “image” is to “clip” the tee that is underneath the ball. A coincidence or not, but most good drives are ones where the player breaks their tee, vs. missing it entirely.

4) When playing the course or a match focus on playing your game. Choose the shot you know you can hit, and don’t worry if you hit a shot that is not “perfect.” Golf’s greatest challenge is getting a better score than seems probable. If you do so you will enjoy the game more and likely win more matches!