Wedge and Chip Distances
Distance control by backswing length across the wedges, plus carry-to-rollout ratios for chips on a firm green.
Your single biggest scoring zone, and the one most amateurs play by feel. Dial distance with backswing length at constant tempo — never by swinging harder or softer. Measure carry for each cell (PW plus four wedges) and you own roughly 20 known numbers from about 30 to 130 yards.
The wedge matrix
| Swing | Feel | Carry vs. full |
|---|---|---|
| Full | Full shoulder turn, balanced finish | 100% |
| 3/4 | "9 to 3" — forearm to forearm | ~80–85% |
| 1/2 | Hip to hip | ~60–65% |
| Pitch | Knee to knee, low finish | ~40–45% |
Vertical dispersion on a wedge runs about 1.7× the horizontal, so the miss to guard is long/short, not left/right. That's why the matrix matters more than aim inside 130.
Chip carry-to-rollout
On a firm green, land it on the green and let it run — never land on the fringe.
| Club | Carry : roll |
|---|---|
| 8-iron | 1 : 2 |
| PW | 1 : 1 |
| 54° | 2 : 1 |
| 58° | 2.5 : 1 |
| 60° | 3 : 1 |
Pick the club whose ratio puts your landing spot in the safest third of the green, then make the same stroke. Aim for ≥ 50% rollout — the lowest-risk shot that works beats the prettiest one.
Outside wedge range the correction is a club, not a swing length — see Yardage Adjustments. Wedge distance control is the second leak to chase in Know Your Numbers.
Related pages
- Know Your NumbersStat targets for a 10- and a 5-handicap, the order to fix leaks in, and how to split practice hours.
- Yardage AdjustmentsWhat wind, cold, altitude, slope, and rough do to your carry number — and how to stack the corrections before you pull a club.
- Mid-Round FixesSymptom-to-fix table for when a miss pattern shows up mid-round — simplest fix first, one swing thought at a time.
- Risk in StrokesExpected strokes to hole out from common positions — the math behind every go-versus-lay-up call.