How to 'belly' your wedge

Spanish señoritas here to help

Spanish señoritas - Alexandra Armas, Sara Beautell, Ana Larraneta and Vanessa Vignali - are launching their own golf school at Tenerife’s Amarilla course, during the winter break in October.

The quartet of professionals, who play on the Evian Ladies European Tour have given Golfmagic an exclusive preview of their teaching skills and over the next few weeks we’ll be passing on tips which you will find helpful, whether a high handicap hacker or in low single figures.

1. Hover the club behind the ball

With the grass on most courses around Europe particularly lush this year, chances are greenkeepers have created collars of rough around the greens.
This means a ball running off the green into the fringe almost inevitably finishes against this 1-2-inch collar of thick grass, which is too high for a putter to sit behind.
Many opt for the 3-wood or 5-wood used as a putter but the ‘hot’ face of these clubs can make the ball jump and run too far, leaving an awkward-distance for the putt back towards the hole.

2. Keep your head still in the follow through

"I always opt for the heaviest club in my bag – the sand wedge,’ says Sara Beautell, already with a top ten finish this year on Tour.
"Grip the club as you would your putter and hover the leading edge of the club level with the equator of the ball. With your normal putting stroke aim to take the clubhead slowly back and strike the ball in its middle, as if purposely thinning it .This creates top spin. "With a little practice you can control your distance to leave yourself a tap-in – an on occasions you might even hole it."

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Want anymore short game tips? check out Nick Faldo's guides to Pitching and Chipping.

Originally published July 2002, updated May 2013.