Flying Wedges

You'll sometimes hear about 'Flying Wedges' when it comes to 'The Golfing Machine', so I'll try to explain it for you, along with some videos to help you with them. The 'Flying Wedges' are very big in Stack & Tilt principles because the inventors of the method (Andy Plummer & Mike Bennett) are both well versed in 'The Golfing Machine' which the S&T method falls under.

6-B-3-0-1. THE FLYING WEDGES The Clubhead may appear to move in an arc around and outside the Hands when related to the Left Arm -- the very basic Left Arm Flying Wedge. But when related to the Right Forearm, it appears to move 'On Plane' with the Right Forearm at its normal rigid angle (Bent Right Wrist) -- the Right Forearm Flying Wedge.

I won't go into the rest of 6-B-3-0-1 because it's a little confusing and a bit unecessary. So instead I'll explain what the 'wedges' are, how they load, and what it means to have a 'flying wedge.'

The first thing to understand is that Homer Kelley is not talking about a sand wedge or a pitching or a lob wedge when it comes to 'flying wedges.' He's talking at about a 'wedge angle' formed between the left arm and the clubshaft and the right forearm and the clubshaft.

Here's an example of a 'wedge angle'

The wedges formed in the golf swing look like this:

So let's take a look at the wedges at *address*. Here's Brian Gay at address:

The left ARM wedge is formed at address. This *angle* goes down the TOP of the left arm and then down the top of the clubshaft.

The right forearm wedge goes down the back of the right forearm, down the back of the wrist, and then down the shaft.

The wedges are 'loaded' when the golfer finally cocks the left wrist. Here's what the left flying wedge looks like.


Remember the right forearm flying wedge goes down the right forearm, down the back of the right bent wrist and down the clubshaft.

The wedge is formed in the pic above if you take a look at the white line going down the golfer's right forearm and then down the wrist and down the clubshaft. That forms that 'wedge angle.'

The reason why they are called 'flying' wedges is because the golfer wants to keep these loaded wedges in tact and then have them go right into impact. Homer Kelley used to call that 'flying' because it was supposed to feel like the wedges were flying right into the ball.

The beauty of the flying wedges, IMO, is that if a golfer can *understand* what the flying wedges are about, it provides a great visual for the golfer to use in their swing. In particular, many golfers hear about the imperative of having a 'flat left wrist' at impact and then start concentrating on solely the left wrist (which is acceptable). But here, Nick Clearwater shows a great drill for keeping the right forearm flying wedge in tact which will also enable the golfer to keep the left wrist flat at impact.



Here's also another Stack & Tilt guy, Logan Terry, performing a flying wedge drill of his own.





3JACK