A wedge shot that spins backward looks satisfying on a simulator screen. It can also finish well short of the number you meant to hit. Two lessons from TPI and Titleist offer a useful way to practice: decide what the shot should do, then pay attention to the setup and motion that produced it.

Dave Phillips' TPI lesson addresses distance wedges and unwanted spin. Parker McLachlin's Titleist demonstration covers three different shots around the green using Vokey Flight Lines. They deal with different distances, but both ask the golfer to make a choice before swinging.

Distance first, spin second

Phillips explains that accomplished wedge players can generate more spin than they want. In his demonstration, adding wrist set creates another source of speed; the shorter club already gives the golfer some wrist angle at address. His alternative uses less added set and a wider motion.

That change has a companion requirement. Phillips says the golfer needs to keep the body turning through the shot when taking out some of the wrist action. He warns that reducing the set while stopping the rotation can produce thin contact. Watch his complete demonstration before trying to isolate any one of those cues.

For a simulator session, start with a distance you can reach comfortably with a partial wedge. Hit a small baseline group using your normal motion and write down the carry distances. Then make a second group while exploring Phillips' wider, less-set feel. This is a practice structure for comparing results, not a promise that one motion suits every player.

Keep the club and target unchanged during that comparison. If your system reports spin and launch, record them alongside carry. The useful question is whether your misses cluster closer to the chosen distance, rather than whether one ball produced an impressive spin reading.

Choose the flight around the green

McLachlin explains how the markings on a Vokey wedge's hosel act as setup references. In his demonstration, the back line accompanies a ball position toward the back foot and more shaft lean for a low shot that checks and releases.

The middle line is his reference for a stock pitch: a fairly square face and a small amount of shaft lean. For a higher shot, he uses the forward line with an open face and minimal shaft lean. The video shows where he relates each line to his nose or sternum.

These are references for the marked club in the demonstration. Golfers using another wedge can still watch how his intended flight changes the address position without pretending their equipment has the same visual guides.

Try three separate practice groups: low, medium and high. Before each ball, say which flight you intend and where you want it to land. Record whether the result matches the choice. Keep simulator rollout in a separate column from carry so you can see which part of the shot changed.

Finish by alternating your target and intended flight. That adds the decision back into the practice after the repeated groups. Phillips' lesson gives you a way to investigate distance control; McLachlin's gives you a way to compare trajectories. Your session notes should show which choices you can repeat.