Hit your wedges like Mackenzie Hughes with this golf tip

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ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Not many shots can baffle recreational golfers like trying to hit half or three-quarter wedge shots into a green.

You know the scene, after hitting your best drive of the day you are left with an awkward wedge shot, so you miss the green, chunk a chip, miss a putt, and your playing partner smiles and says, “Nice drive,” as you walk off with a double bogey.

Well, Canadian Mackenzie Hughes has brought a new wedge system to the PGA Championship at Oak Hill, and it just might be able to help you too.

“One-hundred percent,” Hughes told Postmedia.

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After watching Hughes meticulously adjusting his grip up and down on wedge shots on the driving range here in Rochester, I asked the Dundas, Ont., native what he was up to.

“I’ve got a stock number, I’ve got a one-inch choke, and I’ve got a two-inch choke, and those go five yards shorter and 10 yards shorter respectively,” he said. “It kind of allows me to make the same swing without changing too much and get different results.”

The result for Hughes is that he has three different yardages with each wedge without having to modify his swing. It’s not rocket science, but it takes some variability out of this most variable of games.

“Yeah, it’s a pretty simple system. I was kind of just messing around with it on an off week, and went into Charlotte (two weeks ago at the Wells Fargo) working on it a little bit,” Hughes said. “That week, there wasn’t a lot of opportunities to try it, but last week (at AT&T Byron Nelson) there was a few more chances, and I felt like in the chances I had there was definitely an improvement. I felt like I had a bit more control, and hit a few more of the numbers I was trying to.”

Hughes discovered it messing around on his own, and says the only thing to keep in mind is that you have to get a little closer to the ball with each inch you choke down.

“I feel like it allows you to be more aggressive,” he said. “Sometimes when you’re trying to take a little off it, you’re not as aggressive and you kind of make a bit of a half-assed swing. So I think it’s a great method, it allows you to create some new numbers while staying aggressive.”

If it’s working for one of Canada’s best, it’s worth a try.