Why Bryson’s Wedges Could Be His Weak Spot This Week in Augusta

If there is one thing that separates Augusta National from other major venues, it's the severity of the slopes found around the golf course, especially from the approach areas into the par 4s and par 5s.

What makes these shots more difficult is that they are hit into greens that require absolute precision to create scoring opportunities, which is why wedge and approach play is a key to success around Augusta National.

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As far as the field is concerned, this week at The Masters, most golfers have wedge specs that are similar in length and lie progression from their iron that get shorter towards their lob wedge, except for one player, Bryson DeChambeau, who comes into the week as one of the favorites, looking to win his first Masters.

What makes Bryson's setup so unique is that his iron set and wedges are built to one length (the length of a 7-iron), which he believes gives him an advantage by creating a consistent setup position shot after shot. But this advantage with his irons can also create difficulties with his higher lofted wedges when faced with undulating lies, which is why it will be interesting monitoring his wedge game as the tournament gets underway.

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Why Wedge Lie Angle Matters

The reason wedge lie angle plays a crucial factor in approach play, and dispersion is that as loft increases, so does the effect lie angle has on launch direction (left and right) towards the target. Since wedges are the highest-lofted, highest-spinning clubs, as spin goes up so does the ability for the shot to end up farther away from the intended target.

With his longer clubs and more upright lie angles, picking targets into the greens when the ball is above and below his feet could cause indecision. Which is why no matter the outcome, watching Bryson this week will make for a fun watch.

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This this week's episode of Gear Smart is available now on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.