Tony Finau has become one of my favorite characters in golf. Not because he’s flashy or overly technical but because there’s real depth to his game that often gets overlooked. Finau is elite at doing simple things extremely well, especially with his wedges.
This video from Titleist offers a great look into how he thinks about wedge shots from a variety of distances and lies. If you missed it, there’s one theme that stands out. Finau controls distance by controlling flight, not by swinging softer or changing clubs constantly.
Here’s what I took from it.
The adjustment Finau makes with his wedges
When Finau needs to take yardage off a wedge, he lowers the flight.
From 140 yards, he hits a pitching wedge that normally flies 145 to 150. From 100 yards, he uses a 56-degree wedge he typically hits around 115.
Finau talks repeatedly about seeing a specific “window” with each club. If the ball launches in that window, the distance usually takes care of itself. Flatter shots stay closer to the ground, are easier to predict and produce more usable spin.
Finau explains that higher-launching wedge shots often come with less spin consistency. Lower-launching shots tend to spin more reliably which helps control carry and rollout.
Why flatter wedges are easier to control
The longer a wedge stays in the air, the more time there is for small errors to show up. A flatter flight reduces that window for error.
Finau is not trying to hit wedges stiff. From 140 yards, he says anything inside 20 feet is a great result. That mind set pairs perfectly with his flighted approach: predictable launch, spin and distance.
Fairway versus rough
One important distinction Finau makes is lie dependent. From the fairway, he’s comfortable flighting wedges and shaping shots. From the rough, he simplifies.
In thicker lies, spin becomes unpredictable. Finau prioritizes clean contact and aims for the middle of the green instead of trying to manufacture trajectory. That’s a useful reminder for amateurs who often get too creative from bad lies.
OK, but how do you do this?
Start by picking one wedge and learning its stock flight from a clean fairway lie. Pay attention to how high it launches and where it typically lands. That’s your baseline.
To lower the flight, keep the same club and make three simple changes:
- Move the ball slightly back of center, just enough to reduce launch, not so far that contact suffers.
- Finish lower, with the hands and club exiting around chest height instead of high and full.
- Match your speed to the flight, not the distance. Swing with normal commitment.
A good check is feedback, not yardage. If the shot launches noticeably lower, feels solid and flies a predictable distance, you’re doing it right. If it feels forced or thin, the flight is too low.
This approach works best from the fairway where spin and launch are more reliable. From the rough, prioritize clean contact, aim for the middle of the green and accept that the ball may come out with less spin than expected.
Final thoughts
Finau’s wedge distance control is simple because it removes variables. He commits to a window and lets the club do the work. If you’re struggling with this in your game, try focusing on flight instead of distance.
Top Photo Caption: Tony Finau practices controlling distance with his wedges. (GETTY IMAGES/Michael Reaves)
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