The best way to control distance with wedge shots is to vary the length of your swing.  Think of your hands and the extension of the shaft as the hour hand on a clock.  At address position you are at 12 o’clock.  As you swing back to the top of your back swing it’s 6 o’clock,  you’ve passed 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 o’clock on the way up.  On your follow through think of the clock positions 11, 10, 9 , 8, 7 o’clock and then back up to 6 o’clock at the top.

To calibrate your distance control use equal length back swings and follow throughs, ie 3 o’clock back and 9 o’clock through (your hands only reach waist high back and through).  For a little longer shot extend your swing to 4 o’clock on the back swing and 10 o’clock on the follow through.  As you work with this technique you’ll be able to recognize how far you hit shots with each of your different swing lengths referencing the positions of the hands of the clock.

Here is the distance calibration chart that I’ve developed for my 56 degree sand wedge:

• Full swing - 80 yards
• 4 o’clock to 10 o’clock - 65 yards
• 3 o’clock to 9 o’clock - 50 yards
• 2 o’clock to 8 o’clock - 35 yards