From about 110 yards and out, we control distance by the club we select. The seven to eight irons/hybrids in our bag, with their graduated lofts, take us comfortably and predictably out to about 200 yards.

Inside 100 yards is a different matter, since we don't have clubs for the incremental distances we want to hit to. There are four ways of solving this problem, each of which involves only one variable.

1. Keep working with loft by carrying more wedges. Most iron sets run through a 4-degree progression in loft. If you continue that progression through your wedge set, you can start from your pitching wedge, which is generally 48 degrees, and add wedges in lofts of 52, 56, 60, and 64 degrees.

All you have to do, then, is hit each of those clubs with the same swing and you will have a set of consistent, predictable distances for shorter shots. The drawback is that after a point, every additional wedge you put in your bag means some other club has to come out.

The choice comes down to how much each club in your bag contributes to your scoring, and whether the strokes you save by adding one club will more than offset the strokes you lose by playing without another. It's something you have to think about and experiment with.

If you don't go with additional wedges, you are now required to alter your technique to get more than one distance from a single club. There are three easy ways to do that.

2. Alter the length of your swing to give yourself three different swings. The length of your full swing is one. In the second swing, you take your hands back until they are at hip height. The third swing is halfway between those two.

3. Change your swing speed. You will always use your full swing, the one you would use to hit a 9-iron, for example. Swing at an easy, "walk-in-the-park" speed. That's one. Swing at your normal speed. That's two. Swing at the fastest speed you can while still being in control of the club. That's three.

This method works best for people who are musically inclined and innately understand tempo and rhythm.

4. Grip down one inch. This shortens the swing arc, decreasing swing speed. Make no alteration to your swing in length or speed. This is the most reliable method because it does not alter your swing technique any, just your setup.

Methods 2 and 3 give you three different distances per club, and are the best ones if you carry only two wedges. Method 4, a refinement of method 1, gives you two distances per club, and pays off if you carry three or four wedges.

Try each one to see which one is the most reliable. When you've found it, go to the range with pencil and paper and write down what distances you get with each variation and club.

Stick with that method, and learn to become effective with it.

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