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How I Mastered the Par 5s

'My hands release through the shot, like on a full iron.'

HIGH WEDGE: By Zach Johnson with Matthew Rudy
Photo By Jeff Haynes/Getty Images; I would call this sequence something pretty close to my average wedge shot. I'm controlling where the ball ends up with the high trajectory as much as I am with backspin. My ball position is in the middle of my stance, and I let my hands release through the shot, like on a full iron. The Titleist Vokey wedges I use make the ball spin like crazy when they're new. The ones I had at Augusta were a couple of months old, but I would have switched to brand-new ones if the course had played firmer and faster.

: Photo By J.D. Cuban; Ball position is center. My mistake is to let it drift back.

: Photo By J.D. Cuban; I'm releasing and rotating the club normally through impact.

: Photo By J.D. Cuban; The club goes higher to match the higher ball flight.

'I don't want the clubhead to pass my hands until late.'

Low wedge: Photo By Jeff Haynes/Getty Images; At Augusta, you sometimes have such a small space to land the ball that running a shot in is the better play. I use this shot on the 15th anytime the flag is on the right, playing it onto the false front so it rolls back to the hole. I set up with the ball two inches back from center, which puts my hands slightly ahead of the ball at address. On the swing, I don't want the clubhead to pass my hands until late, after I hit the ball. My finish is lower, with less release and my arms more around my body. Paying attention to ball position is important, too, because it can drift when you're not hitting from a flat lie.