Here’s what you’re building. A wedge distance matrix is a small grid with your wedges down the side and your swing lengths across the top. These numbers are only an example, and yours will be different.
| Wedge | Full | 10:30 | 9:00 | 7:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 46° | 115 | 100 | 85 | 55 |
| 52° | 95 | 85 | 70 | 45 |
| 58° | 75 | 65 | 55 | 35 |
With full swings only, three wedges give you three yardages. Add three swing lengths, and the same wedges give you twelve. When you’re 70 out, you stop guessing how hard to swing and just play the 52° to 9:00.
This guide covers how the clock system works and how to fill in the grid with your own numbers. It’s written by the developer of CarryBook, a golf app with a wedge matrix built in, and there’s a short note on the app at the end (view on the App Store).
What is the clock system in golf?
Picture your lead arm as the hour hand on a clock during your backswing [1]. Each clock position is a set backswing length. You change the length and keep your tempo the same [1]. Dave Pelz helped popularize the system through his work with tour pros [1].
GOLF.com describes these rough numbers [2]:
| Arm position | Distance compared with a full swing |
|---|---|
| 7:30 | About 50% |
| 9:00 | About 75% |
| 10:30 | About 90% |
That’s one instructor’s guide. Your own percentages will differ, so measure them.
Does a half swing go half as far?
Usually not. “Half” and “three-quarter” describe the length of the swing, not the distance. In the table above, 9:00 is roughly half a backswing but carries about 75% of a full shot [2]. If you work out your yardages by multiplying, you’ll probably come up short of the truth.
The names don’t matter as long as you stick to them. Hip-high, chest-high and shoulder-high work just as well as clock times. What counts is that “9:00” means the same place every time, with every wedge.
How to build your wedge matrix
- Measure your full swing with each wedge first, so you have a baseline
- Pick three swing lengths, such as 7:30, 9:00 and 10:30 [1]
- Hit 10 balls at each position with one wedge [1]
- Keep your tempo steady across all three [1]
- Work out the average carry for each position and write it down [1]
- Repeat with your next wedge
Three wedges with a full swing and three shorter swings is twelve boxes, or 120 balls at 10 balls each. Fill in one wedge per session if that’s easier. Shot counting and measuring without a launch monitor work the same way as in our golf club distance chart guide.
How to read your finished chart
Once the grid is full, go through it from the top:
- Two boxes with the same yardage: keep the one you hit more reliably
- A hole of more than about 10 yards: add a swing length, or try gripping down and measure that too
- Big jumps between full shots: look at the loft spacing of your wedges
GOLF.com notes that a typical pitching wedge is around 45 degrees and a sand wedge around 56, and that a gap wedge at 50 to 52 degrees can smooth out the jump between them [3].
Other ways to change the distance
Swing length isn’t the only dial. Japanese tour pro Ryuichi Oiwa says it’s hard to take distance off by swinging softer, so he changes his setup instead. Narrowing his stance by about half a shoe width on each side takes off 5 yards. Gripping down about two fingers also takes off 5 yards [5]. Those are a tour pro’s numbers, so add a “gripped down” column to your chart and measure your own.
Common mistakes
- Changing speed instead of length. Keep the tempo the same and let the length do the work [1]
- Trusting range balls with wedges. In a robot test, a range ball flew 4 yards longer than a premium ball with a pitching wedge, because it spun about half as much and launched lower [4]. Check your numbers with your own ball if you can
- Writing down total. Use carry. Roll around the green changes too much from day to day
- Never checking your positions. Film a few swings from the front. Your 9:00 may not be where you think it is
A template for paper or spreadsheets
On paper, copy the grid at the top of this page onto an index card. In a spreadsheet, one row per measurement lets you add to it over time:
| Column | Example |
|---|---|
| Date | Nov 6, 2026 |
| Wedge | 52° |
| Swing | 9:00 |
| Shots | 10 |
| Average carry | 70 |
| Method and ball | Launch monitor, my ball |
Your wedge matrix in CarryBook
CarryBook’s Chart tab shows every wedge at full, 3/4, half and quarter swing in one card. You can show swing lengths as clock times in Settings. In the app, 10:30 stands for 3/4, 9:00 for half, and 7:30 for quarter.
When you log practice, pick the swing length and tap in your distances. Each box shows the median for that wedge and swing, and mishits you mark are left out. We used the average in the paper method above, but the app uses the median.
Every feature is free for up to 20 sessions, with practice and rounds combined. Clubs, setups, wishlist items and individual shots don’t count. Pro is a one-time purchase that removes the limit and the watermark on share cards (view on the App Store).
Worn grooves can change how the ball comes off the face, so here’s how often to regrip and replace wedges.
Key takeaways
- A wedge matrix lists your wedges against your swing lengths
- In the clock system, you change the backswing length and keep the tempo
- A half swing doesn’t mean half the distance
- Hit about 10 balls per position and use your own carry numbers
- Check wedge numbers with your own ball when you can
Sources
- Giraffy, “Distance control in the short game: stock swings and clock system” https://giraffyco.com/blogs/news/distance-control-in-the-short-game-stock-swings-and-clock-system
- GOLF.com, “This clever trick can help you dial in difficult wedge distance control” https://golf.com/?p=15526823
- GOLF.com, on distance gapping https://golf.com/gear/improper-distance-gapping-wreak-havoc/?amp=1
- GOLF.com, Jonathan Wall, range ball and premium ball robot test (August 2024) https://golf.com/gear/golf-balls/range-ball-premium-ball-testing-fully-equipped/?amp=1
- Minna no Golf Digest, lesson with Ryuichi Oiwa (April 2026, Japanese) https://www.golfdigest-minna.jp/_ct/17834336
(All checked November 6, 2026)
About the sources for this article This article is based on information from public agencies, official sites and specialist media, reorganized by the editors from a recording and organizing perspective. Figures and statements about specifications or safety were checked against primary sources where possible.
This article organizes information from a recording and organizing perspective. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us. Last verified: November 2026
