Two things that make World No. 1 Nelly Korda’s full-swing wedges so elite

There are many parts of Nelly Korda’s game to be impressed by. The 25-year-old became the third LPGA Tour player to win five tournaments in a row when she won the 2024 Chevron Championship. The only other two players to have done it are Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez. So while basically everything Korda does on the golf course is worth copying, this article will focus on just one aspect of her game: Full-swing wedges.

“The key to precise wedge play is not in speed and power, but finesse and tempo. In Nelly’s swing you’ll see a consistent tempo that is smooth and seamless from backswing-transition-downswing-finish,” Curdt explains.

A common mistake amateurs make here is trying to hit their wedge hard, or far. This leads to mishits.

“You’ll end up typically sending it shorter due to increased spin,” Curdt says. If you want to hit your wedges more like Korda, Curdt says you need to focus on these three things: Swing with a smooth tempo.
“You may opt to take a lower lofted wedge so you can smooth the rhythm out and swing within ‘time,’”