Ever see a fellow golfer walk up to the edge of the green with a club that looks like a putter and a wedge had a baby? That unique-looking tool is likely a DW, or Dual Wedge, a type of chipper designed with one profound goal in mind: to take the terror out of those tricky little shots around the green. This article will show you what a DW club is, why it works so well, and how to use it to save strokes and get rid of your two biggest chipping fears - the dreaded chunk and the infuriating bladed shot.
What Exactly is a DW Golf Club?
A "DW Golf Club" is a name often associated with Cleveland Golf's line of chippers, specifically their Smart Sole models. The "DW" stands for Dual Wedge, but you can think of it as a modern chipper. It’s a specialty club that isn’t a traditional iron or wedge. Instead, it blends the forgiving setup of a putter with the loft of an iron to help you get the ball onto the green and rolling toward the hole with a simple, repeatable stroke.
Here’s what makes a DW club different:
- A Very Wide Sole: The bottom of the club is significantly wider and more rounded than a typical wedge or iron. This is its most important feature.
- Upright Lie Angle: It's designed for you to stand closer to the ball, similar to how you’d address a putt.
- Shorter Shaft: The length is closer to that of a putter or short iron, promoting better control.
- Increased Loft: They typically have around 42 degrees of loft, which is similar to what you'd find on an 8-iron or 9-iron. This is built to create a predictable "pop and roll."
Essentially, it’s an engineered solution to one of the game's most frustrating problems. It's built to perform a specific job with maximum forgiveness, taking complicated swing thoughts out of the equation so you can focus on a simple movement.
The Problem the DW Club Solves: Fear Around the Greens
Every golfer knows the feeling. Your ball is sitting just a few feet off the putting surface in that tight fringe grass. It's too far to putt, but it feels too close for a real pitch shot. This should be an easy up-and-down, but your mind starts racing.
"Don't chili-dip it."
"Don't blade it over the green."
The pressure mounts. You try to hit a delicate little chip with your sand wedge, a club with a sharp leading edge designed to cut through sand. On a tight lie, the margin for error is razor-thin. If you swing down just a fraction too early, that leading edge digs into the ground behind the ball - the "chunk" - and the ball embarrassingly dribbles a few feet. If your fear of chunking it makes you lift up, you strike the ball's equator with that same leading edge - the "blade" or "skull" - sending a line-drive screaming across the green and into trouble on the other side.
This is precisely the scenario the DW club was designed to prevent. It gives you an alternative that turns a high-stress, high-skill shot into a low-risk, simple procedure.
Breaking Down the Design: Why a Dual Wedge Works
The effectiveness of a DW club isn't a gimmick, it's smart engineering that addresses the root causes of poor chipping. Let's look at why its main features help you play better.
The Extra-Wide Sole
This is the game-changer. The wide, rounded bottom of the club is physically designed to resist digging into the turf. Think about it: a traditional wedge has a sharp edge that acts like a knife, wanting to cut into the ground. A DW club's sole acts more like the hull of a boat, it wants to glide over the surface. Even if your swing bottom is slightly behind the ball, this sole will bounce off the turf instead of digging in, allowing the club face to still make solid contact with the ball. This feature almost single-handedly chunk-proofs your short game.
Built-In, Optimized Loft
When you use a high-lofted wedge for a simple chip, you often have to manipulate your hands and the club face - leaning the shaft forward to "deloft" it for a chip-and-run. This adds complexity and room for error. A DW club has a settled loft (again, around 42 degrees) that does the work for you. It's enough loft to pop the ball gently into the air to clear the fringe or rough, but not so much that it flies too high. The goal is to get it airborne for a short time and rolling like a putt as quickly as possible. You don't have to think about the loft, you just have to make the stroke.
A Putter-Like Setup and Stroke
The club's design, with its more upright lie angle and shorter shaft, encourages you to get in closer to the ball. This promotes a stance that feels much more like a putting setup than a full swing. Why does this help? Because a putting stroke is the simplest, most stable motion in golf. It minimizes the unnecessary hinges of the wrists and messy body movements that lead to inconsistency. It encourages you to use your shoulders to rock the club back and through, creating a pure pendulum motion that is far easier to repeat under pressure.
How to Hit Shots with a DW Golf Club (Step-by-Step)
Ready to try it? The beauty of the DW club is its simplicity. The fewer moving parts in your technique, the better. Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide to hitting clean, consistent shots with it.
Step 1: Your Setup – Think "Putter-Plus"
Forget your normal iron stance. Get yourself set up for success with a much simpler approach.
- Stance Width: Place your feet closer together, about hip-width apart or even slightly narrower. This encourages a stable lower body.
- Ball Position: Put the ball dead in the middle of your stance. Not forward, not back. Right in the center.
- Proximity to Ball: Stand closer to the ball than you would with a normal wedge. Your arms should hang naturally, just like they do when you're putting.
- Weight Distribution: Favor your front foot just a little. A 60/40 or 55/45 split is perfect. This promotes a slight downward strike without you having to think about it.
- Grip: You can use your normal grip, but many players find success using their putting grip. Either way, hold the club softly. Tension is the enemy of touch.
Step 2: The Stroke – Rock Your Shoulders
The key here is to eliminate your wrists. This isn't a power shot, it's a precision shot. The motion should come from the rotation of your upper body, not from flicking your hands.
Imagine a triangle formed by your shoulders and arms at address. The goal is to move that entire triangle back and through as one unit. Rock your shoulders back away from the target, and then rock them through toward the target. It's a simple, back-and-forth pendulum motion. The hands, wrists, and arms are just passengers along for the ride.
Step 3: Judging Distance – Control the Length of Your Swing
Distance control with a DW club doesn't come from hitting the ball harder or softer. That’s a recipe for disaster. Instead, you control distance by changing the length of your backswing. Just like with putting:
- For a short chip, make a very short backstroke.
- For a longer chip, simply lengthen the backstroke.
Practice with different swing lengths to see how far the ball carries and rolls out. Keep the tempo - the rhythm and timing of your stroke - exactly the same for every shot. A smooth, unhurried pace is what you're بعد از. This consistent rhythm will lead to consistent results.
When Should You Use a DW Club?
While incredibly useful, the DW club is a specialist, not an all-rounder. It shines in specific situations:
- From the fringe or fairway-height grass just off the green.
- From tight or firm lies where you’re terrified of blading a "normal" wedge.
- For any shot within about 30 yards of the green where a simple bump-and-run is the play.
- When you’re lacking chipping confidence and just need to get the ball on the green, any green.
It's important to also know when not to use it. The wide ansole that works so well on tight lies can struggle out of thick, heavy rough, as it can get caught up rather than gliding through. It’s also not a bunker club - stick with your sand wedge for that a job.
Final Thoughts
The DW Golf Club, or chipper, isn't about laziness or "cheating" - it's about playing smarter. It's a USGA-conforming tool specifically engineered to make a difficult part of golf simpler and much more reliable for the average player. By embracing its forgiving design, you can eliminate big misses, lower your scores, and replace fear around the greens with newfound confidence.
Sometimes the hardest part of a shot isn’t the swing, but making the right decision in the first place. When you're standing over the ball, stuck debating between your putter, a wedge, or your trusty new DW club, having a clear plan is a huge advantage. As an AI-powered coach, I can help you think through these situations. If you snap a photo of your ball's lie, I can instantly analyze it and give you a smart club and shot recommendation right on the course. Ultimately, we help you make better decisions, commit to your shots, and build real confidence in those moments that truly define your score with Caddie AI.