Play A Pitch Shot
The pitch shot is a great shot to master. It allows you to come into the green from 120 yards out and land your ball on the putting surface as close to the pin as possible.
One of the secrets to a good score card at the end of your round is to be able to play a good pitch shot. The difference between the weekend amateurs and the pro’s is the way they can correct a bad shot.
If you tee off wide of the fairway, can you be confident in getting the ball on the green? Every pro golfer spends time perfecting the pitch shot because they know the value of it.
Everyone of us has faced the third shot on to the green on a par four because we missed the green in two and so if you can use your pitching wedge well you can cut the chances of having to two or even three putt thus chopping down the strokes.
The set up;
The pitch shot is a shorter swing than with most irons but you do have to swing with conviction. Although short the swing must accelerate through the ball or you will end up duffing it or worse, blading it across the green into the hazard at the back
The stance for the pitch shot is what is called ‘open’, that is your front foot will be pulled back slightly from square. Your shoulders ,waist and hips however should still be parallel to the target line. This will allow you to swing through fully.
The stance is narrower for a pitch shot and you will probably choke down on the club, leaving about an inch of the grip protruding above your hands.
Weight distribution is determined by the distance you are trying to hit the ball, the shorter the shot the more weight you put on the front foot, so for a 50 yard shot your weight should be about 60% on the front foot.
The ball will be about central in your stance but slightly adjusting the position will affect the height of the pitch, this is an area where practice will pay you back ten fold!
The Swing;
The swing is a compact version of your normal golf swing. There is very little movement of the legs and the hands should be firm, do not try to help the ball into the air by scooping, the loft of the club is all you need.
A standard pitch shot will only have about a three quarter swing, back and forward, but this is where ‘feel’ comes into play. The length of shot is determined by the length of back swing, just like putting.
If you practice the shot you can gain an appreciation of how far you need to swing to get the desired length.Keep tabs on it by imagining a clock face, twenty five to’ goes thirty yards, twenty to goes seventy yards etc.
Timing or ‘tempo’ is the quality ingredient in a pitch shot and this will help you to be consistent so find a little mantra that you can repeat to yourself as you practice to get the timing perfect
