One of the most difficult shots for new golfers to learn and master is the pitch shot around the greens.
A pitch shot is required when there is less green to work with, and you can’t simply chip or putt the ball along the ground. The reason is that you have some rough, a bunker or some water between you and the green. Therefore, you need to get the ball in the air more quickly than a chip shot, so the ball lands more softly when it hits the green.
The most common issue I see with golfers who struggle with this shot is that they try to manipulate the club too much with their hands. When they do this, they don’t allow the club itself (typically a sand wedge or pitching wedge) to do what it is designed to do…get the ball in the air.
Too much hand action often results in a lot of mis-hit shots, fat or thin, and this adds strokes to your scores.
When I set up for a pitch shot, I do so similarly to a chip shot… my stance is narrow, slightly open to the target line, and I’ve got about 60-70% of my weight on my front foot.
The pitch shot swing is then simply a mini-version of your full swing. Therefore, you start the swing in the same way…with your shoulder turn. The difference is that there is little weight shift going back, and you will only turn the shoulders a small amount.
When the shoulders are turning, you are simply performing the takeaway portion of the full swing. The length of the pitch shot will ultimately determine the length of your swing, but you will never want to make a full swing with a pitch shot.
When the shoulders stop turning, the club may still continue to travel further into the back swing as a result of the weight in the head of the club. You allow this to occur by maintaining softer grip pressure than you will use in a fuller swing.
As the shoulders are done turning, you shift the weight a little bit more onto the front foot and turn the hips a bit. You then just let the club drop right into the ball, and let the club get the ball in the air.
Naturally, you’ll need to practice this shot quite a bit to develop your touch and to control your distance. Once you do, you’ll have a new weapon in your arsenal to help you lower your scores.
Two of the best pitchers of the golf ball are Steve Stricker and Jordan Spieth.
Here is a video of Jordan Spieth talking about his technique.
And, here is a video of Steve Stricker demonstrating his technique.
I also highly recommend Phil Mickelson’s DVD, Secrets of the Short Game. You can pick up your copy by clicking on the image below.
