Pitch shots by Tour players appear so effortless and smooth. The ball flies high and rolls toward the pin with ease when they swing.
Unlike a chip shot, which rolls rather than travels, a pitch travels further. Due to the shot’s high trajectory and a significant amount of energy, a lengthier swing is generally required, leading to worse mistakes if not executed correctly. Because of this, you must have a rock-solid technique. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you want to hit stunning pitch shots that soar and halt.
Make sure your wedges have adequate bounce.
Pitch shots require a club with a lot of loft and bounce, so look for one with those characteristics when making your selection. Your club’s bounce is the rounded bottom that stops it from burrowing into the ground. Like a flat-sided stone skipping across water, that’s what it is.
For example, if you’re playing on hardpan, you’ll want a wedge that makes digging easier. More bounce will be beneficial if you are playing on a soft surface. Wedge improvement begins with finding the correct equipment.
It’s all about posture.
My students often adopt a sloppy, squatty posture when wearing shorter shorts, even though they have great full swing posture. When this happens, you’ll have a hard time keeping in touch with your audience.
It’s important to keep your hands behind your shoulders even if you’re shooting from a lower distance. Although you’ll be closer to the golf ball, the same fundamentals that help you balance in athletics will also help you hit the center of the clubface on the golf course.
To get the most out of your setup, you should
Setting up your club’s electronics appropriately is essential for getting the most out of the bounce. Ideally, I’d want to see the grip’s markings centered so that they run perpendicular to the ground. In addition, the shaft should be centered in the middle of your foot, as well. Too much forward lean in your club shaft increases the likelihood of the club digging into the ground.
Keep your hands on the ball at all times.
It may seem paradoxical, but hitting down is essential if you want to raise the ball. You’re more likely to catch the ball thin if you attempt to hoist it into the air, and it’s going to be too high and too far.
It all begins with your practice swing: I prefer to hear a strong thump from your club head as you swing.
The swing should be roughly equal in both directions.
To understand how your swing backswing influences distance, it may be helpful to consider the follow-through. If you want to have a solid rhythm on pitch shots, I feel your backswing and follow-through should be about the same length.
Slowing down is easy if your backswing is too lengthy. If it’s too short, it will cause an excessive speed, and both will result in a faulty connection.
To get a better swing, throw the club.
To hit your pitch shots higher, you’ll need to adjust your technique from time to time.
If you don’t have a lob wedge, allowing the clubhead to pass the handle on the downswing will assist you in adapting your release pattern. I do a backswing with my right hand, and I throw the ball down to the ground with my right foot.
Tossing the clubhead causes the loft and bounce to rise, resulting in an elevated pitch shot with a quicker stop.
