Golf Tip of the Week: Pitching

By Marc Spaulding
Director of Golf, Cane Creek Golf Course

When you have a 30-70 yard pitch shot, do you cringe because you think you are going to chunk it or blade it over the green? If you have this problem, then read on.

The main reason most people have trouble hitting this shot is because they stop turning their bodies, stop swinging their arms and flip their wrists at the ball.

When the hands are doing all of the work, it is very easy to hit behind the ball (chunked or fat shot), and it goes nowhere.

If you don’t hit behind the ball, the other thing that can happen is the club head will be moving up toward the ball instead of down, and you will hit the middle of the ball (bladed or sculled shot). To get the ball in the air, the shaft must be leaning toward the target instead of away from the target. This will keep the club head on a descending path toward the ball.

Now you can get under the ball to send it up in the air. How do we do this?

The best way to describe this is to keep your hands quiet (meaning inactive), keep your arms moving and your body turning. That is as simple as I can make it sound; it is much easier to just show you in person.

When pitching these short shots, you should alter your set-up slightly. Narrow your stance and open it slightly, slide your hands down the handle of the club (choke up), and position the ball just target side of center.

Now take a couple of practice swings to get the feel of how hard and long you need to swing for the given distance.

While taking a practice swing, make sure you turn your body on the back swing and forward swing, and keep your arms moving. There will be a slight wrist hinge in the back swing and the wrists will unhinge on the forward swing. A good way to picture this is to see the toe of the club go up in the air on the back swing and up in the air on the forward swing. If you can keep your body turning and your arms swinging, you will be surprised how easy it is to just brush the ground with the club head and get the ball in the air.

If you are still having problems, see your local PGA professional.