The Golfaholic's Blog

The Perfect Pitch
Posted by Shelby (shelby) on Oct 07 2008
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Hey people! (As my son Matthew would say, he’s 3) This week’s golf tip is one of my favourite shots. I certainly don’t pull it off 100% of the time but I like it anyway. And when it does come off perfectly I get a great deal of satisfaction from it, and sometimes a birdie to put on my card.  

If there are two common faults among the poor pitchers of this world, it is that they have their weight on the right-hand side in a misguided attempt to scoop the ball into the air and that their back swing is too long and they therefore decelerate through the ball. Concentrate on these two things and the days of poor pitching will soon be long gone.

The Set-up

As you are looking for accuracy rather than power with a pitch shot, bring your feet closer together, stand a little closer to the ball and choke down on the club. Some coaches recommend that you open your stance a little (Aim left with your feet and hips) to give yourself room to swing the club through impact, but this is not strictly necessary. For the regular pitch shot, the ball should be played in the center of the stance with the weight distributed evenly between the feet.

1. From the modified address position, you should make your normal swing. You must focus on maintaining a fluid rhythm as you swing your arms away. As with the full swing, the arms should remain tucked into the side of the chest and not move away from the body, and the writs should “break” gently but fully.
2. As the emphasis is on accuracy rather than power, there’s no need for any excessive lower body action. You should control the shot by rotating your upper body back and through. The ball is simply left to get in the way of the swing. Good tempo is a must; don’t fall into the trap of rushing the shot. It is very important that you accelerate through the ball. The pitch shot must be played with authority. If you watch the best players in the world, you will see that they commit totally to the shot. They understand that the narrow stance, shorter backswing and lofted club will prevent them from hitting the ball too far.
3. Avoid trying to scoop the ball into the air. Instead trust the loft of the clubface to get the ball airborne. Most pitch shots are fluffed when the golfer tries to scoop the ball into the air and inadvertently straightens their legs and/or upper body. When this happens, it is very easy to catch the ball thin or heavy. If you can maintain your height throughout the swing, your chances of making crisp contact with the ball are very good. The length of the follow through should mirror the length of the backswing. 

Key Points to Remember

• Transfer your weight on to your left side as you start down
• Start your down swing with your left hip
• Don’t start the stroke with your right shoulder or arms
• Hold your wrist hinge on the way down
• At the point of impact, hips are open to target, weight is on the left and the left knee is straight
• Release powerfully through impact and extend your arms
• Make a full balanced finish

So there you have it, practise it and you will shave strokes off your scores that’s guaranteed. I hope you have fun with it.

Last changed: Oct 07 2008 at 1:01 PM

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