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Golf coach Claire Batista tackles one of the trickiest shots in the short game — the pitch from a tight fairway lie. In this video, she walks through the exact setup adjustments needed to hit a clean, controlled wedge from 40 yards. If you’ve been avoiding this shot, this lesson will change that.
Claire Batista – Short Game
Claire Batista breaks down a pitch shot that many golfers shy away from — the half-swing wedge from a tight fairway lie. With the ball sitting flush on the turf, there’s no room to slide the club underneath, so the setup has to do the work. Claire shows exactly how to position your body and the club to strike the ball cleanly and get it to check up on the green.
Key Takeaways
Open and narrow your stance
Open and narrow your stance
Drop your lead foot back and flare it to open your hips, and narrow your feet to encourage a more controlled, steep swing.
Play the ball back with hands ahead
Positioning the ball back in your stance and keeping your hands forward allows the club to approach on a steeper angle, helping you strike ball before turf and generate backspin.
Use the right ball
Range balls won’t spin — for short game practice to mean anything, use the same ball you play with on the course so you can trust how it will react on the green.
Take these setup keys to the practice area and hit a few pitch shots focusing on ball-first contact — once you feel the steep angle working, distance control becomes a matter of swing length. This video is ideal for golfers who struggle with the short pitch from the fairway and want a simple, repeatable method to get the ball stopping closer to the pin.
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