Do you have trouble with your pitch shot? Let Head PGA Professional Sarah Smith show you how to fix it.
You've done the hard work and then mess up with a pitch shot! However, with a few small tweaks to your technique, these tips will allow you to knock the ball stone dead every time.
PITCH FAULT
A bad strike is usually the cause of a poor pitch shot, and normally the ball doesn't make it into the air! One of the reasons could be not hinging the club correctly during the swing, or at set-up the ball position being too far forward. These two faults combined can lead to hitting the top of the ball.
PITCH FIX
The ball should be central in your stance. If you want to play a pitch with more height then experiment with the ball being further forward in your stance.
PITCH FAULT
Another common fault when pitching is leaning back through the shot to help the ball in the air. Again, this means the player will hit the top of the ball on the way through due to the club’s angle of attack being too shallow, and this usually leads to a top or thinned shot across the green!
PITCH FIX
Similar to chipping, technique is key, but you must understand the difference between a chip and a pitch. A chip shot is a one lever swing and a pitch is two levers. The two levers on the pitch shot are your hands taking the club away and wrists hinging the club. If you can chip, then you’ll be able to pitch!
Keep your weight on your front side throughout the swing, approximately 60%. This will create a steeper angle of attack to hit down on the ball and pop it into the air.
Hinge the club with your wrists when it reaches hip height on your backswing. Think of an L-shape. The club should be pointing at the sky and your left arm (right-handers) should be straight. This angle will help you to hit down on the correct angle of attack, so the ball can pop up into the air
Pitch around the clock
A good way to learn how to cover all yardages with your pitching wedge is by thinking of a clock face. The clubhead should point at each opposite hour on the clock to create equal length back and through swings. For example, 10 to 2 or 11 to 1 would be good for a longer pitch shot.
Watch Sarah explain this pitching drill
To find out more about Saffron Walden's Head PGA Professional Sarah Smith please visit her website here or follow on Instagram @smithperformancegolf.
The above Instruction article was taken from the July/August 2018 issue of Women & Golf magazine.
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