Many golfers find the pitch shot a tricky one to master in golf, it is one of our “scoring” shots. When correctly executed it can save and make up many strokes during a round of golf. I hope this article will provide you with an insight into the targeted areas to achieve successful pitching on the golf course.

It is important to understand firstly the definition of a pitch along with the objective of the shot which is too often confused with the chip shot.

In simple terms ” A pitch is a shot in golf which can be played with a variety of wedges to produce a ball flight with relative height to the loft, stopping quickly with minimal run. The shot can’t be categorized by specific distances which vary between players.

The objective of the article is not to concentrate on the technique but to let you know the main areas I personally focus upon when coaching this shot.

• Strike
• Distance
• Direction

I consider the Strike to be of primary importance which has a direct bearing upon the distance control and consistency of the shot. Many golfers who come to me for short game coaching try to adjust their follow through to achieve a shorter shot, however this leads to a huge deceleration during impact with the strike and distance compromised.

Pelz advocates a shorter back swing and longer follow through, this ensures the flow and timing of the swing is not disrupted. Golfers can then use the “clock face” or body to work on distance control registering the distances achieved with each wedge to build a shot repertoire.  Further adjustments are required for ground and wind conditions to achieve a similar ball flight and distance in adverse weather.

The image below shows the length of backswing for two pitch shots, the top image producing a shot with  a carry distance of 20 yards. The image below achieved a distance of 35 yards both with similar strikes and direction.

Both images show a longer or equal backswing to follow through and produced minimal divot which is something I look for when coaching the strike facet of pitching.

Distance control when pitching

I hope that you have enjoyed this blog, I used to spend hours whilst on the Ladies European Tour working on my short game and I am really passionate about improving this area, not only of my game but yours too.

My 2015 Men’s and Ladies short game clinic dates have just been added to my Events page of my website along with many new and exciting activities.