Do You Know How To Hit Quality Pitch Shots In Golf?

Learn To Hit Quality Pitch Shots To Improve Your Golf Scores!

I consider myself a good short game player. However, this year due to lack of playing time and not practicing the way I’m used to. I’ve really struggled on the golf course in trying to break 90. I’m not comfortable or use to playing this kind of erratic golf, where for the last few years my golf scores were in the low to mid 80′s. A lot of my troubles have been around the greens. I could score low, because the majority of times I could get up and down in two. This year I’ve seen more two and three putt greens, because my pitches have left me on the greens with longer putts. Chipping and Pitching well is paramount to how well your going to play. Most of it’s in your head. Confidence is built on having a good solid golfing  mindset in knowing that you can trust your ability to hit quality pitch shots around the green.

For most amateur  golfers hitting the golf ball a certain distance isn’t the problem.  Where most golfers experience trouble is around the greens. That would include chipping, pitching and putting. A lot of mistakes from tee to green can be made up for in improving your golf scores by getting down in two from 40 yards in. The pitch shots is that little shot golfers use to make birdies possible and salvage pars. This shot does get a lot of use during a round of golf, because our accuracy beyond 150 yards will diminish when trying to hit to a specific target on the green.

You do need to learn too become a consistently good short game player, because no one can consistently hit every green in regulation.  It requires you to have finesse, or a touch of feeling in your hands, wrists and head (brain). It requires a correct golf mindset when trying to place the golf ball close to the hole. Practicing your short game with the wedge should take almost equal amount of time spent,  as you would with your driver or any other club in your bag. When mastering the standard wedge shot there are other variations such as the bump and run, punch, cut and lob wedges to practice.

The fundamentals you’ve learned for the full swing will also apply to the short wedge shot. The pitch shot is less than a full swing, and is taken normally with the pitching or sand wedge. It does require accurate judgment of distance.  Doing the following steps is important when producing a quality chip or pitch shot around the greens:

• Relaxation and not tension in the grip, arms and shoulders. (Tension ruins most quality golf shots.)
• Short green shots require very little body motion.  (as opposed to others that moves freely.)
• Proper weight transfer is every bit as necessary in the short shots just as with the full shots.
• Make the necessary adjustments at the address position. ( body needs to be slightly open to allow freedom of movement with your arms and hands.)
• There should be slightly more weight on the left foot than on the right foot at address. (the ball is played slightly closer to your left foot.)
• The alignment of the feet is more to the left of the target.  ( the golf club is still perpendicular to the target line.)
• The hands should be ahead of the club head at impact and well through to the finish. (the club head never passes the hands in any quality golf shot.)
• Don’t break with leading your wrists through impact. ( wrist action can cause chili dipping, blading or thinning across the green.)
• Groove a repetitive swing by using the same swing plane with every golf shot. (Learn to adapt to different situations.)
• Make sure you retain an accelerating swing no matter what the distance.  (To ensure a crisp shot through the ball.)
• Relate distance to swing length.  (the pendulum golf swing is clockwise constant. 3 to 9,   4 to 10,  etc.)
• Apply mental imagery in practice and game situations.   (pitching to markers at different distances.)
• Learn to hit too identical landing spots on the green using different clubs.  (see the different combinations of flight and roll each club will give you.)
• Create the mental image of the speed and flight needed for a successful golf shot.   (learn to estimate the amount of effort required for each shot.)
• Learn to choose the right club to pitch with in each given situation.  (every pitch shot you face will vary in distance and obstacles to hit over,  and how fast you have to stop the ball on the green.)
• Gain control by allowing the golf ball on the green to start rolling like a putt as early as possible.  (learn the flight and roll characteristics of each club.)
• Build confidence in your pitch shots.  (anyone can become competent with the wedge.)
• Pitching requires development of feel.  (only practice will allow you to land balls consistently within a certain area from a variety of distances.)

Good chippers are said to have great feel. This feel or touch can only be developed through patience and practicing. The only way to learn the proper club for each distance under different conditions is to experiment. You will find one favorite club to pitch with in pressure situations, but you should spend some time practicing with each club in various situations. When practicing do not always give yourself good lies. Practicing shots from all types of lies will save you strokes during play. Getting visual feedback by watching your shots and adjusting accordingly will only guarantee you rapid progress in your ability to pitch well around the greens. The lessons learned will follow you onto the golf course.

If your having trouble around the greens in trying to get up and down for improved scores. Then this DVD by Bobby Eldridge is a must for any golfer who is serious about improving their short game skills. It shows a how to in the different variations of situations you’ll face when trying to get close to the pin.  Great for having in your golf library! Click the link.

Chipping, Pitching and Putting Makes Up Your Total Scores!

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