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Getting Back To Basics With Your Pitch Shots
By Foursome
To master the pitch shot means that you must learn to swing the right club with the exact amount of force, thus allowing the speed of the clubhead and loft of the iron to send the ball flying directly toward the hole. As the old saying in golf goes: “Just let the club to the hard work”.
To break the pitch shot down into a simple list of instructions, the following reference is worth its weight in gold anytime you need to get back down to basics:
1. Every pitch shot should start with you mentally visualizing the shot by selecting a spot where you want the ball to land.
2. Based on the distance between you and your landing goal, choose the right club that you think will carry the ball through.
3. Most of your bodyweight should be focused on the front side of your body.4. Your front foot should open up by shifting it back about five to six inches from your target line.
5. Now grip your club, keeping a light, yet firm grasp.
6. Your body and head should be still, yet not tense or anxious.
7. Take your swing and keep the club back along your target line, then forward and through the ball, keeping the stroke smooth throughout the movement.
8. Keep your follow-through in a straight line towards the target.
9. Finally, use the results of your shot to help make improvements on the next pitch. Example questions: Where did the ball land compared to your target? Did you choose a club with too much loft, thereby putting more spin than needed? Was the wind a factor in knocking the ball down?
Determine The Velocity & Flight Path
One of the problems with mastering a pitch shot is that you just can’t swing away like you would with a long iron or your driver. Due to the fact that a pitch shot is designed for hitting the ball within 70 yards or so from the hole, it requires that you send the ball traveling at just the proper length. Add wind to the mix or some other deterrent and the plan becomes that much more complex.
The trick to determining the right velocity and direction with your pitch shot is to match the length of your back swing to the exact distance in which you want the ball to travel.
Be careful to take the club back far enough. If you do not, then you may, by instinct, put extra force on the downswing, eliminating the smoothness and flow that the shot needs. On the other hand, if you swing the club too far back, it may decelerate on the downswing. And as you know, deceleration on any swing is bad news in golf – fatal to the shot at hand.
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