Golf Pitch Shot

The golf pitch shot is a close cousin to the chip shot and certainly a shot that you must develop your competency with this shot to complete your short game arsenal.

The biggest problem that I see time and time again with people who struggle with executing any type of pitch shot is that they decelerate their clubhead just before impact.

One concept that will help you begin to execute crisp pitch shots is to think of a shorter backswing with a longer follow through.

Now, I don’t mean to take an abbreviated short backswing and then a rapid jab at the ball with a semi manufactured follow through, but we do want the concept of a consistent lengthy follow through.

Many times the cause of deceleration just before impact is because the golfer has taken much too big of a backswing… and at the last moment the brain tries to adjust to the perceived too much distance by decelerating the club……. and yuk… or is that yak.

As you practice your pitch shots work to keep your backswing as short as necessary to get the job done with a smooth tempo. With a longer golf pitch shot make sure that your left hand leads the club through the shot and you don’t ‘flip’ the club at the golf ball.

As we mentioned in a previous lesson work your pitches to a static target using different clubs so you’ll begin to develop that all important ‘feel’ for your clubs and what they are (or aren’t) capable of. As you do this you’ll begin to develop a nice rhythm to your pitch swing and your confidence in this shot won’t be far behind.

The key to developing a deadly golf pitch shot lies in how much practice you allot for this part of your game. Remember, work to shorten you backswing and extend that follow through. Deceleration is the kiss of death for a pitch shot.

Your success is directly related to your time spent working on this shot.

GolfTips-The Lob Shot

The lob shot in golf is one of the coolest shots to watch. We’ve all seen a good golf lob shot executed where the golf ball pops quickly and high into the air then lands ever so softly on the green…

like a butterfly with sore feet!

The problem here is that for us mortal golfers this is also one of the most difficult shots to perform.

Not to worry though… here are a couple tips on how to play the golf lob shot.

First… you’ll want to weaken your grip by rotating your grip counter clockwise on the club just a bit (your left thumb will be pointing directly down the shaft slightly more counter clockwise).

A weaker grip will have the tendency to keep the clubface open which allows the club to ‘slide’ under the ball more readily.

The clubface as it addresses the ball will be open.

With your stance open, position the ball just to the inside of your left heel.

As you begin your swing, you’ll set your wrists early. I don’t mean to say that you just pick the club up with your hands… not at all.

We actually want a full swing with an early wrist set. In other words, you want to get the shaft of the club vertical to the ground as your hands reach the halfway point.

Now for the most difficult part… the mental part. Take a full swing. The tough part here is to convince your mind that you do have to take a full swing even though the actual distance you want the ball to travel is minimal.

Most of our brains have trouble with this one. This is the part where you may hear someone tell you that you have to stay committed to the shot. A tough commitment to be sure… but you must.

It’s the commitment to the full swing that usually goes awry for the average golfer. At the last moment, doubt creeps in and the swing suddenly decelerates. When this happens all bets are off and so are the chances of making a good shot.

Like any other part of the golf swing or golf game, the lob shot just takes practice. Practice not only leads to better execution but confidence as well.

And a large part of executing the golf lob shot in golf really boils down to your confidence in yourself.

Golf Tips: The Pitch Shot

The pitch shot in golf is a close cousin to the chip shot and certainly a shot that you must develop your competency with this shot to complete your short game arsenal.

The biggest problem that I see time and time again with people who struggle with executing any type of pitch shot is that they decelerate their clubhead just before impact.

One concept that will help you begin to execute crisp pitch shots is to think of a shorter backswing with a longer follow through.

Now, I don’t mean to take an abbreviated short backswing and then a rapid jab at the ball with a semi manufactured follow through, but we do want the concept of a consistent lengthy follow through.

Many times the cause of deceleration just before impact is because the golfer has taken much too big of a backswing… and at the last moment the brain tries to adjust to the perceived too much distance by decelerating the club……. and yuk… or is that yak.

As you practice your pitch shots work to keep your backswing as short as necessary to get the job done with a smooth tempo. With the longer pitch shots make sure that your left hand leads the club through the shot and you don’t ‘flip’ the club at the golf ball.

As we mentioned in a previous lesson work your pitches to a static target using different clubs so you’ll begin to develop that all important ‘feel’ for your clubs and what they are (or aren’t) capable of. As you do this you’ll begin to develop a nice rhythm to your pitch swing and your confidence in this shot won’t be far behind.

The key to developing those deadly pitch shots lies in how much practice you allot for this part of your game. Remember, work to shorten you backswing and extend that follow through. Deceleration is the kiss of death for a pitch shot.

Your success is directly related to your time spent working on this shot.