Is my new pitching technique solid?

I began my winter improvement plan today. One of the things I've decided to focus on first is working my short game. I have mainly played with one shot (played with 5 different wedges) inside 50 yards for a couple of years. It would be what some would call a hop and stop. I call it a pinched pitch. Either way, I need more options.

To that end I've been messing with a few techniques and hit on one today that seemed consistent for me. I've only worked it with one club (64*) and one distance (25 yards). So far so good. But before I go any further I would like some advice as to whether it is a sound technique as I don't want to ingrain any bad habits. I'm a relatively closed face digger on full shots, so this is entirely new territory for me. Any advice would be appreciated, My technique is as follows:

I'm placing the ball just inside my left heel with the left foot flared out and the right foot square to my target line. My target line is facing about 6 feet to the left of the target. I choke down to the bottom of the club's grip with my normal (slightly strong) grip - I'll be working this shot later with a more neutral grip. I'm using the feeling of my elbows glued to my ribcage. Without using my arms I'm simply turning my chest, and to a lesser extent my hips, away from the target as far as is comfortable without "removing" my elbows from my torso. I’m getting the shaft about parallel to the ground on the backswing.

Then I'm turning my chest and belt buckle back through the ball and to the target about as hard as I can without destroying my rhythm. I don't want to stab at the ball, but I want to keep the tempo up and accelerate through the ball. I'm finishing around my body with my hands below my shoulders and the shaft pointing to the sky.

Whatcha think? Is this a bad way to pitch the ball? BTW it was 33 degrees outside plus 10 MPH winds. I figure anything that can hold up in this weather might have a chance under pressure. Any advice is appreciated!!!

Regarding the temperature, that's hardcore! I thought I was hardcore at 51 degrees today, in Florida. However, I did hit balls when it was a similar temperature in Maryland, when I lived there (32 degrees and frost on the ground).

I have the same takeaway and followthrough. But with the ball off of the left foot - I have not tried. My ball is usually lined up off my right ear - to make it run, a ball's length to the left to make it walk, and 2 ball's length (i.e. the sternum) to make it sit. However, regarding consistent contact, my swing is initiated by the core and the downswing is driven by the core. An armsy swing only leads to fat shots, inconsistency and inaccuracy for me.

Yeah, "Eye of the Tiger" was playing as background music...haha

Well one thing is solid in your technique and that is the idea that you making your forward swing by rotating with your core and turning your belt buckle or chest facing the target. The low follow through is solid too. I do something similar except I do not rotate my hips back at all. I keep my weight forward. I have no weight shift back but just lift the club back into position folding the back arm more or less depending on distance. On the forward turn it is all about turning so my chest faces the target and dropping the club as necessary down to the ball and an abbreviated follow through. It gets the ball up quickly.

5 different wedges inside 50 yards?!

I might be able to offer a suggestion that doesn't involve a single swing of the golf club.........

Yeah I was playing everything as a lofted chip. One shot but producing 5 different distances. My carry distances were....XW 20, LW 25, SW 30, AW 35, PW 40. Each released a different amount so that the PW would run out about 10 yards, and the XW virtually none. It was really a bandaid but it worked. It was a fail safe shot if I didn't decellarate.

But I'm wanting to learn to actually PITCH the ball. It's amazing I have gotten under a 20 without focusing on that. But the 5 wedges have helped me do that. I hit a full XW 60 yards, LW 75, SW 90, AW 103, PW 115. So it was really only inside 60 yards that I needed a partial shot. But drop my ball at 55 yards or give me a super lofted shot from 40 and I was screwed!

A super lofted shot is a flop shot and is difficult to execute. I don't have that shot because I just can't devote enough time to practice it. I might try it out of desperation and occasionally pull it off. What do you want to do at 55 yards? I can hit a shot like you describe quite easily from 55. I just fold my back arm more to lift the club a little further. I can hit a pitching wedge from 80 yards like that. You could also stand up a little taller and notchoke up so much on the club. That could get you a little more length.

I'm no teaching pro and I tend to never give golf advice since I have more than enough issues in my own game......but I'm going to make an exception.....feel free to ignore me......you won't hurt my feelings at all. Get rid of the LW and the XW. Then, simply don't hit the ball to 50 yds. If you can lay up to 50 yds, you can certainly lay back to 100 yds. If you miss by 10 yds either way, you still have one wedge or another that will cover the distance. Then hit the appropriate full wedge. I know the tendency is to try to get as close to the green as possible on the par 5's and long par 4's, but if your distance control is better with a full swing from 100yds than with some kind of half flop from 40 yds, you're only fooling yourself. Out of curiosity, what clubs have you pulled fr the bag to make room for the 2 extra wedges? Could it be the lack of those 2 longer clubs that's leaving you with the 40-50 yd shots in the first place?

I completely understand and respect that idea and theory, I just don't subcribe to it. I do appreciate the advice however and have taken it into consideration. I suppose I'm now going for a compromise between our two approachs. I want to have a two club option around the green. One club with normal bounce and a higher shot (XW) and one with a higher bounce for fluffy and wet lies, and a lower trajectory (SW). So in one sense I'm splitting the difference between the two ideas (this coming year anyway).

Honestly I don't find myself at 40 yards that often or 55 for that matter. I was only using those as examples saying that a nice high shot from those distances and shorter have never been my forte'. But you undoubtedly have hit on something about laying to the right distance. As for what clubs I pulled, well I got real honest about my inability to hit a 3 wood off the deck (both straight and on a usable trajectory) so it was out for the AW long ago. Then I began to really look at whether I needed a 3 hybrid and a 5 wood. And more importantly to get real honest on how the top of my set was gapped. I just don't have the clubhead speed yet to create a real distance gap with just 3 or 4* at the top of the set. I hit the ball low so when condsidering my distances I put the carry on the left and total on the right. These are my yardages off the deck. 17* 5 wood 185 - 205 23* 4 hybrid 175 - 185 26* 5 hybrid 165 - 170 6 iron 155 - 160 7 iron 145 - 150 8 iron 135 - 138 9 iron 125 - 128 PW 115 - 115 AW 103 - 103 SW 90 - 90 LW 75 - 75 XW 60 - 60 And if it's over 200 I just don't go. I can hit my 5 wood 220 off the tee and my driver only goes 240 average to 260 if I nut it (slope,wind or hard fairway not withstanding). If my driver is too long for a hole, then a 5 wood off the tee is just 20 yards less. I'd rather be too far back of any tee box trouble than too close. What really forced me to add a XW was a double dogleg par 5 at my home course. If you want to clear the trees on your second shot and leave a look to the green on your third you have to shoot for an opening that leaves you about 60-80 yards from the pin. If you go to the left side of the fairway to make for a longer 3rd you bring a creek into play down the entire fairway. Then while laying 2, you have to shoot at a green about 30 feet above you with a slope in the front of 45*. If you come up 1 yard short of the fringe your ball ends up at your feet after it rolls back. I've seen many people, myself included take three 1/2 wedge shots that rolled back before getting mad and yanking one over the green. Double digits are not uncommon on this hole. Since adding the XW I've yet to have one roll back. I hit a hard firm wedge that gets up and sticks.

One more thought occured to me as I've given this statement more thought. This is very sound advice indeed.

If I'm 40 yards from the hole then it is probably because of a bad hit that's left me some 20 yards from the fringe. I have not gotten to the point yet where bad hits don't occur. But I would say my distance control is about as good with my 60 yard club as my 100 yard club. I know that you said 40 yards, but honestly I never "try" to be 40 yards out. But for example if I can hit to a 60 yard distance or a 120 yard distance I'm going for the 60 yard shot. Why? Because I have a club I can hit a full swing to that distance. Let's say I can control my distance on full swings within a 10% margin of error. That would mean I'm chosing between a shot that leaves me +/-12 yards or +/-6 yards. I'll take the later.