Pitch Shot Improve Overall Golf Swing?

[ks8829]

Do you think that practicing your pitch shot will improve your overall golf swing?

I sometimes practice hitting my PW and wedges and focus on my take away and club position on the backswing, rotation of my body in relation to the arm and it help judge if I can make solid contact and the direction the ball goes. I can make small adjustments and try to make solid contact consistently.

Once I feel confident with the wedges, I move up to the 9 and 8 iron and see how I strike these club and slowly move down the clubs to hybrid, fairway and finally the driver. I use the same swing and the take away and rotation that I just practice with the wedges and PW.

[shankapotamus]

I believe it does, because the impact zone is the most important part, and the pitch really focuses on that. It also helps you focus on dynamics more than style.

[Zeph]

I practice 70% with my wedges. If I'm playing a tournament and hitting a bucket before teeing off, I'll hit most of them with wedges, a couple with 9-7-5-3-wood-driver and finish with the club I'm teeing off with.

[iacas]

I believe it does, because the impact zone is the most important part, and the pitch really focuses on that. It also helps you focus on dynamics more than style.

I think a chip shot is better. I don't think a pitch helps much at all - you let the clubhead pass your hands a little earlier. A chip creates better impact dynamics: hands leading, right wrist retaining some angle.

[Zeph]

I agree there. I thought OP meant to use the wedges for practice, not the pitch shot itself. The pitch shot is something I'd rather not use more than necessary, as it's basics differ from the regular swing. A chip can, as Erik pointed out, work for the better since it's got the same basics as any full shot. Chipping around is good practice, then try to get the same feeling when hitting full shots. Can also be done without hitting balls out on the range all the time. Can be done in the backyard with shag balls.

[timtim]

If your question is: I don't have a clue how to swing a golf club, will hitting smaller half speed shots with out teacher and without video and no idea of what I am doing help me to miraculously improve my full swing a la wax on wax off from the movie The Karate Kid?

My answer is no. Back when I was first taking lessons, I would spend hours hitting smaller easy shots to the point where I was awesome with crisp contact and everything when hitting small short easy shots. But I never could get that to move up to my full swing, because I was not turning on the small shots like I needed to on the full swing shots.

If your question is: I already know how to swing a golf club, will hitting smaller half speed shots help me? I would say yes, it will help you with your timing. When my timing is off, smaller shots, and punch shots, help me get my natural timing back. And then, because I have worked on the full swing, I can move up to the full swing with the same timing, just longer and faster.

Secret tip just for you: the smaller swing helps you get control of your timing because timing of the golf swing is not about actual speed or about the actual length of the swing, it is about the relationship of the rotational speed of the hands/arms IN RELATIONSHIP to the turning of the hips.

[shankapotamus]

I think a chip shot is better. I don't think a pitch helps much at all - you let the clubhead pass your hands a little earlier. A chip creates better impact dynamics: hands leading, right wrist retaining some angle.

I had a brain fart, I meant chip shots :p

[timtim]

So...many of us grew up with stories about Fred Couples hitting half speed shots will all his clubs including his driver to work on tempo, so we may think that this is a good thing. But, I saw him on a Golf Channel playing with the pros a few years back where he said that his new coach did not want him doing this because his new coach wanted him thinking about getting used to real shots at real effort.

[iacas]

If your question is: I don't have a clue how to swing a golf club, will hitting smaller half speed shots with out teacher and without video and no idea of what I am doing help me to miraculously improve my full swing a la wax on wax off from the movie The Karate Kid?

Did you look at his handicap index?

So...many of us grew up with stories about Fred Couples hitting half speed shots will all his clubs including his driver to work on tempo, so we may think that this is a good thing. But, I saw him on a Golf Channel playing with the pros a few years back where he said that his new coach did not want him doing this because his new coach wanted him thinking about getting used to real shots at real effort.

I don't think he's talking about changes in speed. I think he's talking about hitting pitches or chips. Sure, they're slower swings, but that's not the key he's looking at here. But it's a bit confusing since he talks about moving up to hybrids.

[timtim]

Oops. No. It looks like he as already gone through the wax on wax off phase and knows what he is doing.

[ks8829]

I was 8 iron only taking the club back only hip high and starting shanking, yes, shanking my shots.

I realized that after practicing and hitting balls for about an hour that I was getting tired / lazy or both and not extending my arms to the ground and only hovering causing me to shank when I extend my arms to make contact. I am happy that I worked this out while practicing.

I did hit full 8 irons before that and was happy with the results. I am playing with my 14 year old son tomorrow and I am excited just to go out with him.