How to improve chipping/pitch shots?

[Shanks A Million]

The chipping and pitching aspect is scary to people because it's not a known or set distance. You have a club you hit, say, 150 yards, and you know how hard to swing to get it there. With a pitch, it's a guess. For me, the full swing fundamentals are the most important thing to learn to pitch the ball well. The chip is a bit more like a putting stroke, as is the bump and run, but the pitch is not.

First, the stroke. You want to feel like you're "throwing" the ball with your legs and/or torso. This association will help you get the mental image of the distance you need. Odds are, if I gave you a ball, and told you to throw it near the hole, you could. The club is just an extension of the body, toss the ball with it. Keep the hands out in front of the ball. You also want to use as flat of a swing plane as you can, and as little wrists as possible, unless you hinge and hold.

Second, the aim. This is a bit more tricky, because you need to read the green, and figure out where to land the ball. That's most important. Think, "If I land it here, it's going to roll, and then what?" From there, it's like a putt. Estimate how far it's going to roll, read the green, then land it on your spot. I practice this by taking my sticks to the green and laying them down about 3-4' apart, and trying to land the ball between them.

Third, short back, long through. Never decelerate, and to do that, you need to swing back shorter than you swing through. You always want to feel as if you're going at the ball with the same force, not trying to slow down and duff it. Work on a good followthrough.

Finally, practice. Nothing replaces practice.

[akgolfnut]

On a different note, what about grip. I've read somewhere (can't remember where) that you should employ a neutral grip on chipping and pitch shots. I do this for chip shots, but pitches, I employ the same strong grip as I do on full swings. I do good on chips, but crappy on pitching. Did I just answer my own question?

[golfro]

The chipping and pitching aspect is scary to people because it's not a known or set distance. You have a club you hit, say, 150 yards, and you know how hard to swing to get it there. With a pitch, it's a guess. For me, the full swing fundamentals are the most important thing to learn to pitch the ball well. The chip is a bit more like a putting stroke, as is the bump and run, but the pitch is not.

great post Shanks. every single golfer should consciously be thinking like this when practicing chipping.

[JML22]

what club sghould i work with because its diff with every club obviously
I usually use my PW but my new SW might be betteR?
it definitely spins a lot more so its completley different