Quickie Pitching Video - Golf Pitch Shot Technique

[cedrictheo]

Spent some time with Dave Wedzik and Erik (Iacas) at the golf evolution studio in Erie this past weekend. Worked on pitching with them for about 3 hours total and I couldn't be happier with the results. Learned how to pitch the ball using the bounce of the club as well as a lot of speed both of which help to make my misses closer to the hole. I cant wait to take this to the course!

[Surge]

I have always been use to hitting the ball with a big descending blow similar to my irons. Lately ive been trying using this video as a guide and i find that its very difficult for me to be consistent when trying to use the bounce. One time i will hit it too thin and it will skip across the green and the next time ill hit it fat. Obviously, its tough to know what im doing wrong without a video but do you have any ideas to improve on being more consistent when using the bounce?

Thanks!

[cipher]

I have always been use to hitting the ball with a big descending blow similar to my irons. Lately ive been trying using this video as a guide and i find that its very difficult for me to be consistent when trying to use the bounce. One time i will hit it too thin and it will skip across the green and the next time ill hit it fat. Obviously, its tough to know what im doing wrong without a video but do you have any ideas to improve on being more consistent when using the bounce? Thanks!

You could always post a video of you trying the technique on your swing page. I have been trying the method as well based on these videos alone and the only time I fail at it is if I take the club back too far and try to hit the ball too soft. You may need to take it back shorter than you think and come down faster. Look at how Erik uses his body to create speed.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Surge

I have always been use to hitting the ball with a big descending blow similar to my irons. Lately ive been trying using this video as a guide and i find that its very difficult for me to be consistent when trying to use the bounce. One time i will hit it too thin and it will skip across the green and the next time ill hit it fat. Obviously, its tough to know what im doing wrong without a video but do you have any ideas to improve on being more consistent when using the bounce?

A video in your My Swing thread is the way to go.

But generally speaking, you're likely not letting gravity get the club down to the ground, or your weight is back. Weight forward, and from just before the top of the swing, the ONLY muscle activity (not really, but it feels like it) is just enough tension to hold onto the grip of the club. Your arms and wrists and elbows should feel almost like ropes, and gravity drops the club down onto the ball.

You are quite likely still trying to "hit" something, and your pivot gets out of sequence with gravity dropping the club down.

[Mr. Desmond]

If it's any help, I think "dead hands " on the pivot to the ball as a swing thought. And then I scream 'pivot' inside my head To expose the bounce, shaft is either vertical or backwards a bit depending on the shot you want

[helms20]

How about the stance.  Is it fairly open like a bunker shot or more neutral?  From the video it looks like your stance is pretty open somewhere around 35-45 degrees, but just wanting to make sure.

[rehmwa]

Paid off yesterday - first round since I started messing with the hints in the videos.

two holes I had to clear exactly 30 yards to the near edge of the green (regular grip - hands to belt line and let gravity go)

1 hole I had about 20 yards (choked grip, everything the same)

1 hole I had 35 yards (not a practiced pitch - I've been working my setups to 10 yard increments) so just my 30 yard shot and I took my swing up just a bit higher - all else the same)

the hits were 4 for 4 in distance, and decent for direction - I've never been this confident in my pitching before.  Two of these had to barely clear a sand trap, yet still stop fairly short\

my only mod to the vids is I don't like a close stance on pitches, so I typically just put 95% weight on my left leg and kind of toe the rear leg instead.

I work 20 and 30 yard pitches into my range practice in between full swing practices as a rest cycle.

too bad my approach shots weren't better so I didn't have to do these....

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by helms20

How about the stance.  Is it fairly open like a bunker shot or more neutral?  From the video it looks like your stance is pretty open somewhere around 35-45 degrees, but just wanting to make sure.

If you threw an alignment stick behind the heels, I would say fairly neutral to slightly open for a stock pitch, 35-45 degrees would be too open.  Having the left foot flared more makes it may make the stance appear more open that it actually is.   Some players do this to help with the torso rotation on the downswing/followthrough.  I personally have my stance pretty neutral (heel to heel) with my left foot turned out 45-50 degrees.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/39411/quickie-pitching-video/108#post_819897

http://thesandtrap.com/t/39411/quickie-pitching-video/108#post_816629

http://thesandtrap.com/t/39411/quickie-pitching-video/108#post_816590

[helms20]

Thanks Mike.  It was hard to tell from the original video for sure and I didn't see the DTL shot.

[rehmwa]

Originally Posted by mvmac

I personally have my stance pretty neutral with my left foot turned out 45-50 degrees.

this is good news for me - I've been messing with an 'open stance' because so many talk about it being the right was to do it.

Frankly, it just messes with aligning my shot.

A little bit open since the clubface is open, but even there, I just like to open my left foot a little bit just for balance as that foot pretty much has 95% of the pressure from start to finish.....

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by rehmwa

this is good news for me - I've been messing with an 'open stance' because so many talk about it being the right was to do it.

Frankly, it just messes with aligning my shot.

A little bit open since the clubface is open, but even there, I just like to open my left foot a little bit just for balance as that foot pretty much has 95% of the pressure from start to finish.....

Just need to clarify that I get the slightly open stance from the left foot being more flared.  So my body alignments are a little left but I don't shuffle my left foot back.  I like to exaggerate the left foot because I can really "sit" into my left foot and get my arms soft at address.  Not saying this is how you have to do it, just one option.

[cipher]

Just need to clarify that I get the slightly open stance from the left foot being more flared. So my body alignments are a little left but I don't shuffle my left foot back. I like to exaggerate the left foot because I can really "sit" into my left foot and get my arms soft at address. Not saying this is how you have to do it, just one option..

Based on a tip from a certain instructor, I have found this to work very well.

[iacas]

It's important to note that opening your stance effectively moves the ball BACK in your stance, which can have some bad problems with steepening the AoA and causing impact to occur before the shaft can stand up (too much lean - i.e. leading edge).

I prefer to simply move the ball forward in my stance and lean the shaft back a little bit.

So be careful about opening your stance - or at least understand and appreciate what it changes.

[Beachcomber]

I've been working on this around the greens... Slowly but surely I'm moving away from being a digger.  But it's going to take more time grooving my technique.  One thing I'm going to try to take as a swing thought was highlighted in the original video... Let your arms hang like a rope - and let gravity take over with the club head.  I've still got the hit instinct, so I find myself with a forward leaning shaft at impact which causes some issues.

[saevel25]

I would say if you want to get something similar to opening the stance, take your normal stance, and just flare the front foot a bit more. I find when i square my front foot, i will end up stopping the rotation on a pitch, the club will flip, and oh so many bad things happen

Originally Posted by Beachcomber

I've been working on this around the greens... Slowly but surely I'm moving away from being a digger.  But it's going to take more time grooving my technique.  One thing I'm going to try to take as a swing thought was highlighted in the original video... Let your arms hang like a rope - and let gravity take over with the club head.  I've still got the hit instinct, so I find myself with a forward leaning shaft at impact which causes some issues.

For me its nailing down the tempo, or better way, how my body works together in the pitch shot. Yesterday i played really good, hits some good pitches. Then i had a two hole stretch were i got handsy, and ended up with some terrible pitches. When i slow things down a bit and trust the club to do the work for me, i did a lot better the rest of the way in.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by saevel25

I would say if you want to get something similar to opening the stance, take your normal stance, and just flare the front foot a bit more. I find when i square my front foot, i will end up stopping the rotation on a pitch, the club will flip, and oh so many bad things happen

Yes, opening the stance effectively moves the ball back in your stance, which will tend to increase shaft lean, and then it also causes confusion on the direction the ball will go - where the face is? Where your feet are? Somewhere (where?) in between?

Originally Posted by saevel25

For me its nailing down the tempo, or better way, how my body works together in the pitch shot. Yesterday i played really good, hits some good pitches. Then i had a two hole stretch were i got handsy, and ended up with some terrible pitches. When i slow things down a bit and trust the club to do the work for me, i did a lot better the rest of the way in.

Indeed - overcoming the "hit" instinct or the "slide it under" (with the trail wrist) feeling is perhaps the toughest thing to do.

Quite literally try to hit some pitch shots with your eyes closed (make sure nobody's in front of you), or again do a lot with just your right hand on the club.

[Jakester23]

I know this is a old thread but I've been working on this shot for a while now and I am feeling real comfortable using it on the course. I have a question for Erik or I guess anyone who has this shot dialed in. What is the easiest way to create a lot of spin using this pitch technique? Ive played around with it in my back yard and understand how to change trajectory but I'd like to be able to hit this shot with spin if I short side myself. Thank you very much Erik for this lesson you have save me a lot of shots around the green for the last 5-10 rounds once I committed to using this shot. For a while I wasn't confident enough to use it on the course but now that I have I'll never go back to the way I used to pitch. Honestly I don't even chip anymore if I'm on the fringe I putt anywhere else I use this pitching technique.

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by Jakester23

I know this is a old thread but I've been working on this shot for a while now and I am feeling real comfortable using it on the course. I have a question for Erik or I guess anyone who has this shot dialed in. What is the easiest way to create a lot of spin using this pitch technique? Ive played around with it in my back yard and understand how to change trajectory but I'd like to be able to hit this shot with spin if I short side myself. Thank you very much Erik for this lesson you have save me a lot of shots around the green for the last 5-10 rounds once I committed to using this shot. For a while I wasn't confident enough to use it on the course but now that I have I'll never go back to the way I used to pitch. Honestly I don't even chip anymore if I'm on the fringe I putt anywhere else I use this pitching technique.

I don't know the answer to your question.  So, what I do when I short side myself is to just open the face a little and lower the hands to get a really high "flop shot" type trajectory.  I also wouldn't mind knowing how to spin it a bit more as an alternative to this, but for now this is all I have. :)