Quickie Pitching Video - Golf Pitch Shot Technique

[iacas]

so is that card dealing motion a good one to use on all pitch shots, or just the rough?

All pitch shots. Engages bounce.

It's still there, but I use it a bit less from the rough because you want to be a bit more vertical, and less "around."

[Jakester23]

Erik is there any way you or Mike can make a video on how to hit the low spinning pitch shot.

[iacas]

Erik is there any way you or Mike can make a video on how to hit the low spinning pitch shot.

Possibly, but the shot has a few techniques. I don't hit it very often simply because it can be one of the more unreliable shots - if it doesn't have a bunch of spin, or it first lands on a wet spot or something and skids, you can be 30 feet from the cup before you blink.

I can hit it. I hit it last Saturday with @georgep and @saevel25 to two feet… I just tend to prefer other options (stopping the ball with loft) over the low spinner.

We'll keep an eye peeled for an opportunity to hit one and film it and talk about it, though.

[Ernest Jones]

so is that card dealing motion a good one to use on all pitch shots, or just the rough?

[quote name="iacas" url="/t/39411/quickie-pitching-video-golf-pitch-shot-technique/400_100#post_996756"] All pitch shots. Engages bounce. It's still there, but I use it a bit less from the rough because you want to be a bit more vertical, and less "around." [/quote] Should I feel the card dealing motion on the downswing as well?

[boogielicious]

@iacas ,

If you need your lawn mowed, I will send my son out.  He owes us $325 for his junior membership at the local muni and is working it off with yard work!  I think is is only a 10 hour drive to Erie!

[iacas]

Should I feel the card dealing motion on the downswing as well?

No.

@iacas ,

If you need your lawn mowed, I will send my son out.  He owes us $325 for his junior membership at the local muni and is working it off with yard work!  I think is is only a 10 hour drive to Erie!

I mowed it yesterday after filming. It was high enough that I took off an inch or two. Prime grass-growing time of year: have to mow twice a week.

I like mowing. I can do my entire yard in 20 minutes or so, and it gives me a chance to listen to my podcasts.

[Jakester23]

Possibly, but the shot has a few techniques. I don't hit it very often simply because it can be one of the more unreliable shots - if it doesn't have a bunch of spin, or it first lands on a wet spot or something and skids, you can be 30 feet from the cup before you blink. I can hit it. I hit it last Saturday with @georgep and @saevel25 to two feet… I just tend to prefer other options (stopping the ball with loft) over the low spinner. We'll keep an eye peeled for an opportunity to hit one and film it and talk about it, though.

Thank you sir. Id just like to know how to hit that shot I can't see using it very often but it's always good to have more shots in your bag.

[Jeremie Boop]

The idea of "dealing cards" as the action required to get the correct motion on the swing for this really clicked for me. I was able to get nice high soft landing shots from both the rough and tight fairway lies yesterday. All I need to do now is learn how to control the distance better.

[Jakester23]

So the dealing cards makes a huge difference. I never had that feeling before and I was still using this method(all though not correctly) very successfully.  I had 2 of these shots today one was from about 25 yards I hit it to a foot with my 58.  The other was from about 35 yards and I hit that one to about 7 feet also with my 58.  Thanks a lot for that feeling it makes this shot a lot easier to hit off tight lies(which both of mine were).

[mvmac]

Nicolas Colsaerts

[chasm]

I'd just like to say that this thread us the single most helpful thing I have so far found on TST. It's made an immediate difference to my short game. Thanks.

[Game-inglove]

Great video and responses. Once you understand the relationship between the back of the control or glove hand and the clubface and the orientation of the clubface as it relates to the back of the hand. Chipping and pitching is made that much easier. Most people try and scoop or lift the ball in the air, however, once you become aware that the bottom of the clubface runs parallel to the knuckles of the back of your glove/control hand, with the toe near the index finger; and, not parallel with the bottom of you hand; then chipping, pitching and the full swing become that much easier!

[rehmwa]

Just a fallback here to advocate again.

I played mediocre yesterday except for one thing, pitching and chipping saved my butt on 4 of 9 holes (I was having a poor approach shot day).

I had zero pitching and chipping experience or knowledge - what I've applied from these vids has changed much of my game.

Jeremy Boop - All I need to do now is learn how to control the distance better.

Maybe my experience would help -

I started out on this by being very controlled in the amount of backswing I used and tied that to distance of carry.

Then I practiced several distances using that as my 'controlling factor'.  (hands to shoulders carried one amount, hands to hips another amount, etc)

Eventually, that allowed me to develop a 'feel' for it and was able to stop thinking so much about that specific aspect.

(more backswing enable more headspeed for the same type of 'comfy' swing......less, was less.....but this way I had decent contact regardless)

I had messed with choking up vs not choking up, but found that I pretty much wanted to choke up all the time and keep my control of carry to one factor (speed due to amount of backswing).  Maybe the pros here will have something better.....

But I had to do the 'mechanical' thing first to develop the more natural 'feel' thing.

Once you have 'carry' figured out (a few sessions with various chipping baskets at random distances).  Then it's pretty easy to develop simple drills to learn what the roll out is for each of your wedges on a typical green.

as for club selection, even after all that work, I'm 90% of the time pitching with my SW (56 degree, extra bounce) and chipping with my 50 degree.  It's pretty rare for me to use my 60 to pitch (usually over obstructions and very short shots) or any other wedge for chipping (only if specific rollouts are needed due to the landing area might be small or if the lie is steeper than usual)

[MattM]

It's amazing how scrambling effectively can transform your score. I had only two GIRs on Sunday. Posted a 45 on the front 9 with no scrambles. On the back I had one GIR as well, but scrambled to 37.5% on the back to finish with 5 pars 12 bogies and 1 double. It's amazing how even just being close to 25% scrambling to make PAR can lower your score. I wound up with a 39 on the back to card an 84! Could have gone way worse! P.S. I know that means my swing needs help, which is why I've been working on it for over two months now with Evolvr. The problem is that over a quick period it improved but instead of concentrating on one thing for a month....every new video lesson was something else. It just got swing thoughts overwhelmed in my head which has caused the issued and really hurt me GIR percentage. I mentioned to Stephan that I was getting overwhelmed with too many different moves and we are now just concentrating on what I've already learned. Hopefully, it will really start to click soon! But if it does click enough for me to get close to 6 girs a round and I scramble to 25% I think I can get my first 70s round pretty soon! This pitch shot has really help me. Now, I was made fun of and ridiculed for mentioning it in the "every shot counts" thread, but (TECHNIQUE WISE) if you just took a video of my pitch I think I'm doing it correctly. I still have an issue sometimes trying to figure out how much it will roll out or not for me. Right now, I would say that I get 85% of my chips/pitches within 8 ft., but only 5-10% within 3-5 ft. That 10% is ONLY if I'm on the fringe and can putt. I do feel like I have more control though. I have one question for everyone. I just bought Stan Utley's "The Art of the Short Game," and I'm wondering if it's the same technique. Utley's explaination is (to me) kind of difficult to understand. Alot sounds similar, but I just don't want to go on with it thinking I'm learning the same pitch only to be mixing signals and hurting my short game. Are these the same techniques? Second question is.....How on earth can I translate some of the stuff he's saying? Like when he says pivot around the left leg, does he just mean turn (same as this one)? Also, when he says he "lowers his hands," to get the ball higher.....Does that mean that he backs away from the ball at address and bends over more? Or does it mean he lowers them in another way (like forward/backwork/choke down). The pictures don't help much.... [quote name="mvmac" url="/t/39411/quickie-pitching-video-golf-pitch-shot-technique/486#post_999111"]Nicolas Colsaerts [URL=http://thesandtrap.com/content/type/61/id/99103/] [/URL] [/quote] MVAC The thing I don't like about this picture is that if he is hitting a pitch shot it looks like he starts to turn his right hand over at impact. I thought we were supposed to keep the right hand flat to be able to use the bounce and make sure not to put topspin on the ball?

[rehmwa]

MVAC The thing I don't like about this picture is that if he is hitting a pitch shot it looks like he starts to turn his right hand over at impact. I thought we were supposed to keep the right hand flat to be able to use the bounce and make sure not to put topspin on the ball?

Camera angle, looks like decent hands to me (i.e., minimal turnover but only due to the natural motion forced by still upper body - look at the club head and you can understand the hand visual is pretty much just the angle from the camera - since it's close, the parallax is pretty dominant).

I'm not sure how one would ever put top spin on any ball with any club (not counting putts and sculls......but I know what you mean....

[14ledo81]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MattM

MVAC The thing I don't like about this picture is that if he is hitting a pitch shot it looks like he starts to turn his right hand over at impact. I thought we were supposed to keep the right hand flat to be able to use the bounce and make sure not to put topspin on the ball?

Camera angle, looks like decent hands to me (i.e., minimal turnover but only due to the natural motion forced by still upper body - look at the club head and you can understand the hand visual is pretty much just the angle from the camera - since it's close, the parallax is pretty dominant).

I'm not sure how one would ever put top spin on any ball with any club (not counting putts and sculls......but I know what you mean....

^^^^^This

I agree.  Not possible to put top spin on the ball without a drastic mis-hit of some sort.

[rehmwa]

^^^^^This

I agree.  Not possible to put top spin on the ball without a drastic mis-hit of some sort.

I was teasing him, clearly (or 'hopefully',.......either way) he meant using the bounce to make good contact......

[mvmac]

MVAC The thing I don't like about this picture is that if he is hitting a pitch shot it looks like he starts to turn his right hand over at impact. I thought we were supposed to keep the right hand flat to be able to use the bounce and make sure not to put topspin on the ball?

I think the pic clearly illustrates he's using the bounce. He just brushed the grass (no turf flying in the air), club has passed his hands and the ball has already gotten pretty high.

Not sure what you are asking but no one has advised that the trail wrist stay flat. Yes the club and hands are going to "turn over" somewhat (not a conscious thing), the face of the wedge is still facing the sky. Look at how clearly we can see the back of his wedge. The angle might just be confusing you with the wrist stuff.

From face on, would look very similar to this