Quickie Pitching Video - Golf Pitch Shot Technique

[BENtSwing]

This video has helped my short game so much, and is IMO one of the most informative and useful videos around...so big thank yous to @iacas , @mvmac , Dave, et al.

My question/comment/observation concerns the "paint brush" feeling/technique. The effortless power that it generates is amazing and I began thinking about it, and if it could and/or should be incorporated as part of my full swing. Prior to this, I had been feeling that my hands and wrists were pretty strong and almost stiff during my full swing. I also felt I had the potential to hit the ball further (although distance is not a major problem). I began using the paint brush feeling, basically, during the downswing and immediately noticed an increase in distance (all other things consistent: maintained weight forward and flat left wrist). Feels whippy, even. A drawback has been inaccuracy (pushes to the right, mostly), but really not that often. Is this a feeling that SHOULD be happening in my full swing (the paint brush feeling), or am I getting a little off track?  Is this the elusive "lag" that receives so much attention?

Apologies if this is a confusing question or off-topic...let me know if I need to clarify what I am asking at all.

[iacas]

It is off topic, @BENtSwing32 , but the basic answer is that some people "float load" a little and others do not. If it works for you, good.

[BENtSwing]

It is off topic, @BENtSwing32, but the basic answer is that some people "float load" a little and others do not. If it works for you, good.

Cool. Thanks.

[GolfLug]

Just passing along a thank you to Iacas for this instructional piece. Got up and down 4/8 yesterday. 2 were still on green within appx. 20 feet, just didn't get up and down. Screwed up 2. Couldn't execute. But a world of difference. Must admit, paint brush over ball is a better image than hinge/hold which feels more contrived.

Thanks again.

[boogielicious]

I used this method yesterday to great success from several lies to par and birdie holes.  First was a par 3 where I was right and in deep rough about 15 yards from the pin.  Got up and down for a par.

The second was a short par 4 where I was in the fairway close to the green with a fairly tight lie, but had to pitch over the right edge of a bunker surrounded by deep rough.  A chip would not have worked because the green was elevated and I had to get the ball high and soft.  There was only four or five paces of green to work with too.  I hit the flag stick and made the 3 footer for birdie.

This is a great technique @iacas and works well in any situation.  Thanks.

[iacas]

Great!

Here's a quick video I put together of a junior student who recently worked with @david_wedzik on her pitching.

This junior is already a very good player, and now her pitching matches the rest of her game. (She's also worked with us on her putting, which was holding her back as well.)

[david_wedzik]

Nice job on the analysis @iacas - I'll add that this is not uncommon to see this type of transformation in an hour once the person understands how to do it properly. We hit shots one handed (right hand) for a while and she was quickly better one handed than she had been two handed previously. Right hand only shots are one of my favorite ways to get the feel of the backswing and the way the club "falls" across to a student.

Something telling from the before swing was how much she dipped the right shoulder and moved her weight back a bit through impact. This was nothing more than her attempt to add loft and bounce as I had asked her to hit a shot that was just slightly higher than normal. Attempting to add loft with the body motion through the shot generally leads to bad contact. In the after she changed the trajectory she was going to hit the shot through a setup change and then allowed the proper technique to expose the bounce and keep the loft on the club.

[boogielicious]

Great!

Here's a quick video I put together of a junior student who recently worked with @david_wedzik on her pitching.

This junior is already a very good player, and now her pitching matches the rest of her game. (She's also worked with us on her putting, which was holding her back as well.)

Her left foot is square and her left knee is pretty straight throughout the swing.  You and @mvmac had me flare the left foot and keep the knee bent longer.  Was this because I needed that to complete the weight shift more than she does?

[iacas]

A few of you should pay particular attention to this video:

Notice where the hands and clubhead finish. Notice the backswing. Notice how "free" the motion looks as opposed to, say… some pitching motions seen recently around the forum.

P.S. Yes, I need to mow. I like my grass to get long, and I don't cut it particularly short. It's healthier.

[JetFan1983]

A few of you should pay particular attention to this video:

Notice where the hands and clubhead finish. Notice the backswing. Notice how "free" the motion looks as opposed to, say… some pitching motions seen recently around the forum.

P.S. Yes, I need to mow. I like my grass to get long, and I don't cut it particularly short. It's healthier.

Who exactly? @Golfingdad , @boogielicious and/or me? Oh yea, and @cipher

[cipher]

Who exactly? @Golfingdad, @boogielicious and/or me? Oh yea, and @cipher

Guilty as charged for my part.  Noticed it in my video from this morning as well.

[Jakester23]

Very cool vid Erik. I noticed that you were choked up a good amount its that just because of the lie(in the rough) or do you do that even when your pitching off a tight lie?

[iacas]

Very cool vid Erik. I noticed that you were choked up a good amount its that just because of the lie(in the rough) or do you do that even when your pitching off a tight lie?

It was mostly because the ball was so far above my feet.

[saevel25]

So how would you handle ground that is nearly saturated with water but not at the "Casual Water" stage. Had a few pitches today that I out right took 8-10 inches long by 5 inch wide divots chunking the shot. Actually cost me 2 extra strokes on a par 4 today.

[iacas]

So how would you handle ground that is nearly saturated with water but not at the "Casual Water" stage. Had a few pitches today that I out right took 8-10 inches long by 5 inch wide divots chunking the shot. Actually cost me 2 extra strokes on a par 4 today.

Around me, shallow, gliding the most.

[billchao]

A few of you should pay particular attention to this video:

Notice where the hands and clubhead finish. Notice the backswing. Notice how "free" the motion looks as opposed to, say… some pitching motions seen recently around the forum.

P.S. Yes, I need to mow. I like my grass to get long, and I don't cut it particularly short. It's healthier.

I noticed that you hit three shots of different lengths, but your hands reached the same point in the backswing. Are you controlling distance purely by the pivot?

[iacas]

I noticed that you hit three shots of different lengths, but your hands reached the same point in the backswing. Are you controlling distance purely by the pivot?

I think that had more to do with the lies. The first was buried, and then you can see some of the second and more of the third ball.

[saevel25]

A few of you should pay particular attention to this video:

Notice where the hands and clubhead finish. Notice the backswing. Notice how "free" the motion looks as opposed to, say… some pitching motions seen recently around the forum.

P.S. Yes, I need to mow. I like my grass to get long, and I don't cut it particularly short. It's healthier.

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