Quickie Pitching Video - Golf Pitch Shot Technique

[mvmac]

http://thesandtrap.com/t/80887/video-of-tom-kite-pitch-chip-from-down-the-line-high-fps-entire-ball-flight#post_1118551

And just saw this. Can see the pivot, the slight "float" during transition and how the toe "opens" on the takeaway.

[mvmac]

[mvmac]

[anthony]

Not sure if this was mentioned already, but wanted to post something I stumbled on a few weeks ago. When faced with "touchier" 5-10 yd off the green pitch shots, I've found that focusing on the pressure point between my right index finger (for righties) and the club helps me keep the club moving through the shot, and not give up on a shot with less velocity.

[boogielicious]

If have read both Your Game Solution , by James Sieckmann and Stan Utley's T he Art of the Short Game .  The techniques in those two books are very similar to what Dave, Erik and Mike have presented.  However, there are subtle differences in the way they describe the stance, weight distribution and pitch swing etc.

I think Erik and Dave do a better job describing the swing and allowing the pivot and gravity to move the club. Utley and Sieckmann do this but get a little too technical on the arms folding around the body, etc.

In yesterday's 9 hole league round, I used this technique on most of my holes with much success. I had a bad GIR day.  I also used different trajectories and clubs.  This is the great thing about this technique, you can use it with any club in the bag (maybe not driver, but why not!).  I've used it for punch shots out of trouble with my 3H down to an 8 iron.  High soft shots with little green to work with my 58.  Bump and run style shots from 30 to 50 yards out on tight lies and to get out of divots.

If I only have time to practice one short game shot, it is this one.  When I do practice short game, 80% of my time is with this technique.

[Mac62]

If have read both Your Game Solution, by James Sieckmann and Stan Utley's The Art of the Short Game.  The techniques in those two books are very similar to what Dave, Erik and Mike have presented.  However, there are subtle differences in the way they describe the stance, weight distribution and pitch swing etc.

I think Erik and Dave do a better job describing the swing and allowing the pivot and gravity to move the club. Utley and Sieckmann do this but get a little too technical on the arms folding around the body, etc.

In yesterday's 9 hole league round, I used this technique on most of my holes with much success. I had a bad GIR day.  I also used different trajectories and clubs.  This is the great thing about this technique, you can use it with any club in the bag (maybe not driver, but why not!).  I've used it for punch shots out of trouble with my 3H down to an 8 iron.  High soft shots with little green to work with my 58.  Bump and run style shots from 30 to 50 yards out on tight lies and to get out of divots.

If I only have time to practice one short game shot, it is this one.  When I do practice short game, 80% of my time is with this technique.

Re: the bolded part above - absolutely!  Utley and/or Sieckmann didn't come up with "float loady"!

I use this technique for pitching almost without exception now and it makes my contact a lot more consistent and predictable.  Using the bounce/glide of the club gives me more confidence that I'm not going to skull it, so I don't find myself decelerating into the shot like I used to.  Not that I don't still get the occasional thin "screamer", but it's a lot less frequent than it used to be.

[boogielicious]

Quote:

Originally Posted by boogielicious

If have read both Your Game Solution, by James Sieckmann and Stan Utley's The Art of the Short Game.  The techniques in those two books are very similar to what Dave, Erik and Mike have presented.  However, there are subtle differences in the way they describe the stance, weight distribution and pitch swing etc.

I think Erik and Dave do a better job describing the swing and allowing the pivot and gravity to move the club. Utley and Sieckmann do this but get a little too technical on the arms folding around the body, etc.

In yesterday's 9 hole league round, I used this technique on most of my holes with much success. I had a bad GIR day.  I also used different trajectories and clubs.  This is the great thing about this technique, you can use it with any club in the bag (maybe not driver, but why not!).  I've used it for punch shots out of trouble with my 3H down to an 8 iron.  High soft shots with little green to work with my 58.  Bump and run style shots from 30 to 50 yards out on tight lies and to get out of divots.

If I only have time to practice one short game shot, it is this one.  When I do practice short game, 80% of my time is with this technique.

Re: the bolded part above - absolutely!  Utley and/or Sieckmann didn't come up with "float loady"!

I use this technique for pitching almost without exception now and it makes my contact a lot more consistent and predictable.  Using the bounce/glide of the club gives me more confidence that I'm not going to skull it, so I don't find myself decelerating into the shot like I used to.  Not that I don't still get the occasional thin "screamer", but it's a lot less frequent than it used to be.

Sieckmann described it more like an arm swing using gravity.  This could lead to not using the pivot enough.  When I first tried his technique as he wrote it, I didn't start the pivot until the club handle was back near the set up position.  This is too late to pivot IMO.  Dave and Erik demonstrate the pivot driving the whole motion and even starting the pivot before the club reaches the top, "float loady".  That is what I was trying to get across.

[Ernest Jones]

Sieckmann described it more like an arm swing using gravity.  This could lead to not using the pivot enough.  When I first tried his technique as he wrote it, I didn't start the pivot until the club handle was back near the set up position.  This is too late to pivot IMO.  Dave and Erik demonstrate the pivot driving the whole motion and even starting the pivot before the club reaches the top, "float loady".  That is what I was trying to get across.

I feel it as all arms in BS and all pivot in the DS. But then again, I bladed it back and forth over the 4th green twice on my last round for a triple bogie FFS.

[Stretch]

Went to get fitted for a new sand wedge this week (at Precision Golf in Surrey, which is a great facility) and was getting nice numbers on their Trackman off a tight mat -- just under 30 degree launch on average and around 8000 rpm on 50 yard shots. Same basic technique detailed here -- my tendencies are to get the ball too far forward at setup and to suck the club head inside/under from 1 to 2, so I need to do a couple of specific things to monitor and control those.

But I love practicing pitching, feel like it does good things for my full swing at the same time so it's a twofer.

[mvmac]

Sieckmann described it more like an arm swing using gravity.  This could lead to not using the pivot enough.  When I first tried his technique as he wrote it, I didn't start the pivot until the club handle was back near the set up position.  This is too late to pivot IMO.  Dave and Erik demonstrate the pivot driving the whole motion and even starting the pivot before the club reaches the top, "float loady".  That is what I was trying to get across.

The pivot is huge. Next time you see someone duff a pitch take a look at the lack of pivot through the ball. You're basically flipping it coming into impact so the pivot helps "carry" the arms/hands through the shot.

[Suchmo]

This thread has been a huge help with my short pitches, so thanks to all involved. However, I'm now a touch confused about how to hit full shots with my wedges. Should I use a longer version of the pitch method espoused in the OP's video, or a swing like I would use for a full iron shot (i.e. with shaft lean at impact and a flat left wrist)?

[mvmac]

This thread has been a huge help with my short pitches, so thanks to all involved. However, I'm now a touch confused about how to hit full shots with my wedges. Should I use a longer version of the pitch method espoused in the OP's video, or a swing like I would use for a full iron shot (i.e. with shaft lean at impact and a flat left wrist)?

You can obviously hit longer pitch shots by lengthening the backswing but for full shots stick with full swing mechanics, shaft lean/flat left wrist.

[Suchmo]

Thanks Mvmac. I've read elsewhere that I should flat out avoid full shots with my wedges, and pitch only as these clubs are meant for control. Would you disagree with this?

[mvmac]

Thanks Mvmac. I've read elsewhere that I should flat out avoid full shots with my wedges, and pitch only as these clubs are meant for control. Would you disagree with this?

Yes I would strongly disagree with that and throw away whatever magazine you read that in. If you never used full swing mechanics with a wedge, what the heck would you do from 70-120 yards? Bump and run an 8 iron? Just watch the pros on TV, they're hitting full shots with their wedges all the time, or at least full swing mechanics.

[iacas]

But I love practicing pitching, feel like it does good things for my full swing at the same time so it's a twofer.

It may… for you… but as you can imagine, we often say pitching is roughly the exact opposite of many full-swing things. No hip slide, not much pivot in the backswing, gravity, letting the arms fold, letting the clubhead pass easily/early, handle can be set back, etc.

Thanks Mvmac. I've read elsewhere that I should flat out avoid full shots with my wedges, and pitch only as these clubs are meant for control. Would you disagree with this?

I play 1/4, 1/2, and 3/4 wedges (as well as shots between those by varying where I grip and so on), plus, I hit pitches and chips and so on as well.

While I rarely hit FULL wedges, I will with my PW and occasionally SW. They go the distances I know they go…

[Suchmo]

Thanks for the considered replies. Assuming that a 1/4 wedge shot and a pitch could potentially go similar distances, under what circumstances might you choose one over the other.

[boogielicious]

Thanks for the considered replies. Assuming that a 1/4 wedge shot and a pitch could potentially go similar distances, under what circumstances might you choose one over the other.

They will, but one will have more spin and not roll out as much.  1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 wedge shots come in very handy and are easy to practice and also a very reliable shot.  Given 100 yards, I would rather hit a 3/4 PW than a full gap wedge.  My 3/4 shot is much more accurate.  80 yards, 3/4 Gap wedge.

I recommend then next time you go to a grass range, try these out.  Keep in mind that only the length of the back swing is different. You should still swing with the speed of a full swing.  Don't slow down the downswing.  You will get proficient with this technique quickly.

[Jakester23]

They will, but one will have more spin and not roll out as much.  1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 wedge shots come in very handy and are easy to practice and also a very reliable shot.  Given 100 yards, I would rather hit a 3/4 PW than a full gap wedge.  My 3/4 shot is much more accurate.  80 yards, 3/4 Gap wedge. I recommend then next time you go to a grass range, try these out.  Keep in mind that only the length of the back swing is different. You should still swing with the speed of a full swing.  Don't slow down the downswing.  You will get proficient with this technique quickly.

This helped my a lot in towards the end of last season and so far this season. I'm the same way with a 3/4 pw being more accurate than a full gw (funny that it's 100 yards for both of us). It honestly only took me a bucket of balls to get these shots down. I used my range finder to get my approximate distances for 3/4, 1/2,&1/4 for all 4 of my wedges. Every once and a while I'll recheck the distance to make sure they didn't change.