Pitch Method

[jdg91878]

Do you recommend using a Carry:Roll ratio or Pelz left arm clock positional method for accurate pitching. I have always had decent feel around the greens but need to get better at 25-40 yards to improve. Thanks for any advice.

[Shindig]

I use the clock position method.  I know what my 1/4 and 1/2 swings do with each of my wedges, and I go for distance from there.  I'm not 100% sure of the carry/roll ratio on them, so I'm not completely sure what I would do if I were 50 yards out with a bunker right in front of me.  On the other hand, I can't exactly recall the last time I had that situation.

Maybe the carry distance on them is something I should learn.  I think it's pretty close to 100% on the pitches.  Not sure why the ball stops so quickly;  I don't think I spin my irons that much.  Maybe it's just that I hit it high (or is that a backspin issue?)

[Harmonious]

For pitches, the carry/roll ratio is so small that I don't bother with it.  If I have 50 yards, say, I try to hit a couple of yards short of that, figuring the ball will release a little bit, but not much.  This will vary, depending on how hard the greens are, which way the grain is going (this can be a real issue on Southern courses) and what kind of shot I'm trying to hit.  A semi-lob shot will certainly have less rollout than a low spinner.

Where carry/roll is most important is on chip shots around the green, where you are trying to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible.  Some folks estimate where to land the ball, using feel.  Others, and I'm included in this group, try to use the "Rule of 12" to determine where to land the ball, and which club will work the best for the given chipshot.

[jdg91878]

Thanks for the insight. I went out and practiced today and tried the Rule of 12. Very cool. My last 2 rounds of 10 balls to a target I got all balls within 5 feet.

[WUTiger]

I use the clock-arm position (quarter, half, 3/4 swing) for pitches and the ratio method for greenside chips. For putts and chip-and-run shots, I used straight back-straight forward pendulum stroke, so the swing arc is different from pitches.

On pitches I start with arm position, and then allow for the roll dynamics of a given hole on a given day. If the pitch is uphill or downhill, or the soil is damp or unusually hard, I make allowances for that.

Last two years I've been working more on my short game, so it's somewhat automatic if I get to play regularly.

[ohiolefty]

I use different methods depending on what shot I'm hitting and what I want the ball to do when it hits (release or not, if it's going to run out, am I going to release it INto the slope or WITH the slope, height etc.)....

Basically, I hinge-and-hold on pitches. I always hit ball first. I might hinge less, move the ball position around, open or close the face, use different setups, but I make sure I hit ball first with my hands ahead of the club. If your hands are ahead and you hit ball first, your bad ones are going to be better than a lot of folks good ones because you're going to hit it clean and hit your intended distance and line more often.

[JetFan1983]

I've recently been varying the speed of my pivot to control distance, rather than focusing on my arms. Utley preaches it in his books, and it has been working well for me.

Erik also made this great video on pitching that correlates quite nicely with what Utley talks about.

How far the arms go back is important of course, but I think the speed of the pivot is more important.

[In the woods]

My method of chipping I don't recommend for everyone. I'm not that confident with a short pitch or chip. So my method is basically address the ball, with the appropriate club, begin my desired swing saying the entire time, don't hit the tree, don't land in the bunker, don't skull it and kill the guy putting three greens over. Come to think of it, this method doesn't work real well for me!! I'm working on it though. I say this in all seriousness. It's a bad habit of mine.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by jdg91878

Do you recommend using a Carry:Roll ratio or Pelz left arm clock positional method for accurate pitching. I have always had decent feel around the greens but need to get better at 25-40 yards to improve. Thanks for any advice.

Quite honestly, neither.  Don't really know anything about them.  I do my best to avoid those 25-40 yard shots.  If I don't feel that I can get to what I call "greenside", then I lay back to 80-100 yards.  For greenside chips/pitches, I just generally feel the shot.  There are simply too many variables in those shots for me to believe that a mechanical method would really work.  Lie dictates the shot, not what I learned from someone's book.

[saevel25]

I just feel it out..

For chips, make sure you turn your hips with your arms, little tip. You can bring them back, but when your hands get to thigh, turn your hips as well. This will help you from skulling the chip..

[trickymicky69]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

Quite honestly, neither.  Don't really know anything about them.  I do my best to avoid those 25-40 yard shots.  If I don't feel that I can get to what I call "greenside", then I lay back to 80-100 yards.  For greenside chips/pitches, I just generally feel the shot.  There are simply too many variables in those shots for me to believe that a mechanical method would really work.  Lie dictates the shot, not what I learned from someone's book.

I fully agree

A full pitching wedge from 110 is much easier than a half wedge from 70 yards

[Sean Dainty]

For me it depends on what's in front of you (simplistic I know, but you need to work with what the course is giving you, not force fit one type of shot). If there is just fairway between you and the hole, go for a bump and run with a 7-iron vs. a high pitch as it will give you the best chance of hitting consistently close.

[Zeph]

I generally go for the easier and less risky shot, which is a bump and run with some spin on it. On a more fluffy lie from the rough, I might hit a pitch to get the ball higher, but on a tight lie from the fairway I usually opt for the chip shot.

I have used the pitching method Erik and Dave explained in the video posted earlier in this thread with success. Sometimes you need more air and can't hit the low chip shot. I do avoid those shots the best I can of course, but as everyone else playing golf, I'm not perfect, so it happens. So far, it's worked very well. I've practiced the shot a bit and feel pretty confident about pulling it off. Knowing how you use the bounce and the details of the shot helps. You can read the discussion on this video here .