What exactly is a pitch?

[Leftygolfer]

I thinking your pitching motion is perfect Erik.  That is what I try to feel and picture.

Is there really another way?  There is so much room for error in contact and still get ok results.  You can get enough speed to hit it soft and high.  All stiff using the leading edge is inconsistant with not enough speed.

[james_hirshfield]

Exactly

Biggest margin of error. Bounce isn't just for show. Has a reason.

Originally Posted by Leftygolfer

I thinking your pitching motion is perfect Erik.  That is what I try to feel and picture.

Is there really another way?  There is so much room for error in contact and still get ok results.  You can get enough speed to hit it soft and high.  All stiff using the leading edge is inconsistant with not enough speed.

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by james_hirshfield

Exactly

Biggest margin of error. Bounce isn't just for show. Has a reason.

[james_hirshfield]

So remember guys, the club is DESCENDING... but too sharp an angle with the leading edge causes the club to dig and stick... rather than the bounce "ruddering" keeping the club enough "afloat" from drowning in the dirt.

[lostmyballs]

Ah, I see. And it is interesting to hear about how similar a flop and a pitch are (too much Tiger Woods video game experience where a flop and a pitch are distinct shots).

Are flops are preferable to pitches in most situations? I get the feeling that pitches as far more frequently used, but it seems logical to infer that a flop with no roll on the green would be easier to predict the ball's final location than a pitch where the end location of the ball is very much a result of its play on the slope of the green after landing. Or am I wrong about this?

[applejr]

Originally Posted by lostmyballs

Ah, I see. And it is interesting to hear about how similar a flop and a pitch are (too much Tiger Woods video game experience where a flop and a pitch are distinct shots).

Are flops are preferable to pitches in most situations? I get the feeling that pitches as far more frequently used, but it seems logical to infer that a flop with no roll on the green would be easier to predict the ball's final location than a pitch where the end location of the ball is very much a result of its play on the slope of the green after landing. Or am I wrong about this?

Not having roll helps predict accuracy, but judging distance on flops is much harder IMO.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by lostmyballs

Are flops are preferable to pitches in most situations? I get the feeling that pitches as far more frequently used, but it seems logical to infer that a flop with no roll on the green would be easier to predict the ball's final location than a pitch where the end location of the ball is very much a result of its play on the slope of the green after landing. Or am I wrong about this?

Just my thoughts, but no, as I said, flops are a last resort and many times even good golfers would be better off pitching to a fatter part of the green and taking their 1.8 putt average from that distance than trying to get up and down by going with the flop.

Judging roll may be easier but the distance through the air is more difficult with a flop.

[mchepp]

Originally Posted by iacas

Just my thoughts, but no, as I said, flops are a last resort and many times even good golfers would be better off pitching to a fatter part of the green and taking their 1.8 putt average from that distance than trying to get up and down by going with the flop.

Judging roll may be easier but the distance through the air is more difficult with a flop.

At a short game clinic Phil Mickelson told us if he is having to hit a lot of flops his score is not going to be very good, basically it means he is getting in a lot of trouble.

[Stretch]

Just to muddy the water even more, I would distinguish between a high pitch and a full-on flop shot. Even really, really good players can easily cock up the latter, as demonstrated below! (I don't care what the title says, that second shot is a flop shot.)