Pitching distance controlled by length of swing you make
Take your sand wedge and a bucket of balls to the practice green and play shots from different spots
Starting close to the hole and working your way outwards while learning short game, helps in understanding better and learning faster. We started with putting and then learnt the art of chipping. As we move further away from the hole, we will learn to ‘pitch’ the ball.
This is a shot that requires more flight than roll. Almost 90 per cent of the distance is covered in the air. Hence, we need to select one of the more lofted clubs in the bag – either the sand wedge or the pitching wedge. The pitching wedge has lesser loft compared to sand wedge and will roll just a bit more after landing. Distance in pitching is controlled by the length of swing you make. Let’s assume that the maximum distance you with a sand wedge is 90 yards. So, what would you do if you need to hit the ball 70, 60 or 50 yards? You would shorten the swing accordingly. The further you want to hit the ball, the more back swing you take. Simply put, the swing for a pitch is a curtailed version of a full swing.
Pic 1 shows the set up. Like in chipping, the ball is positioned in the middle of the feet as we want to make contact with the ball first. We want the bottom of the swing arc to be ahead of the ball. As this is a short-range shot, even a slight mishit will result in an average shot. To get more control, hold the club a bit lower on the grip (we call it ‘choking down’ on the grip). Keep the body weight favoring the left foot and hands slightly ahead of the ball.
Pic 2 shows the back swing. As I mentioned, this is exactly how you would swing the club back if making a full swing – only here we stop short to control the speed that we need to generate in the down swing. Pic 3 shows the impact position. The lower body stays quiet throughout the swing. We simply rotate the upper body down and through the ball, letting the club head accelerate and make contact with the ball in a descending angle. The hands at impact are ahead of the club head, eliminating chances of a ‘flick’. Some players try to get control of the swing by practicing specific lengths of the back swing (by keeping the club head position knee high, belt high or shoulder high), while others practice feel for distance by looking at the target and reacting to it. Both are correct. It just depends on which concept your mind understands better.
There are infinite permutations and combinations in pitching. With distance and height of the shot being the two factors, if you set up by increasing the loft on the clubface – the same length of swing will result in shorter distance.
As I always advise my students, take your sand wedge and a bucket of balls to the practice green and play shots from different spots. Each unique situation can be handled if you learn to play with various combinations of length of swing and loft.
Have fun!