A pitch is a 30m to 50m shot that spends most of the time in the air before landing on the green. Want to improve your pitching technique and consequently give your short game a boost? Keep reading for our top tips.
Pitches are highly precise shots that require a great deal of practice if you are to successfully hit them on a regular basis. As a general rule, wedges are the best club for pitch shots due to their high loft, which will enable you to raise the ball into the air and control the spin on the green. Distance and spin will determine your level of swing and choice of club.
Tips to improve your pitch
As pitches are short and precise shots, you will want to bring your feet a little closer together and move your body a little closer to the ball than normal. When pitching, you want a descending angle of attack, the club first hitting the ball and then the ground, and the divot falling in front of the ball.
To achieve this, make sure that your sternum remains just in front of the ball. The typical recommendation of putting more weight in your front leg is not ideal in this case as your sternum will be behind the ball, resulting in incorrect impact.
Generally, when pitching, you should position the ball in the centre in front of you. Moving yourself closer to the ball and using clubs with shorter shafts will naturally lift the ball more than longer clubs, when you are further from the ball and the trajectory is more horizontal. Wrist action is fundamental in pitch shots. Don’t forget to turn your legs, abdomen and chest towards the target throughout impact to generate the correct speed.
Remember that your shot doesn’t end when you touch the ball: you need to follow through. Keep the club strong throughout impact, keeping your wrists relaxed, and you will see that the weight of the clubhead will result in the right movement. Too much tension in your grip or in your wrists will take away the fluidity you need to succeed in your pitch.
Practising your pitch
If you want to work on your pitch, we recommend choosing a number of different obstacles - such as bushes, your golf bag, a lake, etc. - and then try hitting the ball over them and landing the ball as close as possible to the hole. Not only will this drill give you good pitching practice, it will also give you experience in selecting the right club, depending on height and distance.
The best way to master your pitch is to take classes led by pros. In the Costa del Golf, there are excellent golf academies where you can work on your technique. So what are you waiting for? Make the most of this unique opportunity to play your favourite sport.
