Instruction – A Pitch and a Putt

The 50-70-yard range is often an uncomfortable distance for most golfers. When I ask golfers if they would prefer a 60 yard or 100-yard shot, they almost always say 100 yards. 100 yards is typically a full swing which most golfers feel more comfortable with. 

So, with that said, we are inevitably going to have shots around that 60-yard range and there is no reason why you can’t be better from 60 yards than you are from 100. The reality is that for most golfers, their 60-yard pitch costs them shots, not save them shots.

Let’s start with the set up:

Set-Up

Width of stance: Outside of shoes and outside of hips same width.

Ball position: Middle (for standard flighted shot, although there are times when it could be more forwards or back in the stance).

Weight distribution: 60% on lead foot making sure that your upper body is not overly tilted away from the target.

Backswing

Use your shoulders to move the club back, hips will follow.

Hinge your wrists to achieve approximately a 90° angle between shaft and lead arm “L”.

Maintain 60% of your weight on the lead foot. No head movement away from the target on pitch shots.

Downswing/Impact

Turn your entire body to the target.

Arms, club and body work through impact together.

Finish

Body, arms and club arrive together and point toward the target.

90%+ of your weight on your lead foot.

Common Errors

Too much weight on back foot at address.

Change in posture during the swing (head moving up or down).

Weight staying back during downswing.

Overusing arms without enough body rotation (causing the arms to bend through impact).

Once you have the technical points listed of the lead arm level to the ground on the backswing and through swing underway, you will need to determine how far the ball carries. It may or may not carry 60 yards. The important thing for you is to determine what your number is. That might be 40 yards, 80 yards or something in between. When you make this same swing with another wedge, that will give you another carry distance. Sharpen up your wedge game from inside 100 and watch the shots fall off your score card.