Pitching

Question 1

Card01: “Accurate pitch shots can save you several strokes during a round. They also help you salvage valuable pars when your long game goes awry.

Drill 1/01. Think of distance, not direction. Most golfers do not know how hard to hit pitch shots of different distances. P. 108

At the driving range, work one day on pitching. Practice at different targets hitting 15 balls at each target. Use locations close, medium and long for your wedges.

Answer 1

Remarks:

Question 2

Card02: Open your stance by moving your left foot back 2 inches.

1. Play the ball back.
2. Steep hinged up BS.
3. Choke down unto shaft with right hand.
4. Swing the pail of water smoothness in swing.
5. Keep head dead still.
6. Have most weight on front foot. 60/40 is recommended.
7. Hover club at address. Do not press CF against the ground!
8. Don’t bail out. Hit the ball just like you planned it.
9. If fluffy lie, you know how to swing under the ball. If ball is on ground, make solid contact aiming ½ behind the ball.

Answer 2

Remarks:

Question 3

Card03: Find the bottom of your swing for crisp shots.

At the range, use a tee to mark the beginning of where you feel the divot would appear. Just lay the tee a couple inches to the right of the ball so it isn’t disturbed on your impacts.

Drill 1/04. Keep your hands soft for a free-flowing swing. Lee Trevino says to loosen your left hand grip about 10 %, then regrip softer. This will relax your swing and make it better. Use this soft adjustment to trigger your swing.

“SOFT MUSCLES WORK MUCH BETTER IN A SWING THAN TIGHT MUSCLES.”

Answer 3

Remarks: Tension is a killer of a good swing. Use your waggle and soft regrip on all swings to make them fluid. – MN

Question 4

Card04: Find your personal speed limit. You can do this at the range. Slow and easy makes the best shots.–MN

P. 113.

Answer 4

Remarks: MN: Figure out your swing speed and don’t back off from it. Complete your plan and make the shot.

Question 5

Card05: Swing down on the path of your BS. The club should move straight back the first 12-18 inches.

Do several practice run backswings to establish your path and help get your mind into the shot. Drill 1/06 P. 114.

Answer 5

Remarks: Swing path is one of the most important ingredients of a well struck pitch shot. Look at the key checkpoint on P. 143.

Question 6

Card06: Make a right angle in your backswing. This is just like what I learned in SOG. BS to arms horizontal, Thumbs up golf shaft is straight up at 12:00.

Poor pitching is often the result of too much wrist hinge in the BS, where the hands pick the club up too abruptly, or too little wrist hinge. Pic on P. 115.

Answer 6

Remarks: Try to keep your wrists passive for longer and to get the club a little wider as you turn your upper body. This very same swing can be used on my short irons with precision shots.

Question 7

Card07: Check your BS plane halfway back. 1/08 Check your swing plane halfway back. Freeze your BS just like on the previous drill.

Answer 7

Remarks: Swing plane. If you are swinging on the correct path, the butt end of the club will point between your toes and the ball.

Choke down: Hands closer to the clubhead is easier to control the shot. Remember use precision grip. Choke RH almost to metal or on metal if this proves better. Also, check your divot marks for swing intormation.

Question 8

Card08: Pitch to a catcher. Bunker fear!! Visualize a man waiting to catch your ball on the green. Don’t worry about the bunker, just pitch to the catcher.

Pitch to your ball bucket, or a trash can lid.

Answer 8

Remarks: Pitch shots are control shots, but they NEED TO BE STRUCK WITH AUTHORITY!!

Question 9

Card09: Think of gradual acceleration in the DS

Note: I jumped to P. 138 because the material didn’t really show anything that would help my pitching.

Swing the club like a roller-coaster. The coaster comes over the hill then picks up speed, just like your pitch should gradually pick up speed.

1. Start of DS: club SB moving slowly.
2. Halfway down SB gradually accelerating.
3. Impact, SB moving at optimum speed.
4. FF, hands, arms and club freewheel through to the finish of your swing.

The whole idea is just like a car at rest. It pulls onto the street slowly, straightens out and starts to accelerate just like middle of pitch shot. Finally the car reaches the speed limit at ball impact. Pic. P. 139.

Answer 9

Remarks:

Question 10

Card10: Try Right armed swings to train a better release.

1. Don’t try to guide the ball.
2. A good pitch must be released properly. P. 140
3. You must trust your swing.
4. Practice releases with RH only, then use both hands but keep the release feel.

Answer 10

Remarks:

Question 11

Card11: Use different BS positions to vary your distances.

9:00, 10:00 and 11:00 P. 142, 143 shows distance setups.

P. 144 shows ball setup position for low, high and long pitches.

1. Normal = middle of stance
2. Low pitch = ball on toe of rear foot.
3. High pitch = ball on instep of forward shoe.

To create back spin = steep angle of attack, clean contact, and high degree of loft on CF.

P. 146,147 = Pictures of perfect hybrid shots.

Never try to force extra distance out of a club.

Answer 11

Remarks: Look at your divots. No divot means you are not hitting the ball solid. Left or right divots diagnosis P. 120, 121.