50 to 20 mtrs pitches

[sparko]

hi all
im having problems pitching from these distances alot of the time im sort of stabbing the ground and the ball goes nowere,i havent got any consistency is there something i should be doing different in my stance and should i use pitcher sand or lob wedge.?
thanks in advance

[gord962]

Re: 50 to 20 mtrs pitches

The trick to these distances is to have a half and 3/4 shot down. Don't limit yourself to 1 or 2 clubs. Work this with every club in your bag. It will take a while at the range to figure out which clubs hit which distance, but work with the same backswing for each club and see how far they go.

For a 1/2 swing, only bring your left arm to parallel (or the butt end of your club pointig at 6:00 - feet 6, right side 9, head 12. This should have your club pointing skyward. Keep your weight forward.

For a 3/4 swing, only bring your arms up in between a full swing and a 1/2 swing (butt end should be pointing at about 7:30).With this, you will want to transfer your weight as you normally would for the club selected.

[sparko]

Re: 50 to 20 mtrs pitches

yes it seems to be the half swings im having problems with i think im a bit jerky when im on my downswing would this sound right to you as to why im not contacting correctly with the ball.if it does is there anything i can do to solve this and make it clean and smooth on a regular basis thanks.

[LowPost42]

Re: 50 to 20 mtrs pitches

Is there anything you can do? Yes. Practice, practice, practice. But make sure you know what you're practicing.

I'm a big fan of the Dave Pelz short game method. It's probably not for 'feel' players.

Grab yourself a copy of Dave Pelz My Short Game Bible and give his method a go.

[gord962]

Re: 50 to 20 mtrs pitches

yes it seems to be the half swings im having problems with i think im a bit jerky when im on my downswing would this sound right to you as to why im not contacting correctly with the ball.if it does is there anything i can do to solve this and make it clean and smooth on a regular basis thanks.

Make sure you are going straight back on the takeaway for as long as you can. If you are going outside or inside (too soon) on your takeaway, you will find it very difficult to return the club to the correct impact position.

Don't shift your weight. Maintain your balance and remember to strike down on the ball with your irons.

Also, ensure that you follow through the same distance that you took your club back on the backswing. If you stop after you hit the ball, you are asking for trouble. Approach the followthrough the same with everyclub for every shot for all distances: don't hit the ball, accelerate THROUGH the ball.

[sparko]

Re: 50 to 20 mtrs pitches

yes i think you just sorted it, i have noticed that i dont follow through the same as my take away i seem to stop after i hit the ball and think that could be the problem i will be out at the crack of dawn now to the driving range and get some serious practice in thanks

[sparko]

Re: 50 to 20 mtrs pitches

just one more thing what is the best lw or aw in degrees to get and are these clubs the same ?

[LowPost42]

Re: 50 to 20 mtrs pitches

LW: Lob Wedge - anywhere from 59 to 62 degrees - plays shorter than your sand wedge.

AW: Approach or All-purpose Wedge - anywhere from 50 to 53 degrees - plays between your pitching wedge and sand wedge. If I'm not mistaken, it's aka Gap Wedge.

[gord962]

Re: 50 to 20 mtrs pitches

Yes, what Ben said. As for which is best? Keep your gap in between clubs at a bout 4* Most PWs are about 48 and SW is 56. Therefore, a GW at 52* is just right. If you happen to have a 58* SW, then a 53 or 54* GW would be the optimal club to fill the gap. As for a LW, try to keep the same ratio. If you are already hitting a 58* SW though, a LW is probably not needed. Don't be afraid to test out some clubs to see what suits your needs.