Wedge/pitching advice

[Andrew_S]

Hi guys,

Despite a solid game on Sunday (by my standards anyway), I noticed how severely my game suffered when my wedge/pitching play was off. For example, on a par 5, I would nail my drive, flush my second, then screw the all important approach shot...

I don't tend to have an issue with approach shots where I am taking a full swing, the problem is more with those 'in-between' shots i.e. a 3/4 SW shot or a short pitch. I was eating up approach shots 90m - 140m out, but choking at anything less. Shots were anything from hitting it fat, hitting it thin, and when I did connect as I intended, I often came up severely short (possibly due to my lack of committment to the shot?).

My question I suppose is this, what do you do when your wedge game/pitching game is off? With the limited detail I've set out above, would you have any handy tips for someone with a suffering mid-game (I might add that chipping/putting is ok for now, just pitching is the real issue).

Any drills that you might suggest are most welcome.

Thanks!

[Jarro]

Easy answer ...... make sure you leave yourself with 100 - 140 meter approach shots.

Play to your strengths

[razaar]

Buy the Pelz " Short Game Bible" and practice his drills; skip his background and self promotion stuff. This is as good a reference book as any for the short game. It may take 12 months of practice to get to a level where you will be confident in most situations.

[virge666]

Easiest answer on the world !

Your setup and posture is not balanced and your backswing is not balanced. You are what we call counter balanced.

On a full shot - all your little compensations kick in, a hip slide, or leg drive or something like that.

When you hit your half shots - your little compensations don't kick in because they are only half shots. This screws with you and you rely on hand-eye co-ordination to get the job done.

Some days it works - some days it doesn't.

The way to fix it is to not practice full swings. Practice Pitching 8-iron 90m and spinning it. Hit your 54 degree wedge 30m and spin it.

Very Very common problem.

[Andrew_S]

Thanks guys. Virge, I think you have described it exactly.

As far as practice goes, I will try what you've suggested. Having said that, when hitting off the mat at the range, I get the feeling that they are a little more forgiving (esp when it omes to wedges)

[virge666]

Thanks guys. Virge, I think you have described it exactly.

As far as practice goes, I will try what you've suggested. Having said that, when hitting off the mat at the range, I get the feeling that they are a little more forgiving (esp when it omes to wedges)

You need to get off those mats for pitching - or use mats that will tell you when you hit it fat.

Otherwise you will just skid all your shots off the mat and won't feel a thing.

Head down to your course and hit the practice mound, pitch 25, 50 and 75m. Use the inside of your right shoe to keep your clubhead clean.

I bet if you do this - you will shoot under your handicap on your next round.

[Andrew_S]

Right on the money again! I actually hit the range up last night, after reading your first response and had a period where I was hitting them just as I wanted. After about 10 ideal shots, I fell back into bad habits and hit about another 10+ super skinny (and with a lot of side spin) - pretty much skulling them.

I quickly came to the conclusion that the range was doing my confidence more harm than good when it came to the short (almost flop) finesse type shot.

It wasn't all bad news though. The 75m pitch is back on track.

[moree golfer]

Andrew, are you using your body or simply flipping the club at the ball? I find I skull/skinny wedges when I am not turning my upper body correctly.

[virge666]

Andrew, are you using your body or simply flipping the club at the ball? I find I skull/skinny wedges when I am not turning my upper body correctly.

Hey mate,

it does really matter WHAT he is doing, it will be a leg drive or hip slide or hanging behind or something like that.

The problem is that he DOESN'T do it with a pitch shot. It will be posture more than likely - and how he starts his backswing. I would fix the posture and balance and get him to hit pitch shots with his feet together or something along those lines - but you can't do it off mats.

Impact bag work would also help.

[TheNuclearOne]

When i am having trouble with those partial wedges i concentrate on setting my angles early in the backswing. Better contact and consistency usually follows. Don't flip badly on the way down of course.

[adlo]

Was having the same problem. Still do at times.

Solution was very similar to what Virge said. His diagnosis is spot on.

I am putting the feet closer together and hitting the ball with dead hands to ensure I compress it. Just need to get a bit more creative with club selection if you are feeling a bit strange with 1/2 or 3/4 swings.

[Andrew_S]

Thanks for the comments guys. After spending most of the week addressing this issue, I had a round yesterday and was thoroughly satisfied with the results.

In hindsight, I noticed a few additional things were going wrong.

(1) I was choking down too much on the club - I think this made it difficult to adapt my natural swing since I wasn't able to adjust my posture to the position needed to strike the ball, and

(2) I wasn't rotating the hips nearly enough on the follow through - I think this promoted too much of a 'handsy/wristy/' shot with diabolical results.

Before I read your msg adlo I was already working on a 'backup' shot with my pitching wedge, where the hands are kept very quiet in case I have issue again. Glad to hear I'm on the right track.

Thanks again guys, much appreciated.

In other news, I've fallen in love again with the pro v1. Now to get my hands on a few dozen...

[Hamo84]

You need to get off those mats for pitching - or use mats that will tell you when you hit it fat.

Otherwise you will just skid all your shots off the mat and won't feel a thing.

Head down to your course and hit the practice mound, pitch 25, 50 and 75m. Use the inside of your right shoe to keep your clubhead clean.

I bet if you do this - you will shoot under your handicap on your next round.

Took your advice and had my first full practice session on the grass area of the local range, and wow what a difference, I was getting a much better feel with my irons and my wedges. Made practice much more fun because I could practice anything I wanted.

[Andrew_S]

I particularly like the feel from hitting my SW (10 degree bounce) from a grassy lie. Completely different sensation from hitting off the mat.

[razaar]

Practice off a piece of 3ply covered with a fine layer of soil or fine sand, just enough to keep the ball stationary.

[Andrew_S]

razaar, would that be to improve confidence when playing off very clean lies? I can see the benefit in that since I occassionally play at Camden Lakeside where they have rather firm fairways.

[razaar]

Takes out any margin for error and reinforces the fundamental to keep the hands out of the shot. Dead hands and rely on the turn to generate power. A faster turn for more power. The trick is to keep the upper body, arms and shaft angle in the backswing position and rotate the torso (including hips) to initiate and complete the forward swing. It is a must that the head stays level and still throughout the shot. Can't be played consistantly any other way in pressure situations because the hands are the first thing to be affected by nerves.