Here's that wedge shot.....

[JustOne]

From a post on the main forum....

In this months magazine there is a tip on pitch shots inside 100 yards.

It says you should set your feet, shoulders and club square to your intended line.

I had a lesson with my pro last week on my pitching and he said I set up my feet and shoulders square which is wrong as it's not a full shot and mainly you just use your arms unlike a full swing and if you set up square you get in the way of yourself.

So he had me set up open to the target line but the clubhead square and it made a big diffrence.

So who is wrong and who is right?

I know not all tips are for everyone but why would my pro ( who is a well known respected pro around here) teach something completely different to a top 25 GM coach?

Open to the target line is correct (it's the professional way) as it helps stop you taking the club miles behind your right knee (ie low and too far inside) you generally take hooking, blocking or smothering your shots out of the equation.

There's 2 shots that you can actually play from this position....

1) With your open stance you also have your shoulders OPEN... this will hit a soft fade as you swing along the line of your toes.

2) With your open stance you have your shoulders more SQUARE to the target, this will hit a slighly lower but straight shot, maybe even a very soft draw, as you tend to swing along your shoulder line in this instance. It's a great shot to have.

But the last thing you want to do is stand square and face missing both ways with a wedge in your hand.

And here's the No2 shot in action perfectly exectuted.... feet open, shoulders square, hitting a slightly lower but straight shot: (note also that the ball is well back in the stance due to the feet being open)

[video=youtube;Tq6SuoqSk_c]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq6SuoqSk_c[/video]

If you want to read the rest of the thread it's here.. http://forums.golf-monthly.co.uk/showthread.php?49312-No-wonder-this-game-is-so-hard!

 

[Foxholer]

James,

While I believe the open stance method works best (for me), I'm sure there are plenty of 'square stance' videos available too!

I don't believe the provision of vids actually proves much, just provides great examples for reference. Given the pin placement, I'm pretty sure even a 'square stance' player would have considered cutting that shot.

Th camera work gave me a headache btw! oo:

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Big fan of the linear method which is all about a squarer set up and rotating using the chest as the engine of the shot

 

[JustOne]

I'm pretty sure even a 'square stance' player would have considered cutting that shot.

They'd cut it from a square stance?

 

[bozza]

Pretty much how I got taught to do it but with my shoulders slightly open.

I agree you would struggle to cut a pitch shot with everything square as it's mainly just a arms shot you don't really use your chest so I found if anything I pulled my shot if I was square because my chest restricted my follow through.

 

[JustOne]

Pretty much how I got taught to do it but with my shoulders slightly open.

I agree you would struggle to cut a pitch shot with everything square as it's mainly just a arms shot you don't really use your chest so I found if anything I pulled my shot if I was square because my chest restricted my follow through.

Absolutely.

 

[duncan mackie]

Pretty much how I got taught to do it but with my shoulders slightly open.

I agree you would struggle to cut a pitch shot with everything square as it's mainly just a arms shot you don't really use your chest so I found if anything I pulled my shot if I was square because my chest restricted my follow through.

I don't understand this 'it's mainly just an arms shot' - I've looked at this video carefully and his shoulders are fully open at the top, left arm at 11 o'clock, and it all swings through together!

(the luxury of my old computer being available!!!!)

 

[JustOne]

I don't understand this 'it's mainly just an arms shot' - I've looked at this video carefully and his shoulders are fully open at the top, left arm at 11 o'clock, and it all swings through together!

It would be an arm shot if he was standing square and cutting across it.

Fowler isn't cutting across it as his swing plane is not aligned anywhere near his feet. It's more like this....



if you didn't know where his feet were aiming you'd think he was lined up straight going by this pic.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

I tend to pull wedge shots, standing open makes it worse.

But that's just me, I think you should use what works.

 

[Foxholer]

They'd cut it from a square stance?

Oops. Missed this.

No. they'd probably play it much the way Fowler did. Or however they prefer playing a pitch to a tight right pin - the armsy cut?

Again, vids aren't necessarily proof, merely examples (which was certainly the purpose of this one). Contours of that green certainly favour a left to right shot too.

 

[Phil2511]

I tried this today, badly I may add. Swung along line of feet and managed to flop it, quite lovely shotactually lol. Just not what was required of meant lol

 

[SocketRocket]

How much can you cut a shot with a wedge? I think the open stance is to keep the hips clear.

 

[JustOne]

I tried this today, badly I may add. Swung along line of feet and managed to flop it, quite lovely shotactually lol. Just not what was required of meant lol

Tried what? Tried what Rickie was doing? He wasn't swinging along the line of his feet... he was swinging along the line of his shoulders which were SQUARE to the target.

 

[Matty]

I switched to the linear method about 18 months ago.

For me it's far simpler, pick the club, same set up as for other shots, focus on length of back swing and follow through for distance control.

Being open adds too much variation for me. How open should I be? How open should the club face be? Do I swing along the line of my feet, the ball to target line or where the club face is pointing?

 

[Keeno]

I have started opening myself up on shorter shots recently. My misses on longer Irons are normally slices and become pulls on shorter irons (who knows). But by opening my feet (aiming left) and aiming the club face at the target, almost as if I'm trying to cut it seems to work well for me. The ball goes slightly higher and sits down quickly, but nice and straight. It really has helped me hugely in recent weeks.

I even do this for chip and runs, pitches etc. Just need to fix my driving,,,,,,,,,longer irons,,,,,,,,,,, putting,,,,,,,, ;-)