Inconsistent Pitching

[Nick_Toye]

Right this has me baffled.

I take 50 balls into my garden, got some nice very realistic astro turf to pitch from.

Day 1.

90% of the balls were miss hit. They would shank out to the right or I'd top the ball and it would roll across the grass at speed.

Day 2.

I realised that I had the ball at the back of my stance, to far back for my 60 degree wedge, so on YouTube I discovered that it needs to be forward in my stance. So I tried it, and 90% of them went sweetly towards my target.

Day 3.

Same technique as Day 2, but this time 90% of them were shanked and topped.

What the hell is going on? It's frustrating me as I am doing the same thing on Day 2 but completely opposite results.

 

[the_coach]

Welcome to Golf! The world of feel to real. Due to results you won't be doing exactly the same thing as you did when they went to target I'm afraid.

You're practicing with one of the hardest clubs for ams to use, because of all that loft on the face.
Not the best club to learn to 'chip' with.
Try using you're PW in garden, ball middle stance, weight on left foot, hands level with front of ball so just a tad of forward lean set.
Shoulders & arms back & through the chest turns a little with this motion too, not just hands & arms alone, swing back 3 feet smooth through 3 feet, there's no 'hit' at impact, make sure head stays behind the ball, look to see the ground where the ball sat on, before you look up.

Soft hands, just feel a slight angle in your right wrist at the end of the small backswing, keep this angle of the right wrist through impact, only release it after impact. Remember your swinging down on the ball, trust the loft, don't lean back or flip hands to try to get the ball in the air at all.

 

[the_coach]

[video=youtube_share;PINh4PmBRwM]http://youtu.be/PINh4PmBRwM[/video]

 

[the_coach]

If you want to use 60º have a look at this.

[video=youtube_share;ETO0SvEBXts]http://youtu.be/ETO0SvEBXts[/video]

 

[Nick_Toye]

Thanks coach. I'll try it with just my PW.

 

[garyinderry]

in all honesty, if you are at the stage where you are topping shanking god knows whats coming next stage then that luke Donald shot is probably a little to difficult just yet.


having the ball back in your stance is not the problem.

[video=youtube;S2ueDwu2cXk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2ueDwu2cXk[/video]

you can pitch using this technique. just use a little less loft and hit it harder. similar to thecoach's first video.

 

[DaveM]

Try using a putting type stroke. Just alter the length of the swing to suit the distance required.

 

[bobmac]

Are you chipping or pitching?

 

[Nick_Toye]

Well trying to use my lob wedge, get it up and down from a short distance. Probably a step too far in my learning phase, so I'm going to go back to the wedge for the time being and master that stroke.

 

[garyinderry]

the more loft the less room for error!

 

[Nick_Toye]

True.

I've been hitting chips in my garden to a target. Very consistent and definitely feel I am getting somewhere. My putting is 2.2 a hole so if I can get the ball closer to the pin from off the green I should pick up some shots.

 

[London mike 61]

The best tuition that I have seen regarding chipping is from Tom Watsons DVD lessons of a lifetime, it is a 2 disc set and the first one is all about the basics of grip, stance, posture and the long game ( very good ) but the second disc is more about the short game and includes pitching, chipping, bunker work and putting.

There are some good teaching in there and good drills to work on.

The DVD costs around £20 from amazon, I don't think you will be disappointed and it will serve as a good reference should things go belly up in the future.

 

[Nick_Toye]

The best tuition that I have seen regarding chipping is from Tom Watsons DVD lessons of a lifetime, it is a 2 disc set and the first one is all about the basics of grip, stance, posture and the long game ( very good ) but the second disc is more about the short game and includes pitching, chipping, bunker work and putting.

There are some good teaching in there and good drills to work on.

The DVD costs around £20 from amazon, I don't think you will be disappointed and it will serve as a good reference should things go belly up in the future.

Shame its not on YouTube.