Why can't I pitch?

[RGuk]

I went to the practice ground today for some short game practice. 21 balls (1 tube) each distance....
20 yard mini-pitches.....A-
30 yard pitches.....B+
15 yard SW over the bunker...A+
70 yard 3/4 52*....B
50 yard pitches.....Z-- (not one on the green???)

I'm fine until I have to break my wrists and then it's a disaster......I just can't seem to be able to make 1/2 swings.....

Can anyone come up with any good "feels" or "thoughts" for bigger than a chip pitch but shorter than a 3/4 swing!

I'm baffled.....and frustrated....

 

[theeaglehunter]

How about having your left arm parallel to the floor (pointing at 9 o clock) and your clubs shaft at just less than 90* to the floor (pointing up to 12 o clock), so you form what is basically a right angle between your arms and the club as well. It means a lot of wrist break so it is not error proof as such- timing becomes quite key or you can duff it so you may want to ignore me completely, you probably know a lot more about it than I do anyway, but it gives you something in the way of feel. I rarely use a half swing but this is the point I try to go to when I do.

 

[OldWindy]

Dave - good ol' Rickard will show you how...

http://www.videojug.com/film/golf-how-to-setup-your-shot-for-a-50-yard-pitch

 

[MVP]

50 yrd is a choked down sandwedge at 9 o clock for me saying that i try and play more on feel these days

 

[mrobbie]

I spent a while at the range the past few nights trying different shots to encourage me to hit down. I was aiming at the 50 yard box to try and hit it.

Seemed to work best with a choked down 56 deg wedge (as per the above) played back in my stance with the grip in front of the ball - I was really hammering into the ground on the down swing. The down swing was aggressive; a 50% shot is a half swing, not an easy half swing.

This was far more accurate than a stronger 60 deg wedge

Good that you are practicing the short game and that you have identified your weakness - I'm sure you'll be up to B+ in no time

 

[thecraw]

Just relax and play the shot that looks right for you. A little pitch with a PW or a nine iron or even a straight forward bump and run with a 7 iron, just because your 50 yards away it doesnt automatically mean that you must use your SW.

Look at the bigger picture and play the percentage shot, you are having a confidence crisis with the SW, so look at what hazards are in your way, slopes pin positions etc. Off of 12 you have options available and some shots to spare.

If you are 50 yards away with the pin tucked tight front left over a bunker, the chances (and no offence meant) are that your not going to get up and down anyway, so think PW, carry the ball that we bit further towards the back of the green, take the bunker out of the equation hopefully eliminating the double. Two putt and away. You also have more chance of holing that monster 30/40 foot putt than holing a poached egg flop out of the bunker!

Again if your 50 yards away with nothing between you and the hole try the good old Scottish bump and run shot.

That will install confidence as you are still hitting greens. Short game is all about confidcence and practice, but best to practice while confident!!!!!!!!!

 

[CarpeDiem]

I find that if you rotate your body rather than thinking about hinging your wrists then it works well. However first of all you need to find out how much body turn you need so that your club is at a 9 o'clock position. If you think about your body turn then the wrists should hinge on their own.

 

[RGuk]

Thanks guys....keep 'em coming.

I think the main problem is that in my full swing I'm delaying the wrist cock later than my old swing. At 9 o'clock, I have the club pointing directly behind me with maximum extension, whereas previously I'd have "set" the club by this position.

I love the video jug tips.....he's just so entertaining. If you look at Ricard is this film, he gets such a classy arms at 9 o'clock club already set (right angle, as suggested by eagle) and that's all you need. I just feel that I'm actually getting way too close to a full swing which is the problem.

t.b.h. I've been using thecraw's idea and just playing various 9/8/7 big chips and aiming where there is nothing in the way....but this is what's leading to bad scores......I get 40-60 yards away from a long hole, play the percentage shot (often quite badly!) and then leaving huge first putts, and bingo, a 3 putt and a double bogey....it never used to be like this. Back in the days, getting down in 3 was almost guaranteed.

I had a lesson on pitching.....maybe I should mention at my next lesson that the new swing plans/thoughts are playing havoc with smaller than full swings.

 

[RGuk]

50 yrd is a choked down sandwedge at 9 o clock for me saying that i try and play more on feel these days

OK, so this got me thinking......

I think I've solved one or two things already.
1) The driving range LIES. I hit 6 full SWs and the ball landed over the 100 yd marker.......on the course my SW goes 80-85 max.....I'm therefore presuming that the 3/4 shots landing 15 yards short of this marker are actually nearer 65-70 yards than the 90! I was thinking.
2) I've learned to cock my wrists early for this shot (I thought about MVPs comment a while back about picking the club up steeply (for bunkers, admittedly) so I just did it!
3) if I can hit 70 yards on a 3/4 then a little choke down, a little narrower stance and not hooding the face seems to give me about 50-55 yards with a nice high up and down trajectory. I hit some lovely shots, just need to refine it all a little and most importantly remember to keep the flex in my knees and the weight on the front foot.....so far, so good.