Nick Mitchell Golf Short Game Pitching Tips
Short Game Wedge, Pitch Shots - Hit Down on Irons for More Backspin
Sep 13, 2009
Newbury based ex European Tour pro Nick Mitchell runs successful short game clinics at Newbury Golf Centre specially aimed at golfers wanting to get up and down in two shots more often. In this article he reveals some of the most common faults golfers make when using a wedge to pitch from 60 yards.
Short Game Pitching and Tips
According to Nick Mitchell, one of the most respected short game coaches in Europe, the most common fault golfers make when hitting a three quarter pitch shot is trying to scoop the ball into the air with the hands. Rather than a crisp descending blow onto the ball for maximum backspin, scooping the ball into the air minimises backspin and control. “To hit any short iron, particularly a wedge shot, a golfer must hit positively down onto the ball” explains Nick.
Tips to Hit Down onto a Wedge Shot for Backspin
- Have the ball back in the stance. Most golfers use a stance that is too wide with the ball too far forward. To encourage a crisp downward strike when playing a wedge shot or a short iron, the ball should be well back in the stance.
- Keep the hands forward in front of the ball. This may sound very basic but most golfers get this wrong. The hands should be in front of the ball at address and stay there right through impact until the finish position.
- Keeping the hands forward in the stance and through impact will alter the finish position of the swing. Rather than a long follow through, to hit a pitch shot with backspin the finish should be short and controlled. Rather like a crisp slicing backspin shot in tennis.
- In a full shot the hands square up the face of the golf club. This means the club overtakes the hands in a full release. In a pitch shot however, the speed through the ball is generated by turning the body to the left. It is the body turning through the ball that allows the hands to lead all the way through to a controlled finish position.
- A controlled wedge shot with backspin should not be a highflying shot. The more a golfer hits down into the ball the lower it will fly through the air. A highflying pitch shot would require a different technique and hand release through impact.
- A really well struck pitch shot will land short of the hole, bounce once and then grip on the second bounce. In order to get the ball close to the hole with this technique the undulations on the green before the flag must be taken into consideration.
- “It’s no good playing a controlled shot into the green, with heaps of backspin, only to land the ball on a slope which kicks it away from the hole” explains Nick. Learning to lower scores with a neat short game requires time and practice but Nicks number one quick tip for better wedge play "hands fowrad and play the ball back in the stance”.
See Also: Golf and Racing for a Family Day out at Newbury or What is an Over the Top Golf Swing
 |
 |
 |
 |
