Pitching Your Way To Success

My last two articles in Avid Golfer have been over putting and chipping so the next logical step is pitching. In discussing goals with my junior academy I sometimes receive goals that they would like to average fourteen greens per round. I tell them congratulations they are a better ball striker than Tiger Woods and they should dominate next time they are on the Tour. Knowing that hitting 12 greens per round puts you in the top 30 on the PGA Tour, we can assume that you will need to get the ball up and down on average about 9 times a round. Short game wins tournaments and I am a firm believer in that statement. Let’s recap what we have learned and also how to practice your short game to get better.

Chipping

• Feet are placed one club-head width apart

• Two things forward and one thing back (weight and hands forward and ball off of back toe)

• Keep firm left wrist throughout the shot ( for a right hander)

• 95% of the time you will choose a club that will land the ball on the front of the green and have the ball run to the hole

Pitching

The basic setup for chipping is the same that you will use for pitching however the ball position will change, but the swing will remain relatively the same. We will be using our most lofted club at this point and will setup close to the ball with the ball off of our back big toe. This is the CJ Low. Now move the ball a little forward and a little farther away from you. This is the CJ Medium. Next, move the ball a little more forward and a little farther away. This is the CJ High. The ball should be off of your left instep for a right hander. Next, open the club face but instead of just aiming left you must aim left and move the ball more forward. Assume when you do this you are moving your feet around a clock face from six o’clock to four o’clock. The ball will be forward and the face will be open but the swing is still the same with a firm left wrist through the shot. This is the ultra high shot. You may need to swing a little harder to get the ball to go the correct distance but the swing has the same fundamentals to it. Next, let’s talk about how to practice the low, medium, high, and ultra high pitch shots.

Practice to a relatively close pin position and place three clubs on the ground about one pace apart from each other. Try to have the first club be on the fringe with the last club being about six to ten feet away from the hole. Understand these clubs are not an exact science but represent the principle behind hitting these shots. For a low shot you will need to land the ball on the fringe and let the ball run to the hole where an ultra high shot will fly most of the way and stop relatively quickly on the green. This is a great way to practice because it teaches you to look at more than one option when you are pitching on the course. You will be prepared to loft it over a bunker if need be or run it low under a tree if the situation presents itself. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail is my favorite quote by legendary basketball coach John Wooden. If you practice multiple shots from different situations you will never be unprepared. You now have most of the short game shots you will need in a course of the round, but we still need to learn how course management enters into the chipping and pitching game.

Course Management

Remember with chipping I said that you will land the ball on the front of the green 95% of the time. I lied. The 5% rule actually plays a much bigger role when on the course. While on the course you will encounter one of three situations most of the time. Which is easier? A flat shot, one with a mound in the way, or one with a depression in the way. Most people think a flat shot is the easiest, however a depression is the easiest. Choose the club that lands in the middle of the depression and runs to the hole. If you hit that shot to hard it will hit into the hill and slow it down and if you hit it too soft if will hit on the down slope and kick the ball forward, thus both misses will finish at the same spot as your good shot. Try to use this philosophy when you are around the green. Most times you won’t have a depression but you might have a half depression where the green runs away from you then levels out before the hole. Choose the proper shot whether it’s low, medium, high, or ultra high to land in the flat spot and finish near the hole. If you hit the ball too soft if will catch the down slope and still finish near the hole, thus eliminating the need for perfect golf shots. These tips should teach you to look at chipping and pitching around the greens a completely different way thus improving your short game tremendously.

Once you have mastered the basic chip shot (CJ Low), it will be much easier for you to change ball position and create multiple shots around the greens. Using basic setup information and proper course management will allow you to pick the proper shot needed for pitching and making the game much easier. Remember the next time you head to the practice range that if you expect to hit more than twelve greens a round you will be a very good ball striker. Instead you should head to the chipping area and work on saving those valuable shots that you know you will have at least half the time.

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14 Comments

george dahl Says:

THIS IS ON THE NORMAL SWING.
YOU STATED THAT YOU START THE SWING WITH THE HANDS WHICH THEN MOVE THE ARMS WHICH THEM MOVE THE HIPS.ON THE DOWN SWING IS IT IN REVERSE ORDER IE START THE DOWN SWING WITH THE HIPS WHICH TURN THE SHOULDERS WHICH MOVE THE ARMS WHICH MOVE THE HANDS TO RELEASE THE SHOT?
THIS IS MY SECOND TIME ASKING A QUESTION I HOPE I GET AN ANSWER AS I GOT NO ANSWER TO MY FIRST QUESTION.
GEORGE DAHL
March 9th, 2010 at 2:35 pm
BRIAN Says:

Hi CJ, I hit too high a percentage of my shots, particularly with the irons off the toe of the club, even though I tend to address the ball off the heel. It feels a weak strike. Help please!
March 9th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
CJ Says:

George,
I’m sorry your confused but I am not sure what your question is. Yes that is what happens in the golf swing. In the downswing it reverses order. Body then arms then club. Is that what your asking? You also state normal swing? This is how the golf swing should work for all shots.
Keep em long and straight,
cj
March 10th, 2010 at 1:27 am
CJ Says:

Brian,
More than likely your arms are coming over the top and therefore your arms are bending to keep from sticking the club in the ground and therefore are making the club in essence shorter. This is a classic chicken wing swing and I would recommend placing your feet together and make swings where on the backswing you form the letter L by hinging your wrists and keeping your arms straight, both on the backswing and follow through. This may prove difficult at first, primarily on the follow through but that is the point. Keep working on having a straight left arm and right arm in the follow through with the club hinged and forming the letter L with the shaft and your arms.
keep em Long and Straight,
cj
March 10th, 2010 at 1:33 am
E G Says:

CJ, I played some baseball in my time but I still have trouble initiating the transition of my hips as I am 3/4 way in my take-away. If I hold the club like a baseball bat no problem. Drop it in front of a golf ball, forget it. Any suggestions?
EG
March 10th, 2010 at 9:28 am
Dennis Says:

Hi CJ, Is the grip the same for chipping and pitch shots? I am having trouble around the greens and also with the hip bump too start the down swing. Help would be appreicated tks
March 10th, 2010 at 9:45 am
Bob Bossong Says:

I score well but only because I have a good short game and can putt.
Problem: On long irons and woods, I am always coming over the top with a right to left divot which robs me of distance. What are the best drills to groove a swing that is down the line ? Help, I’m getting older and shorter.

Enjoy your videos

Thanks,
Bob
March 10th, 2010 at 9:48 am
John Lytle Says:

Today’s lesson on pitching and chipping would be so much easier to understand if you would have added some type of graphic aid… I understand how this lesson would greatly improve my game, but I can’t picture what you are trying to teach us.. I am confused… John
March 10th, 2010 at 11:21 am
Greg Says:

Actually, 12 of 18 greens is 67% and that would put you around 80th on the Tour right now. 67% is actually the Tour average.

But that being said, nice stuff here. Thanks.
March 11th, 2010 at 6:36 pm
Gary Barnett Says:

Hi CJ,
Nice lesson. Greg’s calculation isn’t correct is it? I always thought GIR was x/14, assuming four par 3’s, which don’t count. 12/14 would be 86%. BTW, I am glad you clarify RH or LH as I am a lefty, i.e. I stand on the “right” side of the ball when looking down the fairway.
Thanks,
Gary
March 13th, 2010 at 12:45 pm
CJ Says:

Gary,
Green in regulations (Gir) is out of 18. Fairways are usually out of 14 since there are typically 4 par 3’s on a course. Hope that helps.
keep em Long and Straight,
cj
March 15th, 2010 at 7:37 pm
CJ Says:

Bob,
The major cause of an over the top move is the backswing is moving too much to the inside at the start of the backswing. this causes the club to then move up and then eventually over the top. That would mean there is a lot to work on, however a quick tip can be to simply put a ball to the slight outside of the ball and make sure you are swinging to the inside of that ball and out towards first base. Keep me informed and I can give you a lot of drills to help this.
Keep em Long and Straight,
cj
March 15th, 2010 at 7:45 pm
CJ Says:

Dennis.
the grip is the same for all shots in golf except for putting. Trouble around the greens is easy and can be fixed in very little time. Be on the lookout for my short game DVD coming soon and You can knock a lot of shots off your score in just an hour of practice.
Keep em long and straight,
cj
March 15th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
CJ Says:

E G,
Welcome to the dilemma that faces most golfers. This ball awareness that people possess makes change difficult but you are fine and just need to continue to work on it patiently and slowly. Trying fast swings and trying to change this will take forever and probably not happen. Slow it down and work patiently doing drills and forgetting about ball flight for awhile and that should help.
Keep em long and Straight,
cj
March 15th, 2010 at 7:48 pm