Great tip today! I was just on the range this weekend working on pitching. I was forgetting to use more of the turn and using too much upper body to make better contact. Got on site and their was the tip I needed, thanks Paul. So glad I found your site 2 months ago, cannot stop watching your videos. You are exactly what I needed for my game. You tell it like it is and do not sugar coat anything, like past instructors have done to me. I know your have a videos of “shots”, but what about course management? It would really cool to see and hear what you think on different type par three’s, four’s and five”s. Besides always working on my swing, are there some basic lessons to know on how to play holes, when your standing on that tee box? Thanks Paul.
Dear Mr Anthony .I f you want an illustrative lesson on course management ,then just go and buy the famous book by TOMMY ARMOUR ” A ROUND OF GOLF WITH TOMMY ARMOUR ” What hé wrote in 1959 is Still valid today .
TOMY ARMOUR was one OF the best GOLFERS ever between 1920 and 1933 ,equal ( I would say better ) than BOBBY JONES .A SCOT ,who emigrated to the USA after WW1 ,hé was a Machine Gunnef and Tank driver during Ww1: hé was severely wounded during the WAR ,” gassed ” by YPERITE ,lost partiallyl his sight ,but remained one OF the best GOLFERS ,Thanks to the proper use OF ” his brains ” on a golf course ,plus having an extraordinairy pair OF hands .
You CAN Still get the book ( Used ) on AMAZON :it’s worthwile reading !
Do you recommend ever opening your clubface on these short pitch shots around the green (5-10 yards)? For example, what shot would you recommend when short sided and about 10 yards away, and you are too far to hit a flop shot.
It’s not chicken wing. I am folding my arms to stop short of my normal follow through. It is only a short shot. As I said in the tip you are abbreviating your swing. A chicken wing would be a bent lead arm at impact. So you let the body rotation move the arms to hit the ball. Then fold to get into the follow through I am doing on this shot.
Exceptionnally fine lesson ,Paul:shortbpitching is one OF the best parts OF m’y golf game ,So I do appreciate fully this démonstration .
I took up this technique from PAUL AZINGER ,who was very good at ptching : the variation OF rotation Speed is KEY to succèss.
I would add That good tempo 1/1 ratio between backswing Time and throughswing time is essential to success .
I also put most OF m’y Weight on the lead leg ,So not to skull the ball..
Hi paul
Have a couple of questions for you
Do you have and clips on early extension?
To start the downswing is simply swinging your back leg to touch your fron a good method?
And lastly why is it when I do your helicopter drill I fell all the torque in my uper body but not so when I swing
Many thanks.
David
You need to pick a trigger. You can straighten the lead leg, hip or belt buckle left of target or spring from right instep. You need to find what works best for you. I use the right instep.
Helicopter – you need to resist your lower body rotation. do tons of practice swings keep the flex in back knee and load the weight on the instep. You will do 5 things to alleviate the torque. you will lift, stop short, turn your hips too much, straighten the back knee or lift up. You need to know it is a tight feeling and not go against it.
Standing up in the downswing. Why would you be standing up? well, if you tried to hit something would you not try to look to see what you hit? So don’t hit. Standing up. You are jumping. The touch the legs position is not a jump it is a turn. Turn and they touch.
Hi Paul. I can say emphatically this lesson would have saved me countless strokes if I had known it 25-30 years ago. My 90’s would have been 80’s and the worry over these short shots eliminated. The famous saying applies: “old too soon and smart too late.”
Paul doing the short pitch shot drill for the first time I think i felt no arms in my swing,point the butt end of club toward target turn my belt buckle the club went down threw the ball a made that great click sound it felt like my body made swing not the arms how do I take this to a full swing?
Gerald Stroud
Very good. I am not hitting it or helping it in any way. If you can feel this on these short shots then you are getting it. Next tip is medium pitch. Try to do it with a little longer backswing. Then apply to your full swing. Watch for it tomorrow.
For over a year now I have improved my golf game using your techniques. To help me remember your tips with my 57 year old brain I created a set of note cards and put them in an old leather smart phone holster and clipped it to my golf bag. When I am at the range I take out the note cards to remind of the proper steps for each practice shot. In real life I am a career and technical educator and have found Quick Study laminated guides to be very helpful when reviewing for a test, preparing for a particular skilled task in the field or in the lab. How you considered creating a Quick Study Guide to add to you product line…just a suggestion!
I have heard this before. Problem is cost. I can have them made at a certain cost (laminating is not cheap) and have all of 10 people buy them. I may think about it again in the future. Maybe I do a PDF and people can print and laminate them themselves. This would be most cost effective on my end. I do like this idea though. I did a booklet like this about 7 years ago.
I truly understand about costs being in public education. You are right; it would be expensive and not cost effective. A PDF is a good idea. I will also create a Google Doc which can be saved in Google Drive for access. The creation of the Doc will be a good review for me.
Paul, thank you, as always, great tip! One question: why grip down the club? It make me feel not tall and is not necessary to hit a pitch using your technique. What are the benefits of gripping down two inches?
You are gripping down so you have the butt end sticking out to point at the various backswing points. Also, you are taking some of the power out of the swing. Plus, these are delicate shots. Gripping at the end says “full shot” not “10 yard shot” Gripping down gives you the feeling you are about to hit a delicate shot.
Just depends on your game and what you like. Some have a gap, SW,LW. I just have a SW adding more longer clubs. It is really up to you and your game. If you are at a course where you rarely hit longer clubs then use more wedges and vica versa.
I know you want to us to focus on hinging on these short pitch shots. But are your shoulders coiling at all– even if only an abbreviated amount? Or are the wrists the only thing that move in the backswing in these shots? I’m having a problem coming over the top on these shots.
You are doing your normal swing I just want you to think about hinging. Without this you will not set the club to the appropriate backswing length for the desired shot. If you are coming over the top you are using your arms to hit the shot. This is tilting your whole body towards the target in the downswing. So make sure your body stays behind it as you hit the ball.
However, I have had a lot of success with your Chipping technique around the green including 10-20 yards. So I question whether the short pitching technique is necessary. Getting caught up ratio analysis between pitching and chipping may not work for the average golfer. Any thoughts on this?
You would use the short pitch when you don’t have a lot of green to work with. This way you get it up a little higher so it stops faster. The long chipping technique sends it out too low so it will roll more. I use the short pitch quite often. Good to have although the longer chip may be easier for most.
Your body would not move going back but it would follow the stroke in the through swing. I am really not thinking about it though. Chipping is like putting with your hands way ahead (as I show in my chipping technique). I visualize my putting stroke because it is consistent.
hi Paul
1. how is the position and the movement of the head during the turn in pitching? does it move at the same time as you turn the body or a bit later as in the full swing?
2. is it exclusive to ue the belt buckle as the trigger to turn the body in pitching?
3. how secure is to chip using a body turn compared to the one that you profess
This is a mini swing so you would be coiling, loading and moving the head like in the real swing but I want you thinking of where you are hinging it. So as you start back the head would be moving but because you are abbreviating the backswing your head would not move as much as it would in the full swing.
You want to turn the belt buckle because these shots don’t require a huge leg drive. No legs and something has to turn the body. So the belt buckle gets you manually turning the body. You could turn the forward hip too. That would probably work.
Not sure what you mean on the last question. You are not really using body on chipping. Your body is following the stroke to make it a little easier to get through it but you really want to be thinking of the stroke when chipping.
Thats a nice review of your technique. How about dealing with an elevated green? Maybe just 10 yards away but maybe 2 or 3 feet feet above where the ball is on a downward slope.
I try to chip it but with varying degrees of sucess. Often the grass is a bit lush on the slope too. Any suggestions.? Your golf course maybe doesn’t have this feature? The slope would be from best 15 degres to maybe as much as 40 degrees.
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47 Responses to “Short Game – Short Pitch Shot”
June 23, 2015
AnthonyAdairHello Paul,
Great tip today! I was just on the range this weekend working on pitching. I was forgetting to use more of the turn and using too much upper body to make better contact. Got on site and their was the tip I needed, thanks Paul. So glad I found your site 2 months ago, cannot stop watching your videos. You are exactly what I needed for my game. You tell it like it is and do not sugar coat anything, like past instructors have done to me. I know your have a videos of “shots”, but what about course management? It would really cool to see and hear what you think on different type par three’s, four’s and five”s. Besides always working on my swing, are there some basic lessons to know on how to play holes, when your standing on that tee box? Thanks Paul.
Tony
June 23, 2015
Paul WilsonTony,
Glad you liked it. Thanks.
Yes, certainly too much candy coating going on out there. I tell it like it is.
I have some playing tips. Just go to the DASHBOARD at the top is PLAYING TIPS. I did a whole series on them not to long ago.
June 24, 2015
RaymondCHASTELDear Mr Anthony .I f you want an illustrative lesson on course management ,then just go and buy the famous book by TOMMY ARMOUR ” A ROUND OF GOLF WITH TOMMY ARMOUR ” What hé wrote in 1959 is Still valid today .
TOMY ARMOUR was one OF the best GOLFERS ever between 1920 and 1933 ,equal ( I would say better ) than BOBBY JONES .A SCOT ,who emigrated to the USA after WW1 ,hé was a Machine Gunnef and Tank driver during Ww1: hé was severely wounded during the WAR ,” gassed ” by YPERITE ,lost partiallyl his sight ,but remained one OF the best GOLFERS ,Thanks to the proper use OF ” his brains ” on a golf course ,plus having an extraordinairy pair OF hands .
You CAN Still get the book ( Used ) on AMAZON :it’s worthwile reading !
June 23, 2015
TomPaternaHi Paul,
When you hinge the club back and point to target, how much weight is going on back foot? Less than what you do for a full swing it seems?
Tom
June 23, 2015
Paul WilsonTom,
I am not even thinking of it but yes not as much as a full swing because I only took it back a little ways.
June 21, 2020
RobKedgleyCan I just check where the weight is at address, during and at finish please Paul? thanks so much Rob K
June 22, 2020
Paul WilsonIts always 50/50. Evenly distributed on either foot.
June 24, 2015
JunaidOdubekoPaul,
Do you recommend ever opening your clubface on these short pitch shots around the green (5-10 yards)? For example, what shot would you recommend when short sided and about 10 yards away, and you are too far to hit a flop shot.
Junaid
June 24, 2015
Paul WilsonJunaid,
Yes, this in is a future tip. Keep watching.
June 24, 2015
NielsTruelsenHi PauL,
Are you still using powerless arms? Your finish looks a little like chicken wing!
Niels
June 24, 2015
Paul WilsonNiels,
It’s not chicken wing. I am folding my arms to stop short of my normal follow through. It is only a short shot. As I said in the tip you are abbreviating your swing. A chicken wing would be a bent lead arm at impact. So you let the body rotation move the arms to hit the ball. Then fold to get into the follow through I am doing on this shot.
June 24, 2015
RaymondCHASTELExceptionnally fine lesson ,Paul:shortbpitching is one OF the best parts OF m’y golf game ,So I do appreciate fully this démonstration .
I took up this technique from PAUL AZINGER ,who was very good at ptching : the variation OF rotation Speed is KEY to succèss.
I would add That good tempo 1/1 ratio between backswing Time and throughswing time is essential to success .
I also put most OF m’y Weight on the lead leg ,So not to skull the ball..
June 24, 2015
Paul WilsonRaymond,
Glad you liked it. Thanks.
June 24, 2015
DavidCalvertHi paul
Have a couple of questions for you
Do you have and clips on early extension?
To start the downswing is simply swinging your back leg to touch your fron a good method?
And lastly why is it when I do your helicopter drill I fell all the torque in my uper body but not so when I swing
Many thanks.
David
June 25, 2015
Paul WilsonDavid,
Early extension. Not sure what you mean 3/4 back?
You need to pick a trigger. You can straighten the lead leg, hip or belt buckle left of target or spring from right instep. You need to find what works best for you. I use the right instep.
Helicopter – you need to resist your lower body rotation. do tons of practice swings keep the flex in back knee and load the weight on the instep. You will do 5 things to alleviate the torque. you will lift, stop short, turn your hips too much, straighten the back knee or lift up. You need to know it is a tight feeling and not go against it.
Watch:
Flex Back Knee: https://ignitiongolf.com/backswing-back-knee
Flexed Back Knee Holding Knee: https://ignitiongolf.com/lower-body-stability/
Power: Keep the Flex In The Back Knee: https://ignitiongolf.com/power-back-knee/
Power: How I Got Power In My Swing: https://ignitiongolf.com/power-dig-foot-in/
How To Feel Stability In The Lower Body (back knee flex) https://ignitiongolf.com/lower-body-stability/
DRILL: Bounce On Back Knee: https://ignitiongolf.com/drill-bounce-knee/
June 25, 2015
DavidCalvertBy early extension I mean standing up in your down swing with the hips coming forward.
Many thanks
June 25, 2015
Paul WilsonDavid,
Standing up in the downswing. Why would you be standing up? well, if you tried to hit something would you not try to look to see what you hit? So don’t hit. Standing up. You are jumping. The touch the legs position is not a jump it is a turn. Turn and they touch.
Not sure if this answers the question.
Watch:
It’s a Turn Not A Jump: https://ignitiongolf.com/turn-not-jump/
Spine Angle Follow Through: https://ignitiongolf.com/follow-through-eyes-tilted
June 24, 2015
RonCalabreseHi Paul. I can say emphatically this lesson would have saved me countless strokes if I had known it 25-30 years ago. My 90’s would have been 80’s and the worry over these short shots eliminated. The famous saying applies: “old too soon and smart too late.”
Thanks, Ron
June 25, 2015
Paul WilsonRon,
Very good. This is a tough shot for most people when really it is simple.
June 24, 2015
BruceJespersenGreat tip nicely done….. Do you have anything for flop shots when going over a bunker and the pin is tucked in closely?
June 25, 2015
Paul WilsonBruce,
The flop shot tip is coming. Be patient grasshopper.
June 24, 2015
GeraldStroudPaul doing the short pitch shot drill for the first time I think i felt no arms in my swing,point the butt end of club toward target turn my belt buckle the club went down threw the ball a made that great click sound it felt like my body made swing not the arms how do I take this to a full swing?
Gerald Stroud
June 25, 2015
Paul WilsonGerald,
Very good. I am not hitting it or helping it in any way. If you can feel this on these short shots then you are getting it. Next tip is medium pitch. Try to do it with a little longer backswing. Then apply to your full swing. Watch for it tomorrow.
June 28, 2015
hjbritt57Hey Paul,
For over a year now I have improved my golf game using your techniques. To help me remember your tips with my 57 year old brain I created a set of note cards and put them in an old leather smart phone holster and clipped it to my golf bag. When I am at the range I take out the note cards to remind of the proper steps for each practice shot. In real life I am a career and technical educator and have found Quick Study laminated guides to be very helpful when reviewing for a test, preparing for a particular skilled task in the field or in the lab. How you considered creating a Quick Study Guide to add to you product line…just a suggestion!
Thanks for improving my game,
– Henry
June 28, 2015
Paul WilsonHenry,
I have heard this before. Problem is cost. I can have them made at a certain cost (laminating is not cheap) and have all of 10 people buy them. I may think about it again in the future. Maybe I do a PDF and people can print and laminate them themselves. This would be most cost effective on my end. I do like this idea though. I did a booklet like this about 7 years ago.
June 29, 2015
JohnnyCarriereI’d buy it for sure!
June 28, 2015
hjbritt57Paul,
I truly understand about costs being in public education. You are right; it would be expensive and not cost effective. A PDF is a good idea. I will also create a Google Doc which can be saved in Google Drive for access. The creation of the Doc will be a good review for me.
Appreciate it!
– Henry
June 30, 2015
JoseCarcellerPaul, thank you, as always, great tip! One question: why grip down the club? It make me feel not tall and is not necessary to hit a pitch using your technique. What are the benefits of gripping down two inches?
June 30, 2015
Paul WilsonJose,
You are gripping down so you have the butt end sticking out to point at the various backswing points. Also, you are taking some of the power out of the swing. Plus, these are delicate shots. Gripping at the end says “full shot” not “10 yard shot” Gripping down gives you the feeling you are about to hit a delicate shot.
June 21, 2016
EricHicksYou still using a sand wedge for this short pitch shot? How many wedges do you recommend if I have a 45 degree pitching wedge?
Thanks
June 22, 2016
Paul WilsonEric,
Just depends on your game and what you like. Some have a gap, SW,LW. I just have a SW adding more longer clubs. It is really up to you and your game. If you are at a course where you rarely hit longer clubs then use more wedges and vica versa.
June 21, 2016
EricHicksSorry – heard you say sand wedge later in video. Still curious about your thoughts on the wedges I should carry.
February 27, 2017
JunaidOdubekoPaul,
I know you want to us to focus on hinging on these short pitch shots. But are your shoulders coiling at all– even if only an abbreviated amount? Or are the wrists the only thing that move in the backswing in these shots? I’m having a problem coming over the top on these shots.
February 27, 2017
Paul WilsonJunaid,
You are doing your normal swing I just want you to think about hinging. Without this you will not set the club to the appropriate backswing length for the desired shot. If you are coming over the top you are using your arms to hit the shot. This is tilting your whole body towards the target in the downswing. So make sure your body stays behind it as you hit the ball.
These tips will help you understand it:
Body Tilt – Left Right: https://ignitiongolf.com/cure-pulling/
Cures – Manually Tilt To Stop Pulling: https://ignitiongolf.com/manually-tilt-cure-pull/
July 7, 2017
GeorgeCaffertyGreat tip Paul,
However, I have had a lot of success with your Chipping technique around the green including 10-20 yards. So I question whether the short pitching technique is necessary. Getting caught up ratio analysis between pitching and chipping may not work for the average golfer. Any thoughts on this?
July 10, 2017
Paul WilsonGeorge,
You would use the short pitch when you don’t have a lot of green to work with. This way you get it up a little higher so it stops faster. The long chipping technique sends it out too low so it will roll more. I use the short pitch quite often. Good to have although the longer chip may be easier for most.
November 29, 2017
farinfarina100what is your thought when chipping with a body turn as you profess. Thanks
November 30, 2017
Paul WilsonFarina,
Your body would not move going back but it would follow the stroke in the through swing. I am really not thinking about it though. Chipping is like putting with your hands way ahead (as I show in my chipping technique). I visualize my putting stroke because it is consistent.
Chipping Technique: https://ignitiongolf.com/correct-chipping-technique/
March 19, 2018
farinfarina100hi Paul
1. how is the position and the movement of the head during the turn in pitching? does it move at the same time as you turn the body or a bit later as in the full swing?
2. is it exclusive to ue the belt buckle as the trigger to turn the body in pitching?
3. how secure is to chip using a body turn compared to the one that you profess
Thank you
March 19, 2018
Paul WilsonFarin,
This is a mini swing so you would be coiling, loading and moving the head like in the real swing but I want you thinking of where you are hinging it. So as you start back the head would be moving but because you are abbreviating the backswing your head would not move as much as it would in the full swing.
You want to turn the belt buckle because these shots don’t require a huge leg drive. No legs and something has to turn the body. So the belt buckle gets you manually turning the body. You could turn the forward hip too. That would probably work.
Not sure what you mean on the last question. You are not really using body on chipping. Your body is following the stroke to make it a little easier to get through it but you really want to be thinking of the stroke when chipping.
July 23, 2018
FredericSILVIHi Paul,
Why only two speeds for LW ? (contrary to three speeds for SW)
Same thing for GW ?
Thanks !
July 23, 2018
Paul WilsonFrederic,
Because you only hit the LW 60 yards. If you hit it 90 then there would be 3 speeds. I doubt you do though.
July 12, 2019
DerekSharpThats a nice review of your technique. How about dealing with an elevated green? Maybe just 10 yards away but maybe 2 or 3 feet feet above where the ball is on a downward slope.
I try to chip it but with varying degrees of sucess. Often the grass is a bit lush on the slope too. Any suggestions.? Your golf course maybe doesn’t have this feature? The slope would be from best 15 degres to maybe as much as 40 degrees.
March 28, 2020
mikewhittakerwhen pitching,are we still using powerless arms.
March 29, 2020
Paul WilsonYes. You want to be focusing on hinging into the backswing with your wrists and then turning with your body/hips to hit the actual shot.
August 3, 2021
AlManciniWhen I practice your short pitch technique I sometimes scwib the ball off to the right. Any ideas what causes this.
Al Mancini
August 13, 2021
Paul WilsonYou might be slightly tight with your arms. Try this out:
Start Releasing Your Pitch Shots: https://ignitiongolf.com/release-pitch-shots/