Improve your pitching basics

1

Pitching should be seen as part of the short-game family. Those who struggle the most, especially on those awkward 30- to 80-yard shots, play pitches too much like a mini version of their full swing. Think about pitching as an extension of how you chip, rather than a watered-down version of your long game.

2

The problem with playing your pitches more like a full swing is that you develop a bit of a weight shift, as in the top photo. This is fine for the long game, but becomes a problem in pitching. Set up with your stance a lot narrower than you would with your irons and grip down the club a little.

3

Imagine a straight line running through your front foot, knee, hip and up into the shoulder; think of it as creating a ‘left side pivot’. This line allows you to rotate all your pressure around your front side, rather than moving from side-to-side as it does a little bit more in the long game.

Weight transfer is unhelpful on pitch shots Narrow your stance and grip down more

The chest should face the target and the leg action should be quiet

Create a pivot line down your left side to rotate around