Tip of the Month

June 2004

By John Pallot
Director of Instruction

Amateur golfers hate practicing the pitch shot. All that matters is to hit the ball as far as they can, find it, then hit it again. Better players realize in order to score you must practice all aspects of the game, especially partial swings. Pitching is a lofted shot played with a pitching wedge or sand wedge, and it usually requires less than a full swing. I remember watching Tiger Woods at the Masters hitting pitch shots from 40 to 130 yards. How does he do it? Pitching requires the same amount of swing on each side of the ball. Look at the pics. A 9 O'Clock to 3 O'Clock swing should produce a 60-70 yard shot with a sand wedge. A 10 O'Clock to 2 O'Clock swing will produce a 75-85 yard shot. There are other factors involved, however your distance is controlled by the amount of swing and the pace of your motion. Tiger is a master of pitching. He knows exactly how much swing and what speed to produce a 70 yard shot. Watch him in the U.S. Open. Always start your practice session with partial swings. It's the key to scoring. Timing your wedges might even help you break par.