Golfers often struggle with pitch shots because they have backward movement in their lower body in an attempt to help get the ball in the air.
When setting up for a pitch, 80 percent of your weight should be on the left side and kept there through the shot. Your left gluteal muscle and left hip should feel activated and loaded, and ball position should be in the middle of your stance or slightly back if you want more carry. If you want to elevate the ball, move it a little forward and adjust your stance to slightly open with your feet hip width apart.
The only lower body movement should be a rotation through the ball. At the finish, your weight should still be on your left side. If you do that at the bottom of the swing, you’ll be in the correct spot and hit better pitch shots.
Here’s a drill to help find the bottom of the swing:
Push a tee into the ground so it’s parallel to the top of the grass.
Place a ball in front of the tee. This gives you a good aiming point for where the clubface should enter the turf, which is right behind the back edge of the ball.
Don’t be afraid to take a full swing. If struck correctly, the ball will rise at a steep angle and the tee should remain in the ground.
Brian Schippel, PGA, is lead instructor at the South County Golf Academy, which specializes in teaching juniors, at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Course in Mission Viejo. He can be reached at (714) 231-0313 or bschippel@pga.com.
