Your Trusted Source For Golf Pitching Tips For Shot Selection

This is the Golf Pitching Shot Selection Lesson. This lesson is to give you a framework so that you can build creativity in your game. This framework is based around a very simple concept. Tossing the ball. To understand this better, try this little test.

Tossing test...

• Take a couple of coins (anything small and light).
• Stand a few feet behind a chair or couch.
• Under hand toss a coin so that it hits the back of the couch.
• Under hand toss a coin so that it flies over the back of the couch and lands on the cushions.

Did you notice how you changed the toss so that the second coin would fly higher? You used the same hand and arm to make the throw, but changed the length of the follow through to get the higher arc. You want to do the same for the pitch shot.

Golf Pitching Shot Selection Tip #1

To get an even better understanding of this concept...try it at a golf course. The next time you are at a practice green try the same test...only with golf balls.

Golf ball toss test...

• Take three balls out of your bag.
• Stand off the green. (hopefully the practice green has a few targets to aim at)
• Toss a ball so that it goes to the farthest target.
• Toss a ball to a middle distance target.
• Toss a ball to the closest target.
• The ball going to the farthest target should have the lowest trajectory.
• The ball going to the closest target should have the highest.

Again...did you notice how the arm swing finished higher for a higher flying shot, and lower for a lower flying shot? Please see Pitch Shot Trajectories Lesson to do this with a club. Right now we are going to talk about a framework of situations that can help you decide which height shot you will need.

Click Here For A Complete Review Of The Pitch Shot Trajectories Lesson

Example #1: Low Running Golf Pitching Shot

You miss the green with you shot from the fairway and you have a straight forward pitch shot. Your ball is sitting either on the fairway or in light rough. You are about 10 yards from the green with nothing but grass in front of you. There is lots of room for the ball to roll on the green before it gets to the hole.

To hit this shot...

• Take a pitching wedge or sand wedge.
• Set up the same way as you learned in the Pitching Setup Lesson.
• Click Here To Go To The Pitching Setup Lesson
• Make your back swing.
• Use a low follow through so that your hands finish waist high or lower.
• Your ball should fly low with good speed. It should have plenty of roll to get to the hole set so far away.

Example #2: Standard Golf Pitching Shot

You put yourself in a tough spot by hitting your shot behind a sand trap. You have 10 yards to the green and 10 yards from the edge of the green to the hole. Your ball is sitting in the rough. You are going to need a higher and softer landing shot, but there is some room to roll the ball.

To hit this shot...

• Take out your sand wedge.
• Set up the same way as you learned in the Pitching Setup Lesson.
• Click Here To Go To The Pitching Setup Lesson
• Make your back swing.
• Use a follow through that your hands finish just above waist high.
• Your ball will fly high enough to carry the sand trap, and soft enough to not roll too far.

Example #3: High, Soft Landing Golf Pitching Shot

You have hit your ball into...well...jail. You have water, or a sand trap between your ball and the hole. You have 10 yards to the green, but only 5 yards from the edge of the green to the hole. There is no green space for the ball to roll. The commentators call this 'short siding' yourself. You are going to need a high trajectory shot that will land very softly, with little or no roll after it lands.

To hit this shot...

• Take out the most lofted club you have.(sand wedge/lob wedge)
• Set up the same way as you learned in the Pitching Setup Lesson.
• Click Here To Go To The Pitching Setup Lesson
• Make your back swing.
• Use a follow through so that your hands finish shoulder height.
• Your ball will fly very high and land very softly. This shot takes a little extra practice to get a feel for the distance.
• Keep your right hand going to the sky to give you extra height on your shot.

If you have a pitch shot and you are not sure which pitch shot to use...ask yourself...

“How would I under hand toss the ball to get it close to the hole?” The answer will tell how to hit the shot with your club.

Thank you for taking the Golf Pitching Shot Selection Lesson. The last lesson in the Golf Pitching Shot Series is the Pitch Shot Routine Lesson. It will help take all the pitch shot lessons and give you the best opportunity to use them on the course to hit great shots.

Click Here To Go To The Pitch Shot Routine Lesson

Good luck with your practicing and playing. May you reach your golf goals sooner with the help of free-golf-lessons.com.

Return to the Main Golf Pitching Lessons Page Return to the Home Page from the Golf Pitching Shot Selection Page