| Pitch shots are feared by amateurs, while | | | | fly off uncontrollably, neither of which is desirable. |
| professionals do their utmost to avoid them. But why | | | | This is caused by starting the swing slowly and then |
| is this the case, and what can you do to avoid this? | | | | accelerating at the end of the swing, or starting too |
| Why are Pitch Shots Considered To Be So Difficult? | | | | fast and having to slow at the end of the shot. |
| The pitch shot lacks the subtlety of a powerful drive, | | | | What can I do to Improve My Pitch? |
| while lacking the subtlety of a put. As such the pitch | | | | You need to relax, in order to get the right kind of |
| is generally considered something of an 'in-betweener'. | | | | shot. Developing a good pre-shot routine should help |
| You can't really hit a pitch the way you hit other | | | | with this. When practicing it pays to set yourself a |
| shots, relying as it does on smaller ranges of | | | | marker, so that you can tweak the amount of swing |
| movement, for much of the time. It's hard to get | | | | required for different distances and situations too. |
| the distance of the shot right, as you need to learn | | | | This should help build confidence, which should help |
| to make subtle corrections to get the distance you | | | | with relaxing. |
| need. | | | | The tempo and smoothness of a pitch is essential. If |
| What Kind of Mistakes do People Make? | | | | it is not completed with a smooth pace you'll either |
| The biggest mistake people make when pitching is | | | | end up with a shot that acts uncontrollably, or goes |
| not to relax sufficiently for the shot. Because of the | | | | nowhere- as detailed above. Concentrate on setting |
| carefully calibrated swing required, pitching requires a | | | | that tempo and you'll get more solid result. |
| relaxed 'in the zone approach', perhaps even more | | | | Practice really pays off when it comes to pitching, |
| than other swings. This is why the pitch can scare a | | | | particularly with the difficult art of visualizing these |
| tour pro, let alone the rest of us! | | | | complex, high shot arcs. As always with golf, getting |
| Tension will lead to shots that either go nowhere or | | | | a good idea of where the ball will travel is key. |