Techniques for Hitting a Pitch-and-Run Golf Shot From Off the Green
Now when you get a little farther away from the green, you have to explore some different shots. You can’t putt the ball anymore because there’s too many obstacles to go over. The next safest shot to play is what we call a “pitch and run shot.” It’s a shot where you catch the ball slightly on the downswing, sometimes the ball rolls a little bit. But still it’s a safer shot than trying to get the ball to go way up and stop on a dime.
How to Hit a Pitch-and-Run Shot
- Take the ball and position it in the center of your stance.
- Your feet should be pretty narrow and slightly open. That means the left foot is dropped back and turned out.
- Use a regular full swing grip and then when you make your swing the important thing is to allow your wrist to hinge naturally on the backswing but hold your finish.
- Watch a practice swing.
- Now you’ll notice that I have a little pivot here, that’s very important.
Pitch Shot: Avoid Flipping the Wrists
When you forget the pivot we’ll tend to flip our wrists and boy will we be looking at some disasters. That “fat” shot and that “skull” comes out awfully fast. Let’s watch this when we hit one. I’m stopping the club a little bit above my waist on the back swing and again finishing a little below my waist. It helps sometimes if you‘ll start with your weight favoring a little bit on your left hand side.
Remember, as we’re building a good short game. First, putt the ball anytime you can. If you can’t putt the ball, think about a pitch and run shot. Where you get the golf club to work above the waist on the backswing and below the waist on the through-swing. Get that pivot in there so you won’t flip your wrists, it’s real important. This is a good safe shot to play, your goal here is to get the ball on the green so you have a chance to two putt every time and occasionally you’re going to sink that putt in one. That’s going to really help your score, have some fun and grow into a good short game.