Small Pitch Shot: Help

[VanillaEps]

Need a little help with a small pitch shot. The type of shot required when you're out 20-30 yards and the chip won't work cause you need to carry small bunker. I have no problems with a full swing pitch shot. But, when I try to dial down the swing, I always wind up either shanking the ball to the right or the ball seems to be skulled and it skips away from me.

My clubface is open. My stance is also open. I try to envision a 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock beginning to finish, but most of the time, shank it to the right. What do you think my problem is? Am I supposed to be swinging along target line or along my body line? That may be my problem....

 

[JB]

Im no professional, but my gut feeling is that you are decelerating too much. It is causing a lapse and making you skull or shank the ball. You could also be trying a little too hard to help the ball up in the air and lifting up at the waist.

You may want to pose this question in our "ask the pro" section as he is one of the best sources of information on this forum for swing tips.

 

[Kaboodle]

Im no professional, but my gut feeling is that you are decelerating too much. It is causing a lapse and making you skull or shank the ball. You could also be trying a little too hard to help the ball up in the air and lifting up at the waist.

You may want to pose this question in our "ask the pro" section as he is one of the best sources of information on this forum for swing tips.

+1. Accelerate through the ball.

 

[pjcedog]

Need a little help with a small pitch shot. The type of shot required when you're out 20-30 yards and the chip won't work cause you need to carry small bunker. I have no problems with a full swing pitch shot. But, when I try to dial down the swing, I always wind up either shanking the ball to the right or the ball seems to be skulled and it skips away from me.

My clubface is open. My stance is also open. I try to envision a 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock beginning to finish, but most of the time, shank it to the right. What do you think my problem is? Am I supposed to be swinging along target line or along my body line? That may be my problem....

First of all unless you are trying to hit a flop or a lob you do not need an open stance or open club face on this shot or change your grip or anything. It is just a mini swing, make it as close to your normal full wedge swing as possible only with a smaller arc and minimal turn and weight shift. Take your highest loft wedge, 56 or 60 or whatever it is, and from a square stance with the ball in the middle of your stance just make a mini swing, let your legs and hips move a little not much, stay stable and square over the ball but on the take away on the mini swing (no higher than hip high) be sure you break your wrists going back away from the ball so the toe of the club is pointing at the sky as it passes your knees going back then just swing down normally through the ball. Try that and then if you are still blading or shanking don't change anything except the ball position, move it up or back a little until you see it popping up and straight in front of you. Most people on this shot try to keep there wrists too firm and end up shanking or smothering it. Try this also - to get a feel for the hand action needed try hitting this shot with just your right hand only.

 

[Hanks]

Agree with JB and also you may be pulling of the ball a bit? I know if I decelerate sometimes I tend to stand a little more upright through the bottom part of my swing which leads to blading it or shanking it

 

[solidkjames]

be sure you are closing the club face at impact as well, if its going right you may be hitting the ball with a completely open club face and catching it thin on your skulls. I know my biggest swing flaw is not getting the clubface square on shorter iron swings.

 

[thedue]

It sounds like, as JB said, your decelerating as you come through the ball. This has become one of my favorite shots. At 20 to 30 yards it can be really tough to open the blade very much and still reach the green unless you really stay down on the shot and keep the swing flowing really strong through the ball.

This shot takes a lot of practice and confidence, but once you have it watch out. It's a blast.

 

[provisional]

If you take the club back too far to the inside (right handed) on the back swing, this will also cause a shanked shot, regardless of what ever club your are using, or what ever shot you are trying to pull off. Google "what is a shank...." and read up on all the causes of a shanked shot. Once you understand what can cause a shank, you will know how to fix the problem, and/or prevent it.

Your described set up is correct. My guess is you are taking the club back too far inside, which means you can't swing down along your body alignment with out a major manipulation on your down swing. Your club's down swing is too far out across your intended swing line, which brings the hosel of the club into contact with the ball. That's what causes my shanked shots when I am not careful of what I am doing with my short wedge shots. Like I said just a guess on my part.

 

[VanillaEps]

Thanks for all the responses.

Here's the thing, I have NO problem whatsoever with the regular pitch shot. Getting it in the air with either one of my wedges, with a full swing is not my issue. My problem lies with shots that I need to carry a bunker with, but a full swing would shoot me OVER the green. I need that half shot.

I mention opening the face of the club cause my thought process is that since I just need to carry the bunker and just land and not roll much on the green, I need that extra bit of loft on the wedge. But, when you open the club face, you need to compensate by opening up your stance.

Here's lies my confusion and issue. I don't know whether to swing to my target line or body line. And either way, most of my shots, when using a half swing, half finish motion, shank to the right.

 

[VanillaEps]

If you take the club back too far to the inside (right handed) on the back swing, this will also cause a shanked shot, regardless of what ever club your are using, or what ever shot you are trying to pull off. Google "what is a shank...." and read up on all the causes of a shanked shot. Once you understand what can cause a shank, you will know how to fix the problem, and/or prevent it.

Your described set up is correct. My guess is you are taking the club back too far inside, which means you can't swing down along your body alignment with out a major manipulation on your down swing. Your club's down swing is too far out across your intended swing line, which brings the hosel of the club into contact with the ball. That's what causes my shanked shots when I am not careful of what I am doing with my short wedge shots. Like I said just a guess on my part.

Just google'd. I had NO idea that when I was shanking the ball, I was making contact with the hosel. I thought I was making contact with the toe of the club! If that's the case, then I definitely should be swinging along my body line, but taking the club back along the target line.

 

[thedue]

The only time I ever take a half swing is when I'm hitting a low punch shot. I open the blade to match the distance and swing full which gives you a high trajectory, lots of spin, stop on the spot shot. However, decelerating on this shot is the real killer, along with lifting up on the shot and catching it thin.

 

[VanillaEps]

The only time I ever take a half swing is when I'm hitting a low punch shot. I open the blade to match the distance and swing full which gives you a high trajectory, lots of spin, stop on the spot shot. However, decelerating on this shot is the real killer, along with lifting up on the shot and catching it thin.

I have a feeling I am also decelerating because I am afraid of hitting it too far.

 

[amollerud]

VanillaEps...IF you are looking to play the shot "lob" type of shot over a bunker to a tight pin I would suggest looking at the THP TV volume about the bunker shot. You sound like you have a good idea of how you want to play the shot and just not pulling it off.

Try to quiet the hands with this swing. If the hands get active and flip it can lead to all kinds of misses. Get to the practice green and try the shot like the bunker shot I described. Of course I don't want you to hit 2-3 inches behind the ball but the setup and such are the same. Try it out and let me know.

 

[C-Tech]

I always envision a 7, 8,9, etc o'clock swing with an almost full finish. If you try to go 9 to 3, the odds are you will decelerate trying to stop the finish at 3 o'clock. I always try to make a pretty full finish unless I am playing a knockdown shot. That really reduces the chance of deceleration.

 

[provisional]

Shanks can also be caused by the toe of the club, as well as the out side edge of the hosel.

Just google'd. I had NO idea that when I was shanking the ball, I was making contact with the hosel. I thought I was making contact with the toe of the club! If that's the case, then I definitely should be swinging along my body line, but taking the club back along the target line.

 

[VanillaEps]

Shanks can also be caused by the toe of the club, as well as the out side edge of the hosel.

Oh. Before I change anything, I should probably try and figure out what is causing the shank on this particular swing.

 

[Gummi Bear]

Oh. Before I change anything, I should probably try and figure out what is causing the shank on this particular swing.

Pick up some impact tape, and stick it on your club to figure that part out. Any golf retailer should have some.

Almost everything is a chip to me, I'm consistent with it, and with practice it has helped my scoring quite a bit. Never any problem getting it over a bunker. I let the loft of the club take care of getting the ball up to an elevated surface.

 

[VanillaEps]

Another question, the few times I do make contact, my shot always goes left of my target. I assume that is because I am opening up the club face? Does that mean I am not opening up my stance enough to compensate for the open club face?

 

[pjcedog]

Oh. Before I change anything, I should probably try and figure out what is causing the shank on this particular swing.

Try it both ways and see what works best. Also chips and pitches, like putts, should always be hit along your target line. These short shots aren't hit hard enough and don't go far enough for any side spin to really have much impact on the shot in the air.

 

[pjcedog]

Another question, the few times I do make contact, my shot always goes left of my target. I assume that is because I am opening up the club face? Does that mean I am not opening up my stance enough to compensate for the open club face?

If you are right handed the ball is going the direction you are swinging along, it is going left because you are aiming left with your open stance, if you are left handed and you are open but hitting it to the left then you are probably taking the club too far to the inside going back. Like I said before take all the variables out of the equation by setting up square, and take the club straight back and straight through with a mini swing, choke down some if you want to but you don't have to. See what happens from this setup and then adjust the ball back and forward from there to find he low point in your stroke. The only reason you open the club face on a shot like this is to add loft to the shot, if you are already using a sand wedge or a LW you won't need to do that. Laying it open becomes a lob shot or a flop shot and that is not what you are needing here from that distance, it is also a much more difficult shot. I have hit this mini-pitch to inside 2 feet from about 30 yards twice in the last 2 weeks so I know it works.

 

[VanillaEps]

Another question, the few times I do make contact, my shot always goes left of my target. I assume that is because I am opening up the club face? Does that mean I am not opening up my stance enough to compensate for the open club face?

Sorry, I'm confusing my lefts and rights. I meant to say it always goes right of my target.

 

[JB]

That is usually a sign of aim. You are opening the club face and aiming normal. When the club face is open, you will in most cases have to aim left of your target. Take a look at the THP TV episode on bunker play and he addresses this aiming issue.

 

[JPsuff]

Need a little help with a small pitch shot. The type of shot required when you're out 20-30 yards and the chip won't work cause you need to carry small bunker. I have no problems with a full swing pitch shot. But, when I try to dial down the swing, I always wind up either shanking the ball to the right or the ball seems to be skulled and it skips away from me.

My clubface is open. My stance is also open. I try to envision a 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock beginning to finish, but most of the time, shank it to the right. What do you think my problem is? Am I supposed to be swinging along target line or along my body line? That may be my problem....

As a lifetime open-stanced player, I know exactly what you're going through.

JB hit it right on the head when he mentioned deceleration and trying too hard. What's also likely is that you're putting too much of your body into the shot as well.

What I do for a shot like this is to try to keep my legs and wrists "quiet". I take the club back and basically "hit it" with my waist. By that I mean that I keep my belt buckle more or less lined up with my arms and I try not to break my wrists or move my knees so that I'm basically just turning back and then turning through the ball.

Another thing I've found to be invaluable as an open-stanced player is to make sure that my wedges are ground to permit such shots. Many people understand the concept of an open-stanced wedge shot, but don't realize that when a wedge is "opened", the sole of the club becomes the bounce itself and that brings the leading edge of the club up off of the ground.

In a full-swing shot, this often goes unnoticed because the force of the swing drives the bounce down into the ground and the face contacts the ball normally. But on a half-swing shot, there is no great downward force so the fact that the bounce contacts the ground first is more noticeable and the club will literally "bounce" off of the ground instead of digging down into it.

Realizing this years ago, I've always made it a point to heel-grind my wedges to allow for me to hit these shots while still having enough bounce left in the club for sand shots or other shots for which a bounce is helpful. By heel-grinding the bounce, I create a spot where I can lay the club open but not have the leading edge become raised to the point where it interferes with the shot.

The "mini-swing" concept works well if you're a square-stanced player, but not so well from an open-stanced position unless the bounce is set up for it because the geometry is different in an open-stanced swing in that you're coming across the ball more than directly through it.

So basically, there are three things to consider: Keep your lower body and wrists quiet; turn through the shot with your waist and arms moving together; make sure the bounce of your wedge isn't causing the leading edge to rise too high above the ground.


And don't forget to accelerate through the ball.


-JP

 

[provisional]

Here's a little article I pulled from another website on the shanking. I keep it on my computer to read when the virus hits me. Not very informative as a fix, but a nice read.

"First off for those of you who have a weak heart you may not want to read this blog. I mean the shanks are a problem most golfers don’t even want to talk about. An old joke about the shanks goes like this. A golfer goes to see a highly rated golf instructor. The instructor asks “what can I help you with?“ The golfer says “I have the shanks, and need you help to stop hitting them.“ The instructor says “I can’t help you, but my young assistant will gladly help you with this swing problem.” Upon hearing about his new student’s shanking problem, the young assistant pro hangs himself. The shanks are probably the worst problem a golfer can encounter in their swing. I have hit them, and quite a few folks I have been golfing with have hit them. Sometime they only last for one or two shots, and sometimes they last long enough that folks actually give up the game. The best you can hope for after hitting a shank is that you able to find your ball. There are just too many things that can cause these horizontal hosel hits, and usually more than few of them are working together to cause the problem in the first place. If you have had the shanks, you were probably playing pretty well, having a good time, then out of no where you shank a shot side ways. All of a sudden you are in mortal fear of shanking again. In fact, everyone else in your group are afraid they will shank their next shot since this is the only shot in golf that is actually contagious. Ask 10 different people what causes the shanks, and you will most likely get 10 different answer. My answer is a golfer’s swing who has very little pivot, a wrist action that is too quick and/or loose, and an outside to in downswing. Taking the club back too far inside could be the culprit. One or all of these issues working together can cause a golfer to shank. I have seen golfers who thought they could hit a cut shot hit a shank, because in reality they couldn’t hit the cut shot correctly. The best cure I know of is stop, take a breath, and focus on your next shot, by making sure you start your next back swing all in one piece. This also known as the one piece take away. Add to this a good weight shift. Keeping the front arm reasonably straight, and turning the shoulders correctly. Doing all of these will help stop the shanks. In other words go back to square one, and rethink your entire swing from the start of the back swing, to the top, back down, and through impact. Take a few practice swings, then go hit a great golf shot. Also remember that unlike the young assistant pro mentioned above, suicide is not an option. Hopefully I won’t shank one tomorrow after writing about it… No wait, I am in luck. Tomorrow I have a dental appointment to have a root canal done……...lol"

 

[Fourputt]

Couple of things to add... there is a tendency when playing this shot to get too much hands/arms and not enough shoulder turn. I find this in myself, and when that happens I also shank them occasionally. Now I take two or three practice swings just to feel the shoulder turn before I address the ball.

There can also be a tendency for too much lower body movement. I try to keep fairly quiet, with most of my weight on the left side all through the swing. You don't need to use a lot of leg drive for a short pitch, the shoulders and torso can provide all the power you need.

I also focus on maintaining my wrist cock through the impact zone... making certain that my hands lead the clubface.

Don't know if I do it as a pro would teach it, but this is what works for me. :confused2: