I had a chipping / pitching breakthrough. How do you do it?

[badolds]

My Grandaddy brethren helped me out with some pitching woes that have been adding strokes at the course. Before this year I have always used a sand wedge as my highest lofted club. I put a 60 degree lob wedge in the bag this year in an attempt to get more spin around the green. I have never opened the face up at address when pitching, I did not feel comfortable and did not understand how it would benefit me.

I practice pitching a lot in the yard behind my shop. I hit thousands of chips and pitches with my 60* before I put it in play and hit it good during practice. When I get to the course I would see 1-2 fat chips/pitches per round. Of course those are wasted strokes but they also get me good and pissed off which inevitably leads to more lost strokes. Our Assistant captain MikeG_74 is a wealth of golf knowledge and explained how opening the face takes the leading edge out of play and allows the bounce of the club to work properly. It was also recommended to use the 56* for everything and leave the 60* for specialty shots.

I took the 56* to work and began experimenting with opening up my stance and the face at address. What happened next brought tears of joy followed by giddy laughter as I hit consistent shot after shot. I started feeling like the heel of the club can get to the ball first and fat ball striking became less penal. To my surprise the balls were going much farther than before and I had to slow things way down to get the ball close to the target, I attribute this to the ball coming off the center of the face now. With this setup the club does not dig in and can bounce into the ball with satisfactory results.

I love the "thunk" I get at impact and I have to be criminally fat to kill the shot. I was looking for a way to limit the fat pitch and did so but I also found a wonderful side benefit. This setup works great from tight and even bare hard pan lies. I dread pitching form those lies because I knew how low percentage they are for me. With this new setup I can get satisfactory results from the worst of lies.

My 56 has 8* of bounce and my 60 has only 6* I was told that more bounce would be beneficial for this type of shot and the conditions I play in Texas. I will leave this up to the fitters at Callaway but I will have a couple months of experience using this approach for them to analyze.

If you are like me and never experimented with opening up your wedges you are probably leaving strokes on the course.

How do you set up for a chip or shorter pitch?

What club do you use for these shots?

How much bounce in that club?

 

[mikeg_74]

I'm glad you are seeing some positive results Dan. The short game has a lot of elements in it and no two short games are the same. I am a big fan of being creative and finding a technique that works for you.

For me I use the "clock method" to control distances and try to keep my hands neutral. If they start creeping too far forward that leading edge can reach up and bite me. Also I think bounce is your friend and more bounce with the right grind can be a godsend for the wedge game. If i want to get the ball up or have more run out, I will just position the ball forward or back in my stance.

I think once you find some wedges with a higher bounce you'll see even more positive results. A lot is trial and error, but I think you are on your way to transforming your wedge game and shaving off those strokes.

 

[Snickerdog]

Distance control for me is 1/2 and 3/4 swings. I pretty much know my distances with those swings. I have also clubbed up on longer shots with and easier swing and had good results. Example would be hitting from say 45 yards I might use a 50* instead of my 54 or 58.

 

[mikeg_74]

Distance control for me is 1/2 and 3/4 swings. I pretty much know my distances with those swings. I have also clubbed up on longer shots with and easier swing and had good results. Example would be hitting from say 45 yards I might use a 50* instead of my 54 or 58.

I think too many people get caught up on higher lofted wedges (I was guilty of that for the longest time) and forget your PW, AW or even 52* can make life in and around the greens easier. It might take time to get adjusted to the distance control, but it works once you nail it down.

 

[Sox_Fan]

Unless I am really short-sided around the green, I normally use either a 58 or 54 with the ball played off my back foot and hit a chip and run shot. Those shots are probably shorter for me than most experience due to my playing a smaller greens which is the reason I play higher lofted wedges for these shots to minimize the amount of roll out. If short-sided or have to loft the ball over a bunker, I use the 58 played either in the middle of my stance or off my front foot (depending on how much I need to loft it and how much spin I need to put on it) and add loft to the club by opening up the face a bit. Play all of my chip / pitch shots with a slightly open stance. Really not sure how to quantify the exact bounce on my wedges since they have a v-sole but they play extremely versatile for me.

 

[Nappy]

I've been using a 58 around the green and I've been toying with the idea of actually using my 54 instead and opening up the face. I like your theory and might need to try it the next time out.

 

[McLovin]

great thread! spend any time around instructors or better players and you come to realize that they are always opening the face to some degree for these shots. the leading edge is your enemy. unfortunately, i'm behind enemy lines right now and that rat bastard won't leave me alone haha. keep up the good work my man!

 

[GoldenBuff]

What happened next brought tears of joy followed by giddy laughter as I hit consistent shot after shot.

I love comments like this! Learning together through the THP community is a big part of the appeal.

As to your questions, pitching was the first part of my game I focused on and improved. Hitting great drives only to destroy holes with junk pitching shots from 100 yards and in was crushing my spirit. It seemed like I was never going to figure it out, and then one day it clicked. Most of my breakthrough was changing the position of my hands at impact (which is also a swing plane change). I would let my hands slide out away from my body at impact. I was swinging out with my arms and hands. I had to do all sorts of crazy contortionist and deceleration things to make impact: bad outcomes ensued. Once I sorted that out and could make consistent solid strikes with half and 3/4 pitch shots, I started to explore narrowing my feet, opening up, etc. I hit a lot of different shots now. Pitching has become a fun part of my game that saves holes for me more often than not. I prefer low bounce wedges and steeper impact angles where I can get a more crisp impact and better control spin. There are plenty of fails still, but I don't hyper ventilate now with a wedge and short distances.

In my next wedge set I want to see if I can find a setup that allows me more control for lower height pitches.

 

[badolds]

Unless I am really short-sided around the green, I normally use either a 58 or 54 with the ball played off my back foot and hit a chip and run shot. Those shots are probably shorter for me than most experience due to my playing a smaller greens which is the reason I play higher lofted wedges for these shots to minimize the amount of roll out. If short-sided or have to loft the ball over a bunker, I use the 58 played either in the middle of my stance or off my front foot (depending on how much I need to loft it and how much spin I need to put on it) and add loft to the club by opening up the face a bit. Play all of my chip / pitch shots with a slightly open stance. Really not sure how to quantify the exact bounce on my wedges since they have a v-sole but they play extremely versatile for me.

Your 58 has 6* and your 54 has 8* same as my 56 and 60 Equalizers according to the Hogan website. I am curious how the v-sole effects the bounce and playability of the club. Hogan does not offer grind options so I am assuming they are made to fit the majority of golfers out there. I absolutely love them for full shots and the v-sole on these and the PTx irons has saved my bacon countless times.

 

[Greg Kulbick]

My biggest problem when chipping is deceleration. If I can accelerate through the ball I can be a little more aggressive knowing the ball will check. My wedges go from PW to 52 to 56. I use the 56 almost exclusively around the green, dependent on lie. Pitching is more dependent on what the shot needs. Are there any obstructions high or low. Bunkers? How much green to work with? What's past the hole? I typically play a lot of spin, so acceleration is key and deceleration is going to lead to a chunk every time.

 

[Sox_Fan]

Your 58 has 6* and your 54 has 8* same as my 56 and 60 Equalizers according to the Hogan website. I am curious how the v-sole effects the bounce and playability of the club. Hogan does not offer grind options so I am assuming they are made to fit the majority of golfers out there. I absolutely love them for full shots and the v-sole on these and the PTx irons has saved my bacon countless times.

I am by no means a digger and our traps are all dirt, with most of them being on the quite firm. Probably explains why I have experienced so much success with them being on the lower bounce side.

 

[MrDC]

The loft of the club is less important than the bounce and grind, I certainly wouldn't want to open the face on a hard pan tight lie with a high bounce wedge, blade city. But that same high bounce wedge can work great opened up out of fluffy grass or bunkers.

But with a low bounce wedge opening the face a little on tight lies can work very well, but not so well if the ball is sitting up in the grass.

Bottom line - great short game players usually have a few wedges they can pull, and use different techniques, there is no one "ah-ha" swing with chipping, you have to be creative and experienced with various lies.

 

[DataDude]

I just use a pretty shoulder heavy swing. Keep my hands maybe a 5 or 6 tension on a scale of 1-10. My legs are almost uninvolved in the swing unless it is a 40+ or so pitch. My hips are about 1/3 as involved as they would be on a full swing. My arms are kind of just along for the ride with my shoulders. My swing thought is accelerate through the ground. I kind of measure up how much green there is to work with and my lie before picking a club to use. If the rough is thick I club up as those shots tend to be the toughest ones to hit square so the extra loft helps out a lot and lessens the likelihood of a fat shot.

 

[PapaJohick]

Im typically a good chipper/pitcher of the ball. For standard chips I have now started to use my 50 and 56 just to get the ball started and roll to the hole. Since doing that, I am much more consistent. for pitch shots I like to have a slightly closed stance and bump the ball with my 50 if I have room to roll it. If I need a higher softer shot, I take the 56 or 60 depending on yardage/obstacles, I will open up the stance, club head, and take almost a bunker type swing to utilize the bounce. Get it up high with some spin but use the height to be the primary reason the ball stops.

 

[golfinnut]

For the few times a round that I would pull a 60*, I just don't see the benefit. Especially since I can accomplish pretty much any shot just as well with the 56*

Chipping & pitching just requires a lot more practice than some are willing to put into it. Back in my competitive days in school, I would spend the entire practice session just working on the short game, pitching & chipping to various distances. I was lucky enough to have access to a great practice facility at the club I worked at, so it was easy to get time to practice. Some people don't have that access now unfortunately. And I really don't see the benefit of trying to practice your short game on a mat at the range. This has to be done around an area where you have specific targets and specific distances and to a green. You need to learn & engrave it in your mind that "if I take it back this far & swing it this hard, it will go this far." .... With Every Wedge In The Bag! Over time, you will "remember" that and it will become more like muscle memory when you're on the course. It really does take time & effort to get good and consistent with the short game. If you really want to lower your Cap, it starts with the short game.

 

[vdubtx]

At my skill level in the game, I likely added the different wedges to my bag way too early. LOL. I have a 60, 56 and 52 in my bag. The 60 I have found that I just need to get a good swing with it and not try to be so gentle when I am trying to get the ball up on the green. For a few rounds I have used the 60 and will get the ball up, but it will go 10 feet when I need it to go 20-30 yards. My last round I got more firm with it and it worked pretty well. The result was that I got an up and down for a par with the ball within 3 feet of the hole.

 

[H8tobogie]

Good job, now let's meet up sometime now that the weather is cooler (sub 100*) so I can see this in person

 

[PhillyV]

my approach to pitches and chips will always be weight forward, trap the ball and be aggressive. More times than not I'll get the bite I need and if not, it rolls out passed the hole so I can see the break

 

[DataDude]

my approach to pitches and chips will always be weight forward, trap the ball and be aggressive. More times than not I'll get the bite I need and if not, it rolls out passed the hole so I can see the break

A summary description of exactly what I do LOL!

 

[dsw1519]

I use the Mickelson hinge and hold method. Once I starting doing it my chipping and pitching were vastly improved. Numerous videos are on you tube about his method.

 

[6ixOhFore]

52,56*’s have become my go to shots around the green leaving more creativity in my shot selection. As before I always played a 60* tried the miracle shot with very little success. Now my short games improved a great deal

 

[OGputtnfool]

I've gone away from using my 56/60 wedges for chipping. I'm almost exclusively using 9i/PW now after a conversation on here with DG_1234. It's day to day, but there's more good than bad.

As for pitching, I have a high bounce SW and low bounce LW. If the lie is fluffy, I use the SW and open the face up. If the lie is tight, I will use the LW, if I need to carry trouble or stop it quick. If it's hardpan, I'm going LW because the high bounce SW will skull the ball. I'm not against, or afraid to, opening up the face on either.

 

[millsan1]

How do you set up for a chip or shorter pitch?

What club do you use for these shots?

How much bounce in that club?

Glad to hear you made a breakthrough. Despite my Saturday performance at CDA, pitching and chipping is a strength of my game, as I am normally GIR+1 on most holes, so they get a lot of work.

Since I know and accept that, I practice my Pitching and Chipping a lot. Like you, I've hit thousands of shots at the range and on my sim. One of my favorite practice sessions, on my sim, is this:

I can set a target to a variable range. I will set the target from the minimum of 5 to a maximum of whatever wedge I am working with. Let's say I am using my 60, I would set the range from 5 to 65 yards.

Then, for each shot on the sim, the range will change within that setting. I stick with the one club, and I get to practice all sorts of different shots. It really helped me.

My go to wedge is my 56 with 10* of bounce. I am confident with that club from the fringe to 80 yards. I know exactly which shot to hit in those ranges with this club. Of course I don't always execute, but 80 and in, I know what I am goign to attempt. Rarely am I ever pondering how to hit those shots.

 

[Gyro25]

I started doing what Phil said... Ball either in front of front foot or back door, never in between. Weight a little forward, and minimal wrist hinge.m has worked a bit, but then with my new 54 (different brand and grind) I did chunk a lot last round, so I'll try that open stance and face you mentioned

 

[gmiller598]

I’d been all over the place with pitching and chipping. Even some things I’d worked on in lessons last year had trouble working for me.

Then I spent about 15 minutes with Dave Pelz on YouTube. From there I learned to lighten my grip and adjust my ball position with an open stance. I use the same technique with all clubs and let the kid determine how high or how much roll I want.

I’m still dialing it all in and waiting for my new 58* Glide 3.0 to arrive but my short game has never been better than it has been for the last few weeks.