3 Common Errors and 3 Drills to Help You Improve
By Ryan Gager
Pitching is an important part of any golfer’s game, and mastering a consistent technique can be the difference between giving yourself a good chance to get up and down or making a big number. In the latest edition of Fix My Fault, Hannah Gregg and Fredrik Lindblom cover three common pitching errors that golfers often make and how to improve them. It’s also important to manage your expectations, as Tour players don’t even average getting within 10 feet when it comes to these shots.
Common Pitching Errors
Hannah and Fredrik have seen a lot of players in Pro-Ams struggle around the greens. Here are the three common errors:
Leaning the Handle
If you’ve listened to any type of modern instruction, you’ve probably heard that you want to use the bounce of the club so that the leading edge doesn’t dig. If you tend to hit a lot of fat shots, you’re most likely leading the handle too much, causing the leading edge to dig down. This makes it difficult to use the bounce, which is your friend.
Leaning Backwards
Players tend to want to help the ball up in the air by leaning backwards, which causes them to bottom out behind the golf ball. If you bottom out behind the golf ball, you’re likely to hit it fat.
Burst of Acceleration
A good wedge player has a very smooth overall tempo and acceleration in the full swing. If you struggle, you tend to either have a burst back in the backswing and then slow down in the downswing, or go pretty slow back and then burst in the downswing. You want to have a very smooth, even acceleration where you can’t really notice any sudden bursts of acceleration throughout the motion.
Drills to Improve
Here are three drills that can help you improve all of these areas:
- Controlling the shaft length through the ball so you don’t lean the handle too much. A great drill you can do with a friend is to have the player set up in a pitching stance and then put two clubs right on top of each other. The goal is to try to return the shaft so that the shaft hits both of these grips or clubs at the same time.
- Swinging and staying more on top of the lead leg throughout the whole motion. A good drill to help with this is to put your right foot or back foot way behind the front one and focus on swinging and staying more on top of that lead leg throughout the whole motion.
- Matching the speed or the downswing with the backswing. You want to feel like you almost match the speed or the downswing with the backswing. You want to have a very smooth, even acceleration where you can’t really notice any sudden bursts of acceleration throughout the motion.
By avoiding three common pitching errors and practicing the drills outlined in the video, golfers can improve their pitching technique and increase their chances of hitting the green. Remember to focus on using the bounce of the club, staying centered on the front leg, and maintaining a smooth, even acceleration throughout the swing. By incorporating these tips into your practice routine, you’ll be on your way to becoming a better pitcher in no time.
If you need more help with your chipping and pitching, or any other part of your game, the best place to start is with a Coach at your local GOLFTEC.
Check out more chipping and pitching tips and drills videos from GOLFTEC below, including more from Hannah and Fredrik, plus a chipping drill from a Tour player.
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