3 X 3 X 3 Short Game System
The Basic Greenside Pitch Shot
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The Pitch Shot

Definition …

A natural trajectory shot ... no deliberate attempt to drive the shot low to increase run or deliberate attempt to play the ball on a high to decrease the roll.

Pitch shots are typically played from a few yards  off the green to

Pitch shots are aimed to a specific, intermediate target located safely on green

There is no attempt to control the amount of roll from the intermediate landing target to the final finish target

The same club is used for all pitch shots with the exception of switching from a L wedge to a G wedge when conditions warrant.

The distance the ball flies is related to the length of the club (grip position)  … short, middle and full length

The length of the backswing is the second variable for how far the ball flies … the backswing is restricted to three backswing lengths

Short 8-9 o’clock … hands below waist high

Medium (9-10 o’clock … hands just above waist high

Long (10-11 o’clock … hands about chest high

A basic pitch shot is a “hands free” shot where the wrists remain uncocked for most of the entire backswing.  Any wrist cocking will be part of a "downcock" on the forward swing.

The distance the ball rolls from the intermediate target is relatively the same for all length pitch shots because of the increasingly higher trajectory and softer landing of longer shots … the goal is to “range in” or estimate the roll

Both technique and touch are required to execute a pitch

In between distances are controlled by feel for slight variations in the length of the backswing and by choosing between a more lofted L wedge or a less lofted G wedge

Hands Free Basic Short Game Swing Motion ... The Gravity Swing
9 O'clock Backswing to 2 O'clock Followthru AND 10 O'clock Backswing  to 12 O'clock Followthru
The Followthru is ALWAYS longer than the backswing

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