Soft landing of the ball

Hi guys.

Just a little confused at the moment about how to achieve a soft landing on the green with a pitch shot. I have watched the pros on tv and I see these shortish pitch shots they do 10-15 meters from the pin. It flys high, lands near the pin with 1 or 2 small bounces in a forward direction, finishing about 1 meter from the first bounce.

How is that done?

I spent 1 hr at the chipping green today and just couldn't do it. I get some nice loft to the ball but when it lands it bounces a few times and ends up 3-7 meters form the first bounce. Usually closer to the 7 mark.

Also another relevant point is I am following Stan Utley's method and I'm using a SW, just in case that makes a difference.

I did have a thought while I was eating dinner tonight, that maybe I need to choke down on the club more, not as much back swing(I didn't think at the time it was very big) and fire through more aggressively. Would this give me the desired result?

Any suggestions would be great as I am willing to give anything a go.

Christopher

First, you need a receptive green.

Second, you need to play a spin ball.

Third, you need to still compress the ball.

Then you can hit those hard checkers that you see the pros hit.

Wow that was a quick reply. Thanks.

1. Not the best looking green but should be ok.
2. Yep, got that.
3. So does that mean greater acceleration into the downswing? Or are you just meaning impacting the ball then taking a divot?

So is what I am really wanting to do is increase the backspin but not to the point of making the ball go backwards?

Christopher

Ball first, then divot = good compression.

I haven't looked into it, but off the top of my head I don't think you can decelerate and still get good compression.

Speed helps, but speed also equals distance.

The other way to generate a ton of spin is to slip the blade under the ball fast - like a flop shot. It's a tough one to hit perfectly though, and leaves little margin for error.

Maximise loft, use a lob wedge, keep the shaft vertical. Hands ahead of the ball reduces loft.

The shot plays best when the ball is sat up in a fluffy lie and you can slide the clubface under it but is possible in a clean fairway lie. weight preset on forward leg and swing with a steady tempo to a fairly high follow through, do not rotate the wrists but try and keep the clubface pointing to the sky.

It needs plenty of practice on the chipping green.

OK. Thanks guys.

I'll be hitting the practice green again tomorrow and will post back my results.

Christopher

If you want to hit the ball high, do not choke up on the club. One of the keys I've found is an immediate break of the wrists on the backswing, no lower body weight shift, weight on left foot and keep it there, you must bring your right side around on the forward or down swing. When you follow through your chest should be facing the target. That helps ensure a good acceleration through the ball. A lot of the instructors from whom I have read or watched video say that a high finish is not necessary for the 30 to 50 yeard pitch shots. Just wasted motion really.

What I just read about Utley reinforces what I am telling you. I have been using this method for the last three or four months and have never hit so many shots with high soft landings. Like the others said it is important to hit the ball first but if you line up correctly and do the correct forward pivot it seems to take care of itself. Most of my problems with this shot are when I leave my right side back. No turn and a lot of arms. The quick wirst hinge ensures that you get the steep angle of attack you need on this shot otherwise you come in too shallow to the ball. If you are a member of Golf Link an instructor named Christopher Toulsen has a very good video explaining the fundementals of this shot.

Hi guys.

Well the time spent on the chipping green today was a very mixed affair. Distance control would have to be the biggest problem. I think that is all just part of the learning experience but I also found that my impact position varied(sometimes thick and sometimes thin) and may have contributed to it a lot. Also trying to coordinate the movement of the hands and the body turn was challenging.

One of the other things I realized towards the end of my practice was that the divot I was taking was moving from right to left(I think it is called out to in???). I know Stan talks about the impact being directed towards the target so I would assume the divot should move in the same straight line. So what do you think I would be doing wrong or should be more aware of?

Christopher

The problems you are describing with this shot and using the method you are trying are common. Did you hit a few really good shots? I was having the same problems you are having but when I hit a really good shot I knew I was on the right path. The ball pops up high and lands soft. Better distance control comes after practice and getting a feel for thet shot. Are you breaking the wrists early in the swing? That is essential for getting the club inside early. Those thins and chunks are primarily a result of not turning the body in the forward swing so the low point of your arc stays behind the ball. It is a little difficult at first but don't give up. This video by Jeff Ritter may help. I wish you could see the video at Golf Link I talked about in my other post but unfortunately Golf Link has become a pay site. It is the best I've seen on this basic pitch shot technique.

Yes I did hit some nice shots(10-15 meters to the pin) but I still felt they ran on a bit more then I would like(2-3 meters on the good ones, I was hopping for 1-2 and more 1 then 2).

I think I am breaking the wrists early on the better shots. It almost feels like I am skipping the bounce of the SW on the ground at the ball, and at impact there is a sense of the shaft being slightly pushed vertically into my hands. Is that the correct feel?

I had a feeling that the miss hits were a result of not getting the turn right. More practice!

I have seen the video by Jeff Ritter. I tried it a couple of times but found that when I foucsed on keeping the right hand turned up on the down swing, I had a massive slice(lucky it wasn't a full swing otherwise I would have been 3 fairways over).

Any idea on what my divot direction means?

Is it worth becoming a member of Golf Link?

Christopher

The divots are probably a result of the arms getting too far out in front. Kind of a mini over-the-top move which gives you that ol' tell-tale divot. Yeah, I don't think about the right hand and right palm as described by Jeff. I just break and roll the wrists a bit and then come on through. If you are slicing badly when opening the clubface as suggested by Jeff that is a good indication that you are still not turning the body properly. It is the hardest part about the swing for me.

I like Golf Link. They have tons of good videos and tips and you can keep track of your golf scores and handicap. I like their setup up for inputting scores and keeping track of different aspects of my game. They have a really good data base of golf courses and user reviews of golf courses. Their forum is pretty mediocre because nobody seems to use it. Guess being a pay site keeps the traffic way down on the forums. At the moment, since I joined before they went to a pay site, I got a year free. I will probably join up when the time expires just to keep all the scores I've input.

Hey, I just realized that there is an option of sending that Golf Link video to a "Friend". I don't know if they actually send you the video or a link or they make you join before you can view it but we can give it a try if you give me an E-mail address. It is worth a shot because truly I have not found a video that explains this shot any better.

That would be great if it works. I just tried to sign up for their trial membership and it wouldn't work.

My email address is bodymechanic@optushome.com.au

Christopher

Hi Herb,

Is this the golf link clip you were referring to?


Christopher

If clip is not working click menu and copy url and paste into your browser.

You have to commit fully to any golf shot, once you have decided on the right shot to make you must carry it out and not quit on it. I suggest a high finish as it ensures you are accelerating through impact which is vital. Read Dave Pelz short game bible, it explains every shot within 100 yards in great detail.