Pitch shots are often an overlooked part of the game especially when it comes to time allocated in practice. However, a good pitch can save you a shot and keep the momentum of a round going. Let’s look at one of the keys to hitting good pitch shots.
Essential to hitting quality pitches is good contact or hitting the ball and the ground at the same time. This is achieved much more easily when posture is maintained meaning that the spine angle does not change in terms of forward bend or side bend. This means that the motion is simple and the core muscles are engaged to rotate the torso around the spine. If the core muscles are the energy source for the shot then the arms and club can move along with the torso.
So how do you go about accomplishing this simple motion of rotating around the spine? Start with torso rotations – find good golf posture, and with arms crossed and hands on shoulders rotate the torso around the spine to feel what drives the motion. Once you have a feel for that then take some practice motions with the club in your hands and feel how the motion is different. Finally, hit some pitch shots and see what you feel changing from the torso rotations and practice motions. A great way to feel the proper motion while hitting these pitches is to place a towel under the arms as in the photo above. This will give you a sense of how the core muscles must drive the motion.
With some consistent dedicated time to this simple drill you can find yourself with a much more repeatable motion to save some shots around the greens.
