One key to hitting a great pitch shot is balancing steep angles in the setup with shallow angles during the motion. If you get too steep in the swing, the leading edge can dig and create inconsistent contact. Here’s how to keep that from happening.
At address, keep your hands neutral with minimal shaft lean, while your head and chest are slightly ahead of the ball. With this setup, you’ll create the necessary steepness in the body to hit a proper pitch. Now, for the shallow motion. Set the clubface open at address and un-cock your wrists.
As you make a backswing, keep your thumbs pointing toward the ground to minimize wrist hinge. This helps create conditions for what I call the “slide zone.” Similar to a baseball player sliding into base, the club will slide along the ground prior to impact and then underneath.
The result is clean contact, predictable distance and the right spin loft to make the ball stop right next to your target.
Krista Dunton is the director of instruction at Berkeley Hall Golf Club in Okatie, S.C.
