Golfing Advice - Setting Yourself Up For That Perfect Pitched Shot


Golfing Advice - Setting Yourself Up For That Perfect Pitched Shot


Whenever I step into my new EZ GO golf cart (which really stands out form the crowd with its EZ GO lift kit conversion) and head out onto the course I feel like someone special as heads turn from those people in their sabby looking old club golf carts. However, this feeling soon evaporates when I start playing and people see the very poor quality of my pitch shot.

The pitch shot is a superb example of the balance involved in golf as not only a physical but also a mental sport and every pitch shot you make must be planned very carefully. Before you even start to address your ball you have to look at the terrain you are playing over and take note of the conditions in order to decide precisely how you are going to to play your shot.

When drawing up your plan you must ask yourself 5 simple questions:

1. What is my target? As a rule the answer to this will clearly be the hole, but if the cup is in a difficult position, such as tucked in behind a bunker or cut close to the side of the putting green, you may well decide not to shoot for the hole but to have your ball land close to the hole leaving you with a relative simple shot to putt out.

2. How level is the putting green? Although many greens are fairly flat a lot are also far from flat and have a substantial fall from front to back or from on side to the other. The putting green might also be tiered so that the flag is placed on one of a number of 'steps' in the green. A slope on the putting green will understandably affect your shot because you do not want your ball landing near the hole and then rolling back down the slope away from the cup and possibly even clear off the green.

3. How far does the ball have to fly before it lands? Whether you are aiming directly for the cup or trying to fire your ball onto the front edge of the green and roll it up to the flag it is essential to know just how far you need the ball to travel through the air as this will directly affect you choice of club.

4. Is the wind going to affect my shot? When you are going to be playing in the wind then you must estimate the effect that the wind is going to have on your shot. For example, you might wish to to consider changing your choice in club to accommodate the wind and keep the flight of your ball as low as you can. Alternatively, you may decide that you should use the wind to your advantage and aim off target, allowing the wind to carry your ball back onto the target line.

5. How fast is the green? The condition of the green is very important and you will have to evaluate this against holes which you have already played or conditions on the practice ground. For instance, is the green hard and dry in which case the ball is going to bounce and might run some distance, or is the putting surface soft and wet in which case your ball might well stop dead when it lands.

By carefully considering each of these questions you will find that you can choose your target, chose your club and make your shot with a clear picture of exactly the line you have to follow to achieve the result you want.