Sooner or later you’ll face a pitch shot needing extra loft. You may want the loft to carry a bunker or conquer a tight pin. Whatever the case, you’ll want to hit a pitch shot with a high trajectory. A common mistake is cutting across the ball on an outside-to-inside path. You either shank it or hit it fat. Even if you make good contact, the ball starts off line and in the end can cost you a stroke or two.
Below are six keys to this shot:
Use your most lofted wedge
Aim the clubface directly at the target
Hinge your wrists fully going back
Swing directly down the target line
Accelerate through the ball
Slide the clubface under the ball
A lob wedge or an X-wedge works well for this shot. Aim it directly at the target. Make your normal backswing. Hinge your wrists fully. And accelerate through the ball with your arms, swinging the clubface directly down the target line. Complete the swing.
The key to this shot is making a full wrist hinge and accelerating through the ball. If you don’t hinge your wrists, you won’t get much loft. It’s as simple as that.
Don’t release the club. If you do, you’ll ruin your rate of acceleration. You’ll also have trouble keeping the club aimed at the target through impact. Instead, slide the clubface under the ball. That will pop it up nicely and fly straight
You won’t get a lot of run. The shot’s height and the ball’s spin prevent it. But when you’re hitting over a bunker or taking on a tight pin, you don’t need it.
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