[PHOTOS: J.D. Cuban]
When giving a short-game clinic, I’ll often bring up the letter ‘s’ to remind my students how simple it is to execute a standard pitch shot of, say, 20 to 50 yards. Let me explain.
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The ‘s’ stands for “same” – you want the length of your backswing and follow-through to match. In the photos below, my hands are approximately waist high on both sides of the swing. You also want the speed of your body pivot to be consistent back and through.
Keeping with the “same” theme, your arms, club and body should all be pacing together, with no unnecessary flipping of the wrists or over-acceleration of the hands. The hips and chest face the target at the finish, and the arms and club maintain the same letter ‘y’ relationship they had at address, which is paramount to hitting solid pitches.
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The ‘s’ also stands for “spikes”. When you finish your swing, feel like you’re showing all of your spikes (or the rubber nubs on the sole) on your trail foot, balancing on the tip of your shoe so you can hold your finish. This is a sure indication that your weight is on your front foot at impact and that the divot is in front of the ball, not behind it – another way to ensure a solid strike.
Jackson Koert, a Golf Digest Best Young Teacher, is director of instruction at Atlantic Beach Country Club in Atlantic Beach, Florida.
