An aggressive approach to pitching starts at setup
One area of the game where you should have a healthy expectation of success is pitching. Although wedge technology is better than ever, you still need to take advantage of it, so let’s review how to set up and swing when you’re trying to hit a green inside of, say, 50 yards.
The common mistake because of the look of the club is to get into a setup where you can scoop the ball off the turf. Instead of hanging back with your body as I’m showing [above left], which will probably cause you to hit it fat or thin, you should get into a more aggressive setup. Your sternum should be in front of the ball. I’m dangling a club from it [above right] to show just how much my body and weight are favouring the target side of the ball. When you take the club back, feel even more weight on that side. All of this promotes a downward, ball-first strike. You’ll make crisp contact, allowing the club to deliver the shot into the green on a lower trajectory with a healthy amount of spin. This downward strike is exactly how the pros do it, which might run counter to what you’ve been told to do. If you can make solid contact and keep your pitch shots down like them, you’ll hit a lot more greens.
Jason Guss, Golf Digest Best in State Teacher, Naperville Country Club, Illinois
