How to improve your pitching with a chair and a pillow

Professional Golfer James Nicholas wants you to work on your short game in the second episode of the five-part series, indoor game improvement.

First, find a chair or couch and place a pillow on the floor and a pillow above the back of the chair, like he does in the video. Grab two wedges — James uses a pitching wedge and a 62 degree wedge, but you should use whatever wedges in your bag need the most practice.

When chipping, many amateurs follow through too far on short shots, which is really detrimental to their short game. James uses the 2/3s-1/3 method to improve distance control, meaning his backswing is always longer than his follow through.

The first shot is aimed for the top pillow and the goal is to hit the ball high. To do this, slightly open up the club face and place the ball farther up in your stance. Next, aim for the middle, or the cushion of your couch or chair. Place the ball in the middle of your stance and remember to utilize the 2/3s-1/3 method. Finally, for the low shot, aiming for the pillow on the floor, move the ball back in your stance, close the club face slightly and swing away. Continue this cycle with both of your wedges until you can really nail each shot.

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Emily Haas

Golf.com Contributor