Watching the pros around the greens, you might be fooled into thinking these delicate little short-game shots are easy to execute. But if you’ve hit them? You know these shots are rarely as easy as they look.
One of the most impressive things about little shots around the greens is just how clean the contact needs to be between the club and the ball. This crisp contact results in shots that come out with just the right amount of spin, helping the ball cozy up right next to the hole.
The reason recreational players can’t replicate this shot with any consistency is a fundamental misunderstanding of the technique needed to execute them. Luckily for you, learning this technique can be done with a simple drill.
GOLF Teacher to Watch Parker McLachlin, aka The Short Game Chef, explains more in the video below.
The pause drill
Recreational golfers have a nasty habit around the greens of making a backswing that is far too long. When they do this, they have no choice but to decelerate through impact in order to keep the ball from flying well past their target. If you want to hit pitch shots like the pros, you need to make a short, more compact backswing and accelerate through the ball.
“We’re going to recruit our power from our upper-body rotation,” McLachlin says.
To teach yourself how to do this, try McLachlin’s pause drill. All you need to do is make your backswing until the shaft is about parallel with the ground — using your upper body to turn back — and then pause.
“We want to pivot, we’re gonna check [and] we’re gonna freeze,” he says. “And then we’re going to rotate on the way through.”
When you do this, you’re going to feel the proper motion needed to hit these crisp pitch shots. Instead of generating speed with a long backswing and downswing, you’ll have to rotate your upper body to get that same speed.
“This is going to really help you to understand how you’re supposed to recruit your power,” McLachlin says. “How you’re supposed to rotate.”
Do this drill next time you’re out practicing your short game. Once you start to catch the ball clean, you’ll be generating much more spin and have an easier time getting the ball to check up near the hole.
You’ll find much more of McLachlin’s advice at ShortGameChef.com, which provides golfers with a comprehensive resource to improve their short games. Through personalized tips, drills and expert insights, McLachlin helps players of all levels gain more confidence and a deeper understanding of their short game to lower their scores. You can browse membership options here.
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