To hit a crisp, low-flying and high-spinning pitch shot, the shaft of your club must be leaning forward at impact. This means striking the ball with your hands ahead of the ball, which lessens the “dynamic loft” off the club at impact, delivering a lower, more Tour-like ballflight.
A great drill to learn this is to plug a ball roughly six inches behind and ahead of the one you want to hit. Then, make your swing. (You can start in slow-motion first.)
Some checkpoints: 1) Your hands are ahead of the back ball as the clubhead passes over it; 2) your hands are ahead of the “real” ball as you strike it; and 3) your hands are ahead of the front ball as the clubhead passes over it.
Do this (again, no shame in rehearsing this at, say, half speed) and maintaining forward shaft lean becomes easy, resulting in a lower overall ballflight and some impressive, low-flight/high-spin pitches.
Jon Tattersall is a GOLF Top 100 Teacher and is the cofounder of Fusion ATL in Atlanta, Ga.
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