One of the most common problems we see with amateurs around the green with both pitching and chipping alike, is an inability to make consistently good contact on the golf ball. In theory this should be a far easier task than with the full swing, however as most golfers get closer to the green they tend to try and almost “lift” the ball in the air in an effort to get some height on the ball quickly. However this kind of movement can often create some very poor strikes and even worse consistency. Three of the most common flaws we see with poor contact on shorter wedge shots tends to be:
- Backing up (leaning away from the target in an effort to “lift” the ball in the air
- Early extension – The body will straighten up too early in the downswing and cause miss hits
- Excessive lateral movement – Often we see the body and the head moving side to side too much
One of my favorite drills to improve consistency of striking in the wedge game is called “split stance pitching”
Set up
To start this drill we simply put our lead foot (left foot for right handed golfers) in line with the golf ball. Our trail foot (right foot for right handed golfers) will then go behind us with only our toe touching the ground for balance. In the image below you will see Padraig Harrington doing this drill, however I would recommend for most golfers to have the trail foot in a more normal position (see finishing position below) as it will make balancing easier.
The Backswing
As we begin to take the club away from the ball the key to this drill is rhythm and balance. If the club starts too fast you will most likely begin to wobble and possibly fall over. As you will see Padraig’s head has remained very stable throughout, and because of the split stance he has had no lateral or excessive movement from his lower body. This is key to making consistent contact on all short game shots.
Impact
As you will see from the impact below he has effectively returned his body and arms to the same place they started, there is no lateral movement of his head either forward or back, and no excessive forward lean of the golf club.
The Finish
You will see Harrington is pretty much able to complete a full finish as normal. His foot has finished in a more natural position, and probably the position I would recommend most people do this drill from. As you will notice there is no leaning back, or tilting his spine away from the target in an attempt to “lift” the ball in the air as we mentioned earlier. His body is in an upright and balanced position as you should be with most pitch shots.
