Golf Coaching This weeks tip will cover one of the hardest shots in golf – a pitch shot from a tight lie over a bunker. From my recent lessons, a shot that I am always asked about is how to get height on the short pitch shot when the ball is lying on a tight/bare lie. Below is a outline of the set up and technique that will consistently work for this shot. Set Up: Feet should be slightly narrower than shoulder width when playing this shot and parallel to your target. Ball position should be middle of slightly forwards of middle, this is to promote a shallow angle of attack needed to launch the ball high into the air. A very important part of the set up is to position roughly 60% of your weight on your front foot. This positions your sternum over the golf ball. As long as the weight stays in that position, the club will strike the golf ball first and not the ground before the ball. A very common fault I see in the set up is people positioning there hands in front of the golf ball. This delofts the club and exposes the leading edge to the golf ball and the ground, meaning that the strike has to be very precise. In order to get the height that we want, position the hands level with the golf ball. Club Selection: To play a short shot with lots of height, it is important to use your most lofted wedge. It is important to get fitted for your wedges to ensure that you have the right bounce and grind to assist your technique. Swing: The swing for a pitch shot should be controlled by the large muscles. It is much easier and more consistent to time a turn of the shoulders, instead of just flicking the wrists to control the club. It is important to turn through to face the target, this ensures that the club is smoothly accelerating through impact and not decelerating. This shot requires confidence to play well, therefore the more you can practice the correct technique, the results will get better and better. For more information and help with these shots please see one of the PGA Professionals at Hayling Golf Club. | 
