Golf Tips » August 2000 – How to stop “scooping” your pitch shots

This month’s tip is suggested by Jackie Wynn of Chattanooga, Tennessee who writes

"I have a tendency to "scoop" my wedge shots which results in very high shots with very little distance. Do you have any drill or aids that would help eliminate this problem?"

Several of my students have exactly the same problem, and this month’s tip will help you solve it.

The problem stems from the fact that because the ball needs to go high we try to help the club do the job by allowing our right hand (for right handed golfers) to flip under the left as in picture #1.

The correct position to execute this shot well can be attained by doing the following drill.

Take your sand wedge or lob wedge and practice hitting shots about 50 yards, rotating your right hand over your left through impact as in picture #2

The secret, however, is in making sure that the clubhead stays on line to the target as in picture #3. 

To ensure that you accomplish this, stick a shaft in the ground along your toe line as in picture #4.

Make sure you miss the shaft with your follow-through. Only use the shaft with the 50 yard drill and not with the full swing practice.

Be aware of the tendency when working on this drill to follow-through around the body as in picture #5. This will cause the ball to go to the left which you don’t want.

Once you have the feeling of releasing the hands through the ball go back and work on your full swing. Release the hands through impact keeping the clubhead going down the line, and your sand wedge and lob wedge shots will still travel high, but now will have significantly more distance.

One of the great benefits of this drill is that using the same motion with all of your clubs in the full swing will make the ball go further as well. Yowza!!