A New Era The Video 7-8-9 pitching method.
A New Era The Video 7-8-9 pitching method.
Hi, I’m Mel Sole, Director of Instruction at the Mel Sole Golf School, headquartered at Pawleys Plantation Golf and Country Club in Pawleys Island, SC. We conduct 1, 2 and 3-day golf schools, hourly golf lessons, and senior golf schools—any golf instruction program your heart desires. Give us a call at 800-624-4653 or 843-237-4993. We will be happy to book a commuter school or a package that contains accommodations, golf, and golf school.
Monthly Golf Tips by the Mel Sole Golf School.
This June 2005 golf tip heralds a new era in the monthly Mel Sole Golf Tip series. I have finally caught up with technology and will now be providing video golf tips to make things more interesting and even more informative.
Learn to Control your distances on pitch shots!
Most of the amateurs I teach hit the ball well from tee to green, but they get within 50 yds. of the green, they seem to struggle. "I don't have time to practice these shots," they tell me. "The pros have all the time in the world to stand and work on these shots, so they develop "feel."
Here is a method that requires a little practice initially, but once you have established your distances, you will rely on it in the future with very little practice.
The Pitching Technique.
Imagine as you address the ball that you have a large clock in front of you. Learn to swing your lead arm to the various "hours" of the clock.
Start with a slight wrist cock. This is important as you need to cock the wrist to help deliver a slightly downward blow through the shot. Practice hitting shots like this until you can consistently stop your lead arm at each of the hours of the clock. 7, 8, 9 and 10.
Distances will vary from player to player as in full shots, but you have a tried and true method to rely on once you have them established. When you find yourself 40 yds. from the flag on the course, you can swing your arm to the position that takes the ball about 40yds. As you practice, you will gain the confidence to know your yardages and hit them there!
Important Points for Consistent Pitching.
Three things are essential in the pitch shot.
1. Notice that most of my weight is on my front foot at the address position. This is important to help you keep your body steady during the swing and help you impart the downward blow that is important in creating the backspin you want on this shot. Looking at the other positions during the backswing, you will also notice that my weight does not shift to the back foot at any time. This is because I keep my weight on the front foot, even at the top of my backswing. (This is only for the pitch shot - not for full shots.)
2. the pace of the swing must be consistent throughout. It is no good swinging slowly through one shot and quickly through the next. You'll get very inconsistent results. Try to imagine a pendulum and the way it moves backward and forwards at the same pace. Try to feel this in all of your pitch shots.
3. It is important to follow through to about 3 o'clock. This helps control the clubhead speed. Clubhead speed controls distance.
With just a little practice to establish your distances and pace, you will find playing these shots a lot more fun. You'll also get a lot of comments from your playing partners like, "Where did you learn to pitch all of a sudden?"
https://youtu.be/izHSXZccNmU
See the Oct. '97 golf tip. For pitching, try the 7 - 8 - 9 method for a text explanation of the pitching motion demonstrated in this month's video tip.
Source: Mel Sole Golf School.
Picture: Golf Digest.
Thanks for watching - A New Era The Video 7-8-9 pitching method. Our very first video golf tip!
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