Stop scooping your pitch shots.

August 1, 2000

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 Tip by the Mel Sole Golf School.

Jackie Wynn of Chattanooga, Tennessee, suggested the month's tip. She writes: "I tend to "scoop" my wedge shots, resulting in very high shots with very little distance. Do you have any drills or aids that would help eliminate this problem?"

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

The Cure.

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 lower hand to flip under the left, as in picture #1.

Stop scooping your pitch shots.

To execute this shot well, the correct position 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

Stop scooping your pitch shots.

Release down the line!

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

Stop scooping your pitch shots.

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 feel 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. You now know How to stop "scooping" your pitch shots.

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

Source: Mel Sole Golf School.

Thanks for reading - Stop scooping your pitch shots. This should make a big difference to your game!

Monthly Golf Tip by the Mel Sole Golf School.

The Cure.

Release down the line!

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