Tony Finau, winner on the PGA Tour last week, executes a perfect chip shot on his way to the title. — USA Today
ONE way pitching is commonly taught is to stand open with the ball back in the stance to encourage a descending blow and ball-first strike.
But this can often result in players swinging too much on the line of their feet, cutting across the ball and creating excessive sidespin. With the ball back, players can also reverse in the downswing resulting in scooped and heavy shots.
The more modern approach is to favour a squarer stance.
This promotes using the bounce feature of the club and not digging in the front edge too much.
Form a channel with two canes – or clubs – and think of a pitch as a mini golf swing where the club works inside and up, down and around.
This method is more accurate in spinning the ball with true backspin, and your trajectory and loft is also more predictable because the angle of attack and loft at impact is more consistent, too.
Club parallel
With a square action, the club seeks a neutral point halfway back, parallel to the guides – not too ‘inside’ or ‘outside’.
Square set-up
Place ball more forward, just left of the sternum, with the shaft set neutral – not leaning forwards, with hands ahead.
