Square up on pitches

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.