Golfing Advice - Planning For That Perfect Pitching Shot
Whenever I get into my new EZ GO golf cart (which really stands out form the crowd with its EZ GO lift kit conversion) and head out onto the course I feel like someone special as heads turn from those people in their sabby looking old club golf carts. However, this feeling soon evaporates when I start playing and people see the very poor quality of my pitch shot.
The pitch shot is a very good example of the balance demanded in golf as both a physical and mental sport and each pitch shot you take must be carefully planned. Before you even address your ball you have to look at the ground you will be playing over and take note of the conditions in order to decide precisely how you are going to to play your shot.
When drawing up your plan of action you will need to ask yourself 5 questions:
1. What is the target? In most cases the answer will clearly be the hole, but when the cup is in a difficult position, such as tucked in behind a bunker or cut very close to the edge of the putting green, you may well decide not to aim at the hole but to have your ball land near the hole leaving you with a relative easy shot to putt out.
2. How flat is the surface of the putting green? While the majority of greens are quite flat a lot are also a long way from being flat and may have a significant fall from front to back or from on side to the other. The green may also be tiered with the flag placed on one of a number of 'steps' in the green. Any slope on the green is understandably going to affect your shot as you do not want your ball to land close to the hole and then rolling down the slope away from the cup and maybe even right off the putting green.
3. How far will the ball fly before it lands? Whether you are aiming directly for the cup or trying to shoot your ball onto the front of the putting green and roll it on up to the flag it is critical to know exactly how far you require the ball to fly through the air as this is going to directly affect you choice of club.
4. Will the wind affect my shot? When you are going to play in windy conditions then you must gauge the effect that the wind will have on your shot. For example, you may want to to consider changing your choice of club to account for the wind and keep the trajectory of your pitch as low as possible. Alternatively, you might decide that you should use the wind to your advantage and aim off target, allowing the wind to carry your ball back onto your target line.
5. How quick is the putting surface? The condition of the green is very important and you have to judge this against the holes that you have already played or the conditions on the practice ground. For instance, is the putting surface hard and dry in which case your ball will bounce and might run quite a considerable distance, or is the putting green wet and soft in which case the ball may well stop dead where it lands.
By thinking about each of these five questions carefully you will be able to choose your target, pick your club and take your shot with a definite picture of exactly the line you need to follow to achieve the result you wish for.
