Golfing Advice - Preparing For That Faultless Pitching Shot
Each time I jump 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 pitched shot is a very good example of the balance demanded in golf as not only a physical but also a mental sport and every pitch shot you take must be planned carefully. Before even addressing your ball you need to examine the area you are playing over and take note of the conditions in order to decide precisely how you are going to to play the shot.
When deciding upon your plan of action you need to ask yourself 5 questions:
1. What is the target? Generally the answer will be the hole, however if the cup has been placed in a difficult position, such as tucked in behind a bunker or cut close to the side of the putting green, you may decide not to aim directly for the hole but to land your ball close to the hole leaving you with a reasonably simple shot to hole out.
2. How level is the putting green? While the majority of greens are quite flat some are also far from flat and may have a large fall from one side to the other or from front to back. The putting green might also be tiered so that the flag is placed on one of two or more 'steps' in the green. Any slope on the putting green is clearly going to affect your shot because you do not want your ball to land close to the hole and then rolling down the slope away from the cup and possibly even right off the green.
3. How far will the ball fly before it lands? Whether you are aiming straight for the hole or trying to put your ball onto the front of the putting surface and roll it up to the hole it is critical to know just how far you wish the ball to fly through the air as this will directly affect you choice of club.
4. What effect will the wind have on my shot? If you are going to play in the wind then you will need to gauge the effect that the wind is going to have on your shot. You may, for instance, wish to change your choice of club to accommodate the wind and keep the trajectory of your ball as low as you can. Alternatively, you may decide that you should use the wind to your own advantage and aim off so that the wind carries your ball back onto your target line.
5. How quick is the green? The state of the green is extremely important and you will need to evaluate this against holes which you have already played or conditions on the practice ground. Is the putting surface, for example, dry and hard in which case the ball will bounce and might run quite a considerable distance, or is the green soft and wet in which case your ball could well stop dead where it lands.
By thinking about each of these questions carefully you will be able to pick your target, select your club and take your shot with a definite picture of exactly the line to follow to get the result you wish for.
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