Judging Distance In Golf Game

Once you have mastered the basic pitching action, your next step is to enhance your distance control. Great pitching technique without control is worthless, but judging distance is probably the most difficult aspect of the short game for most amateurs.

Tour professionals can constantly work on their touch and feel through daily lay and practice, but the chances are that you will not have that luxury and will need a few short cuts.

Many of the top professionals rely on their feel to help them judge the distance of their short range shots, but for most amateurs it will help to know how far you can carry the ball using different length backswings. Using your hips, chest and shoulders as reference points will help you develop more control.

Three club, three swings, nine distance

One good way of improving distance control is to use three clubs for pitching, a 9 iron, a pitching wedge and a sand wedge. Starting with the sand wedge, you should make a note of how far you can carry the ball when swinging back to hip, chest and shoulder height.

This gives you three different distances. You can then do the same with the pitching wedge and 9 iron, making a written or mental note of the results. At the end of this process, you will have nine different distances at your disposal.

More club choice for pitching?

As well as a pitching wedge, a sand wedge and a 9 iron, you can also use an 8 iron or a lob wedge for pitch shots, depending on how far you need it to stop when it reaches the green.

Having extra pitching clubs at your disposal means more options. For instance, if the green front is open and turf free running, as it might be on a links with a 6 or 7 iron, running the ball most of the way on the ground.