Why can’t we all loft the ball up into the air confidently and softly like Phil Mickleson around the green- it can’t be that hard, can it? Pitching the ball is a wonderfully complex golfing skill that requires imagination, finesse, muscular control, and feel in order to place the ball on the green in the correct place and using the best trajectory possible so the ball will stop close to the hole. Not everyone has Phil’s talent or hands, but we all can learn from the laws that he and ALL great players utilize to hit the high soft finesse shots around the green. This article isn’t about pitching styles but one that expresses the Three Laws that everyone and every style MUST follow in order to be effective. The proper conglomeration of these laws will make you a virtuoso around the green, give you much better scores, and make your short game the envy of all your friends! Are you ready??

1) The Law of Proper Ball Positioning . . .
The placement of the ball in your stance determines how and what the club will do as it approaches the ball. Imagine that you are standing in the “Swing Ring” swing trainers- you know the gigantic hula-hoop looking things, and it will help you to understand this principle much better. Every golf swing is an arc, like this ring, and so every swing will descend down the right side of the hula hoop, flattens out at the low point of this hoop and ascend back up the left side of this hula-hoop into the finish. Studies on swing mechanics have shown us that the left shoulder controls the radius of this arc, and thus the flat portion or lowest point of this arc is right under the center of your sternum for pitch shots. This is slightly different than full shots, and this is because your clubs utilized in pitching are shorter and have a more upright lie. Just use the center of your sternum as a guide for a “normal” trajectory shot, and move the ball around based on this principle that we don’t need to go into. Now by placing the ball back one inch in your stance where the ball is on the right side of your sternum you will be catching the ball on the descending blow, and hitting a lower trajectory shot. Therefore, if you place the ball on the left side of your sternum then you will be catching the ball slightly on the upswing, as the club ascends, and you will hit a higher softer shot. So all you need to remember about ball positioning is to ask yourself what type of height you need for this shot. . .Normal, where the ball will be in the air 1/2 the time and on the ground the other half, by placing the ball on the center of your sternum; Lower, where the ball is in the air 1/3 of the time and on the green 2/3 of the time, by placing the ball off the right side of your sternum; or Higher, where the ball is in the air 2/3 of the time and on the ground 1/3 of the time, by using the left side of your sternum as the guide. If you understand this then you have mastered the first law!

2) The Law of Hand Positioning--
Where you place your hands in relation to the ball is very important, but usually this law is only modified by the better than average golfers in drastic situations because of its low execution percentage. But I believe it is helpful for you to know how to use this technique and have fun while you experiment with it on the pitching green, because it could be your key. In ninety-five percent of the pitch shots we have on a day-to-day basis, it is usually best to place your hands slightly ahead of the ball. This forward press of the club allows you to “keep you hands leading the club through impact,” which won’t allow you to serve any “chili” around the green hopefully. But in those few key situations when you must get abnormal height on the ball you can move your hands back to even with the ball and gain some extra height, OR even behind the ball for the maximum height possible on these short pitches. PLEASE, understand that these last two hand positions are very hard to execute consistently and offer very low success rates, but sometimes-hard times call for hard measures, if you know what I mean. With Law number 2, experiment with your hand position and you will usually find if the hands are forward it will mean a lower ball flight, and if the hands are back it will give you a higher softer pitch shot. Be careful with this, and use the forward hand position most of the time, unless you have Mickleson’s talent and feel!

3) The Law of Weight Displacement--
Now that we have understood how the ball must positioned and where our hands must be in relation to the ball, the final key to trajectory control is where you place your weight. Your weight displacement moves your center of gravity around, and thus moves the low point of your arc as well. In placing your weight favoring the left foot moves you sternum in front of the ball causing the low point of your downswing arc to be moved farther forward also (visualize the “Swing Ring”)- and this will make you catch the ball more on the descending blow and thus hit a lower shot. A low shot is aided by leaning your weight to the left at address. If you center your weight then everything will remain “Normal” and your sternum will be right over the ball; thus, the low point occurs “at” the ball and you will hit your “normal” trajectory shot. Now, with your weight centered you will hit you normal 1/2 air, 1/2 ground pitch shot. Finally, if your weight favors your right foot then it will move your sternum and the low point of your arc farther back, and due to this you will catch the ball on the upswing hitting a softer higher shot. A high shot is aided by moving your weight slightly to your right foot, and catching the ball on the ascending blow! Move your weight around and your shots will be affected, try it!

THE FINAL THING TO REMEMBER ABOUT PITCHING IS TO ALWAYS KEEP THE CLUB MOVING LOW TO THE GROUND THROUGH AND PAST IMPACT!!!!! This is the best piece of advice I can give to anyone, because if you flip your wrists, look up, stand up out of your shots, etc., etc., the club will start to move up or ascend back up the hula-hoop, and if it moves up too much through impact then you WILL hit the equator of the ball and thin shots will occur!! So, if you are hitting the ball thin keep the club moving low to the ground past impact- just like sweeping a floor with a broom.
Learning to integrate the three laws and understanding how they affect ball behavior and shot trajectory is VITAL in becoming a good player around the greens- below is a table for you to cut out and I think it will make your learning process easier; just remember the physiology of what these three laws will do to your “Swing Ring,” and the arc of your club.