Do You Flick (And Fat) Your Wedges? These Drills Will Help You To Play The Perfect Pitch Shot

Top 50 Coach Barney Puttick demonstrates how to play the perfect wedge shot

Pitching drills to help you improve your wedge play by Barney Puttick PGA golf pro
These pitching drills will improve your feel for how to play the perfect pitch shot
(Image credit: Dan Gould)
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You've hit a perfect drive, 260 yards straight down the middle of the fairway. Feeling good, you pull out a wedge only to hit it heavy (really heavy) - and you walk off the green with a bogey. Does that sound familiar?

If you're struggling with your pitching, we have some excellent advice on how to pitch with Dan Grieve's beginners guide to pitching, which explains the importance of the basics and what you need to do at set-up in order to produce a clean strike.

In the article below, Top 50 Coach Barney Puttick demonstrates a couple of drills that can just help you to rediscover your best best ball striking with your wedges.

Often, it's just a case of slipping into some bad habits, so we recommend trying these drills out on the range to help eradicate those awful fat shots and the destructive thin ones that shoot through the back of the green.

PITCHING DRILLS TO GROOVE THE PERFECT STRIKE

Barney Puttick
Barney Puttick

Barney turned professional in 1979 and gained the Assistant Professional position at Dyrham Park Golf Club. He played full time before becoming Head Professional at Ramsey Golf Club in 1987. He can now be found teaching at Mid Herts Golf Club. Barney's favorite golfing memory is tying Greg Norman for third place in a 36-hole tournament in Cannes.

Nail the basics

For consistent pitching, your spine must remain over the ball at address and impact. Do some plumb-bobbing to self-diagnose where yours is (see below).

Barney Puttick demonstrating pitching advice and tips

Check where your spine is positioned at address

(Image credit: Dan Gould)

The picture directly below is something I see a lot of - and this is what we're trying to get away from. If the spine tilts away too much, you’ll struggle to strike it consistently and catch lots of pitches fat or thin.

Tilting the spine at address when setting up to play a wedge shot in golf

When the spine tilts like this, you'll struggle to strike the ball well

(Image credit: Dan Gould)

Right hand on left shoulder

Try hitting one-handed shots with your right hand on your left shoulder (see below). This will get the feel for maintaining shoulder height through impact, rather than lifting the left shoulder in a desire to help the ball up.

Barney Puttick demonstrating a one-handed pitching drill

Try this one-handed pitching drill to get the feel for maintaining shoulder height through impact

(Image credit: Dan Gould)

Right hand only

Hitting shots with your right hand only will give you a feel for the natural sequence and stop you flicking it. With two hands, golfers often flick it, but with the right hand only, they never do!

The one handed pitching drill designed to stop you flicking your wedges in golf

This drill will help you to stop flicking your wedges

(Image credit: Dan Gould)

FAQS

What is the perfect set-up for a pitching wedge shot?

Lots of golfers will approach a wedge shot as if they are hitting a long iron shot from much further away.

Move your feet a little closer together at address, so that your shoulders sit in a straight line above the center of your feet.

Shift your weight a fraction further forward, more onto your lead side, and avoid the temptation to lean back and help the ball in the air.

Michael Weston
Michael Weston
Contributing editor

Michael has been with Golf Monthly since 2008. As a multimedia journalist, he has also worked for The Football Association, where he created content to support the men's European Championships, The FA Cup, London 2012, and FA Women's Super League. As content editor at Foremost Golf, Michael worked closely with golf's biggest equipment manufacturers, and has developed an in-depth knowledge of this side of the industry. He's a regular contributor, covering instruction, equipment and feature content. Michael has interviewed many of the game's biggest stars, including seven World No.1s, and has attended and reported on many Major Championships and Ryder Cups around the world. He's a member of Formby Golf Club in Merseyside, UK.

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