Breaking 90

By Bob Ford with Ron Kaspriske

Photos By Stephen Szurlej

July 2008

Pitch with an open face

I can understand why so many amateurs struggle with pitching. When you're only 30 yards from the green, it's hard to convince yourself to make a full swing and accelerate through the ball. But that's exactly what you need to do to execute this shot. Set up to the ball with an open face. What you're doing is exposing the bounce, the bulge on the back edge of the sole. This makes it a lot easier to pop the ball up, so you don't feel like you have to scoop the ball to get it airborne. Just allow the bounce to slide the clubface under the ball.

Left-arm-only drill helps keep you from scooping

Still trying to scoop the ball into the air? The left-arm-only drill will help break that habit. In fact, it's nearly impossible to hit a good pitch shot with your left arm unless you keep the wrist firm as you swing down and pivot your body toward the target. Take the club back so the shaft is parallel to the ground by hinging your left wrist. Now try to pop the ball into the air. If your wrist breaks down, you'll find it hard to do. You'll get your best results from maintaining the hinged position and pivoting your body toward the target.