Every time I step 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 pitch shot is a superb example of the balance needed in golf as not only a physical but also a mental sport and every pitch shot you take must be planned very carefully. Before even addressing your ball you have to look at the ground you will be playing over and take note of the conditions so that you can decide exactly how you are going to to play your shot.
In putting together your plan you will need to ask yourself 5 questions:
1. What is the target? Generally the answer to this will clearly be the hole, however if the cup has been placed in a difficult position, such as tucked in behind a bunker or cut very close to the side of the green, you may well decide not to shoot at the hole but to have your ball land close to the hole leaving you with a relative simple shot to hole out.
2. How level is the green? Although many greens are quite flat a lot are also far from flat and have a substantial fall from front to back or from on side to the other. The putting surface might also be tiered with the flag situated on one of several 'steps' in the green. A slope on the putting surface is obviously going to affect your shot because you do not want your ball landing near the hole and then rolling back down the slope away from the cup and possibly even right off the putting green.
3. How far should the ball fly before landing? Whether you are aiming directly for the hole or attempting to shoot your ball onto the front edge of the green and roll it on up to the flag it is critical to know exactly how far you need the ball to travel through the air as this is going to directly affect which club you choose.
4. What effect will the wind have on my shot? When you are going to be playing in windy conditions then you will need to estimate the effect that the wind will have on your shot. For example, you may wish to to think about changing your choice of club to account for the wind and to keep the trajectory of your ball as low as you can. Alternatively, you may decide to use the wind to your own advantage and aim off target so that the wind carries your ball back onto the target line.
5. How fast is the green? The condition of the green is extremely important and you must judge this against holes that you have already played or conditions on the practice ground. Is the putting surface, for instance, dry and hard in which case the ball will bounce and might run quite a considerable distance, or is the putting green wet and soft in which case your ball may well stop dead when it lands.
By carefully thinking about each of these 5 questions you will find that you can choose your target, chose your club and make your shot with a clear picture of just the line to follow in order to get the result you wish for.