Short Game · Drill
Pitch to a Landing Spot, Not the Hole
Part of our short game programs for thin or bladed, distance control. Build a program with it
Great pitchers think about where the ball lands. The hole comes second. Set out three small targets on the green, at short, medium and long distances from the edge. Towels or coins work. Step back about 30 yards. Hit a few balls at the closest target. Then the middle one. Then the farthest. Only count shots that land on the target. Keep your tempo the same each time. Change distance with the length of your backswing. See the flight before every shot.
The drill
- Set three targets at different depths.
- Stand about 30 yards back.
- Hit a few balls at each target.
- Keep tempo steady; change backswing length.
- Count only the ones that land on target.
Why it works
The ball's landing point decides how it behaves. Once it lands, the loft and speed at impact set how far it rolls. If you aim at the hole, you mix up carry and roll and have no reliable number to repeat. A fixed landing spot gives you one clear target for carry. Keeping tempo constant and changing only backswing length makes distance depend on one variable, so you can learn it.
Common mistakes
- You speed up or slow down your swing to change distance.Keep the same rhythm on every shot and change only how far back the club goes.
- You watch where the ball ends up and ignore where it landed.Track the first bounce only, and count a shot only if it lands on the towel.
- You hit all your balls at one target before moving on.Rotate between the short, medium and long targets so you have to reset your backswing length each time.
How you'll know it's working
- The ball lands on or within a club length of the towel on most shots, not just once or twice.
- Your backswing for the short, medium and long targets is clearly different in length, while the tempo feels the same.
- You see the flight in your head before you swing, and the real flight is close to it.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Move the towels closer together and stand closer to them, or use a larger target such as a bath-sized towel.
Harder: Use a smaller target, vary the lie, or call the target at random and allow only one ball per target before you must move on.
Common questions
How far should a pitch shot carry compared with how far it rolls?
It depends on the club, the shot and the green. Lower-lofted clubs roll out more and higher-lofted clubs stop sooner, so learn the carry-to-roll ratio for each club you use.
How do I control distance on pitch shots?
Keep your tempo the same and change the length of your backswing. Practice with set landing spots so you learn which backswing length gives which carry.
