Short Game · Tip
Pitching Off Hardpan
Part of our short game programs for thin or bladed. Build a program with it
Bare, hard ground feels like hitting off a rock. You can't get the club under the ball. So don't try to lift it. Let the leading edge come down and almost scrape the ground. Play the ball a little ahead of center. Lean your chest and the shaft slightly forward. Hinge your wrists going back. Hold that angle through impact as you add speed. Rehearse until the club bottoms out in the same spot.
Step by step
- Ball a little ahead of center.
- Lean your chest and shaft forward.
- Hinge your wrists.
- Hold the angle and add speed.
- Let the edge scrape; don't lift.
Why it works
On hard ground the bounce of the club skips off the surface instead of sliding through it, which sends the leading edge into the middle of the ball. A forward-leaning shaft and a steeper hinge let the leading edge reach the ground ahead of the bounce. Holding the wrist angle through impact keeps the low point in front of the ball, so the club strikes the ball first and then scrapes the ground.
Common mistakes
- You try to scoop the ball into the air by flipping your wrists at impact.Keep the wrist angle as you add speed and let the loft of the club get the ball up.
- You lean back on your trail side to help the ball up.Keep your chest and the shaft leaning slightly forward, with your weight a little more on your lead foot.
- You play the ball too far back or lean too far forward, so the club digs in and stops.Set the ball only a little ahead of center and lean the shaft slightly, not heavily.
How you'll know it's working
- The club leaves a short scrape mark on the ground just after where the ball was, not before it.
- The ball comes out low with a clean, crisp sound and no thin skull or bounce-off feel.
- Your rehearsal swings mark the same spot on the ground each time.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Start with a short swing and a lofted wedge, and rehearse until the scrape lands in the same spot every time.
Harder: Hit to a small target and vary the distance and the hardness of the lies while keeping the same low point.
Common questions
What club should I use to pitch off hardpan?
Use a wedge with less bounce if you have one, such as a pitching or gap wedge. A high-bounce sand wedge tends to skip off hard ground.
Why do I hit it thin off hard ground?
The bounce of the club hits the ground first and the club skips up into the middle of the ball. Lean the shaft slightly forward and hold your wrist angle so the leading edge gets down to the ground.
