The pitch shot is a classic example of the balance involved in golf as both a physical and mental sport and every pitch shot you take must be carefully planned. Before even addressing your ball you need to examine the terrain you are playing over and take careful note of the conditions so that you can decide precisely how you are going to to play your shot.
When drawing up your plan of action you need to ask yourself five simple questions:
1. What is my target? Generally the answer will be the hole, but when the cup has been placed in a difficult position, like tucked behind a bunker or cut very close to the side of the green, you might well decide not to shoot at the hole but to have your ball land near the hole leaving you with a relative simple shot to hole out.
2. How level is the surface of the putting green? Although the majority of greens are flat some are also far from flat and have a sizeable fall from one side to the other or from front to back. The putting surface may also be tiered with the flag placed on one of a number of ‘steps’ in the green. A slope on the putting green is understandably going to affect your shot as you do not want your ball landing close to the hole and then rolling back down the slope away from the cup and possibly even clear off the putting green.
3. How far must the ball fly before it lands? Whether you are aiming straight for the cup or attempting to get your ball onto the front edge of the green and roll it up to the hole it is critical to know just how far you want the ball to fly through the air because this is going to directly affect which club you choose.
4. What effect will the wind have on my shot? When you are playing in windy conditions then you will have to estimate the effect that the wind is going to have on your shot. For instance, you may wish to change your choice of club to accommodate the wind and keep the flight of your pitch as low as you can. As an alternative, you might decide to use the wind to your own advantage and aim off target, allowing the wind to carry the ball back onto your target line.
5. How quick is the putting surface? The state of the green is extremely important and you must judge this against the holes which you have already played or the conditions on the practice ground. Is the putting green, for instance, hard and dry in which case your ball is going to bounce and may run quite a considerable distance, or is the putting surface wet and soft in which case your ball may well stop dead when it lands.
By considering each of these questions carefully you will find that you can pick your target, pick your club and make your shot with a clear picture of precisely the line you must follow in order to achieve the result you wish for.
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