Instruction
Possibly the worst swing shape in pitching
There are so many ways to hit good pitch shots, however, there are a few that just don’t work.
I have seen just about every shape of golf swing in my career as an instructor, and most of the time I work with a golfer’s motion and try to make my students great at what they do naturally and what works for them from an efficiency standpoint. There are times, however, where the shape is such that a golfer needs a complete short game “make-over,” and I have to start over with them.
These situations tend to occur in golfers who were probably slicers and made inefficient and drastic changes to their golf swing to learn to hook or draw the ball. They ended up learning to hit shots with an enormous amount of spine tilt away from the target, and this made the club bottom-out before the golf ball and caused them to swing too much from in to out. This change would usually be considered a good overcorrection and a noticeably different ball flight would validate that statement, but it can lead to huge problems with these players’ short games.
Is this You?
This player (shown above) swings the golf club back too shallow and with a closed club face, and he also swings too much in-to-out on these shots. He creates a very shallow angle of attack into the golf ball, which happens because the club head doesn’t get up off of the ground enough in the backswing. It’s low, inside and around on the way back, creating too shallow of an angle of an attack into the ball.
What’s the problem?
This swing shape almost always shows up in the short game as a bit of a “yip.” These are the golfers who struggle more than normal with tight lies and soggy conditions. They become double hitters of chips, get the shanks somewhat frequently and tend to have one distance of shot out of the bunker. Normally, I would hear this type of golfer say: “The motion can’t be that bad, because I can hit pitches fine from the rough.”
Well, here is the problem. The golf ball can sit up in the rough, as in the image below, allowing the golf club to bottom out early and arc ever so slightly up into the golf ball at impact (just like a driver off the tee). This motion does not work when the ball is sitting on the ground, because when the club bottoms out before the ball it usually causes golfers to swing up into the middle of the ball with the leading edge of the club. That sends the ball scooting over the green into trouble.
So how does this player compensate from being too shallow, and learn put the clubface on the ball properly? This player gains a steep angle in the swing by hitting the ball with a closed club face. When the ball is struck solid using this motion and a closed, left-facing clubface (for a righty), the golf ball tends to go long and will end up left of a golfer’s aim at address. When the club comes in too shallow, as aforementioned, it tends to want to bottom out before the ball and then swing up into the ball, thus needing the clubface to be really closed so it can make contact with the ball. Sounds tough to be consistent from here? It is.
Let’s Fix This
Here is the fix. We need to get the golf club swinging steeper going back, more outside your current path and with a downswing where the club swings aggressively to the left on the way through impact, getting out of the way of the golf ball.
The red arrow above shows the club head position and how it is clearly swinging away from the golf ball, which is tracked above with the yellow arrow. What this does is flip flop your current steep and shallow angles. Your clubface is now set more open relative to your setup. It is this shallow angle that allows you to use the bounce of the golf club, and the angle of attack now becomes the steep angle in the motion. This makes it easier to achieve solid hits off of all different types of surfaces.
If you would like to talk more about this, please feel free to comment below and I would be happy to go into this topic further with you. Remember, your game is only as strong the weakest link.
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
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Eric
Jun 2, 2014 at 2:19 pm
Yes, these are my symptoms as well. I am a 0 who used to be a plus playing to a 5 due to poor chipping. They started when I was taught to swing with my right arm instead of my left, which led to me swinging inside back, and then outside and to the right forward. But I also “drop” my spine angle on the way back – now I understand that means I have to “lift” to get back to level – hence a chunk if I fail to lift, or a skull if I do.
I really don’t want to have a different swing with my chipping motion than my regular swing. I DO notice that when my club goes left my strikes are better. This is very interesting and I would like to hear more about going left after impact. Can you elaborate on what causes the club to do that?
Jeremy Anderson
Jun 5, 2014 at 8:47 pm
Your strikes are better when the club swings left because the club is swinging down using the bounce of the golf club and your chest. The club face is stable (not rotating closed) and when you use the bounce the leading edge of the club doesn’t dig. If you’d like to chat more message me through my website jjagolf.com
Jeff K
Jun 2, 2014 at 11:02 am
I too am prone to chunked, skulled and especially double hit chips. Even shanked 2 pitches last week. And one distance out of bunkers fit too! Yet I can have streaks of decent chipping but even then long runners tend to hook.
I find the more I “hinge” my wrists on the backswing,the worse it gets. I’m trying the Stricker style dead arm chips with varied success. What should I do with my wrists – hinge and hold, or just focus on what the clubhead is doing? Same with body turn – turn back and through, or just swing down and left with the arms? Thanks!!
Jeremy Anderson
Jun 5, 2014 at 8:50 pm
Try using less hinge if that helps, but swing the club more outside to gain that as a steep angle. If you don’t hinge and you swing inside… problems will only mount. If you’d like to chat more message me through my website jjagolf.com
Larry
May 31, 2014 at 11:38 pm
I find what I watched John Daly doing about 20 years ago to work just fine. I watched Daly pitching shot after shot on prctice green next to the hole by pulling the club inside and comming back on the same line…it works perfect to this day. (Daly does not do this anymore, same as his drive went from a killer draw to fade).
Jeremy Anderson
Jun 5, 2014 at 8:54 pm
John is or maybe was what I call a .1%er. Meaning he’s in the .1% of the people that get away with anything their so gifted.
Brad Zimmer
May 30, 2014 at 8:06 am
Thanks for the insight. I’m a low handicapper (2), and as part of becoming one, I worked for years groove a down the line to inside out path in my full swing. Occasionally I go to far with it and get trapped inside, or get flat with my overall arc and have to refocus on taking the club away either straight back or slightly outside the line. To the short game, before I made the wholesale changes in swing path, I never worried about contact on chips and pitches. These days I use course management to stay out of the tricky ranges (if I can’t easily get pin high in two on a par five,I won’t hit a layup within 90 yards.) In order to make solid contact, I find I have to stand open to the target line (foot line pointing left) and almost feel as though I’m opening the club through impact. For some reason, I fond that moving the ball slight forward helps as well, but it’s quite a “rig.” The flaw in my pitching/chipping motion may be subtle, but I think you’ve hit on it, and your piece has been very helpful. Thanks.
Jeremy Anderson
May 30, 2014 at 10:02 pm
Brad,
I’m glad you find the article helpful. As far as getting your feet left of target it’s good to drop the left foot back but it’s important that you keep your right foot perpendicular to your target line. As far as finding it helpful to play the ball forward —- think of your body as the protractor and the clubhead is the pencil as the ball moves forward in your stance the club wants to arc left. All great things! Message me if you have anymore questions or comments.
JA
Dave
May 29, 2014 at 10:53 pm
You have perfectly described my pitching. Yips, double hits, skulls, and fat chugged shots. My good shots are rare. I am turning pars and bogeys into doubles, triples , and worse. If I miss the green, I’m dead. So I am really interested in getting this fixed. How do I make this change? Align left? Path on backswing outside going back? I really need a full makeover. Please help!!
Jeremy Anderson
May 30, 2014 at 7:11 am
Yes, you need to change the direction of your golf swing. Your angle of attack into ball is too shallow and you try to balance it with the steep angle being a closed club face. Read what I wrote for Todd.
All my best,
JA
Owen
May 29, 2014 at 1:53 pm
So, how would you compare the original photo to a person who is trying to hit a chip shot? David Leadbetter often talked in his early videos (like early 90’s, so things have changed) about how a chip shot has a closed face going back, and utilizes a lot of turn. I know there’s huge differences between chips and pitches. Lately I’ve been chunking some chips, and I wonder if it’s because I’m combining chip and pitch motion- going back closed and turning, but then letting my wrist break like a pitch at impact.
Jeremy Anderson
May 29, 2014 at 7:02 pm
Without seeing your action… I would say you chunk your chips because you swing the golf club back too shallow (low to the ground. I see this often where the club goes back too low and bottoms out too early. The golf club must strike down on the ball if it is sitting on the ground and for the club to swing down it must first be up. As far as the Leadbetter technique you speak of I’m not so sure that I would hood/close the face during a pitch shot unless I were trying to use a lot of loft and put hook spin on the chip. Sounds like a disaster for the average golfer. If you would like to talk more send me an email through my website JJAgolf.com
Regards,
JA
Todd
May 29, 2014 at 1:33 pm
Wow the symptoms you describe are exactly what I am experiencing this year, I mean all of them. Anymore information you could provide would be great. Things like weight, body turn vs arms, wrist c*ck etc or am I complicating things. I will definitely try the steeper, outside path, swing left
What possibly could go wrong 🙂
Thanks
Jeremy Anderson
May 29, 2014 at 7:09 pm
Try getting your weight mostly on your lead heel (75% +/-) and get your hands in front of the middle of your lead leg (It will probably feel like the hands and ball are awkwardly forward). Play the ball more forward in your stance… almost driver position but with a narrow stance. Hinge your right elbow to get the club up in the air quicker and just concentrate on the golf club swinging down and left into the ball. Keep me posted on your results! If you would like to talk more send me an email through my website JJAgolf.com