Our Golf Pro, Bruce Loombe was coached by David Leadbetter, perhaps the greatest ever golf coach to the coaches. Bruce explains the difference between a pitch and chip in a wonderfully simple way. His coaching of both when and how to play these shots can save you anywhere from one to three strokes per hole.
A chip shot is normally played from about three club lengths from the green and keeps the ball quite close to the ground. The basic idea is to get the ball on the green and rolling as soon as possible. Getting the ball to run like a putt means you can more easily judge your distances and save yourself valuable shots. The pitch shot is usually from about thirty to sixty yards and is a much higher shot. The goal is to stop the ball as close to the pin as possible for a single putt.
As always in golf, it is vital to not only learn the correct technique but also practice these different shots. Bruce coaches the shots on our Academy Short Course which is designed to make practicing these shots both competitive and fun.
Chip shot…
When the ball is very close to the fringe, but just far enough off that we can’t putt the ball, then the solution is to hit a chip shot. Good players can use a multiple of different clubs from a round the green dependant on how they would like to ball to react on the green and how far the hole is away from the player.
The chip shot is going to be played using the loft of the selected club, but will run like a putt as soon as possible. It is played with a setup position that promotes a downward strike and using a ‘one lever’ technique similar to a putting stroke. There should be no attempt to lift or scoop the ball as this will inevitably result in a thinned shot through the green. It is vital that the stroke remains a ‘one lever ‘ motion for the ball to be elevated the required amount naturally without the player trying to do this.
The pitch shot…
Pitch shots are played from further away from the green and therefore the safer ’one lever’ technique that we use for putting and chipping is impossible to play, due to the extra length and height required to land the ball on the green.
To gain the extra distance and height required we must instead use the ‘two lever’ golf swing, now introducing and utilizing the hands, which will give the ball more loft and greater distance. It is not a full swing but instead a controlled half or three quarter swing. The use of the hands and the slightly longer swing will give you the required distance and height.
