Short Pitches

[steponic]

have been watching the Pitching DVD and practicing about 4 hours a week for 3 weeks and I'm having a problem somewhere in my swing. I do not have any video to review my swing, so I can only describe to problem as I see it. I have the ball positioned in the middle of my stance and most of my weight is on my left side (I'm a right handed golfer). The problem is that the bottom of my swing is about 2 to 3 inches behind the ball, so I hit a lot of "fat shots". Today I became frustrated and moved the ball back in my stance and had a lot of solid pitch shots. Since the ball is back in my stance, the club is de-lofted and the shot is not as high and soft as it should be. Do you have any suggestions?

[Bobby_Eldridge]

#1 Ball in the center of your stance
#2 70% of weight on left side
#3 Pick out a blade of grass on the HOLE side of the ball. Not behind the ball but on the other side of the ball and see if you can hit that blade of grass.
#4 Get back to me asap w/results

[roger_day]

I too have found it very difficult to hit the ball accurately. Like the writer of the previous message I have been practising hard since watching Bobby on the DVD but unlike the previous respondent I am as likely to top the ball as to hit behind it. The only thing I am unlikely to do is hit it towards the target with some loft on it. I feel like I've tried to hit it with my eyes shut!

[Bobby_Eldridge]

#1 Weight left
#2 Follow through LOW LOW LOW

[roger_day]

Hi Bobby,

Thanks for your response to my problem. I've tried to concentrate on the low follow through but it usually results in a mis-hit just as before. You emphasise the need to have the clubhead coming down on a steep trajectory before impact and then staying low to the ground after impact. This involves an abrupt change of direction that I just can't make.

A possible problem may be the short backswing required for pitching. I get a good percentage of clean shots, about 8 out of 10 with a full backswing using any of the wedges but obviously this is no good for 30 yards. If I come down to your 11 o'clock position I get maybe 5 out of 10 and from the 8 o'clock position only around 2 out of 10. There just doesn't seem to be enough room to get the clubhead on the right track.

I would be grateful of any further suggestions you may have.

Best regards,

Roger

[Bobby_Eldridge]

"This involves an abrupt change of direction that I just can't make."

"There just doesn't seem to be enough room to get the clubhead on the right track."

Can you explain to me further what these two statements mean?