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How to Hit Better Pitch Shots
Your practice at a glance
Wedge playCategory
Contact + controlBenefit
30–35 minutesPractice time
18 per drillPractice shots
Wedge, balls + sticksEquipment
These golf drills are from the Golf Practice Made Fun App.
Smoother rhythm and balanced movement can make your pitch shots easier to control.
These three drills help you feel the club’s momentum, maintain a comfortable posture and explore how each hand contributes to the strike. Begin with Annika’s half-shot rehearsal, then practise Steady Spine Wedge and the One Arm Wedge comparison. Use small practice swings before adding a ball, work through one drill at a time and keep each drill’s distance and target consistent.
Drill 1. Annika Sorenstam Half Shot: Find a Smooth Tempo
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Take a wedge and your normal grip. Cross your right leg in front of your left and settle into a comfortable, balanced setup. Begin with a practice swing without a ball before playing any shots. |
| 2 | Keep your legs quiet and turn your shoulders around your spine. Make a short backswing in which the lead arm and hinged club form an L, then let the club’s momentum carry the swing through into a comfortable full finish. |
| 3 | Play eighteen gentle half shots in two sets of nine with the same wedge and steady tempo. Notice the quality of contact. Slow down and shorten the rehearsal if balance becomes difficult, then return to your normal stance and carry the rhythm into a few ordinary pitches. |
Watch Annika Sorenstam’s full Half Shot lesson and crossed-leg demonstration →
Drill 2. Steady Spine Wedge: Keep Your Posture Flowing
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Choose a reasonably level lie and a practice hole about forty yards away. Hinge comfortably from your hips, soften your knees and let your arms hang naturally. Notice your starting posture without trying to hold your head or spine rigidly still. |
| 2 | Rehearse a small backswing and turn through into a comfortable short finish. Retain a similar forward inclination through the movement, avoiding an abrupt rise or dip as the club approaches the ball. Choose a landing spot and keep turning through the pitch. |
| 3 | Play eighteen pitches in two sets of nine using the same wedge, lie and target. Notice how many balls finish within six feet of the hole. If useful, film from behind to review the follow-through, then return to a smooth rehearsal before the next shot. |
Explore the full Steady Spine Wedge Drill and posture demonstration →
Drill 3. One Arm Wedge: Compare Each Hand, Then Both
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Use a wedge and one target about thirty yards away. Begin with a small left-hand-only rehearsal, keeping the free hand separate from the club, then play three controlled pitches. If using the two alignment sticks, follow the full lesson for their placement and keep them clear of the club’s travel. |
| 2 | Keep the same wedge, lie and target. Rehearse with the right hand only, then play three pitches, allowing the arm and body to move together. Use a small, flowing swing rather than a sudden hit or a scooping action. Begin closer for rehearsals if thirty yards is too demanding. |
| 3 | Play three pitches with both hands, then repeat the full sequence: three left-hand-only, three right-hand-only and three two-handed shots. That makes eighteen pitches in two sets of nine. Compare contact and the balls finishing within six feet of the hole, then take the best feeling into your normal two-handed pitch. |
Watch the full One Arm Wedge Drill and check the alignment-stick setup →
