Golf Tip - Preparing For That Faultless Pitch Shot

Every time I climb into my new EZ GO golf cart (which really stands out form the crowd with its EZ GO lift kit conversion) and head out onto the course I feel like someone special as heads turn from those people in their sabby looking old club golf carts. However, this feeling soon evaporates when I start playing and people see the very poor quality of my pitch shot.

The pitch shot is a superb example of the balance involved in golf as not only a physical but also a mental sport and each pitch shot you make needs to be planned very carefully. Before you even address your ball you need to examine the area you will be playing over and take note of the conditions in order to decide exactly how you are going to to play the shot.

In putting together your plan you need to ask yourself five simple questions:

1. What am I aiming at? As a rule the answer will clearly be the hole, however when the cup has been set in a difficult position, like tucked in behind a bunker or cut very close to the side of the putting green, you might well decide not to shoot for the hole but to have your ball land near the hole leaving you a fairly simple shot to putt out.

2. How level is the surface of the green? Although the majority of greens are flat some are also a long way from being flat and may have a significant fall from one side to the other or from front to back. The green might also be tiered with the flag placed on one of two or more 'steps' in the green. Any slope on the putting green is obviously 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 right off the putting green.

3. How far will the ball fly before it lands? Whether you are aiming directly for the cup or attempting to put your ball onto the front edge of the green and roll it on up to the cup it is essential to know exactly how far you require the ball to travel through the air as this will directly affect you choice of club.

4. What effect will the wind have on my shot? If you are going to be playing in the wind then you must gauge the effect that the wind will have on your shot. For instance, you may wish to to consider changing your choice of club to account for the wind and keep the flight of your ball as low as you can. Alternatively, you might decide to use the wind to your own advantage and aim off target so that the wind carries the ball back onto your target line.

5. How fast is the putting green? The condition of the green is very important and you will need to evaluate this against holes that you have already played or conditions on the practice ground. For instance, is the putting surface hard and dry in which case the ball will bounce and could run quite a considerable distance, or is the putting surface wet and soft in which case the ball may stop dead where it lands.

By carefully thinking about each of these five questions you will be able to pick your target, select your club and take your shot with a clear picture of exactly the line you need to follow in order to achieve the result you are looking for.