Brian: I have been following your swing advice and Tee to Green things have improved a lot. I am longer and straighter than I have been and have a better idea of what I should be doing in this area. When I am in wedge land I am not getting up and down enough and am not making enough birdies on driver wedge par 4s and par 5s where I can not get on in two. I have read the Pelz stuff with his thee swing 4 wedge concept but do not buy into his methods any more . You just do not see pros finishing like you would in a full swing from a 7 30 backswing. His methods seem too complex to hold up in real conditions. This is a part of the game where I need to improve if my scores are to come down. I am starting to think that you are better off using mainly the SW for pitching when close to the green. I hit my SW about 95 yards on a full easy swing so anything within the 20 to 95 yard range is SW for me . I am thinking that the LW is only for trouble shots such as popping a ball over a bunker and the PW is for longer than 95 yard shots and that you are better off getting familiar with the SW than having a lot of over-lap with the wedges. Does this tally with your pitching philosophy? Thanks.
Brian : Your pitching philosophy?
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pitching is very much the same motion, and tempo, and visual, as tossing a ball underhanded. You don't 'hit' (aside from special situations where you need extra bite or have a bad lie). Your setup ensures that there is a downward blow, hands leading, weight slightly left, open, more narrow stance. Ball position 'can' vary to create certain shots/trajectory. My personal preference is that you have more control with a more lofted club and the ball back a 'bit', if you need to keep it down. Not too much, as less spin is easier to predict.
Just as in a putt, it is a pendulum swing. The turning of the torso controls the tempo (which should stay consistent, just as in putting) and the length of the stroke controls the distance.
Just as in tossing a ball, the body responds, isn't 'stiff', and there is a small, flowing, amount of weight shift. You can feel this in your legs/knees.
Club selection is variable. Basically if you visualize the toss of the ball, and it's trajectory, you can pick your 'spot', see your 'loft' and control the shot with the fall of the club and the turn of the torso. Just as in a full swing, the hands the the chest must stay together. A headcover under the left armpit can help get this feel, as can griping the club down on the steel, right above the clubhead so the shaft is against the left side. If you break down the left wrist, you'll feel it. This is a good full swing feel too, as if forces your torso to turn through.
It is the setup and club selection that allow you to be creative in how you best accomplish that 'toss' of the ball. The lie will determine how many options you may have.
Re: club selection, I lean towards the 'vary' your club camp - however I have no problem with the 'one' club view, as long as you know how to alter your setup to control height. I'd rather use the same motion, and alter the club, most of the time.
Just as in a putt, it is a pendulum swing. The turning of the torso controls the tempo (which should stay consistent, just as in putting) and the length of the stroke controls the distance.
Just as in tossing a ball, the body responds, isn't 'stiff', and there is a small, flowing, amount of weight shift. You can feel this in your legs/knees.
Club selection is variable. Basically if you visualize the toss of the ball, and it's trajectory, you can pick your 'spot', see your 'loft' and control the shot with the fall of the club and the turn of the torso. Just as in a full swing, the hands the the chest must stay together. A headcover under the left armpit can help get this feel, as can griping the club down on the steel, right above the clubhead so the shaft is against the left side. If you break down the left wrist, you'll feel it. This is a good full swing feel too, as if forces your torso to turn through.
It is the setup and club selection that allow you to be creative in how you best accomplish that 'toss' of the ball. The lie will determine how many options you may have.
Re: club selection, I lean towards the 'vary' your club camp - however I have no problem with the 'one' club view, as long as you know how to alter your setup to control height. I'd rather use the same motion, and alter the club, most of the time.
Redgoat
New
Hue,
I am more feel oriented when it comes to pitching. Unlike Pelz, I prefer to have my students control the distance of the shot with the speed of the swing rather than the length of the swing. This distance control philosophy is one I employ on putts and sand shots as well.
IMO, it is critical to understand how to use the sole of the club properly to accomadate various lies, grasses, situations, etc. The more accomplished and talented the player, the more I encourage them to hit many different shots with the same club. If this isn't the case, then straight forward chips and pitches provide enough of a challenge.
Redgoat
I am more feel oriented when it comes to pitching. Unlike Pelz, I prefer to have my students control the distance of the shot with the speed of the swing rather than the length of the swing. This distance control philosophy is one I employ on putts and sand shots as well.
IMO, it is critical to understand how to use the sole of the club properly to accomadate various lies, grasses, situations, etc. The more accomplished and talented the player, the more I encourage them to hit many different shots with the same club. If this isn't the case, then straight forward chips and pitches provide enough of a challenge.
Redgoat
Brian Manzella
Administrator
First, you NEED TO BE ABLE TO HIT a "basic" pictch shot
http://homepage.mac.com/brianmanzella/.Movies/manzellapitch.mov
Then AFTER you can...you should learn to do it at DIFFERENT SPEEDS
THEN you should learn the TIMEvsDISTANCE "pelz" control by LENGTH of swing.
BUT!> NEVER EVER Hit the shot the way Pelz does
THROWAWAY!!!!!!!!!!city [
]
http://homepage.mac.com/brianmanzella/.Movies/manzellapitch.mov
Then AFTER you can...you should learn to do it at DIFFERENT SPEEDS
THEN you should learn the TIMEvsDISTANCE "pelz" control by LENGTH of swing.
BUT!> NEVER EVER Hit the shot the way Pelz does
THROWAWAY!!!!!!!!!!city [
]Brian: Pelz lkes a full followthrough regardless of the length of the backswing which strikes me as weird. With your TIMEvsDISTANCE system do you like the followthrough to be the same kind of length as the backswing? On you video clip your followthrough is shorter than your backswing.Thanks.
Brian Manzella
Administrator
Great question...
My pitch shot is more of a hitting procedure and my DISTANCE wedges are more swinging.
I'll take some of both and show you...
My pitch shot is more of a hitting procedure and my DISTANCE wedges are more swinging.
I'll take some of both and show you...
Brian Manzella
Administrator
Good Post southpaw...I will remove the above...the point(s) were made...
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