You're Correct!

Pitching is a vital ingredient to making a good round great or a bad round bearable!

A good pitcher of the ball can afford to miss the odd green or fairway because they know that from 100 yards and in they can escape with a par or make the odd birdie.

Becoming a great pitcher of the ball takes time, practice and a variation of techniques, however, becoming a good pitcher quickly can be achieved by adopting and grooving a solid basic technique and building the short game around it.

Practice this basic technique with your lofted clubs and you should see an immediate increase in control.

• Hold the club slightly further down the grip for more control.
• The club face should be square to the ball-to-target line and the shoulders parallel to this line. The feet and hips, however, should be slightly open to the target line. This is because the pitching swing is short and the golfer doesn’t have the time to build up enough momentum to turn the hips fully through impact.
• The ball should be positioned just back of center in the stance with 60% of body weight on the front foot. The hands should also be opposite the front thigh. By leaning the shaft towards the target slightly it will be easier to create a clean contact and descending blow on the ball generating back spin.
• After taking the correct set up, the swing is mostly controlled with the shoulders.
• The grip should be kept as light as possible to increase feel. The shoulders, arms and club should stay connected with each other during the back swing.
• As the shoulders and arms turn, the club shaft will reach parallel to the ground. When this happens, the wrists should hinge the club upward until the shaft points towards the sky.
• At impact, the left arm and back of the left wrist should be held firm to ensure there is no flicking of the club head at the ball.
• The hands return ahead of the club head at impact and the shoulders, arms, and club extend through the ball.
• The back swing position should be mirrored on the through swing with the club shaft pointing at the sky.

To become a great pitcher, lots of practice using different techniques is required. However, grooving this single technique will help golfers build from a solid base.

Because the above technique should be repeatable and increase consistency, a single yardage should be achieved quickly. Use other clubs with the same technique to alter the distance the ball travels.

Although practicing will always bring results, make sure you have this technique learnt BEFORE you go. Simply practicing hitting to a target will groove bad habits.

Using a good wedge and soft balls will help increase the amount of spin and control available around the green. However, technique should take priority. If you have the choice between a new wedge and a lesson, take the lesson.