You're Correct!

The 50 yard pitch is a shot most players will face at least once during a round.

Often the number of times you will be required to play this shot is much higher and having a consistent technique and knowledge of how to control distance is extremely important.

The easiest way of hitting it close every time is to use the same swing length and create the same impact factors consistently.

Most players will hit the ball 50 yards using a sand wedge and the following technique:

1. The ball should be positioned in the centre of the stance with feet just under shoulder width apart.
2. The club face should aim straight down the ball-to-target line with posture kept as normal.
3. Place about 60% body weight on the front foot and lean the shaft towards the target. The hands should be ahead of the ball and opposite the left thigh.
4. The feet and hips can be set slightly open to the target line to encourage a better hip action but the shoulders should be parallel to the target line.
5. Swing the club away keeping the body weight 60% on the front foot.
6. As the left arm swings upward and becomes parallel with the ground, the wrists should have hinged upward so a 90 degree angle is created between the left wrist and club shaft.
7. Swing down into the ball keeping 60% body weight on the front foot ensuring a downward strike.
8. At impact the hands should be ahead of the ball opposite the left thigh.
9. Swing the club through until the right arm is parallel to the ground and club shaft again points towards the sky.

Practicing this technique and pacing out the results will give you your exact yardage. Its important to understand how far the ball is flying through the air and the point at which it lands. A ball which flies 50 yards through the air and lands on a soft green should stop dead. However, if the green is hard the ball could roll on further which needs to be taken into account.

Get a consistent pitching technique for the 50 yard shot and then build the rest of your distance control around it.

As mentioned above, pitching the ball 50 yards every time will not automatically ensure the ball will finish close. Players need to understand how different ground conditions will impact the amount of stop a ball has once it lands.

If every 50 yard pitch shot was exactly the same then golfers could quite easily use the same club every time with no problem. However, its very rare that any two golf shots are alike. Practice using different clubs with different swing lengths to cultivate a high, low, running, and spinning 50 yard shots. After practising these shots, learn which different situations on the course require each shot.

Keeping the hands soft for extra touch and feel is something every golfer should do. However, solely relying on feel when under pressure will not yield consistent results. Having a reliable technique with consistent swing length, technique AND feel will give the best outcomes.