5. Shots – Pitch & Bunker

Pitch Shot

The pitch shot, which is similar to a chip shot, is played into the green from roughly 40-50 yards or closer. Performing the proper pitch can be directly correlated to the trunk twist. At address, the stance should be narrower than the full swing; the player should lean toward the forward leg (left leg for the right handed player) to facilitate forward shaft lean. There is very little wrist hinge on the backswing and the length of the trunk twist should govern the distance the ball travels. Through the impact position weight goes into the forward (left) leg almost to match the address position and weight is almost exclusively on the forward (left) leg at the finish of the forward swing.

Watch the instructional video below of how to perform a pitch shot.

Bunker Shot 

The bunker shot is very similar to the full iron swing (ball on the ground). The key similarity is where  impact is made: toward the center of the stance. The key difference is the ball position: in the bunker the ball position should be near the left (forward) heel to ensure contact with the sand first. This will allow the ball to be splashed out of the bunker along with the sand. 

Watch the instructional video below of how to perform a bunker shot.