Golf Tip
Presented by Jeff Ritter, Nike Golf Camp National Director
Simple Secret to Improve Pitching Around the Green
The best tip for practicing your pitching shots, with NJGC National Director of Instruction, Jeff Ritter.
Many campers come to camp looking to improve their short game and approach shots however, two basic movement patterns keep golfers from achieving better pitch shots. Creating the normal shift in pressure from the lead foot, to trail, back to the lead foot takes too long for a small shot like this. Additionally, golfers often have an excessive forward lean, which results in hitting the ground, ultimately taking away from the loft of the shot needed for the ball to settle close to the hole.
At Nike Short Game Junior Golf Camps, Jeff Ritter stresses that campers will improve their pitching with his “one and one” secret approach.
ONE and ONE
The first ONE is one foot. To eliminate the time it takes to shift pressure between feet, practice standing on one foot, in this case your lead foot. This allows you to make swings with your lead leg acting as the only axis, removing the pressure shift from side to side.
The second ONE is one hand. To ensure a high, soft shot, practice holding and swinging the club in just your trail hand. This is important because you want to maximize the available loft on the club as well as make sure the club is sliding smoothly through the grass.
A one-handed swing with a one-leg axis creates a tossing and throwing motion out of the club head. Without hitting the ball, practice this motion to feel the optimal speed. You want the clubhead to increase speed and catch up to the handle through the contact of the ball. Add the ball back in and as you practice this, remember your lead leg axis and your trail hand throwing motion are the keys to unlocking the available loft required for a successful shot.
Make your pitching shots easier by practicing the ONE and ONE!
About Nike Junior Golf Camps
Nike Junior Golf Camps is a division of US Sports Camps, Inc (USSC). Headquartered in San Rafael, California, USSC is America’s largest sports camp network and the licensed operator of Nike Sports Camps. The company has offered summer camps in the U.S. since 1975 with the same mission that defines it today: to shape a lifelong enjoyment of athletics through high quality sports education and skill enhancement. Nike Junior Golf Camps offers junior overnight and day camps, as well as advanced player camps at over 170 locations nationwide. Since 1994, more than 200,000 junior golfers have participated in the camps.