Conquer 30-yard pitch shots with the help of a short-game whiz

Being able to dial in your distance control on each one of your golf shots is critical to getting it close and giving yourself chances to score low. But it’s even more clutch when you can do so in the short game.

But most amateurs really struggle with controlling their distances near the green, since it requires great touch and an understanding of how long (or short) the backswing should be.

For instance, if you’re using the same club from 30 yards out as you would from 50 yards out, common sense tells us you’ll need to shorten your swing. The question now becomes “by how much?”

Since this can be tricky to determine on your own, GOLF Teacher to Watch Parker McLachlin, aka the Short Game Chef, has some cues to help you master those difficult 30-yard pitch shots.

So the next time you find yourself just short of the putting surface and fear either going too long or coming up a bit too short, just use the tips below from McLachlin to trust your process and confidently hit your shot.

Become a master on 30-yard pitch shots

There are a number of reasons why you might have a 30-yard pitch shot, with the most common being on a par-5 when you weren’t able to reach the green in two. But for mid-handicappers like myself, pitching from here could be to salvage a hole and avoid a big number on a par-4 — which is why it’s important to understand how to put it close.

“This is an awkward yardage, but it really helps if you can find in your rehearsal swing where you’re supposed to be at the top of your backswing,” McLachlin says. “For me, this is about 30 yards [hip high, or about halfway]. This is 30 yards in the air.“

Short Game

Knowing what your backswing length should be to a carry yardage is the first order of business, with the rehearsal giving you a sense of feeling before addressing your ball.

“My goal for this shot is to have nice width [in the backswing], good stance, good shaft positioning at address, I want to feel a lot of rotation on the way through, and build a shallow angle of attack,” McLachlin says.

So why come into impact shallow versus steep? McLachlin says it’s all about adding some protection against a mishit, where the leading edge of the club could dig if you come in too steep on a pitch shot from this distance.

“If I’m taking a divot from 30 yards, for my style, that’s not what I want to see,” he says. “I know that I’m too steep on that [if I make a divot], so I’m going to make sure I’m really wide and I’m creating a nice shallow angle of attack.”

By using these simple steps from McLachlin, you’ll be able to get up and down more frequently and save strokes, using your short game to improve your scores.

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