Golf - Planning For That Faultless Pitched Shot

Whenever I step into my new EZ GO golf cart (which really stands out form the crowd with its EZ GO lift kit conversion) and head out onto the course I feel like someone special as heads turn from those people in their sabby looking old club golf carts. However, this feeling soon evaporates when I start playing and people see the very poor quality of my pitch shot.

The pitch shot is a very good example of the balance involved in golf as both a physical and mental sport and every pitch shot you take has to be planned carefully. Before you even address your ball you must examine the ground you will be playing over and take careful note of the conditions in order to decide just how you intend to play your shot.

In putting together your plan of action you must ask yourself five questions:

1. What is my target? In most cases the answer to this will clearly be the hole, but when the cup has been placed in a difficult location, like tucked in behind a bunker or cut close to the side of the green, you may decide not to shoot at the hole but to have your ball land close to the hole leaving you with a fairly easy shot to putt out.

2. How level is the surface of the green? Although many greens are quite flat many are also a long way from being flat and have a large fall from front to back or from on side to the other. The putting surface may also be tiered with the flag situated on one of several 'steps' in the green. Any slope on the putting green will clearly affect your shot as you do not wish your ball to land close to the hole and then rolling down the slope away from the cup and perhaps even clear off the green.

3. How far does the ball have to fly before landing? Whether you are aiming straight for the cup or trying to fire your ball onto the front of the putting green and roll it up to the cup it is essential to know precisely how far you require the ball to travel through the air because this will directly affect you choice of club.

4. Will the wind affect my shot? If you are going to play in the wind then you must gauge the effect that the wind is going to have on your shot. For example, you might wish to change your choice of club to accommodate the wind and to keep the trajectory of your ball as low as you can. As an alternative, you might decide to use the wind to your advantage and aim off target so that the wind carries your ball back onto your target line.

5. How quick is the putting green? The condition of the green is very important and you must evaluate this against the holes which you have already played or conditions on the practice ground. Is the putting surface, for example, dry and hard in which case your ball is going to bounce and could run a considerable distance, or is the putting green soft and wet in which case the ball might stop dead when it lands.

By considering each of these 5 questions carefully you will find that you can choose your target, chose your club and take your shot with a clear picture of just the line you need to follow in order to achieve the result you want.