Pitch
The pitch is the high approach shot over a hazard or onto the green.
The pitch is the high short-game shot with plenty of flight and little roll. It is played with the wedges from 20 to 80 meters, when the ball has to be carried over a bunker, water or tall grass. It differs from the chip through its ball flight: high and soft instead of flat and rolling. The pitch takes more technique and more practice, but it is the tool when the direct route is blocked.
The technique is a longer swing with active wrists and body rotation. You control the distance through swing length, not through power. An example: your ball lies 40 meters short of the green, a bunker guards the front edge and there is little room behind it. The high pitch with the sand wedge carries over the bunker and lands softly. If you practice two or three set swing lengths on the range, you have reliable distances for exactly these situations.
A typical mistake is picking at the ball with the arms, which makes it uncontrollable. Keep the body rotation active through impact. Extreme height beyond the normal pitch is rarely needed. Anyone who can tell the chip and the pitch apart plays around every green with a clear plan.
FAQ
When do I play a pitch instead of a chip?
Whenever something lies between your ball and the hole that you must fly over: bunkers, water or tall grass. The pitch flies high and soft and stops quickly, while the chip stays low and rolls. If the path is clear, the chip is the safer shot — the pitch is the solution for the blocked path.
Which club is best for playing a pitch?
With a wedge, depending on the desired height and distance with a sand wedge or a lob wedge. From 20 to 80 meters you control the length through swing length, not through power. If you practice two or three set swing lengths on the range, you have reliable distances for exactly these situations.
What is the most common mistake when pitching?
Picking at the ball with the arms, in which the body rotation stops before impact. This makes the ball uncontrollable — sometimes too short, sometimes thinned over the green. Keep the rotation of your upper body actively going through impact, and the loft of the club will take care of the height on its own.