Pitching Green
The pitching green is the practice area for short, high approach shots from ten to fifty metres.
The pitching green is part of the practice infrastructure of good facilities, alongside the putting green and a chipping area. It is a real green, often with a bunker in front, that you play into from a short distance. This is exactly where you train the shots that lie between the full swing and the chip on the course. Some facilities combine pitching and chipping on one area; larger practice facilities separate the two and offer several target greens.
In practice, you use the pitching green for distance control with the wedges. An example: you mark three targets at twenty, thirty and forty metres and play to each of them three times with the gap wedge. This is how you learn how far a half swing and a three-quarter swing carry — knowledge that directly saves you strokes on the course. Ten minutes of pitching practice before the round is also the best feel training for the green speed of the day.
The typical mistake is blasting away in practice without a target and without a routine. Anyone who just hammers balls towards the green trains nothing measurable. Better: few balls, every time a full preshot routine, every time a clearly defined target. The pitching green is also the right place to work out the difference between a pitch shot and a chip — high with stop versus flat with roll. Where your facility has these areas is usually shown on the overview at the club office.
FAQ
How do I train sensibly on the pitching green instead of just hammering balls?
Choose clear targets at different distances, for example twenty, thirty and forty metres, and play to each target several times with the same routine. Few balls with full concentration achieve more than a full basket without a plan. This is how you learn how far your half and three-quarter swing carries with the gap wedge.
What is the difference between a pitching green and a putting green?
On the pitching green you practise short approach shots from ten to fifty metres, often also from a bunker in front of it. The putting green, by contrast, is intended only for putts on the green itself. Larger facilities separate the two areas; smaller ones combine pitching and chipping on one practice area.
Is pitching practice also worthwhile shortly before the round?
Yes, especially so. Ten minutes on the pitching green before your tee time gives you a feel for the green speed and the ground conditions of the day. It is the best warm-up for your short game and directly saves you strokes on the first holes.