Jonathan Yarwood tells us how a good pitching technique boils down to the choreography of the arms and the body as you work on creating a U-shaped swing that enables you to deliver the loft on the club face.
Steve Stricker and Jason Day are great role models when it comes to the use of the U-shaped swing. Both of these players exhibit a wide, U-shaped swing in which the wrists hinge.
Think in terms of how far and how fast you rotate your rib cage as being the method of creating energy and governing speed. This method will give you a real sense of togetherness in your technique.
Syncing up your arms & body
With the use of a weight ball, get into set up with your weight favouring your left side. Place your forearms together and make sure your sternum is neutral.
Create the momentum of your swing with the rotation of your rib cage and let the arms ‘go long for the ride’. Do all this by keeping your ball safely in place.
Re-rotating your torso will control the speed of the club and your arms as you return to your starting position.
Relationship of the arms and body is maintained all the way to the finish in a controlled, neutral motion. You can identify this at the heart of every good pitching technique.
Shallowing your swing shape
To help shallowing your swing the left arm is key. You need to create the radius of the U shape and make sure the hands and wrists are essentially ‘quiet’.
You need to make sure your arms and body match up perfectly in the release. This will enable the release the right hand to control the precise nature of the strike.
It’s critical that the length of your follow-through matches the length of your back swing.
Feel balanced
Make sure your weight is evenly spread between your feet, slightly favouring the right side. This keeps the heel level.
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Make sure your body is aimed at 11 o’clock (12 being the target line). Get close to the ball and feel your arms connect to your ribs.
Make sure your hands are in the middle of the legs, directly below the sternum.
Always go down the grip for added control and feel. Your body will create the energy and your hands will ‘go for the ride’.
A feeling of releasing the right hand is the tour player’s secret; experiment with varying amounts of release to appreciate the control you have over your angle.
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