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Pitch ShotsChippingWedge play = Pitching and Chipping Wedges Beginner / Intermediate ⏱ 3 min 🇬🇧 Video in English, summarized

Chip over a bunker: Butch Harmon and Rickie Fowler

A short shot to clear the sand, and the amateur either hits a fat shot or a thin one. Rickie Fowler explains what’s going through his mind, and Butch Harmon offers the solution: swing down through the ball and let the loft carry it up.

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Butch Harmon
Butch Harmon · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

To be continued

15 minNext Level UpBall Climbing Up the Wedge Face: 3 Shots by MorikawaCollin Morikawa · Intermediate / Expert18 minNext Level UpBump-and-run and flop shot: three shots around the greenPaige Spiranac · Intermediate2 minFrom the same proClosed-Face Shank: The Driver Cover DrillButch Harmon · Beginner / Intermediate

What the lesson shows

For Rickie Fowler, an amateur without a bunker in front of him would often have reached for the putter. Forced to carry the ball, he's afraid, accelerates too early, fails to engage, and decelerates: The ball is hit with a scraped or tapped motion. From a technical standpoint, he emphasizes the setup and the length of the backswing: if it’s too long or too short, the tempo gets thrown off. He recommends let the club set the pace and keep it constant throughout the impact.

Butch Harmon emphasizes one point: let the club's loft do the work. You have to focus on hitting down on the ball; it’s the loft that gets the ball in the air. In Pro-Am tournaments, he sees amateurs trying to help the ball rise, and they end up using fat shots or topping it. Another clue: if you take a divot on such a short shot, you’ve come down too vertically. The The bounce should just graze the ground. His advice for Fowler's last shot: open the clubface slightly, take a smooth backswing, and follow through all the way.

The Exercise, Step by Step

  1. Open the face of your wedge slightly.
  2. Choose a backswing length that's appropriate for the distance—neither too long nor too short.
  3. Take your time setting up the club.
  4. Make a point of moving down toward the ball without trying to lift it.
  5. Let the ball bounce just slightly off the ground.
  6. Follow through completely, maintaining a constant speed through the impact.

Key Takeaways

The fear of carrying the ball causes you to accelerate too early and then slow down.
A backswing that's too long or too short throws off your tempo.
Let the club maintain a constant speed through impact.
Focus on swinging down: the loft makes the ball rise.
A divot on this shot: the swing was too vertical.
The bounce skims the ground, with the face slightly open.

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Wanting to help the ball go up.
  • Slow down upon impact out of fear of the bunker.
  • Taking a backswing that's too long and then holding back, or one that's too short and then forcing the swing.
  • Hitting the ball too upright and taking a divot.
  • Rushing into things instead of committing.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

  1. Balls behind a driving range bunker, clubface slightly open
  2. Keep the same backswing length throughout a series to set the tempo
  3. Check the mark on the ground: lightly touched, no divot
  4. Follow through to the finish on every shot

Your Questions

Why am I strumming or tapping this beat?

According to Rickie Fowler, the amateur is afraid of having to hit the ball: he accelerates too early, doesn't commit, and decelerates as he makes contact with the ball. Butch Harmon adds that the amateur tries to help the ball rise.

Should you take a divot on this chip shot?

No. According to Harmon, a divot on such a short shot means you're coming down too vertically. The bounce should just graze the ground.

How can you make the ball go up without lifting it?

When you swing down with commitment: it's the club's loft that gets the ball in the air.

Should we open up the front?

Just a little, as Harmon asks Fowler to do, then gradually build up and keep the rhythm.

Learn More

All “Pitch Shots” videos →Find the lesson that's right for youAll “Chipping” videos →Find the lesson that's right for youAll videos on “Wedge Play = Pitching and Chipping” →Find the lesson that's right for you Bump-and-run and flop shot: three shots around the greenAround the green, there are two techniques: the bump-and-run with your shoulders (without using your hands), and an open face with hands free for downhill chips and flop shots. Lee Trevino's 35-yard pitch: the left hip30-40-yard pitch: ball set back, hands above the shoe, left hip driving the club. Trevino sweeps the ball without hitting down on it. Ball Climbing Up the Wedge Face: 3 Shots by MorikawaToo much loft at impact causes the ball to rise off the clubface: Morikawa demonstrates how to avoid this with a 40-yard wedge shot, a lob, and an uphill pitch. Butch HarmonAll of his lessons

Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Butch Harmon). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons without hosting them.

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