James Ridyard on Pitching Like Stricker (Video)

With Steve Stricker breaking his win drought this past weekend, I thought a Stricker lesson would be appropriate. James Ridyard from Today's Golfer magazine (a UK pub) has a helpful lesson.



Pay close attention to the technique because it's based around a very simple idea: Don't rotate your wrists any more than necessary. Everything in this video is focused on this simple idea, and it's the key to Stricker's consistency. I want to focus on two things Ridyard says.

First, Stricker sets up with his hands a bit higher than most players. This allows him to take the club back without having to rotate his forearms as much as you would if you carried your hands lower. His lead arm and club shaft almost form a straight line -- almost but not quite. Creating a very straight line would require more tension than Stricker's technique. Less tension equals more feel.

Second, pay close attention to Ridyard's warning against trying to hold your wrist cock late into the pitch. This isn't a power shot, and pulling your hands into the shot that way will make it hard to use the bounce of the club. It might help to think of your hands remaining in front of your belly button all the way through this short swing. Again, this helps reduce the need to rotate your hands at impact.

And remember: The less you rotate your hands and wrists, the easier it is to bring the clubface back square into impact. And that's a major key to a good short game.