Jason Sedan on Downhill Pitch Shots (Video)

Make sure you understand what GCA coach Jason Sedan did when he pitched from this downhill lie.



It's easy to see that he has set up with more weight on his lead leg BUT did you pay attention to that followthrough? There is no weight shift during the pitch!

That's a critical thing to remember. If you set up with your weight ahead on a downslope and then shift your weight even further forward, you're going to fall down the slope. If you're playing a full shot from this lie, "stepping through" the shot isn't such a bad thing.

But with the shorter swing of a pitch, that extra movement can ruin your distance control -- which is critical with a pitch shot -- as well as causing a mis-hit, creating either a fat or thin shot.

Remember that this isn't a power shot. It's a finesse shot and your "touch" will make or break the result.

Here's a bonus tip that Jason doesn't mention: While he calls this a downhill sloping shot, he focuses on the downhill part. But if you look at the down-the-line view of this shot around the :12 second mark, you'll note that the ball is ever so slightly below his feet as well. Sidehill shots often require a special setup but when the lie is only slightly sidehill, you may not need to adjust for it if you stay steady over the ball while you pitch.

You should practice this shot to see just how much slope you can safely ignore but the less you have to think about when standing over this shot, the easier it will be. Remember: The more you know about your game, the more confident you'll be on the course.