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Pitching

Pitching Drills for Consistent Distance Control

The pitch shot is where handicaps are made or broken — 50 to 100 yards should be your most reliable zone.

The 50-100 yard zone is where average golfers give away the most shots. Missing greens short by 10 yards, leaving chips awkward, failing to get up-and-down — all of these come from poor distance control on pitch shots. These drills build a reliable, repeatable pitch shot across all yardages.

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Drill 1

The Ladder Drill

Set five targets at 50, 60, 70, 80, and 90 yards (use towels or alignment sticks if on a range). Hit 3 balls at each target in sequence without skipping. The discipline of hitting each specific yardage, in order, builds the feel for distance adjustment that simply hitting ball after ball to one target cannot. Track which yardages feel natural and which feel forced.

Reps: 5 targets x 3 balls = 15 shots
Drill 2

Clock System Drill

Imagine a clock face on your swing. A full backswing is 12 o'clock. Shoulder height is 9 o'clock. Waist height is 7:30. Hit 5 balls with each clock position and measure how far they carry. Once you know your 'clock carry distances,' you can dial up any yardage in your range by feel.

Reps: 3 positions x 5 balls
Drill 3

Half-Gap Drill

Find two yardages you can hit comfortably (say 60 and 80 yards). Now try to hit a ball that lands exactly halfway between them (70 yards). This forces fine motor control of swing length and speed rather than relying on two comfortable automatic positions. The ability to fill gaps between known yardages is elite pitch shot skill.

Reps: 10 balls at the half-gap yardage
Drill 4

One-Club Pitch Rotation

Pick only your gap wedge. Spend an entire practice session hitting nothing but pitches with this one club. Vary distances 40-90 yards by changing swing length and speed rather than club selection. This builds intimate knowledge of your wedge's full distance spectrum.

Reps: 20-30 balls, multiple yardages
Drill 5

Eyes-Closed Distance Feel

Hit five pitch shots to a target with your eyes open, then hit five with your eyes closed, focusing only on feel and swing rhythm. The eyes-closed shots often surprise you with how consistent they are — and how much visual attention was causing tension and compensation. This is a proprioception drill, not a trick.

Reps: 5 open, 5 closed per yardage

How GOATY AI Measures This

GOATY's WHIP score measures the club head release pattern through impact. Consistent pitch shot distance requires a consistent release — golfers who vary their release unconsciously produce unpredictable distances even with good swing length control.

See These Drills Working in Your Swing

GOATY AI analyzes your real swing and shows you exactly which of these drills will have the highest impact for your specific faults. Personalized coaching, no guesswork.

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