Short and Sweet

Revolving around the way you set up to the ball, the basic chipping and pitching action is simplicity itself.

Let's keep things simple

Most golfers over-complicate the short game when in reality the basic chipping and pitching skills are quite straightforward.

Over this and the following spread, I want to leave you with a couple of pro pointers that will enable you to go out and work effectively on improving your chipping and pitching skills - vital for lowering your scores.

In both cases, I believe that understanding ball position is one of the keys to the correct technique.

Moving the ball back a little, towards the right heel, leads you to a good strike, which determines your ability to control both flight and distance.

A swing in miniature

That's what good pitching technique is: the core movement involves the hands, arms and upper body working together to create a compact action that enables you to control the distance you land the ball. What you are looking for is the essence of a full swing scaled down in terms of body turn and speed.

Pitching is all about your ability to control the speed of the delivery through impact. That's why the towel drill is so effective; it helps to establish the vital connection between the arms and upper body that enables you to control the speed at which you swing the clubhead.