Next, Ben took us through the basics of effective chipping and pitching. Chipping centered around using your highest lofted wedge, pinching the ball to ensure a low, rolling-out trajectory. Pitching instruction centered more on impacting the ground with the bounce of the wedge rather than the leading edge.
You may be one of those guys who makes full-swing flop shots from the edge of the green, but that shot has always scared the hell out of me. When I get the nerve to try it, I am usually rewarded with some nasty bye-bye blade-y ball.
Ben showed me something that I think will take me toward being more successful with this shot. He took a wedge and hit a chip shot, and then a pitch shot off of a painted white 2x4 to show where the club impacts the turf with the two shots . Look at the marks on the wedge. I don’t know why, but I feel that this visual has helped me to really see the difference between the two shots.
The flop still scares me, but I think I now have a better idea about what it is, and perhaps how to hit it.