The 9 o’clock swing.

In pitching, all the basics apply: the grip, aim, setup, impact, swing plane, clubface all apply. Assuming that those are all sound, it’s time to work on distance control. One of the big factors is to develop a length of swing that controls the speed of swing and the distance. Instead of having a bunch of different lengths of swings, not to mention a bunch of different clubs, what most of us need to do is to perfect one swing length with one club.

Picture the face of a clock. Take a sand wedge and let your arms get to 9 o’clock on your backswing. Hit the ball solidly, then let your arms get to 2 or 3 o’clock on the follow-through. Hit 10 balls and get a good idea of the distance that that swing produces. This develops your baseline 9 o’clock swing, allowing you to proceed to other swing lengths and swing speeds armed with knowledge and confidence.