Swing and the short game

Best quote by a teaching pro I have ever read is this;

    'The best approach to improvement is to combine your swing practice with your short game work. 'The vast majority of swing work can be done with a sand wedge. You use the same swing motion with a wedge as all clubs, just with a different set up. If you cannot flight a sand wedge properly with consistent divots, trajectory and solidness then what makes you think you can hit a five iron better? Learn to work on things in your golf swing with a sand wedge. Become proficient at adjusting the set up to hit a knock down, then hit a floater, then a cut spinner, then a knock down draw, etc. If you can do it with a sand wedge you can do it with a driver.'



This philosophy is now what I'm basing my practice time on. Today was all about 40-60 yard pitch shots with a 54 degree wedge. For perhaps the first time ever I started coming into the ball from the inside and shallow. I just finally 'got it' and as a result I spent a happy 2 and a half hours just hitting magical spinning pitch shots. Controlling everything with my body turn and hips. Not even one came off the shank. and indeed I started to open my stance as the ball was pushing out slightly to the right instead of  the left :D

In another development I have contacted the new golf pro I mentioned in my last post and arranged to spend 4 hours with him on Friday. This will be a very expensive investment in my swing, but I'm content that it will be money better spent long term than getting new equipment. I'm very interested to work with him and intrigued to see what I bring away from such a long time under personal instruction.