golfrewind.com

I played in a pro-am this weekend and the preferred approach was the 2 hop and then stop on a dime shot. I am curious if there are drills one can practice for this, or if anyone has any tips on how I can accomplish this shot.

Best off leaving it to the pros but if you want to perfect it you need a soft cover ball like the pro v, callaway hx tour, and the best ball for stopping power is the hx tour 56. Open stance a little and hit through clean on the pitch. The pros can do it pretty consistent because they normally contact the little ball before the big ball(earth). When ever you are fairly close in even the pros try to use whatever shot gets the ball on the green the quickest and allows it to roll like a putt. No better way to build a score up than to try a stopper and it goes off the back and shortsides the return. I use to try and do the check and stop but the inconsistency drove me back to just touch chipping and pitching and my scores have dropped. Remember if you want the ball to stop after it hits whether one, two, or three bounces it just takes a good ball and good contact and to accelerate through. The harder and steeper the contact the more spin applied. That is why most amateurs have a problem with that type of shot is because it takes precision because of the descending blow.

absolutely.. Its a tough shot and you really need to be precise.. I'd say, play the ball off your right heel... Its basically a 10 to 2 shot and your backswing is key in the distance you want it to go... one other thing, You'll never get it to stop on a dime if you can't hit the ball right square in the sweet spot.. so just practice on that one..

Great post! Having more control over my approach shots is something I really need to work on, and this post just reminded me of it. Thanks.

swing with your shoulders and start the down swing with your chest. let your chest lead your arms thru impact instead of using an all arms swing. i do it and i make it stop after one hop, its very reliable for me.

if you need anymore help, just go to "do you need help?" in the same section (golf tips) and post a question, i'll be sure to give an answer on the thread

I just read a tid bit in Golf Digest (I believe by David Leadbetter) that Phil Mickelson's clubhead speed on pitch shots averages 80+ MPH. To swing 80+ MPH and not have the ball go 100 yards with a sand wedge, you obviously need a glancing strike.

From my college physics courses, I recall spin is angular velocity and distance is vector velocity. You want more energy going into spinning the ball and less of it contributing to forward ball speed.

I usually hit that shot with a lob wedge and short, fast swing. I pick the ball and barely leave a mark on the turf. Depending on the lie and how crisply you contact the ball, it might roll a bit.

Square grooves and a urethane covered ball are a must for that shot, BTW. I agree with Coralpro, the HX Tour 56 has the softest cover out there. I never spun a ball like I did with the 56.

Thanks for the information! I took your advice and went to the chipping green last night at my local course, while I had trouble getting the ball to check up from the fringe, I found it quite easy, and effective from around 30 yds. I usually play a lob wedge from that distance, however, I am going to experiment with this shot in the future. I'm not sure if this will create bad habits in the future, but I found I had more control when I choked up on the grip?

Why? Isn't that what THIS thread is for?

Shade