Coaching Notes

To pick a landing spot or not to pick a landing spot - this has been one of the great debates in chipping / pitching for ages. Everyone is a little bit different in their philosophy on this.

Let's play around with picking and hitting a landing zone today to see how it works for you. Even if you are not a landing spot player, this is a good practice to do from time-to-time. At worst, it will help you control your trajectory and distance with your pitching work.

Landing Zone Practice Session [40 min]

Chipping / Pitching Warm Up [12 min]

Hit 2 shots from each of the following distances out of the fairway:

• 10 yards
• 15 yards
• 20 yards
• 30 yards

Then complete this same circuit out of the rough.

Landing Zone Challenge (Fairway) [15 min]

Select a 10 yard shot to hit from the fairway. Place your golf towel in your desired landing spot. Hit 8 shots trying to hit the towel on the fly.

Repeat this exercise from 20 and 30 yards.

SCORING: How many times can you hit your target from each distance?

COACHING NOTES: One of the keys to this exercise is managing your trajectory. You can change your trajectory by:

1. Switching the lofts you utilize on your wedges
2. Varying the shaft lean at address which varies the face angle of the clubhead (move your hands forward with a forward press ahead of the ball to create a lower trajectory; set your hands, shaft and ball in a line to create a higher trajectory)

Note that no matter how you set your hands, shaft and ball position, you should always try to make the same swing motion.

Landing Zone Challenge (Rough) [15 min]

Select a 10 yard shot to hit from the rough. Place your towel in your desired landing spot. Hit 8 shots trying to hit the towel on the fly.

Repeat this exercise from 20 and 30 yards.

Think about how you need to vary your trajectories / landing zone selections out of the rough versus the fairway given the spin and run out you get from both lies.

SCORE: How many times can you hit your target from each distance?

COACHING NOTES: Apply the same trajectory notes from the prior section.