Pitching off a downslope

GM Top 25 coach, Ged Walters, highlights some of the key set-up changes and points to remember when pitching off a downslope

(Image credit: Kevin Murray)

GM Top 25 coach, Ged Walters, highlights some of the key set-up changes and points to remember when pitching off a downslope

1) Square alignment It's important to get the basics right in all aspects of pitching, but the pitch I’m looking at specifically here here is one of about 50 yards off a slight downslope. Other than a bare or really tight lie, pitching off a downslope would rank among the trickiest of shots, but putting a few key things in place will give you the best chance of success, starting with alignment.

I see some golfers aiming right, then trying to pull the club back on target, and others who open it all up at address to get the left hip out of the way, but then drag the shot away left. Many golfers subscribe to opening out the left hip a little, but I would rather you square everything up to the target – feet, knees, hips and shoulders – to encourage a little hip rotation, as that also helps promote a continued movement of the forearms through the ball.

Picking out something on the ground on your line just ahead of the ball is a great idea, as it’s easier to align the clubface to this point than the flag.

2) Set-up keys Your set-up is crucial too when pitching off a downslope. Take a slightly narrower stance – maybe 10-12ins, roughly the length of a golf grip. You don’t want it too wide as there isn’t much body movement on a pitch. From here, it’s easier to lean slightly on your lead side – around 65-70% of your body’s pressure.

Crucially, you must then keep it there as you swing to promote the correct angle of attack. Ball position should be just a fraction behind centre, and you should keep your hands nice and soft on the club so you can feel a little bit of movement - no choking it with a tight grip!

3) Don’t scoop it We’ve all watched people get very 'handsy' and try to scoop the ball up with their wrists, often resulting in a top. What you actually want to replicate more is the movement of a gentle underarm throw where the underside of the trailing arm naturally continues its forward movement rather than stopping at the ball.

If your trailing arm continues all the way through to the finish nice and fluently (not quickly as this is a finesse movement), you’ve got a great chance of success.

Check out GM Top 25 coach Keith Wood's pitching basics

4) Use the bounce For this shot I’ve selected my 54˚ wedge because of the downslope, but more importantly, because it has 11˚ of sole bounce. You want to feel the flow of the club as the bounce angle brushes the turf through impact, so you need a healthy degree of bounce to stop the leading edge digging in.

If you then swing with a nice controlled tempo and keep the forearms going down and forward through the slope, you will significantly increase your prospects of a good result.

Jeremy Ellwood
Contributing Editor

Jeremy Ellwood has worked in the golf industry since 1993 and for Golf Monthly since 2002 when he started out as equipment editor. He is now a freelance journalist writing mainly for Golf Monthly. He is an expert on the Rules of Golf having qualified through an R&A course to become a golf referee. He is a senior panelist for Golf Monthly's Top 100 UK & Ireland Course Rankings and has played all of the Top 100 plus 91 of the Next 100, making him well-qualified when it comes to assessing and comparing our premier golf courses. He has now played 1,000 golf courses worldwide in 35 countries, from the humblest of nine-holers in the Scottish Highlands to the very grandest of international golf resorts. He reached the 1,000 mark on his 60th birthday in October 2023 on Vale do Lobo's Ocean course. Put him on a links course anywhere and he will be blissfully content.

Jezz can be contacted via Twitter - @JezzEllwoodGolf


Jeremy is currently playing...

Driver: Ping G425 LST 10.5˚ (draw setting), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 55 S shaft

3 wood: Ping G425 Max 15˚ (set to flat +1), Mitsubishi Tensei AV Orange 65 S shaft

Hybrid: Ping G425 17˚, Mitsubishi Tensei CK Pro Orange 80 S shaft

Irons 3-PW: Ping i525, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Wedges: Ping Glide 4.0 50˚ and 54˚, 12˚ bounce, True Temper Dynamic Gold 105 R300 shafts

Putter: Ping Fetch 2021 model, 33in shaft (set flat 2)

Ball: Varies but mostly now TaylorMade Tour Response