Play the 40 yard pitch shot video

Golf Monthly Top 25 coach Gary Alliss talks through how to best play a 40 yard pitch shot.

Play the 40 yard pitch shot video

One common piece of course management advice is, when you’re laying-up, leave yourself a yardage that you can hit a full pitch shot from.

But there are always occasions for every golfer, when you find yourself facing an awkward half pitch. This is a real challenge of your skill and natural feel for distance.

Whether it's getting up and down from short of a par-5 green for birdie, or trying to salvage par on a par-4, mastering this shot can really help you shave strokes off your game.

There are a few key things you can do to help you make a committed, positive swing and to generate plenty of spin control.

Take your most lofted wedge, ideally a 56 or a 60 degree, as this will maximise spin generation on this short, delicate shot.

Firstly at address, move your hands right down to the bottom of the grip, narrow your stance and place around 70% of your weight on your lead foot.

As you take the club away, set the angle in your wrists early, this will help you produce that steep angle of attack you are looking for, for a crisp strike with plenty of spin.

The key however, is to curtail your follow through, letting the club exit impact to the left of the target line.

This approach will help you to remain aggressive with the shot to generate plenty of spin and the perfect distance.

As well as back-spin, this steep, left-exiting path will also impart some left to right spin on the ball, so be sure to take this into account if there are any undulations on the green around the pin.

More 40 yard pitch shot tips

Move your left foot back a fraction at address. This opens up the stance and will allow your upper body to rotate as it should through impact so that your arms and body work together.

Shot on location at Montgomerie Maxx Royal, Turkey by Tom Miles