Today we are talking about pitching to an elevated green.

As you can see, I’ve missed this green. I can see the pin, but I can not see the green’s surface. The problem is, I do not know how much green there is to work with. I could end up hitting the ball too short or too long. So, this simple little piece of advice, whenever you are in the situation where you can see the pin but cannot see the green surface. Walk up and look. See how much green there is to work with. Then, choose the best club.

I have walked up to the green. I can see the entire green. From this vantage point I see I have a lot of green to work with. I can land the ball a little bit lower, have it hit the green and run all the way to the hole. Because I walked up to the green to see for myself the extent of green there is to work with, I will not have to be extra touchy with the ball. I will not have to drop the ball precisely in on the pin.

Now that I took a good look up by the green, I know how much green there is to work with. I have chosen the club that I want to hit. In this case it is my 60-degree wedge. I will use the club to hit the ball quite high and out on the green. The ball will roll the rest of the way. Had I not walked up to the green, I might have hit the ball much too short.

I am going to hit the ball with a fair amount of its natural loft, throw it right out into the middle of the green, and let it roll a little bit. Having seen the green, I am relatively sure the ball will roll right up by the hole.

PGA Instructor Mike Cahill and PGA Master Instructor Dave Cahill are here to help you play better and enjoy the game more. To learn more about pitching please come see us in Palm Springs for golf lessons or visit us for a Palm Springs Golf School.

PGA Master Instructor Dave Cahill [email protected]