Golf Pitching and Chipping Head Positioning Drill

This drill is designed to help players with pitching and chipping the ball, but can also be used in the full swing if necessary. When chipping and pitching the ball, it is normally our goal to minimize lateral motion to more reliably make consistent contact with the ball. If we shift our weight excessively to the right, it requires a lot of skill, hand eye coordination, and perhaps luck to get back to the ball and make solid contact.

First, establish where you would like to hit shots from, perhaps on a low tee. From where the ball lies, move five or 6 inches perpendicular to the target line away from your body side of the ball. Plant a shaft or dowel vertically into the ground on this point. Now, as you set up to the ball, especially when pitching and chipping the ball, note the position of the shaft from your perspective. Because your head should be slightly forward of the ball position, you should be looking more at the front side of the shaft so to speak. This provides your frame of reference as you go about rehearsing your motion.

At the top of your backswing, the vantage point towards the shaft should remain unchanged. If you are now looking at the backside of the shaft, then you have shifted your weight too far to the right. This drill should help you more accurately assess how much unwanted lateral head movement you have in your chipping and pitching motion.