Short Game | Wayne DeFrancesco

Jordan Spieth Pitching: Video for Tony Romo

By Wayne | PGA Professionals , Tour Players and Celebrities , Videos: Swing Analysis

Back in January of 2018 I played in the Isleworth Invitational, partnering with Tony Romo. Tony had been playing quite a bit with Jordan Spieth, and we had a great time practicing on the fabulous short game area at the club with me showing Tony some things and Tony sharing with me some of Spieth’s secrets to his amazing pitching game. I had recorded Spieth off a couple of televised events, focusing on his short game, one of which was the Hero World Challenge, also at Isleworth, where Spieth blitzed the field while shooting an incredible 26 under par (Isleworth…

Become a Premium member [click here to join] today! If you are already a member please login.

The Two Main Elite Level Pitching Techniques Demonstrated

By Wayne | Videos: Swing Analysis

I have a question for you: Do you track your ball-striking stats either manually or with an app? If your answer to this question is “no” and you’re serious about lowering your scores you should consider changing that approach. Now think about these two questions: How many greens in regulation do you hit on average? When you miss the green how often do you get up and down for par? Even if you’re one of the best ball-strikers on the planet hitting approximately 75% of your greens in regulation you’ll still have to get up and down every fourth hole.…

Become a Premium member [click here to join] today! If you are already a member please login.

Rickie Fowler Demonstrating Leading Edge Pitch

By Wayne | Videos: Swing Analysis

This is a nice shot of Rickie Fowler pulling off a difficult pitch from a tight lie to a tucked pin. He needs to land the ball just over a bunker well left of the pin with medium-high trajectory as it will hit firmly and kick hard right. He chooses a leading- edge pitch where he contacts the ball before the ground with a descending blow, which is obvious from the way the wedge hits the ground and the divot that results. We can guess that he felt like he was dealing with very firm ground and grain running against…

Become a Premium member [click here to join] today! If you are already a member please login.

Paul Pastore, PGA: Shallowing Impact and Controlling Wedges

By Wayne | Videos: Lesson of the Week

Paul is an assistant professional working in Connecticut who combines a great natural swing technique with lots of power. Paul’s main issue, as is the case with most young players with his attributes, is controlling the ball. Paul stays quite centered during his swing and has a late release, so that a ball position that is back of center is almost guaranteed to produce a huge divot with a full swing. I like to have players with Paul’s ability to lag the club play the ball more forward, even with the wedges, as that will do a lot to decrease…

Become a Premium member [click here to join] today! If you are already a member please login.

Tiger Woods Demonstrates Exemplary Pitching Technique

By Wayne | Videos: Swing Analysis

As we know, the reports of Tiger Woods having irreversible pitching yips have been greatly exaggerated (Brandel and Hank). He has always had one of the best short games in history, and he is still getting it up and down from everywhere. Here we see a standard tight lie pitch shot where he chooses to flight the ball higher and carry it further than it seems he would have to as he considers the best spot on the green to land the ball. The old adage to get the ball on the ground as soon as possible can be good…

Become a Premium member [click here to join] today! If you are already a member please login.

Playing for Money: Willy Wilcox Part Two: Short game Simplification

By Wayne | Videos: Swing Analysis

When Willy and I first spoke, I was surprised to hear that what he thought he needed the most was to get a better idea of what to do with his short game, especially his short pitching and putting. I gave him my usual opinions on pitch shots, explaining that I view it as a mini full -swing and that most players that develop trouble are making the process too complicated. If you are a good ball striker, and every Tour player is, you should have no trouble hitting the ball short distances, unless you try to reinvent the wheel and make it a whole different exercise. In both Willy’s pitching and putting there was excess finish, and when I got him to finish more down and to hold it both improved greatly. There is a discipline to holding the finish on short shots that any good player can forget about, and if they do they need to be reminded.

Short Game Work with John Lamendola

By Wayne | Videos: Online Students

Wayne D! Apologies if this email gets long. Tee to green I haven’t played with anyone all year who has hit it as good as me. My ball striking has become really really good. What’s been really holding me back is my chipping and pitching from 30 and in. I think it gets a little flippy and the follow through gets long. My miss is thin not fat. Shot 79/75 NYC am both rounds could have easily been in the 60’s. If I can sort this shot out I am very confident I can start winning. Thanks, as always. You have transformed my golf swing!!!!

Wayne D Working on Bunker Technique

By Wayne | Videos: Swing Analysis

I hadn’t been in the bunker with the camera for a while and since I am changing my technique a bit from an out to in path with an open stance and open face to a more square stance and a shallower approach I thought it would be a good idea to see if I were really doing what I was thinking about. As you will see in the first attempt I am still keeping the shaft in front of me and coming from quite a bit out to in.

Jordan Spieth Gives the World a Pitching Lesson

By Wayne | Videos: Swing Analysis

This snippet of Spieth practicing his pitch shots before the final round of the British Open happened while the announcers were droning on about whatever they could fill space with. Meantime in the background Spieth was providing viewers with one of the best short game lessons (unintended of course) they could ever receive. In six shots Spieth demonstrates the two most important pitching techniques for any level of player:

40 Yard Bunker Shot Technique by Roberto Castro

By Wayne | Videos: Swing Analysis

This is a great companion to the Jimmy Walker high soft bunker shot video I did a few weeks ago. Here Castro takes his Pitching Wedge and hits what amounts to an open face punch shot from the sand that finishes about 6 feet from the cup. In contrast to Walker’s shot (wide open stance, out to in cut across swing), Castro plays this from an almost dead square stance, then makes an on plane backswing and flattens the shaft on the way down while keeping his left wrist cupped and the face open. He cuts off the finish at waist high, producing a shallow but driving strike.

1 2 3 Next »

Tag Archives for " Short Game "