Hitting a chip or pitch to a putting surface above your shoulder level can cause golfers of all skill levels, low handicappers included. However, with the right approach, you can avoid bad shots even in these tricky situations. In this month’s Mel in Motion video golf tip, Mel provides tips on technique and club selection for dealing with this situation.

When you are Pitching To a Green Above Shoulder Level and don’t have a lot of green to work with, you need height to stop the ball a little quicker.

Address Position

In the address position, this shot is a little different from a regular shot. The ball position is slightly more forward in the stance. Position the weight even on both feet instead of the usual front foot. And the hands are level with the clubhead instead of moving the hands forward as in a regular pitch shot.

Backswing

As this shot will have a little more loft at impact than the usual pitch shot, you need to swing harder, so take a longer backswing. By swinging harder and creating more clubhead speed, you will also create more backspin, and the ball will stop on a dime!

Follow-Through

Don’t quit on this shot! Allow the body to rotate through so that your hips are facing the target.