Professional breaks down variations between the steep and shallow pitch

For those who’re not following Michael Kim on social media but, you’re lacking out.

The veteran PGA Tour professional has constructed a fairly loyal following on Twitter via his takes on golf present occasions, recaps of every match and behind-the-scenes information on being a Tour professional. He additionally hasn’t been shy to share his takes on golf instruction or present ideas for amateurs.

His newest submit falls beneath the latter two classes as Kim is providing his tackle one of many hottest debates in golf instruction proper now: To be shallow or steep along with your pitch pictures?

Retaining the membership on a shallow aircraft is essential for amateurs based on GOLF High 100 Trainer to Watch and Tour brief sport coach Parker McLachlin, who’s also referred to as the Brief Recreation Chef on social media.

However, fellow PGA Tour coach Joe Mayo helped reinvent Viktor Hovland’s brief sport by preaching for a steeper angle of assault across the greens.

On Saturday, Kim provided some ideas and movies explaining how you can hit each pictures and the place he may use one or the opposite. He was cautious to not take a aspect on which one is the very best.

“I’d wish to make the purpose that one isn’t higher or worse. It’s rather more WHEN to do it,” he wrote on Twitter. “Every has properties that’s higher in sure conditions than others. Consider it extra like draw vs fade not an both/or. The shallow is healthier for once you need to hit a softer med-med excessive trajectory with just a little little bit of spin and it lands good and gentle. Steep is a lot better once you need one thing just a little decrease, just a little extra skip then spin, ball first strong contact. It’s prob a greater movement for many bump and runs. I don’t assume shallow is required on bump and runs. Additionally a lot better manner movement out of the tough. Sure lies do higher with shallow, some do higher with steep.

“It’s as much as you to try to discover what works for you.”

The shallow shot

Kim likens the shallow shot to an underhand toss, explaining it can come out with a medium to a medium-high trajectory that lands softly with just a little little bit of spin. He says he makes use of this shot from tight lies within the fairway when he could not have a ton of inexperienced to work with.

Setup: Barely open stance. Weight 50/50 on every foot. Clubface open. Shaft vertical (Ie. palms above the clubhead at tackle). Ball place center.

Swing: Energy supply from flip, little arms and wrist motion. Maintain broad arc.

Kim says the advantage of the shallow swing is that it’s very forgiving.

“Possibly 30 % of the time, I really hit just a little behind the ball,” he mentioned. “However that’s OK as a result of the membership is coming in so shallow, it hits the bottom and utilizing the bounce just a little bit, it simply pushes the ball up just a little greater. And it’s actually forgiving that manner and one of many causes I discover it so helpful on the golf course.”

Kim then defined that amateurs battle with the shallow shot as a result of they’re used to utilizing their wrists and arms. So Kim provided a video on the “robotic drill” to assist apply and reinforce the method. Primarily, you hit a pitch shot along with your arms and wrists locked out with a purpose to really feel the place the swing path ought to be.

The steep shot

For the steep shot, Kim mentioned this shot is mainly “a low checker.” He makes use of this shot out of the golf green when he desires the ball to hit right into a slope after which have spin as soon as it will get on prime and on the placing floor.

Setup: Open stance. Higher physique turned open to match toes. Weight 70/30 on entrance foot. Clubface open. Shaft leans ahead with palms forward at tackle. Ball place center or barely again.

Swing: Wrist and arm hinge is OK, however not wanted. Transfer head up on downswing to keep away from digging. Swing in a “V” form versus a “U.”

He mentioned the profit is that the contact is healthier with extra spin due to the steeper angle of assault.

“I get a a lot crisper contact, a pleasant thud to it,” Kim mentioned.

Whereas he doesn’t add any wrist or arm hinge, Kim says it’s OK to take action as a result of it could possibly enable you enhance the angle of assault. Kim says he prefers to maintain his arms and wrists out of it to make distance management simpler.

So the subsequent time you’re at a apply inexperienced, attempt each the steep and the shallow swings and see which one you want and what conditions you should use each.

Jack Hirsh

Golf.com Editor

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State College, incomes levels in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his highschool golf staff and not too long ago returned to this system to function head coach. Jack additionally nonetheless *tries* to stay aggressive in native amateurs. Earlier than becoming a member of GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but in addition producing, anchoring and even presenting the climate. He might be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.