What club should I pitch with? Padraig Harrington has your answer

According to three-time major winner Padraig Harrington, the lob wedge isn’t always the best option for your pitch shots into the greens.

While many of us are quick to reach for our most lofted wedge whenever we get within 50-yards, it’s not always the way to go according to Harrington. It’s easy to think that more loft around the greens means more control, but that isn’t always the case.

“I’m practicing here with a 52-degree,” said the two-time Open champion. “It’s very difficult to hit lots of 60-degree wedges in a row. I definitely found that, you can hit one or two and get a feel for it, but the more you hit, it does get difficult.”

Padraig goes on to say that while you might be using a club with plenty loft, you want to keep your pitch shots pretty low to keep them controlled.

“In general, with a pitch shot, we’re trying to hit the ball reasonably low,” he explains. “I think the stats say you’ve got to be getting it around 26-to-30 degrees launch, to have the best distance control.

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“So that’s quite a low launch, not a high one. If you hit too many 60-degree wedges, you’re going to start leaning on it to keep it down.”

He goes on to hit several shots with his gap-wedge, focussing on taking a shallow divot, with a short, controlled swing.

“My 52-degree will help me keep it low without trying too hard and leaning on it.”

So, if you find yourself struggling to control your pitch shots around the greens, try this tip out for a more consistent short-game.