johnnydoom
I never learned the art of scoring until I became proficient with the 40-yard pitch shot. And it's a tough range for most once-a-week players, especially off tight lies.
That's where the 58º wedge came in. 3/4 swing, making sure that I strike the little ball first, finishing my swing. Acceleration means just as much on the short pitch shots as it does the putts from 5 feet to salvage par.
I'll put it to you this way... when I decelerate on a putt - I never make it. When I decelerate on a pitch shot - I never get the ball near the hole.
I just gotta remember to keep the club head moving through the ball, whether it's a dicey 40 yard pitch or a 5 footer to save par. Most of us get into trouble when we aren't aggressive on those shorter shots. And if those shots give us fits - maybe laying up to where a full swing is required very well might be the prudent option.
Everybody has their strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes it just comes down to managing the strengths of one's game. And it's always situational.... pin location, softness of the greens, potential trouble needed to be carried... but 99% of the time I'm much better off just focusing on the target and not decelerating.
I went through a spell last season when my pitching absolutely sucked. I was blading the ball over the greens, or duffing it short. When I finally realized that decelerating was my issue (trying to get cute and nestle the ball up in the air and on the green) - when I finally realized that I still needed to be aggressive on those shots, even if it was from just 40 yards off the green - I started getting the ball much closer to the hole.
Lots of factors to consider, but deceleration is the bane of a golfer's existence.
Don't be afraid to hit the ball. At worst - you'll still most likely have a putt to save par. Our doubt and lack of determination generally leads to 2 additional strokes.