Control your pitches

DON'T LET THE BALL DROP: Swinging with a spongy ball between your arms will keep your hands, arms and body in sync.

Synchronizing your swing is important with any club, but particularly with short shots that require a lot of precision, such as pitches. In essence, the action of the hands and arms should blend with the movement of the body. To get the feel of your hands, arms and body working in sync, place a spongy ball between your forearms just below the elbows, or stretch a towel across your chest and hold it under your arms. In either case, the goal is to make half swings keeping the object in place.

The only way to prevent the ball or towel from slipping out is to rotate your body and swing your arms back and through in harmony. If one part moves independently of the other, such as your arms swinging without your body turning, then there's little to no chance that you'll hit your pitch shots with any consistency.

Learn to stay in sync, and you'll be able to pace your swing and control the distance you hit these important scoring shots.