Graeme McDowell: Master the 120 yard pitch

In this Graeme McDowell master the 120 yard pitch lesson, the Northern Irishman explains how to dial in your wedges to make more birdies

Remember, your wedges are your scoring clubs and to get the ball close in different weather and ground conditions, and when attacking different pin locations, you need to have more than one option in your armoury.

For each key yardage, I have one full swing shot with more loft that goes higher and stops quicker, and one slightly shorter swing shot with less loft that flies lower and spins less.

There are three factors I use to control the distance of my wedge shots: the loft of my wedge, how far up or down the grip I set my hands and how far back my swing goes.

I need to stress that you really don't want to change your rhythm in any way to hit different yardages. I don't like seeing guys taking a long backswing and then decelerating into impact; that's not the way to do it.

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Graeme McDowell Master the 120 yard pitch

From here, I either hit my 52° gap wedge or my 48° pitching wedge depending on the conditions and the pin position. With my gap wedge, it will need to be a flat-out shot. There isn't a huge amount of specific technique to this, it's really just a normal shot. However, it is important to point out that this is maybe not my most accurate shot and certainly not my most controlled.

It's not a great option in the wind because with the extra clubhead speed comes more spin and that can cause the ball to balloon. But to a front pin, or when I need spin to hold a fast green, this is my best option.

Read Graeme's 100 yard pitch shot lesson

Read Graeme's 80 yard pitch shot lesson

Otherwise I'll move down into my 48° and go for a shorter, more controlled swing, gripping down the shaft by an inch. That produces a better flight that's more under control with a little less spin.