Dear Coach, Why can't I control the distance I hit my wedges?

Answer: The key to becoming a great pitcher of the ball is to control both swing speed AND the launch conditions of each shot.

When the loft that we present at impact changes each time, the ball speed and trajectory will also change giving us different distances.

The best pitchers in the world all have something in common - it's not the actual technique but the consistency of launch conditions.

With my clients, we use a Trackman radar launch monitor to measure this information.

Without using Trackman, it is hard to measure with any real accuracy. The aim is to start each ball off on the same direction and trajectory while controlling the speed of the swing by the swing length (7, 9, 11 o'clock hand positions in the backswing).

I set up a practice station with a 'trajectory window' by placing two poles about a metre apart and 2.4m in front of you, joining them with packing tape at a height of 1.55m, which will give you a 30-degree launch angle.

Play each shot with the aim to come back to impact with the hands slightly in front of the club head and continue this angle beyond impact into the start of the follow through as this helps to stop 'flicking' at the ball.

Your aim is to hit the tape with the ball as often as you can. If you are hitting shots both way above and below the tape, chances are your wrist position at impact is varying with each shot giving no real control. If the ball is going way below there is not enough loft at impact, and if its too far above we have too much loft.

Control impact, you control the ball; control the ball, you control the game.