“The movement of the arms is again governed by the
‘engine room’ of the body”

The ‘punch-pitch’
One of my favorite shots is what I call the ‘punch-pitch’, an attacking shot that flies with a relatively low trajectory and stops quickly with heavy backspin. This technique basically involves ‘holding-off’ the clubface through impact to trap the ball between the clubface and the turf. I use it for that awkward 50- to 80-yard range, primarily to help the ball hold on to its line in the wind.
To play the shot, I set up with my weight favouring my left side, the ball positioned just back of centre in my stance, and the hands forward. The movement of my arms is again governed by the engine room of my shoulders and upper body, usually with a fairly compact three-quarter length backswing. I focus on hingeing my wrists to get the club on plane, and then hold on to that angle between my hands and the shaft through impact, punching the ball forward.
This distinctive punching action is best observed from the target (i.e. me hitting directly over the camera) as I complete my swing. Look at the way my body clears and my hands and forearms pull across and to the left of the target line through the ball.
This is what is meant by holding off the club. Keeping my weight mostly on the left side promotes the steep downswing attack that I need to ‘trap’ the ball against the turf, and the clubhead is not allowed to pass the hands as I then go on to complete this controlled, three-quarter finish.
I have knocked down the loft on the club to punch the ball forwards with a low flight that can be controlled in the wind – another shot to add to your repertoire.