Beating small pitches like this isn’t a matter of using less force, as some golfers think, but of limiting swing length. The golf tips below will show you how to do this without decelerating your swing:
Set up with a very narrow stance. Your feet should almost be touching. Now position the ball in the middle. This address and ball position limits the flexibility of your hips, which means you can’t turn much with your swing. It also limits your backswing without having to think about it.
Also, choke down on the club. You want to go down near the grip’s bottom to where your thumb is almost touching the shaft. Choking down makes your sand wedge or lob wedge much shorter—automatically reducing the amount of force you can deliver to the ball.
Swing forward with smooth acceleration. Try to “thump” the ground under the ball with the sole of your wedge. The ball comes off the clubface, flies a short distance, and rolls a foot or two when it lands.
It takes practice to ingrain the feel of hitting small pitches. But once you’ve learned how, it can save you a bushel of strokes near the green.