That awkward 40-yard shot lurking between a simple chip and a comfortable full swing can sabotage a scorecard faster than a three-putt. It's the ultimate in-between distance, often leaving you feeling unsure of just how much power to use. This guide will walk you through the a straightforward method to conquer this shot, covering club selection, a repeatable setup, and the right swing motion to turn this source of anxiety into one of strength in your short game.
Let's first acknowledge why this shot gums up the works for so many golfers. Your full swing has a powerful, uninhibited rhythm. Your short greenside chips are small, wrist-and-shoulder powered strokes. The 40-yard pitch shot sits uncomfortably right in the middle. It demands more power than a chip but requires far more control and touch than a full swing. Because it’s not a full-effort shot, golfers often get a feel of indecisiveness. They might slow down through impact (deceleration, or "decel") to avoid hitting it too far, which leads to fat or thin shots. Or, they might use just their arms and get "flippy" with their wrists, leading to inconsistent contact and wild distance control. The secret isn't finding some hidden power, it’s building a smaller, more controlled version of your full swing.
Before you even take your stance, you need to grab the right tool for the job. You’re not trying to invent a new swing for this shot, you’re letting the loft of the club do most of the work for you. For a standard 40-yard shot with some green to work with, your best options are typically your wedges.
The takeaway: Start with your sand wedge. It offers the best blend of flight and roll and is the most forgiving. As you get comfortable, you can start experimenting with your gap wedge and lob wedge to handle different pin locations and conditions.
A consistent setup is your foundation for a consistent 40-yard shot. Every part of your setup for this shot is designed to promote precise contact and distance control, not raw power. Think of it as scaling down your full swing setup.
Bring your feet closer together. A good reference is to have your heels about the width of your two fists apart, well inside your shoulders. A narrow stance quietens your lower body and helps your upper body an arms do more of the work, and encourages the body-powered rotation that is fundamental for this shot distance. It helps you avoid swaying off the ball backwards and lets you hit the ball cleanly.
Place the golf ball directly in the center of your narrow stance. Centering the ball promotes a slightly descending angle of attack, where you strike the ball first and then the turf. This is the sweet spot for clean, crisp contact. Some players like to move it back an inch for a lower, more piercing flight, but for starters, the absolute middle is perfect.
A huge part in distance control on shorter shots is choking down on the club. Grip down on the handle about one or two inches. This effectively shortens the club's lever, making it easier to manage and reducing the distance the ball will travel. It also provides immediate feedback that this is a “touch” shot, not a “power” shot.
Finally, set your weight slightly on your front foot (your left foot for a right-handed player). You should feel about 60-70% of your pressure on that lead side. To achieve this, let your hands hang naturally and then press them just slightly forward so the grip of the club is just ahead of the ball. This creates a slight forward shaft lean. This combination - weight forward and slight forward press - is absolutely vital. It presets a downward strike into the ball, eliminating the instinct to “scoop” or “lift” the ball into the air.
With a solid setup, the swing itself becomes much simpler. The goal is to make a smooth, rhythmic motion that is controlled by your chest, not a jerky action powered by your hands and arms.
The "clock system" is a fantastic visual for controlling your pitching distances. Imagine a giant clock face is surrounding you, with your head at the center. For a standard 40-yard shot with a sand wedge, think about swinging your lead arm (left arm for righties) back to the 9 o’clock position. This "waist-high to waist-high" swing length is a reliable benchmark. A smaller, 30-yard shot might be 8 o'clock, whereas an old style half-swing like you learned as a kid for 50-yards a bit longer towards 10 o'clock. This method gives you a repeatable feel and takes the guesswork out of "how hard" to swing.
This is where most amateur golfers go wrong. They stop rotating their body and just use our their arms through impact. From the top of your backswing (9 o'clock), the first move should be a turn of your chest and hips towards the target. Feel like your chest is rotating smoothly through the shot, and your arms and the club are just being pulled along for the ride. The arms should stay "connected" to the chest, maintaining the triangle created at address. This body rotation delivers the club consistently to the ball with the right aount of force, without you needing to manipulate anything with your hands.
An abrupt stop after impact is a sign of deceleration. To ensure a smooth, accelerating motion, you must have committed to your follow-through. Your follow-through should be at about the length that it mirrors your backswing. If you took the club back to 9 o'clock, you’ll to finish with your hands around the 3 o’clock position of our clock face. Finish balanced, with your chest and belt buckle pointing at your target (or even slightly left of it), with all the momentum carrying your arms into your chest at the very end of your follow through. When you hold your finish in a balanced postion is a great sign you've made a good, properly sequenced swing.
Knowledge is great, but feel is better. Feel is developed through repetition on the practice range. Here are two fantastic drills to dial in your 40-yard shot.
This is the gold standard for developing distance control.
If you struggle with fat or thin shots and scooping, this drill is for you.
It will feel awkward at first, but it is impossible to hang back or fall backward while doing this. It forces you to stay over the ball and rotate through the shot correctly, engraving the feeling of a proper, downward strike and is one an all-time great drills to engrain a proper impact postion.
Mastering the 40-yard golf shot isn't about some secret move, it's about building a smaller, repeatable version of your big swing. By combining an intentional setup - narrow stance, centered ball, weight forward - with a body-controlled swing to a specific length, you take the guesswork out of the shot and replace it with reliable mechanics that breed consistency.
We know that translating practice-range feels to on-course situations can be tough, especially when you encounter an unpredictable lie or an awkward angle. That is why we built our app, Caddie AI. When you're standing over a tricky 40-yarder and can't decide on the right play, you can snap a photo of your ball's lie and get instant, an expert evaluation for the situation giving you strategic advice on the spot. It works as an on-demand coach that’s ready to help you swing with more confidence by removing all of the dobt of uncertainty over these kinds of shots that cause high-scores.
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