Improve your touch around the greens with the help of Akshay Bhatia.
Getty Images
Akshay Bhatia is one of my favorite young players, with the 22-year-old really breaking out over the last two seasons and establishing himself as a fresh new face on the PGA Tour.
With eight combined T10 finishes (incl two PGA Tour wins), Bhatia becomes an instant fan favorite thanks to his charisma and limitless golfing talents, which makes him fun to watch every time he does it.
Given his skills, I thought it would be wise to sneak in some short game tips, with Bhatia recently sharing some tips for hitting a low, spin shot to the pitch. Callaway Golf YouTube Channel – which you can watch below.
Akshay Bhatia shares his tips for a 30-yard shot
As any golfer knows, putting 30 yards can be … a challenge. Not only do you need to choose the right club for this type of shot, but you need to understand some basic fundamentals in order to execute it to perfection.
If you fail in either club selection or execution, you risk adding unnecessary strokes to your scorecard. The distance adds more pressure to the situation, with players often debating which type of shot works best from 30 yards away.
But Bhatia is here to help, and he says the first step for him hitting a low-flying, winding shot it’s just reading the lie and understanding the situation.
“A lot of people want to know how to roll (a 30-yard shot),” he says. “Overall, we have to have the right situation to hit this shot.”
This means having the golf ball in either the fairway or the first cut where most of it is visible instead of buried in the rough.
After analyzing the lie, Bhatia says it’s time to execute the hit, explaining his setup.
“I like to open the face, I (play the ball) a little further in my stance, and I drive forward with my body and keep the glove forward,” Bhatia explains. “You’re not trying to add any kind of loft to the picture.”
Bhatia then talks about the angle of attack, which he describes as “a little shear movement” that comes from impact.
“It doesn’t need to be too sharp, but sharp enough that you can hit the low spinner,” he adds.
So when you’re looking to improve your short game and want to experiment with a little creativity using a wedge, start by using some of Bhatia’s suggestions above. While it will take some time to get comfortable, eventually, you’ll be able to master those tricky 30-yard shots to give yourself an edge on the putting green.
Jaws Callaway Raw Full Face Custom Wedge
$149.99
The Raw jaws feature the most aggressive grooves in golf, now with a raw face that promotes maximum spin. For the first time ever, Callaway is bringing tungsten technology to a wedge for a weight-balanced club that delivers feel and control. THE TOTAL SPINNING MACHINE We’re taking spin and control to new levels by utilizing: full-face grooves, with a 37° wall angle to raise the sharpness of the groove edge. From 80 yards and up, these channels promote a controlled “one hop and stop” trajectory. The new raw face allows for a more direct connection between the ball and the face at impact. Without coating, it is normal for the face to rust. Groove-in-Groove Offset Technology. Positioning the milled micro-grooves at a 20° angle promotes increased spin on chips, steps and lob shots.
View Product
