When you are 90 yards out from the green, or closer, do you ever notice that your pitch shots are not crisp, they run along the ground or do not travel the required distance to rise in the air and land softly beside the hole?

The first thing to do is have a look at your grip.

This is number one on your check list. However, I doubt if this will be the problem.

Next have a look at your swing and see if it is too full.

If it is too full, you will decelerate on your down swing. This is because you know a full swing will go too far. As a result you will try to compensate by hitting the ball more gently.

The only way you can do this is to decelerate if the back swing is too full. This means that you are not hitting your golf shot with the correct firmness or authority.

You will have to correct this on the practice fairway.

Start with a short distance and see if you can achieve this with a minimum of swing.

You will have to hit the ball quite hard to achieve what you are trying to do. This means firmness, crispness and authority. This is what you want.

Try to get the feel of this and take it out onto the course.

Next try to hit the ball different distances using the same technique.

Move to the nine iron from your pitching wedge when the distance is so great that you have to strain and lose accuracy.

Pretend your golf club is the big hand of a clock. Find out how far the ball travels when you take your club back to 8, 9, 10, 11 o clock while hitting with the same firmness and authority.