A par 4 to open Seve’s course

The scorecard sums it up in a few figures: par 4, stroke index 6/3 and four tees so every player can choose the one that best fits their game. These are the distances to the green from each one:

• Tee 62: 408 metres
• Tee 60: 396 metres
• Tee 56: 374 metres
• Tee 52: 348 metres

Whichever tee you play from, Meaztegi hole 1 is played the same way: first put the ball on the fairway, then think about the green.

Two fairway bunkers right where the drive lands

The first warning comes early. Between 242 and 260 metres, two bunkers hug the fairway exactly where the drive usually lands. That is why the rule on Meaztegi hole 1 is to measure your tee shot carefully: know how far your ball flies before you pull the club out of the bag.

It is not about hitting harder, but about deciding where you want the ball to stop. With the sand so well placed, the tee is the moment to choose, not to improvise.

A narrow fairway where accuracy rules

From there, the fairway gradually closes in towards the green. It is the kind of decision Seve wrote into his design: here accuracy rules, not distance. A straight, controlled shot is worth more than a few extra metres that end up off the fairway.

For the first hole of the round, it is a lesson worth taking with you to the rest of the course.

A 32-metre green with a bunker on the right

Meaztegi hole 1 finishes on a long green, 32 metres deep, guarded by a bunker on the right. With so much depth, the pin position changes the approach shot a lot, so check where the flag is before choosing your club.

18 holes, one signature: Seve. Save the series, because this has only just begun and the next stop is hole 2.

Frequently asked questions about Meaztegi hole 1

Who designed the first hole of the course?
Severiano Ballesteros. It is the first tee Seve drew in Bizkaia and the starting point of a course that carries his signature on all 18 holes.

Which hole comes next in the series?
Hole 2. The series travels around Seve’s course over 18 weeks, one hole at a time.

Where can I check the rest of the holes?
The hole-by-hole guide to the course has the detail of every hole so you can prepare your strategy before you head out.

There’s no need to rush or play in a hurry. Three ready golf habits are enough, and anyone can apply them from their next round. We go through them one by one, just as we shared them on our social media.

Pace of play is everyone’s business

The Rules of Golf make it clear from the start: a round is meant to be played at a prompt pace, and the time each player takes affects how long the others take. R&A Rule 5.6b asks you to prepare in advance for your next stroke and be ready when it’s your turn, and recommends making the stroke in no more than 40 seconds after you are able to play without interference.

Within that same rule, ready golf appears as the tool players have to help the pace of play in stroke play. It also includes something very much part of club life: letting faster groups play through when they catch up.

Play ready golf: if you’re ready, hit

The first key is the one that gives the whole thing its name. In casual rounds, or when the rules allow it, don’t wait strictly for your turn by distance. If you’re ready and it’s safe, play first to keep the whole group moving.

Normally the ball furthest from the hole plays first, but in stroke play the rules allow ready golf as long as it is done safely and responsibly. R&A Rule 6.4b gives clear examples:

• Two or more players agree to play out of turn for convenience or to save time.
• Your ball has come to rest very close to the hole and you want to hole out.
• You are ready to play before the playing partner whose turn it is.

There are some details worth knowing. Playing out of turn carries no penalty, unless two players agree to do so to give one of them an advantage. If the player whose turn it is is ready and says they want to play first, the right thing is to wait. And you should never play if doing so endangers, distracts or disturbs another player. In match play, the order matters more: there, players can agree that one plays out of turn to save time.

Keep an eye on the group in front

Your correct position on the course isn’t just staying ahead of the group behind, but keeping visual contact and distance with the group in front. If a gap opens up, pick up the pace.

Keeping that contact is as much ready golf as playing out of turn, and a far more useful reference than the clock. As long as the group in front is still in sight and at a reasonable distance, you’re doing fine. When that gap grows hole after hole, it’s the signal to cut time between shots: walk purposefully to your ball, choose your club as you get there and have your next shot planned before it’s your turn.

Mark your card off the green and gain pace with ready golf

Don’t stop to write down the scores on your card right next to the hole. Leave the green and move towards the next tee before filling in the scores.

It’s the easiest key to apply and one of the most noticeable. While a group is writing scores on the green, the one behind can’t go for the flag. The rules themselves include moving to the next tee as part of pace of play, so the card can wait until you’re off the green and on your way to the next hole.

Ready golf and etiquette, the same idea

Ready golf is as much part of etiquette as raking the bunker or repairing your divot: small gestures that make the course work better for everyone. None of them requires you to be a low-handicap player, just to think a little about who is playing with you and who is coming behind.

If you’re coming to play at Meaztegi Golf, in La Arboleda, apply these keys from the first tee. You’ll notice the difference in the pace of your round and of the whole course.

Frequently asked questions about pace of play

Can you play ready golf in a competition?

In stroke play, yes: the rules allow it as long as it is done safely and responsibly and doesn’t give anyone an advantage. In match play the order of play carries more weight and players usually agree on it between themselves.

What should we do if a faster group catches up with us?

The rules encourage letting faster groups play through. If you see them waiting on every shot, give them a signal and let them play: both you and they gain peace of mind. Letting them through is the other side of ready golf.

How much time do I have to play a stroke?

The R&A recommends no more than 40 seconds after you are able to play without interference, and encourages playing faster. In a tournament, the committee can also set its own pace of play policy.

At Meaztegi Golf we see it every day on the practice ground, with the green hills of Bizkaia in the background and players in every bay. That is why we have gathered the tips we share on our social channels into a single article. Save it for your next visit.

The driving range, where your game is built

Many players reach the driving range, grab a bucket of balls and start hitting without much thought. It is understandable: you want to let your swing go. But the driving range gives you far more when you treat it as a place to work, not a place to let off steam.

Besides, you never practise alone. To your right and to your left there is someone getting ready for their round, polishing their 7 iron or trying out a new club. What you do in your bay affects the grass other players will stand on and the focus of the golfer next to you.

Turf care: divots in a straight line

If you practise on a natural grass area, hit your shots in a straight line, one behind the other. Each new divot sits right next to the previous one, and the damage is concentrated in a narrow strip instead of being spread across the whole bay.

Avoid scattered divots. When the turf has to recover from one continuous strip, it regenerates much faster and more evenly. When the driving range is dotted with loose bare patches, on the other hand, the grass takes longer to come back and the next player finds uneven ground.

It is the same logic we apply on the course when we talk about repairing your divot on the fairway: the course is looked after with small, repeated gestures.

Quality over quantity with every ball

Do not hit balls in a rush or without direction. Emptying the bucket at full speed feels like work, but it leaves very little learning behind. What stays in your swing is what you do with intention.

Always aim at a flag or a visual reference on every shot. Having a target forces you to align yourself, choose a trajectory and assess the result, just as you will later on the course. Without a target, any shot looks good.

And keep your usual pre-shot routine. Stand behind the ball, visualise, line up and execute, as if you were on the 1st hole. That way the driving range simulates real on-course situations and what you practise carries over to your scorecard.

Respect on the range and in your bay

Stay within the space of your mat or marked bay. Invading your neighbour’s spot, even with your bag or a practice swing, is uncomfortable for them and can be dangerous for both of you.

Avoid loud phone calls and respect the focus of the players beside you. The driving range does not demand absolute silence, but it does call for the same courtesy you would show on the first tee while someone else prepares their shot.

Finally, the rule with no exceptions: never walk into the ball landing area. Not to fetch a ball that got away from you, not to pick something up off the ground. While there are players in the bays, that area is for balls only.

A better driving range for every player

The three ideas go together. Caring for the turf, practising with a target and respecting others does not take time away from your practice; it gives it back to you in quality. A well-kept driving range is a better place to learn, to warm up and to enjoy golf.

If you want to take what you work on at the range out onto the course, have a look at the holes of Meaztegi Golf first. Knowing what awaits you on each tee helps you choose which shots to practise in your next driving range session.

Frequently asked questions about practising on the range

How many balls should I hit in one session?

There is no magic number. It is better to hit fewer balls with a target and a routine than to empty several buckets without thinking. When you notice your focus slipping, stop, breathe or switch club and target.

What do I do if a ball ends up close to my bay, but outside it?

If it is in the landing area, leave it where it is. If it is just in front of your mat and there is no risk, you can pull it back with your club without leaving your space. If in doubt, take another ball from the bucket.

Can I practise with a partner in the same bay?

Yes, as long as only one of you hits at a time and the other stands behind, at a safe distance from the swing. Taking turns also helps you keep your routine between balls instead of hitting non-stop.

Is the range also good for warming up before a round?

Of course. A short warm-up, from short clubs to long ones and with a specific target, gets your body and mind ready. Keep your pre-shot routine there too, so the first tee does not catch you cold.

The shot that opened the course

The photograph tells the whole story without a caption. Seve is caught in his finish, weight already over his left leg and his eyes following the ball, while half a dozen photographers crowd in behind him so as not to miss the moment. That is the exact instant of the honorary drive: the gesture that turns a newly built course into a real golf course.

An honorary drive is not played, it is given. It doesn’t count on any card and it doesn’t touch anyone’s handicap, and that is precisely why it carries so much weight. It is a club’s way of saying who it wants to be, and Meaztegi said it out loud: it chose the player who changed Spain’s relationship with this sport forever to hit the first shot in its history.

Seve’s signature goes beyond the layout

Severiano Ballesteros did not come that day as a courtesy guest. Meaztegi carries his signature as its designer, so the honorary drive was also an author unveiling his own work. Anyone walking these fairways today is walking through his decisions: where to reward the player who takes a risk, where to punish the comfortable option, how to force you to think before pulling a club out of the bag.

That is the difference between a course that is merely signed and a course that is genuinely designed. Seve’s honorary drive was not a photo for the next day’s press; it was the natural continuation of months of work on the ground, and that is why the club still claims it as its birth certificate.

The 1st tee holds the whole story

Every time you stand on the 1st tee you are playing on the legacy of a legend. It is not a brochure line: it is literally the same spot that drive was hit from. It doesn’t matter whether you are here for a club competition or for your first full round; the place where you push your tee into the ground has a memory.

Knowing it changes the routine for a lot of players. They take an extra second before the swing, look down the hole and understand that golf here did not start with an administrative opening, but with an honorary drive struck in front of the lenses. That small, free detail is part of playing at Meaztegi.

Bizkaia provided the stage

The image of the honorary drive shows more than a golfer: it shows the hills, the pine woods and the freshly cut paths of a Biscayan valley. Meaztegi looks nothing like a coastal course or a plateau course, and that day made it clear. The relief is in charge, the Cantabrian wind comes in whenever it feels like it and the green is local.

That contrast still surprises anyone arriving from outside. Seve’s honorary drive was hit in a landscape that needs no make-up, and the course was built respecting those shapes instead of flattening them. You can check it hole by hole in our course guide before you come and play.

What is left of that first shot

What is left is a way of understanding the club. The honorary drive set a high bar: if the course started with Seve, the least we can do is look after it as if he were coming back tomorrow. That means demanding greens, well-tended fairways and a school that teaches technique and etiquette in equal measure.

And above all, a story to share is left. Members tell it to the guests they bring for the first time, the coaches tell it to the children who are starting out and we tell it every time someone asks why this course feels different. A well-chosen first shot lasts for decades.

If you haven’t played here yet, the best way to understand it is to walk up to the 1st tee, look down the hole and hit it. It won’t be an honorary drive, but it will leave from the same place.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is an honorary drive?

It is the symbolic shot that opens a new course or starts a competition. It doesn’t score and it doesn’t affect anyone’s result: its value is purely ceremonial and it is reserved for a leading figure.

Who was Severiano Ballesteros?

He was the golfer from Cantabria who popularised this sport in Spain and took it to the front line of the world game. After his playing career he worked as a course designer, and Meaztegi is one of his works.

Can you play the course Seve designed today?

Yes. The course is open for play and any golfer can start from the same 1st tee that appears in the club’s historic photograph.

Where is Meaztegi Golf?

In Bizkaia, in the middle of the natural landscape of northern Spain and a short drive from Bilbao. The button above has the exact location on Google Maps.

Bunker etiquette is not an exam or an endless list of rules. It is three linked gestures — entry and exit, raking and finish — that sum up how to rake the bunker and that you learn in a single round. Here we go through them one by one, just as we tell them on our social media.

Raking the bunker properly costs a few seconds

Think of the last time your ball dropped into the sand and settled inside a deep footprint. The feeling is one of injustice: the shot was not bad, but the lie ruins it. That is exactly the scenario we avoid once we get into the habit of taking a moment to rake the bunker before heading on to the green.

On a course like ours, right in the heart of Bizkaia, the sand passes through many hands over the course of a day. Choosing to rake the bunker is a quiet way of looking after the game of your playing partner and of whoever tees off later. And along the way it keeps Seve Ballesteros’s design exactly as it was conceived: demanding by strategy, never by neglect.

Step 1. Entry and exit, through the flattest area

Always enter and leave through the flattest area, the one closest to the ball. It is the part of the bunker that suffers least and the one that recovers soonest with a couple of passes of the rake.

Avoid stepping on the high faces or walking down them, so you do not collapse the sand or damage the edges of the bunker. Those walls are the most delicate part of the whole hazard: when they erode, the sand piles up at the bottom and getting their profile back costs far more than one pass of the rake. Choosing where you go in is, in practice, half the work of learning to rake the bunker properly.

A simple trick: before you go down, find the rake and leave it to hand on that same side. That way you finish the shot and come out where you went in, without crossing the sand from end to end.

Step 2. The raking, towards you and walking backwards

Rake gently towards you while you walk backwards to get out. That is the key movement: if you push the rake forwards, you keep leaving fresh footprints over what you have just smoothed and you never finish.

Make sure you smooth out both the mark left by your club and your own footprints. The hole the sand wedge digs is the obvious one, but it is the footprints that really condemn the next player’s ball. When you rake the bunker gently, the sand spreads on its own, with no need to press or dig.

Take it as part of the routine of the shot, not as an extra chore. You leave the bunker raking, you reach the edge and the job is already done.

Step 3. The finish and where the rake goes

Leave the surface flat and level, without piling up big mountains of sand. A mound on one side and a hollow on the other completely change the bounce of the next ball, so spread it out instead of heaping it up.

When you are done, place the rake outside the bunker, parallel to the line of play. That position is the one that interferes least: it neither stops a ball rolling towards the hazard nor forces anyone to move the rake before playing. It is the last detail when you rake the bunker and, oddly enough, the one most often forgotten.

The sand at Meaztegi is looked after by everyone

A course is maintained by the greenkeeping team, yes, but also by the sum of small gestures from the people who play it every day. Repairing your divot on the fairway, fixing your pitch mark on the green and taking a moment to rake the bunker are the same idea repeated: leave the hole better than you found it.

If you are coming to play Meaztegi Golf for the first time, take a look beforehand at the layout and at where the sand hazards appear. You will know which bunkers come into play from the tee and which ones only punish the player who gets a little too brave.

Frequently asked questions about how to rake the bunker

Who rakes if another player in the group played the shot?

Each player takes care of their own mark. That said, if you see a partner running short of time or having to leave on the opposite side, lending a hand and raking that area yourself is part of playing as a group.

What if there is no rake nearby?

Smooth the sand with your feet and the sole of your club as best you can before leaving, always walking backwards. It is not ideal, but it leaves the surface far more playable than doing nothing.

Do I have to rake the bunker if the ball only rolled through it?

Yes. Even if you did not play from the sand, your footprints are still there, so it is worth taking the trouble anyway. A couple of passes on your way out are enough to wipe them away.

How do you learn this routine without stress?

By practising it on the course itself, with someone to correct the movement. At the Meaztegi golf school we work on sand technique and etiquette at the same time, because in the bunker the two go together.

The 22-metre drop matters more than the scorecard

From the tee, the green sits well below your feet. That steep fall makes Meaztegi hole 3 play a good deal shorter than the card suggests, because the ball keeps dropping when it should already have landed. The advice is blunt: take at least two clubs less than those metres would ask for on flat ground.

These are the scorecard distances depending on the tees you play from:

• White tees: 197 metres
• Yellow tees: 175 metres
• Blue tees: 161 metres
• Red tees: 141 metres

Whichever tees you play from, the rule stays the same: subtract the elevation before you decide. The number on the card is where the calculation starts, never the final answer.

A narrow green and two bunkers on the right

The second difficulty is the target itself. The green at Meaztegi hole 3 is narrow and two bunkers guard it on the right, so your starting line matters as much as the club you pull out of the bag. With a target that tight, aiming for the body of the green and accepting a longish putt is usually better business than chasing the flag and ending up in the sand.

That is exactly the kind of decision Seve wrote into every hole on this course: it does not reward the longest shot, it rewards the player who chooses well.

The conservative route: 7-iron or 8-iron and par by addition

If you play off a mid handicap, the conservative option at Meaztegi hole 3 is to lay up short of the right-hand bunker with a 7-iron or 8-iron and go for par with a good approach. You are not giving the hole away: you are trading one risky shot for two shots of control.

Leaving the ball short and on clean ground gives you a comfortable approach, with the green in front of you and no sand in the way. You add up your par with two simple shots instead of betting everything on one, and bogey stops being a real risk.

If you attack the flag, the good miss is long

When you decide to attack, the instruction is to avoid missing left. The best mistake at Meaztegi hole 3 is to go slightly long: from there you keep your options open, while coming up short or drifting left complicates the next shot. Pick your club thinking about where you want to miss, not only about where you want to hit it.

It is a small change of mindset and a very profitable one. On a par 3 with this much elevation change, the golfer who decides on the miss before swinging plays with a huge advantage over the one who only aims at the flag.

The key at Meaztegi hole 3: do the maths before you swing

Do not let the metres on the card fool you. Work out the drop, pick the right club and always favour a safe area: those three decisions, taken on the tee and not halfway through your swing, are what turn an awkward hole into a calm par.

With that routine, a par 3 that intimidates you from the tee becomes a chance to take shots off your round.

Frequently asked questions about Meaztegi hole 3

What par is it and why is it considered technical?
It is a par 3. The technical part is not the distance but the combination of a steep drop with a narrow green: you have to get club and line right in the same shot.

How many clubs less should you take for the drop?
At least two clubs less than those metres would ask for on flat ground. With 22 metres of fall, the ball flies and drops far more than the number suggests.

Which side should you miss on?
Never left. The acceptable miss on Meaztegi hole 3 is slightly long, behind the green; the two bunkers on the right and the left side are the ones that really punish you.

Where can I review the rest of the holes before playing?
The hole-by-hole guide to the course has the detail of every hole so you can prepare your strategy before you tee off.

What a divot is and why it’s worth repairing

A divot is the chunk of grass that flies off when the iron strikes the ball and brushes the ground. It’s the sign of a good downward strike, so seeing it fly isn’t a mistake: it’s part of the game. The problem starts when that gap is left open. If no one closes it, the soil dries out, the roots die and the fairway takes weeks to recover. That’s why it’s worth repairing as soon as possible.

Putting the turf back in place right after the shot changes that scenario completely. The dislodged piece keeps its roots intact for a few minutes, and returning it in time lets it take hold again within days. It’s the simplest way to keep the course in the condition we all want to find.

The 3 steps to repair a divot

You don’t need tools or experience. Doing it right comes down to three quick movements you can fold into your routine without losing pace of play.

1. Find the piece of turf. Look for the divot that came loose after your shot. It usually lands a couple of metres ahead of the gap, in the direction of the ball.
2. Fit it back into the gap. Place that piece in exactly the same position inside the hole, grass side up, until it sits flush with the rest of the fairway.
3. Press down with your heel. Step firmly on the turf using the heel of your shoe. This brings the roots back into contact with the soil and the grass resumes its growth.

With these three movements, repairing your divot becomes a habit as natural as marking your ball on the green. Repeated hole after hole, its effect on the course is enormous.

Repairing your divot is respect for the course and for other players

Golf etiquette isn’t a set of rigid rules: it’s a series of courtesies that make the game better for everyone. Repairing your divot belongs to the same family as fixing a pitch mark on the green or raking the bunker. When you leave the fairway the way you’d like to find it, you look after the round of whoever comes next.

What’s more, a well-kept fairway rewards good play. A ball that comes to rest on a bare patch of soil leaves an awkward shot and a tricky lie. Every golfer who takes a second to repair their divot helps the next round be played on a fair surface in good condition.

Seve’s signature in every fairway at Meaztegi

Playing at Meaztegi means walking a Seve Ballesteros design, with changes in elevation, Cantabrian wind and fairways that demand strategy. A course with that signature deserves to be looked after by all of us. Repairing your divot is the most direct way to give back to the course part of what it offers us on every round. That respect for detail, so typical of Seve’s philosophy, starts off the scorecard: in how you treat the grass you walk on.

Frequently asked questions about repairing your divot

Is a divot the same as a ball pitch mark?
No. A divot is the piece of turf you tear off the fairway with an iron shot; a pitch mark is the dent the ball leaves when it lands on the green. They’re repaired differently: the divot is placed back, the pitch mark is lifted with a pitch repair tool.

What do I do if the piece of turf has broken into bits?
If it’s so fragmented that you can’t put it back, press down the soil around it to smooth the gap and follow the course staff’s guidance on the recommended practice.

Does every shot lift a divot?
Not always. It’s common with irons on downward strikes from the fairway; with the driver or from the tee it usually doesn’t happen.

Does repairing your divot slow down the round?
No. It’s a few seconds you can use while you wait for your turn, so it doesn’t affect the pace of play.

Why the approach defines your card

Most shots lost during a round don’t come from the tee, but from around the green. A well-resolved approach shot turns a possible bogey into a comfortable par and takes the pressure off the rest of the hole. The key isn’t power, but consistency: repeating a controlled motion that leaves the ball close time after time. With that idea in mind, it’s worth setting three basics in your routine before playing every approach.

1. Rhythm: accelerate without decelerating the club

The first fundamental of the approach shot is rhythm. Accelerate smoothly through impact, without decelerating the club. If you hesitate or slow down on the downswing for fear of hitting it too far, you’ll end up hitting it fat or thinning the ball, two very common mistakes in the short game. Trust the motion and let the clubhead pass naturally through the hitting zone. A decisive, steady rhythm will give you a much cleaner contact than a timid swing full of last-minute corrections.

2. Club selection: don’t always play the same wedge

The second fundamental is choosing the right tool. Don’t always play the same wedge out of habit: every approach shot calls for a different club depending on the space you have to the pin. Assess how much green lies ahead of you. Use more loft when you need to stop the ball quickly, because there’s little room to the hole; and opt for less loft when you have plenty of space, so the ball bounces and rolls towards the pin. That prior read is what turns a risky approach into a high-percentage play.

3. Swing length: control distance with the backswing

The third fundamental of the approach shot is regulating distance with the length of your backswing, never with power. A controlled swing up to the nine o’clock position will give you far more consistency than trying to moderate the power with a full swing. When you govern distance through the length of the motion, every approach becomes repeatable and predictable. Practise several backswing lengths on the range and memorise how far the ball flies with each one: that little distance map is pure gold inside 50 metres.

Train your approach shot at Meaztegi

All of this is internalised through smart repetition, and for that Meaztegi Golf offers a privileged setting in Bizkaia. Our course, with the unmistakable stamp of Seve Ballesteros, and one of the best practice ranges in the north, let you work on rhythm, try different clubs and calibrate the length of your swing with views over the Abra bay and the mountains. Spend a few minutes on the short game on every visit: you’ll see how a more reliable approach lowers your handicap without needing to hit it longer. As Seve himself used to say, imagination and touch around the green are worth as much as any drive.

Frequently asked questions about the approach shot

What exactly is an approach shot in golf?

It’s the short shot you play near the green to leave the ball close to the pin, usually within 50 metres. A good approach shot seeks precision and distance control rather than power.

Which club should you use for the approach?

It depends on the space to the pin: more loft to stop the ball quickly and less loft when you have green ahead for it to roll. The recommendation is not to always play the same wedge.

How do I control distance in the short game?

Regulate distance with the length of the backswing, not with power. A controlled, repeatable swing gives you far more consistency than trying to meter the power with a full motion.

Where can I practise the approach near Bilbao?

At Meaztegi Golf, in Bizkaia, you have a large practice range and a course designed by Seve Ballesteros to sharpen your approach shot just minutes from Bilbao.

The key is understanding that the pitch shot isn’t controlled by braking the impact or swinging fearfully. It’s mastered with three simple tweaks you can groove on the practice range and then take out onto the course. Let’s go through them one by one.

Controlling the pitch shot: distance is regulated with technique

Before getting into the tweaks, it’s worth setting one idea straight: the pitch is a precision shot, not a power shot. Distance is regulated with the mechanics of the swing and with the club you choose, never by suddenly accelerating or decelerating. With these three tweaks you’ll get a far more predictable response every time you play the shot around the green.

Think about how many strokes you lose near the hole in any given round: a short approach that finishes far from the flag forces a long putt, and from there to a bogey is just one step. That’s why the game around the green is where your work shows up first. It doesn’t call for more physical strength or a faster swing, but for repeating a reliable pattern until it comes out automatically. The three tweaks that follow are precisely that pattern.

1. Adjust the length of the swing

Don’t regulate distance by braking the impact. Vary the distance of the shot by changing the length of your backswing —think of the hands of a clock: go up to 9 or to 10— while always keeping the same acceleration. This is the tweak that brings the most consistency, because the pitch keeps its rhythm from start to finish: the only thing that changes is how far the club goes back, not the speed at which you come down to the ball.

2. Choose the right club

Don’t do everything with the same wedge. Play with the lofts of your clubs —pitching wedge (PW), gap wedge (GW) and sand wedge (SW)— keeping the same swing to get different trajectories and roll depending on what the green asks for. Changing the club, rather than the force, is the most reliable way to vary the distance on the pitch without altering your technique.

3. Keep your weight forward

Keep around 60 % of your weight on your front leg throughout the whole movement. This position guarantees clean contact, striking the ball before the grass, and avoids the dreaded thin shots. Well-positioned weight is the foundation of a solid pitch: without it, the other two tweaks lose much of their effect.

Take the pitch shot from the range to the course

Grooving these three tweaks takes repetition. Spend part of your warm-up playing the pitch at different distances, memorising which swing length and which club you need for each one. A good drill is to set out several balls and pick three targets at different distances, forcing yourself to change your backswing and your wedge instead of muscling the shot. Once you have those references locked in, leaving the ball close to the hole stops being a matter of luck and becomes a conscious decision before every approach. And if you want to put it into practice on a demanding layout, at Meaztegi Golf you’ll find greens aplenty to polish your pitch shot in a spectacular setting in northern Spain.

Frequently asked questions about the short game

What distance does a pitch shot cover?
It’s a short approach shot to the green, usually within the range that no longer requires a full shot. Its goal isn’t power, but the precision to leave the ball next to the flag.

Which club is best to practise with?
Start with your pitching wedge and gradually add the gap and sand wedge. Playing with the lofts, keeping the same swing, is what gives you different trajectories and roll.

How do I regulate distance without missing the contact?
By changing the length of the backswing (to 9 or to 10) with the same acceleration, and keeping 60 % of your weight forward to strike the ball first. That way the contact comes out clean and the distance stays under control.

Where can I train the short game near Bilbao?
At Meaztegi Golf, in Bizkaia, you have a practice area and a course designed by Seve Ballesteros’s team, ideal for polishing your approach shots.