properly, so it’s important to get warmed up; (2) I hit balls with a PureOne iron, which is like a 9-iron with a way smaller head. When the sweet spot is that tiny, you have to find good rhythm or you’ll mis-hit it badly; (3) I focus on tempo for a while, but I finish a session hitting different kinds of shots. If I leave the range with a good feel for that day, I know I’m ready to rip it.
know it’s more important to stay in control and not hit the ball off the planet. It’s why I do a few things during every range session to get my swing in check: (1) I make sure to stretch. I turn my upper body back and forth without moving my hips. Then I turn my hips without moving my shoulders. You need separa- tion between your upper and lower body to swing
is the most important move if you want to pure a shot off the turf or muscle it out of the rough. I see many ama- teurs who aren’t very good at this, but you have to get your weight moving towards the target. Keep in mind that this shouldn’t be a violent move. I was the skinny kid growing up, so I learned to use my flexibility and swing hard to hit the ball longer. Now I
good turn through the ball. A lot of amateurs stand up too soon, flipping their hands and hitting fat shots or hooks. You have to stay down and turn. Back to proper weight shift, I like to feel a big move into my right side in the takeaway, but it’s back to 50-50 on both feet at the top. Then comes the key: I trans- fer my weight to the front leg before starting down. That
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 53
JUNE 2025
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