FIX YOUR GAME
THERE’S NOTHING NEW about practising pitch shots with only your dominant hand.
Sync Your Short Shots It’s key to controlling distance around the greens BY DAVID LEADBETTER
It helps you get a better feel for how the club’s path should shallow out and glide along the turf, not dig into it. But did you know this practice method also can be used to sync the swinging of your wedge with the rotation of your body? That harmony is key to hitting these shots a predictable distance. The club and your upper body should be moving at roughly the same speed as you swing through. By plac- ing your non-dominant hand on your chest as a reminder like I am here, you’ll soon get a feel for the proper blending of arm swing and body turn for these short shots. Neither the club nor the body should outrace the other. If they move at a smooth-and-accel- erating pace, you’ll gain more control of the ball around the greens. – WITH RON KASPRISKE
DAVID LEADBETTER is one of Golf Digest’s Legends of Golf Instruction.
Focus on your Transition BY ERIKA LARKIN
IF YOU GET QUICK TRANSITIONING from backswing to downswing and never feel that magical pause between the two,
you’re really missing a key move that leads to bet- ter ball-striking. What I want you to do to begin the downswing is let your arms “fall” before you start unwinding. Here I’m demonstrating (left). With your weight shifted fully onto your lead side (left side for righties) and your hips and torso yet to unwind towards the target, let your arms just fall towards the ground. This freefall is the pause that leads to better timing. You’re not trying to pull down on the club or start aggressively un- winding with the hips from the top of the swing. The transition of shifting your weight forward while letting your arms fall will get your swing on plane. You’ll also be in position to then rotate to- wards the target with the arms lagging but swing- ing through with plenty of natural speed. It should feel almost effortless. Remember: Wind up, fall, then unwind.
94 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2026
PHOTOGRAPHS BY WALTER IOOSS JR
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