GOLF DIGEST'S LEGENDS OF GOLF INSTRUCTION BUTCH HARMON Henderson, Nevada DAVID LEADBETTER Kissimmee, Florida JIM MCLEAN Coral Gables, Florida BOB TOSKI Coconut Creek, Florida MIKE ADAMS Bedminster, New Jersey RANDY SMITH Dallas MIKE BENDER Lake Mary, Florida CHUCK COOK Austin MARTIN HALL West Palm Beach HANK HANEY
What’s the one club every golfer needs to add to the bag? A high- lofted fairway wood. They’re so easy to hit and so versatile. You look down and see all that loft on the clubface, and it just gives you confidence. If you think they’re only for bad players, you might want to tell DJ, who carries a 7-wood – and a 9-wood! The 7-wood is my favourite club. If you want to hit a lot more greens, get one. ● ● ● Before you go to the first tee, do two things. Hit a handful of bunker shots, then stroke some putts on the practice green from one end to the other. Why? Because on the first hole, you’re going to either miss the green in a bunker or have a 50-footer. I’m not trying to be negative. Golfers can’t believe the situations they get themselves into, but they probably did the same thing last week. Give yourself a chance to be successful by practising things you’re not good at. That’s one of the big differences between you and the pros: You practice what you like; they practice what they need. ● ● ● Here’s how to get your tee shots out there another 20 metres: Move up another set of tees. Ego is the biggest killer in the game. Each of us can only hit the ball so far. The an- swer is hitting it out of the middle of the face and swinging at a speed you can control. I like to joke that most golfers swing as hard as they can in case they hit the ball. Make the most out of the speed you can handle, and if you’re still not reaching the par 4s, go up to the next tee. ● ● ● People ask me, what’s my secret to teaching. All I can say is, I’m a very positive person, and I think that comes across. If you want to get better and you’re willing to work at it, I’m your guy. I know the Xs and Os, but so do a lot of teachers. I know I can quickly diagnose what’s going on in your swing, but more importantly, I will convince you to come along with me. I like helping people, having fun with people, seeing that moment when something clicks. This game is all I know, hooks and slices. If they made golf illegal, I’d be in trouble.
and upper body, and they move quite a bit during the swing. Locking the head restricts motion and speed. Let your head move back freely as you swing to the top, and then follow the ball out with your eyes. You’ll swing faster and hit the ball further. Isn’t that what you want more than anything? ● ● ● A lot of golfers have favourite old clubs in their bags, usually a putter or a wedge. Putters I’m OK with, but not old wedges. The grooves get worn out, and they don’t perform the way they were designed to. Tour players have wedges they practice with and a second set with the same specs that they use in competition. Even the gamers are switched out a lot more often than you might think, like every few weeks. But if you have a putter you love, don’t mess with it. ● ● ● My first tour player was Steve Elk- ington, in 1986. Elk had a beautiful, flowing swing, the envy of the tour. When I worked with him, I remember having my father’s voice in my head: “Take what a player does well and make it better.” In other words, don’t try to fix what isn’t broken. I was lucky to start with Elk because there was a lot to love in his swing, and I treaded carefully. He introduced me to Greg Norman, who was my first big star, and my career took off. I’ve been very fortunate to get the players I did. A lot of guys came to me because of who they saw me with on the range.
Scottsdale JIM HARDY Houston PIA NILSSON Scottsdale DAVE PELZ
Spicewood, Texas LYNN MARRIOTT Scottsdale
TODD ANDERSON Ponte Vedra Beach MIKE MALASKA Mesa, Arizona MICHAEL HEBRON Smithtown, New York JIM SUTTIE Naples, Florida CRAIG SHANKLAND Daytona Beach RICK SMITH Miami GARY WIREN West Palm Beach
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 35
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024
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