DRAW IT? The 10th at Big Cedar Lodge in Ridgedale, Missouri.
is blowing hard in the direction of the dogleg or you tend to hit a big hook or slice. In those cases, it’s OK to aim at the rough line because you’re likely to curve the ball back into play. 3. Don’t get cute To play good golf, you don’t have to know how to shape shots left and right, but you do have to know how to make the ball go in one direction. If you’re most comfortable hitting a fade, play from the far right-hand side of the tee
shot past the corner is the goal, but you also have to keep from hitting it into trouble on the far side of the hole. Go with a club that is going to fit the ball nicely in that zone. 2. Play it straightish Under calm conditions, choose a start line in the fairway even if your typical ball curves. The mistake is to aim too far left or right and then hit a shot that doesn’t curve at all and you end up in jail. The exception is when the wind
box, aim towards the left-hand side of the fairway and then make an aggres- sive, confident swing. If you can hit a draw, play from the left side of the tee. Don’t try to produce a shot you’re not comfortable hitting. – WITH DAVE ALLEN MIKE BENDER, one of Golf Digest’s 25 Legends of Golf Instruction, is owner & director of instruction of the Mike Bender Golf Academy in Lake Mary, Florida
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 41
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025
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