ball at medium height. That might seem a little low for you, but if you make a level swing through the ball – your main goal – the tee is plenty high. I set up a touch open, meaning I’m aligned a little left of the target, and this produces a swing path that helps the ball start just a hair left and then peel back to the right. I’m not trying to put a big curve on the ball, nor should you. Don’t try to hold off your swing or steer it in play. Just set up with the ball a little lower, your body a touch open, and make a full swing, accelerating through to a full finish. MY ‘SEND IT’ DRIVE If there’s no trouble to speak of, or it’s worth it for me to really go after one to
swing makes it more likely you hit the ball off the toe of the club, you’re proba- bly going to lose yardage in the process. A better strategy for you is to focus on hitting it out of the centre of the face and feel like your club is accelerating through the ball – but at your normal swing speed. Oh, and if you can draw it to pick up a little extra yardage, go for it. But I’m still fading this one a touch. MY 90-PERCENTER Whether it’s first-tee anxiety or you’re trying to close out a tournament, there are going to be times when you have to come through under pressure. In those moments, I use my 90-percenter. It’s a shot that cuts a little, but its real appeal
drive a par 4 or be in good position to get home in two on a par 5, John will give me the green light to stick it a mile up in the air and “send it.” This shot is all about maxing carry yardage, which is even more important for slower swingers. If you can’t swing 100 miles per hour (160kph) or faster, you prob- ably have no business playing a driver with less than 11 or 12 degrees of loft. To increase your carry, you’ll also want to make sure the ball is aligned with at least the heel of your front foot and that you tee it high enough that half of it is above the top of your driver at address. You might think you have to swing harder to launch it, but that’s not necessarily true. In fact, if a harder
STRAIGHTEN IT OUT ‘I’m not trying to put a big curve on the ball, nor should you.’
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 39
JUNE 2024
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator