CHOOSE WISELY ‘Don’t automatically grab your driver every time you step onto a par-4 or par-5 tee.’
If it’s a super tight hole with out-of- bounds on one side and a big pond on the other, your best option might be to put a 5-iron in play. Then maybe hit an- other 5-iron down the fairway and then wedge one onto the green. At worst, you’re taking double bogey out of play and at best, you’ll have a par putt on one of the toughest holes on the course. Point is, give every play from the tee a little more thought, and I bet your scorecard will benefit from it.
is that it pierces through the air on a low trajectory. It’s not like the squeeze cut, which flies longer and higher. It’s more like a stinger. If you’re trying to avoid a double or there’s trouble every- where, think about scaling back your effort and really focusing on making a smooth swing. Don’t forget to finish it. No steering. The adjustments to hit this drive are to tee it lower, play it a little further back than normal and stay more on top of the ball with your chest. I know I can rely on this drive to avoid the deep rough, but even if you don’t feel comfortable hitting it, just remem-
ber that if you want to keep a driver in play, this is not the time to swing out of your shoes. Make a swing that feels like you’re going at it with a lot less effort. MY FOURTH OPTION I do draw the ball from time to time. Sometimes the hole just screams to move it right to left. In those instances, I’ll grab my 3-wood and turn something over. I’m not suggesting you do the same if you’re not at a level where you can draw it on command. Rather, my advice here is don’t automatically grab your driver every time you step onto a par-4 or par-5 tee.
40 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JUNE 2024
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