More Stories
|
Corey Pavin will captain the U.S. Ryder Cup team in Wales this fall. |
Aged to Perfection
To help you hone your game, five of the Champions Tour's heavy hitters reveal their playing secrets.
COREY PAVIN ON FAIRWAY WOODS AND HYBRIDS
"I think about fairway woods and hybrids the same way – they are clubs that I'm trying to be accurate with, but not precise. The most common flaw I see with even good amateurs using these clubs is getting overambitious. You need to think about hitting a reasonable shot with a fairway wood or hybrid, not the perfect shot. The target should be the fat part of the green or the safe side of the pin, even if that means off the green.
"It's generally best to keep things as simple as possible with the longer clubs. Creative shots like hooks and fades should be kept for circumstances where the reward is great for trying a low-percentage shot. ‘Simplicity' is a good thought for the swing, too. I keep about 60 percent of my weight on my right side and 40 percent on my left. My normal ball position is slightly inside my left heel, and my swing keys are ‘good rhythm' and ‘solid contact.'
"I'm sometimes asked what's the longest iron an amateur should carry given the rise in hybrids. It's a difficult question. Every player must assess his or her ability to hit the longer irons. Bigger, taller, stronger players will always have an easier time, and the reverse is usually true. That's why a 4-iron is the longest iron I have in my bag."
Why you should listen: Corey Pavin's 228-yard 4-wood to five feet on the final hole to clinch the 1995 U.S. Open title at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in New York is widely considered one of the greatest-ever fairway wood shots. The Champions Tour rookie will captain the U.S. Ryder Cup team that takes on Team Europe at the Celtic Manor Resort in Wales, Oct. 1-3.
MICHAEL ALLEN ON DRIVING
"Good driving starts with structure – how your pelvis and spine are situated at address, and then your ability to maintain that position throughout the swing. Unfortunately, many amateurs have terrible structure. Their hips aren't set back enough, which leads to a lack of space between the arms and hips in the set-up. The arms don't hang naturally, as they should, and you can't turn properly back and through. You stand up through the shot and hit pushes and pulls.
"Awareness is the first step. One good fix is to stand up straight and use your hands to push your hips back. This will bend your spine and get your arms in a good position. You want to feel like you're moving your weight back to your heels, when in fact it will be over the middle of your feet, where it should be. Another useful thought is to keep your beltline pretty much level throughout the swing.
"It takes strength and flexibility to maintain that structure. I've worked hard on my abs, upper thighs, and especially the glutes – that's what enables you to keep your butt back through the swing. One-legged lifts, bridges, and interval training on a stationary bike are a big help, and better flexibility and fitness have been a big part of my good play over the past few years. It's been nice that after 15 years of anonymity, people are starting to notice me now."
Why you should listen: Michael Allen won the 2009 Senior PGA Championship, a Champions Tour major, in his first start on the senior circuit. The record holder for most successful attempts at PGA Tour Q-School (9), Allen also tied a career-high with six top-25 finishes last season on the regular Tour, where he ranked 16th in Total Driving.
TOM LEHMAN ON PRACTICING SMARTER
"Amateurs tend not to practice enough – and they generally use their limited amount of time to hit balls on the range. You can save more shots by chipping and putting well. Scoring well happens from 100 yards and in. I'm practicing my short game and my wedges at least as much as ever before, and hitting way fewer drivers and longer clubs these days. It's much more efficient.
"Whatever I'm practicing, I'm very specific in what I'm trying to accomplish with each shot. You want to practice like you play. I play a game with myself or against friends where you pick a specific target and keep shots to only one side of it, left or right. Five feet or even 30 feet right of the pin, say, is better than two feet left, or vice versa. It's a great way to train yourself not to miss tucked pins on the short side, which done consistently is the kiss of death.
"Another way to help make every shot count is to keep your mound of practice balls far enough away that you have to step away to reach them. Machine-gunning shots one after another doesn't accomplish anything. You want to try to go through your preshot routine on every shot. Once you get loose – and I might hit wedges for a half-hour to do that – you're trying to achieve a specific shape, trajectory, and distance with each shot. You get better by practicing better."
Why you should listen: The 1996 British Open champion and 2006 Ryder Cup captain, Tom Lehman has won five times on the PGA Tour and once on the Champions Tour, which he also joined last year. Lehman ranks among the top 50 career money leaders in PGA Tour history – this after dropping off the Tour for five years following three middling seasons, 1983-85.
TOMMY ARMOUR III ON BALL-STRIKING
"Fans might think the pros work on esoteric stuff, but that's rarely the case. The main things I always practice are the fundamentals – grip, posture, and especially alignment. There's nothing more frustrating than striking the ball perfectly and the shot flies 15 yards offline. I usually put a cutoff shaft on the ground at my feet parallel to my target line and use that to get my feet, hips, and shoulders square.
"My swing isn't as compact as most people think. My quick tempo makes it look shorter than it is. I do find that the club player tends to have a lot of wasted motion in his swing. I'm able to create a lot of speed without overswinging by coiling and uncoiling my body quickly. Stretching has played a big role in keeping me limber.
"Hitting three-quarter shots is a good practice drill. For some players, their three-quarter swing will still reach parallel. Certainly you'll start hitting the ball straighter and more solid that way. When I start hitting hooks – which is usually caused by not quite turning my hips and shoulders through the shot – I like to practice what I call the ‘Flying Wedge.' Essentially, I finish my swing with my arms and the club pointed straight in front of me. You can do it with any club, not just a wedge. I don't know why I call it the Flying Wedge – I just do."
Why you should listen: Tommy Armour III, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, set the all-time mark for lowest 72-hole score (254) at the 2003 Valero Texas Open. New to the Champions Tour this year, he has recorded two runner-up finishes in his first half-dozen starts.
NICK PRICE ON SAND PLAY
"Amateurs are amazed that pros are such great sand players, but it's because these shots have the biggest margin for error. If you take a little less sand than you intend, the ball will carry farther than expected but stop quicker. If you catch the shot a little heavier and take too much sand, the ball won't fly as far but will roll farther.
"The three golden rules of sand play are: open up your stance; use the bounce on the wedge by opening up the clubface; and hit down on the shot and accelerate through it. Keep about 65 percent of your weight on your forward foot to encourage hitting down – though, remember, it's not a chop – and position the ball just inside the front heel. The shorter the bunker shot, the more open I'm going to stand and the more open I'll lay the clubface. On longer shots, I'll stand more square to my line, and swing less across the target line, though the clubface will always be somewhat open.
"In terms of reading your lie, the more the ball is sitting in the sand, the harder it is to put spin on the shot. If half or even a third of the ball is down in the sand, you need to allow for more roll. You should also have a sand wedge that suits the texture of the sand at your club – the more powdery the sand, the more bounce you require. You want to practice by hitting 10 or 20 shots one distance, change up the distance and hit another 10 or 20 shots, and then change it up again. The repetition helps develop the necessary feel. The different targets help keep you engaged."
Why you should listen: A member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, former world No. 1 golfer Nick Price captured three major championships: the 1992 and 1994 PGA Championships, and the 1994 British Open. In all, he won 18 PGA Tour titles. Now in his fourth year on the Champions Tour, he has won twice and ranked 14th in sand-save percentage last season.
Add your comment
0 comments