Breaking 100/90/80

Ignite your short game

By Bob Ford

With Ron Kaspriske

Illustration By Jim Luft

July 2008

Lew Worsham, winner of the 1947 U.S. Open, was one of the biggest influences on my game. Just spending time around him and watching him teach, I really learned a lot. One thing I took away from those lessons was that no matter what short-game shot you're hitting, you need to accelerate into the ball. With many shots around the green, it's a lot like striking a match: You can't ignite a match unless you increase speed as you drag the tip across the matchbook. I've found that mental image helpful to amateurs who are afraid to make an accelerating swing.

Breaking 100

I keep it simple when I teach 100-shooters the greenside bunker shot. The sand can be intimidating to higher-handicappers, but they have to overcome that fear.

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Breaking 90

I can understand why so many amateurs struggle with pitching. When you're only 30 yards from the green, it's hard to convince yourself to make a full swing and accelerate through the ball. But that's exactly what you need to do to execute this shot. Set up to the ball with an open face.

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Breaking 80

No short-game shot better emulates the action of striking a match than hitting out of greenside rough, especially when the pin is close. For this shot, make a longer backswing but very little follow-through.

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Bob Ford is the head professional at Seminole Golf Club, Juno Beach, Fla., and at Oakmont (PA.) Country Club.