On Friday, the 50,000-pound Space Shuttle Enterprise made its final flight, piggybacking atop a Boeing 747, which soared over the Hudson River on its way to landing at JFK. Some concerns about 30 mph winds buffeting the giant cargo proved to be unfounded. (See video below, and listen to the wind as the Enterprise sails overhead.)
If only our golf balls could bore through the wind with such grace and ease. But of course, 30 mph winds can play havoc with our dimpled little friends that weigh only 1.68 ounces. So how do you play when the wind is howling outside, as it tends to do in many parts of the country at this time of year? Here are three tips, from three of the game's all-time great wind players:
Tom Watson: Watson didn't win five British Opens, all in Scotland, without a keen understanding of playing great in the wind. He says he learned early on that the key to handling British Open venues on windswept links is to feel as if you're hitting long chip shots around the course. You rarely want to swing full bore in high winds, Watson says. Swinging all-out only makes the ball spin more, which causes it to balloon and be affected by higher velocities and gusts. By thinking of hitting long chip shots you reduce backspin so the ball stays lower, where it's less affected by the wind. In windy conditions, a ball rolling along the ground is generally easier to control than one that flies high through the air.
Payne Stewart: Before he passed away, the three-time major champion and Ryder Cup star wrote an article for Golf Digest about playing in poor conditions. Stewart advocated riding the wind with the driver to get maximum carry and distance, but to curve the ball into the wind on iron shots and other approaches for better control. For example, if he were teeing off in a strong left-right wind, Stewart would intentionally aim left and play a power fade. The ball would curve in the same direction as the wind was blowing, thereby allowing the wind to carry it for optimum distance. However, on an approach with, say, a left-to-right wind, he would intentionally aim to the right and play a draw that curved into the wind. The wind served as a backdrop to "hold" the ball on the green. Likewise, he would intentionally fade his approaches into a right-to-left wind.
Paul Azinger: Paul's strong grip and strong turn resulted in an ability to hit very low shots, even with his wedges and short irons. Paul would play the ball back of center in his stance and hit knockdown shots where he limited his follow-through. "Finish low to hit it low," he often said. Another secret Paul revealed to me years ago was to hit the ball lower, not higher, when playing iron shots downwind. The conventional wisdom is to hit the ball high downwind to take advantage of the breeze. But Paul contended that doing so caused you to lose control of the shot's distance. By hitting a low knockdown, you keep the ball under the wind so the ball is less affected, and therefore you can better control your distance on approach shots.
Give these techniques a try this weekend or anytime it's windy. And good luck with your game. I'll be pulling for you.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
Results for April 2012
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Fitness Friday: Unveiling the final two exercises in the new 20-in-20 workout
Every week my colleague Ron Kaspriske,
Golf Digest Fitness Editor, presents Fitness Friday on the Instruction
Blog. This week he continues his series of his 20-in-20 workout. it will definitely get your golf muscles in shape. Look for Weekend Tip
tomorrow, and remember to follow me on Twitter: @RogerSchiffman.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Here's Ron: The 20-in-20 advanced workout for golfers (#20in20) was born from the notion that there has to be a more efficient and more engaging way to exercise than what is offered in traditional programs.
As I stated at the beginning of this series, a recent survey showed that more than half of new gym-goers quit working out within two months of starting for two reasons: It's too boring and it takes too much time. Having tried and tested a number of routines over the years, I couldn't agree more. There's nothing exciting about going to the gym and jogging on a treadmill for 30 minutes and then doing a circuit of weight machines for another 30. I just yawned typing that sentence.
Before unveiling this group of 10 exercises, which are meant to be done in a total of 20 minutes (two sets per exercise), I spent a lot of time speaking with golf-fitness experts about their training programs. Not only did I want to understand what types of conditioning a golfer needs to not only swing the club effectively, powerfully and safely, but I also wanted to know how much time it truly takes to get something out of exercising. There were many different opinions on those topics, but whenever I heard a common theme from the trainers, I jotted it down. From those commonalities came this total-body workout that not only conditions golfers for the punishment they take from repeatedly swinging a golf club, but also improves their stamina.
The final two exercises in the 20-in-20 are perfect examples. Alphabet Soup (T's, Y's, M's and W's) help build scapular stability as well as rotator-cuff strength and mobility. Those are two critical areas for golfers. And the squat thrusts train the lower body to use the ground as leverage to create a more powerful swing. They also will improve your cardiovascular health.
Note: You'll hear me say in the video that the squat thrusts are a "bonus exercise" that can replace any of the other lower-body moves in the 20-in-20, or be used as an add-on (a 21-in-21). Disregard that statement and consider squat thrusts as the final exercise of the workout routine. I originally intended for another exercise called the "lateral Heisman" to be the 10th exercise of the new 20-in-20 but changed it to the squat thrust at the last minute to help train explosive movement. In the coming weeks, I'll show you the lateral Heisman as well as three other exercises that you can use to mix and match and make your own 20-in-20 workouts if this one should become stale.
Ron Kaspriske
Fitness Editor
Golf Digest
Moe Norman: How to hit the ball dead straight
Lorne Rubenstein knew the legendary Moe Norman better than any other writer. And he has put that relationship to good use with his book Moe & Me: Encounters with Moe Norman, Golf's Mysterious Genius, published recently by ECW Press in Canada. The book is full of great anecdotes, told in a first-hand approach by a writer who knows his stuff. Rubenstein has written a column on golf for The Globe and Mail for more than 30 years, and is a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. I've gleaned a few quick tips here from Moe through Lorne that I think could help your game, especially if you're having trouble finding the fairway. Certainly Norman rarely had that trouble. Norman, who died in 2004, might be known as the straightest driver the game has ever known. But he could also score. He won eight of nine Canadian Senior championships between 1979 and 1987.
The book is available on Amazon.com. I highly recommend it, not just for the instruction but also for the stories. We're indebted to Rubenstein for recounting them for the record.
Below are some of Moe's gems for hitting the ball with accuracy.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
"Quiet hands through the swing. 'Fingers are fast, fingers are fast, palms are calm, palms are calm.' Moe said to hold the club in the palms of your hands, not in the fingers.
"Wide stance. He [keeps] his feet on the ground as long as possible, thereby ensuring the clubhead will travel as far along the line as possible and not turn over. Moe wants the sensation of the ball on the clubhead all the way through
Read more
How He Made That: Ben Curtis' putts that mattered
Editor's Note: Every Monday Kevin Hinton, Director of Instruction at Piping Rock Club in Locust Valley, N.Y. and one of Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers, tells you how a tour player hits a key shot. This week, Kevin looks at the two long putts Ben Curtis made to win the Valero Texas Open on Sunday, and gives you some tips to improve your long-putting.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter: @RogerSchiffman
By Kevin Hinton
Ben Curtis' ability to make some important long putts down the stretch at the Texas Open was key to his victory yesterday. Curtis made a 25-footer on the 17th hole to save par, as well as 12-footer for birdie on the 18th hole to win by two strokes. Ben is currently ranked second on the PGA Tour in the statistical category of Strokes Gained, and he is yet to three-putt in a tour event this year. Here are three ideas that will help you make a few more long putts.
1. Practice your four-footersIf you want to make more long putts, get better at your short putts! One reason the average golfer makes so few longer putts is they are putting scared and often come up short. We've all heard the saying that "100 percent of putts left short don't go in," but it still rings true. (Hubert Green infamously said "97 percent...") But you'll never make it if the ball doesn't get to the hole. It's the fear of the come-back putt that can make us come up short on the first putt. If you spend a lot of time practicing your three- to five-footers, you'll feel much more confident in actually giving that first putt a chance to go in. The other advantage of hitting your first putt with enough pace is that if it doesn't go in, you'll see the break for your next putt. Knowing the break will definitely decrease your number of three-putts.
2. Make center contact
To make a putt of any significant length, you need to do a combination of things correctly. You must have the correct read, start the ball on your intended line, and hit the ball with the correct speed. If you don't do all of these things, consistently making a decent number of long putts is essentially impossible. None of this works without making center contact on the putterface at impact. Off-center hits cause the face to open or close, as well as affect the distance the ball travels. You can make a stroke of the perfect size and pace for a 20-footer, but the ball will only go 20 feet if you make center contact. A simple drill would be to use two tees to form a gate that is only slightly bigger than the head of your putter. Then hit putts from within the gate, being sure to miss the tees. Typically, the most common cause of off-center hits is excessive movement of your legs or head. The stiller you can stay in putting the better.
3. Read the green smartly
Becoming a proficient green reader is definitely an acquired skill that takes time and experience. However, here are a few ideas that can help. When you walk onto a green, simply
Read more
Fitness Friday: More great 20-in-20 exercises for golfers
Every week my colleague Ron Kaspriske,
Golf Digest Fitness Editor, presents Fitness Friday on the Instruction
Blog. This week he continues his series of his 20-in-20 workout. it will definitely get your golf muscles in shape. Look for Weekend Tip
tomorrow, and
remember to follow me on Twitter: @RogerSchiffman.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Here's Ron: For the past three weeks, I've been rolling out new exercises for the advanced 20-in-20 workout for golfers. (Click here to get caught up.) This week, I've got two more. Simply put, the 20-in-20 is a total-body workout geared toward strengthening and lengthening golfers' muscles with the added benefit of improving endurance. The idea is to do two sets of 10 different exercises in 20 minutes. Complementary exercises are paired (one lower-body exercise and one upper-body exercise) so you can train with shorter breaks between sets and really get your heart pumping.
Keep in mind that this is an "advanced" workout and should only be attempted by golfers who already are working out regularly or have been cleared by their doctors for strenuous activity. There is a basic version of the 20-in-20 for beginners and it can be found here.
Ron Kaspriske
Fitness Editor Golf Digest
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Here's Ron: For the past three weeks, I've been rolling out new exercises for the advanced 20-in-20 workout for golfers. (Click here to get caught up.) This week, I've got two more. Simply put, the 20-in-20 is a total-body workout geared toward strengthening and lengthening golfers' muscles with the added benefit of improving endurance. The idea is to do two sets of 10 different exercises in 20 minutes. Complementary exercises are paired (one lower-body exercise and one upper-body exercise) so you can train with shorter breaks between sets and really get your heart pumping.
Keep in mind that this is an "advanced" workout and should only be attempted by golfers who already are working out regularly or have been cleared by their doctors for strenuous activity. There is a basic version of the 20-in-20 for beginners and it can be found here.
Ron Kaspriske
Fitness Editor Golf Digest
How He Hit That: Louis Oosthuizen's technically-sound swing
Editor's Note: Every Monday Kevin Hinton, Director of Instruction at Piping Rock Club in Locust Valley, N.Y. and one of Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers, tells you how a tour player hits a key shot. This week, Kevin analyzes how Masters runner-up Louis Oosthuizen used his superb ball striking to bounce back from his close call at Augusta National and win the Malaysian Open.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter: @RogerSchiffman
By Kevin Hinton
It didn't take long for Louis Oosthuizen to rebound from his playoff loss at the Masters -- actually, it only took seven days. With his final-round 68 at the the Malaysian Open, Oosthuizen secured the victory and his 5th European Tour title. The win moved Louis to 12th place in the Official World Golf Rankings. Once again, Louis' ball striking proved valuable as he continued to drive the ball well, while hitting more than 81% of his greens in regulation for the week. Take a look at these videos of his driver and iron swings, and keep reading to see what you can learn from them.
Driver: Louis does many things exceptionally well in his swing, but here are two simple tips you can learn from his driver swing.
1) Shaft Position at Address: In this video, notice that Louis sets up to his driver with the shaft leaning slightly back. Many great drivers have done this throughout history. I encourage my students to have the shaft set in a neutral position, but if they were to err one way or the other, I'd much rather they have the shaft leaning slightly back like Louis. Leaning the shaft forward de-lofts the driver and encourages hitting down on the golf ball. Both those things make it difficult for the average player to drive the ball. You can't go wrong by copying Louis' driver setup.
Read moreFitness Friday: Let's get your golf muscles in shape
Every week my colleague Ron Kaspriske,
Golf Digest Fitness Editor, presents Fitness Friday on the Instruction
Blog. This week he adds two more exercises to his 20-in-20 workout to get your golf muscles in shape. Look for Weekend Tip
tomorrow, and
remember to follow me on Twitter: @RogerSchiffman.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Here's Ron: Two more exercises in the advanced 20-in-20 workout are debuting this week (click on the video below). The 20-in-20 name comes from the fact that you're doing two sets of 10 different exercises in 20 minutes. This workout is designed to hit all the muscle groups needed to play golf safely and effectively and also improve your endurance. It's designed to promote muscle symmetry as well. Your left side should be about as strong as your right, but that often is not the case for golfers because we play in one direction. Perhaps the best feature of the 20-in-20 is that you get a cardio and strength-training workout in one. Surely you have 20 minutes of your day to spare!
This week, I'm giving you the fifth and sixth exercises (there will be 10 total) to add to your workout. You'll receive the remaining four over the next two weeks (plus I'll have some bonus exercises in the ensuing weeks that you can use to keep the workout from getting stale). You can refer to the last two weeks' Fitness Friday posts for the first four exercises in the new 20-in-20.
As I stated in the introduction video, these exercises are NOT for beginners or anyone with existing medical conditions. Before attempting them, consult with a doctor or certified physical trainer. But if you're cleared to work out, be prepared. The 20-in-20 is not for the squeamish!
Ron Kaspriske
Fitness Editor
Golf Digest
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Here's Ron: Two more exercises in the advanced 20-in-20 workout are debuting this week (click on the video below). The 20-in-20 name comes from the fact that you're doing two sets of 10 different exercises in 20 minutes. This workout is designed to hit all the muscle groups needed to play golf safely and effectively and also improve your endurance. It's designed to promote muscle symmetry as well. Your left side should be about as strong as your right, but that often is not the case for golfers because we play in one direction. Perhaps the best feature of the 20-in-20 is that you get a cardio and strength-training workout in one. Surely you have 20 minutes of your day to spare!
This week, I'm giving you the fifth and sixth exercises (there will be 10 total) to add to your workout. You'll receive the remaining four over the next two weeks (plus I'll have some bonus exercises in the ensuing weeks that you can use to keep the workout from getting stale). You can refer to the last two weeks' Fitness Friday posts for the first four exercises in the new 20-in-20.
As I stated in the introduction video, these exercises are NOT for beginners or anyone with existing medical conditions. Before attempting them, consult with a doctor or certified physical trainer. But if you're cleared to work out, be prepared. The 20-in-20 is not for the squeamish!
Ron Kaspriske
Fitness Editor
Golf Digest
The Resurgence of Hogan, a la McLean
Driving to work this morning I listened, as I often do, to the Fairways of Life Show with Matt Adams on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio. Today he interviewed Jim McLean, No. 3 among Golf Digest's 50 Best Teachers in America, about Jim's new book, The Complete Hogan. As I've said before, I love this book, even though I've never been a huge fan of the Hogan swing as it pertains to the average golfer. I also thought Hogan's swing was better after the accident (post 1950). But Jim enlightens us with the point that Hogan himself said he played his best golf in the late 1940s, which is when these film stills were taken.
For better players, and anyone who is a student of the golf swing, this book is a must read, as are Hogan's books Five Lessons and Power Golf. For the complete interview with McLean, click on the interview link below. Go to the 9:22 mark to listen to Jim discuss how he produced the Hogan book.
Listen to the interview
--Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Follow @RogerSchiffman Read more
For better players, and anyone who is a student of the golf swing, this book is a must read, as are Hogan's books Five Lessons and Power Golf. For the complete interview with McLean, click on the interview link below. Go to the 9:22 mark to listen to Jim discuss how he produced the Hogan book.
Listen to the interview
--Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Follow @RogerSchiffman Read more
How He Hooked That: Bubba's gap-wedge slinger
Editor's Note: Every Monday Kevin Hinton, Director of
Instruction at Piping Rock Club in Locust Valley, N.Y. and one of Golf
Digest's Best Young Teachers, tells you how a tour player hits a key
shot. This week Kevin analyzes how Masters Champion Bubba Watson dramatically hooked a gap wedge from the right trees onto the 10th green in the second playoff hole. Of course, he two-putted for par to defeat Louis Oosthuizen and win his first major. Check out the two photos below, just for the sheer pleasure, then take note of Kevin's instructional points.
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
(Photos by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
By Kevin Hinton
Bubba's mind-bending hook on the second playoff hole of the Masters will go down as one of the most memorable shots in the tournament's history. If you somehow missed it, Bubba had 155 yards to the hole and was completely blocked out by trees. He simply stood up in nonchalant Bubba fashion, saw his shot shape as defined by the gallery positioned on both sides back to the fairway, then slung-hooked a gap wedge with 40 yards of curve to within 15 feet, solidifying the green jacket and his first major championship. Here are a few thoughts from Bubba when he really needs to hook the ball.
1.Swing in to out and really focus on forearm rotation. Bubba wants his hands and forearms fast through impact, and as a lefty, he really focuses on whipping his left forearm over his right.
2. Try to start the ball well left (again, he's a lefty) of the target. He knows the farther he can get the ball started away from his target, the easier it is to bend it back.
Here are four more ideas to consider when trying to hit a big draw...
1. Analyze your lie.
What made Bubba's shot even more impressive is that his ball was lying on pine straw. The more interference you have between the ball and the clubface, the more difficult it is to predict the amount the ball will curve. This "buffer," be it pine straw, rough, or anything else, prevents the grooves of the club from making flush contact with the ball, thus making the flight more difficult to control. If you find yourself needing to hit a big curve and your ball is sitting in this situation, the sound advice would be to simply punch out back to the fairway. That is, of course, unless you can bend it like Bubba.
2. Your hands and arms must "win the race."
A passive body is essential to hit a big hook. Focusing on slowing your hip and torso rotation through impact will cause your hands and arms to "pass" your body, allowing the clubface to close. When Bubba is hooking it the most, you'll notice his body is quiet and has not fully rotated.
3. " Speed equals curve."
You can't get a golf ball to curve significantly by swinging slowly. The ball simply will not react enough to the impact conditions, especially with today's balls
Read more
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
(Photos by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)By Kevin Hinton
Bubba's mind-bending hook on the second playoff hole of the Masters will go down as one of the most memorable shots in the tournament's history. If you somehow missed it, Bubba had 155 yards to the hole and was completely blocked out by trees. He simply stood up in nonchalant Bubba fashion, saw his shot shape as defined by the gallery positioned on both sides back to the fairway, then slung-hooked a gap wedge with 40 yards of curve to within 15 feet, solidifying the green jacket and his first major championship. Here are a few thoughts from Bubba when he really needs to hook the ball.
1.Swing in to out and really focus on forearm rotation. Bubba wants his hands and forearms fast through impact, and as a lefty, he really focuses on whipping his left forearm over his right.
2. Try to start the ball well left (again, he's a lefty) of the target. He knows the farther he can get the ball started away from his target, the easier it is to bend it back.
Here are four more ideas to consider when trying to hit a big draw...
1. Analyze your lie.
What made Bubba's shot even more impressive is that his ball was lying on pine straw. The more interference you have between the ball and the clubface, the more difficult it is to predict the amount the ball will curve. This "buffer," be it pine straw, rough, or anything else, prevents the grooves of the club from making flush contact with the ball, thus making the flight more difficult to control. If you find yourself needing to hit a big curve and your ball is sitting in this situation, the sound advice would be to simply punch out back to the fairway. That is, of course, unless you can bend it like Bubba.
2. Your hands and arms must "win the race."
A passive body is essential to hit a big hook. Focusing on slowing your hip and torso rotation through impact will cause your hands and arms to "pass" your body, allowing the clubface to close. When Bubba is hooking it the most, you'll notice his body is quiet and has not fully rotated.
3. " Speed equals curve."
You can't get a golf ball to curve significantly by swinging slowly. The ball simply will not react enough to the impact conditions, especially with today's balls
Weekend Tip: Like Yani, set up for power
So much has been written this past week about players at the Masters, and with social media, you just can't get away from it. For example, teacher Gary Gilchrist Tweeted Friday about one of his students, Peter Hanson, when he tied for the lead midway through the second round. But Gilchrist has a more-famous student, and here's what you can learn from her:
In the new May issue of Golf Digest (Butch Harmon on the cover), which is in subscribers hands and on some newsstands starting today, Gilchrist analyzes Yani Tseng's full driver swing. Yani is so far ahead of the other LPGA players in the Rolex World Rankings that she could take the rest of the year off and still be No 1! Check the video of her full driver swing below (she led 2011 in driving distance with a 269.2-yard average).
One of the key points that you can use in your driver game this weekend is how Yani sets up with a lot of spine tilt to her right. She takes a fairly wide stance, her right shoulder noticeably lower than her left. As Gilchrist says in the article, "She's setting up with her right hip lower now, which causes more restriction in her hip turn, helps get her chest over her right knee at the top, and stops her left arm from getting too high."
Try this on your own driver setup. It will result in a more powerful, ascending approach into the ball, and longer shots off the tee.
Good luck with your game this weekend. And don't forget to tune into the Masters. Peter Hanson might still be in contention!
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
In the new May issue of Golf Digest (Butch Harmon on the cover), which is in subscribers hands and on some newsstands starting today, Gilchrist analyzes Yani Tseng's full driver swing. Yani is so far ahead of the other LPGA players in the Rolex World Rankings that she could take the rest of the year off and still be No 1! Check the video of her full driver swing below (she led 2011 in driving distance with a 269.2-yard average).
One of the key points that you can use in your driver game this weekend is how Yani sets up with a lot of spine tilt to her right. She takes a fairly wide stance, her right shoulder noticeably lower than her left. As Gilchrist says in the article, "She's setting up with her right hip lower now, which causes more restriction in her hip turn, helps get her chest over her right knee at the top, and stops her left arm from getting too high."
Try this on your own driver setup. It will result in a more powerful, ascending approach into the ball, and longer shots off the tee.
Good luck with your game this weekend. And don't forget to tune into the Masters. Peter Hanson might still be in contention!
Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman
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