Breaking 90

By Stan Utley

Photos by J.D. Cuban

October 2009

Erase the tension on pitches

If you get into a rigid, locked position, you're never going to have a good short game. To hit good pitch shots, set up so your arms hang loosely from your shoulders and your feet are close together, to make it easier to rotate (left). To hit the shot, pivot through instead of swinging your arms independently at the ball. The butt of the club should stay pointed at your belt buckle the whole time, which keeps the bounce on the bottom of the club exposed to the ground (inset, top photo). If you flip your hands over (inset, bottom), the club will dig into the turf instead of skid the way you want.

Picking the right trajectory

Some situations call for a specific kind of shot. Others present choices. When you're close to the hole but with some fringe between you and the green, you have to diagnose the conditions. If you have a sketchy lie in the fringe (or you're really feeling pressure), your best bet is to keep the ball on the ground. Putting is a good option, or you can make a putting stroke with a hybrid club, which helps shoot the ball out if it's sitting down. If you use a lofted club, pick a specific landing spot on the green (above), then read the rest of the shot as you would a putt. I like to play low shots that run out like a putt, but lofted pitches are useful if the flag is on a different tier.