Breaking 90

By Pete McDaniel and Mark Blackburn

Photos by J.D. Cuban

Learn to use body turn for better pitching, iron play and driving

Make sure your turn is steep enough

More often than not, the 90s-shooter's shoulder plane is too flat -- too level to the ground. Coming into impact, the right shoulder stays too high (left). Instead, the shoulders should rotate perpendicular to the spine to set up a descending blow and flush contact. A flat turn also puts a lot of stress on the spine.To feel a good turn, hold a club across your chest and rotate back, maintaining a 90-degree angle between your shoulders and spine (below, left). Then turn forward, moving your right shoulder low and pointing the club at the ball (below, right). Get this correct, and you won't "run out of right arm," which happens when the radius shortens because the right shoulder stays too high.

Get your sequencing straight

Proper sequencing is the hallmark of great ball-strikers. Good players create the following downswing sequence: feet, knees, pelvis, torso, arms, hands and club. That results in an on-plane swing, more compression on the ball and a penetrating ball flight. Poor players reverse that sequence, starting down with the hands (left).Use the Step Drill to work on sequencing. With your feet together and set a few inches behind the ball, get into your golf posture. As you swing back, raise your left foot and start to step toward the target. Starting down (below), complete the step, hit the ball and swing through around a posted left side. Groove this feeling of your lower body leading.