- be in control
▶ When I don’t need to hit a
drive as far as I can, and accu-
racy is way more important,
I grip down on the handle of the
club. I don’t grip it at the end of
the club normally anyway, but
I go even farther down for my
go-to drive—nearly double the
amount, about the width of two
fingers. Shortening the length
of your club increases your
chance of having good control.
4
- put yourself at ease
▶ You need to have a pre-shot
routine. For me, that’s a short
move back with the club—my
version of a waggle. You can do
whatever you want for your rou-
tine, but make sure you’re con-
sistent. Having a routine helps
keep me relaxed and in control
when the heat is on, whether
that’s the last hole of a major or
a big spot in a friendly match.
We all feel pressure. It’s the
golfers who know how to deal
with it who tend to perform the
best when they’re stressed. So
do something that turns the
situation from stressful to just
another routine shot.1
june 2019 | golfdigest.com 15“To hit a good shot under pressure,you want as little movement as possible.”- swing with efficiency
▶ For my go-to drive, I focus
on making a smooth and con-
trolled swing—no excessive
movement. I used to sway away
from the target in my back-
swing for more power, but that
made it difficult to get back to
the ball with the face square or
slightly closed. My instructor,
Ted Oh, helped me get rid of
that move, and I find it so much
easier to control the clubface
now. It’s also important to
relax—mentally and physically.
You’re not trying to rip one.
Instead, make a swing that’s
unhurried, in sequence and has
great balance and tempo.- finish gracefully
▶ A key indicator you made a
good swing is how you finished
it. If you’re off balance at the
end, you probably weren’t in
control during the swing. No-
tice how my upper body and
hips are facing the target, and
not rotated past that point.
That’s a sign I made a smooth
through-swing. Also, my left
leg is nice and straight, and
my right toe is sticking into the
ground. That means I’m in bal-
ance. Finally, notice my eyes
are looking straight ahead.
That’s because I was confident
my drive would split the fair-
way. Now onto the second shot.