Lessons Lessons THTHININK / PLAY / LIVEK / PLAY / LIVE
118 GOLF.COM / S e p t ember 2019
Top:
GettyImages;^ Left:^ChristopherS
turmanMY STUDY OF THE SHORT GAME started many years ago when my brother, Tom, played
two full practice rounds with Seve Ballesteros. I was caddying, and with my video camera
in tow, I recorded every one of Seve’s short-game shots, as well as shots from other greats
like Raymond Floyd, Corey Pavin and Greg Norman.
I found there are often five elements to the setup and swing that ensure short-shot
success. Two are steepening elements, one is neutral, and the remaining two work to
shallow the club. Elite performers create a balance in the five variables, while poor short-
game players tend to have an imbalance. I write about this in great detail in my first book,
Your Short Game Solution, and this concept has helped many of the best players in the world.
In essence, if you’re struggling with inconsistent contact and control, you’re
either too steep or too shallow. You’ll know you’re too shallow if you trade off hitting
behind the ball one time and catching it thin the next. Sound familiar? A common mistake I
see in “too-shallow” golfers is a shift of pressure into the back leg in either the backswing or
downswing. Their energy moves away from the target. The Seves of the world, meanwhile,
have a slight reverse pivot in the backswing and then move pressure even more into their
front foot as they swing into the finish. You want to feel your energy flow toward the target
in your soft wedge swings, first through your feet and then your head movement. This
will subtly steepen your angle of attack, move the low point of your swing forward and
bring balance to your technique. —James SieckmannFLOW YOUR ENERGY FORWARD
If you’re too
shallow around
the greens, letting
your weight flow
toward the
target will help
steepen your
finesse swing.SHORT-GAME SCHOOL
EDDIE PEPPERELL ALWAYS
EATS BANANAS AND ENJOYS A
TOUCH OF THE GRAPELIGHT START,
SWEET FINISH
At the 2018 British Open, Eddie
Pepperell made headlines for
shooting a Sunday 67 “a little
hungover” to finish T6, after he
and his coach had shared too much
wine the night before. Typically,
though, the fun-loving Brit sticks to
a repeatable game-day routine.
“How do I prepare to eat for a
morning round? I don’t tend to eat
much early in the morning, so if
I have a morning tee time I quite
often won’t eat breakfast and I’ll
just snack all the way through
the morning and throughout the
round. I don’t like to eat too close
to the start of a round, because
I find I tend to get a little tired
right off the back of a meal.
“Actually, since I got my dog,
Gus, fasting in the morning has
been so much easier—you get up,
take the dog out, and by the time
you get back to have something
you don’t need it until 10, 11 a.m.,
easily. So, yeah, I’m not eating in
the morning too much. It’s working
out, actually. Gus is helping me
consume fewer calories throughout
the day, which leaves more room
for wine later on.
“Once I’m on the course, I keep
it simple. Nuts, bananas, bars.
Pretty much the same thing every
time. It’ll always be bananas, and
a bar or two with some protein.
As for the nuts, smoked almonds
would be the perfect choice.
“Afterwards, I reward myself
after a good round with a glass of
wine—or punish myself with a bot-
tle. No, I’m only kidding. Sort of.”GAME FUELTOP 1OO20 19TEAAMCEHREICRSA In