Play Your Best Tour Technique
T
he view from every tee box is different,
so when you’ve got a driver in your hands, it’s
useful to know how to play more than onetype of shot. Good news: You don’t have to be a pro to
hit a variety of them. I’ll teach you three, starting with
the one you’re probably most interested in: the power
shot. To pick up some extra yardage with your driver,
you don’t have to swing harder than usual. Instead,
address the ball with more weight on your back foot,
about 70 percent (above). It creates a more solid base,
so you can maintain balance and increase the chance
of hitting the ball in the sweet spot. This stance also
will help you catch the ball on the upswing provided
you play it far enough forward. If you hit up on the
ball, you’ll launch your drives higher with less back-
spin, and that creates more distance. I like the visual
of the ball being at least somewhere near my left heel.
It promotes good extension for longer drives and
makes me feel like I can really smash it. Read on for
my other two tee shots. —with keely levins
an on-plane swing
will improve
your accuracy▶ you’re probably wondering
what I’m doing here (right) and
on the opening page of this ar-
ticle. This is my one-handed drill
to help me get a feel for the type
of swing I need to make when
I can’t afford to miss the fairway.
I actually use it as part of my
pre-shot routine. I’ll explain how
to do it in a moment but first,
always remember to check your
alignment before you tee off. I’m
talking everything: feet, hips,
shoulders, clubface, etc. Give
yourself the best chance to hit
the fairway before you ever take
the club back by making sure
you’re not lined up in a way that
will put the ball in the rough. It’s
a forgotten fundamental on the
amateur level, but we’re con-
stantly checking it on tour.▶ now it’s time for the
one-handed drill. To do it, take
your grip with your right hand
only (if you’re a righty) while
bracing the top of your left-hand
fingers under your right elbow.
Keeping your left arm bent at
a 90-degree angle, make one-
handed rehearsal swings. Go to
the top of your backswing, and
then swing down a little past
where the ball would be. You’ll
probably have to do this a few
times until you really get a good
feel for the plane your arms are
swinging on.▶ i see a lot of amateurs loop-
ing the club up and around on
multiple planes, and it’s a big
reason they can’t find the fair-
way when they need to. Why? It
makes it a lot harder to deliver
a square clubface into the ball.
Sometimes they can get away
with it, but it’s not reliable.
That’s why I like to do this drill
before I take the club back. It
helps me feel how the arms
should move the club during a
good on-plane swing. If you can
stay on plane going back and
down, you’ll give yourself the
best chance of a square club-
face at impact.Photographs by Dom Furorenelly korda
age 20
livesBradenton, Fla.story Qualified for the
U.S. Women’s Open at 14
and has won twice on the
LPGA Tour, including the
Australian Open in February.