"Nobody wins the Open; it wins you." -Cary Middlecoff
As the best in the world tee it up at Shinnecock Hills for the 118th United States Open, they will be greatly tested in all aspects of their game. For those very familiar to this tournament, they might be familiar with the extreme second cut conditions and why this tournament has been deemed the hardest test in golf. For any chance for players participating in this event, to climb up the leader-board, accuracy off the tee is a necessity. If not able to properly find the fairway off the tee, a punishment throughout the round is guaranteed. To help you hit more fairways in your next round, follow these tips highlighting the required fundamentals needed to have more tee shots land in the more forgiving short grass.
When battling the elements, or feeling a discomfort in your driving timing, first focus on your base. Too often when players try to “grip it and rip it” off the tee, there is way too much feet and leg action throughout the swing. Losing your balance because of a lifting or shifting with your feet, can lead to a major loss in accuracy. Secondly, focus of having a “controlled” turn during the backswing. When mistaking trying to swing the club way too fast to risk extra distance, the swing tempo becomes out of control. With this mistake there is often an overhaul of movement with the hands, leading to a loss in torque. Instead of the player properly guiding the club from start to finish, the club overpowers the player. Swing positions become different from shot to shot, lacking impact consistency.
Lastly, the key for finding more fairways off the tee, is balance with the finish. As fun as attempting a “Happy Gilmore” like whack at the ball may to be, yelling “fore” to the group on the adjacent green is not worth it. While participating in my lessons we focus on controlling the swing to becoming more photogenic. This better referred to as “photo finish”. This phrase used, because the way the swing is finished showcases how the swing was executed at impact. If a player’s weight is falling over to the right, the odds a slice or pushed shot right is high. If a player’s weight is falling backwards while finishing their swing, the likely result becomes an extremely fat shot. So next time you are on the driving range or the number one tee battling for bragging rights with your friends; focus on managing your base, controlling your chest while the shoulders turn back, and then hold your finish with maximum balance just as if you were posing for the next magazine cover.
