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Curtis Strange
MISSION: CONTROL
If you can consistently put your tee shot in the middle of the fairway, you’ll put a lot less
pressure on your short game in order to set up a scoring opportunity. That’s especially true on
No. 2, where the work Coore and Crenshaw did a few years ago brought sandy waste areas and
wiry grass back into play just off the edges.
Make these simple alterations to your standard tee shot setup: Grip down an inch or two for
control; move the ball slightly back in your stance (about one-ball behind your left heel, for
right-handed golfers); and tee the ball slightly lower so only about one-third of it is above the
top of the clubhead. Now swing slower and with more control, making sure to take the club
back low and long. At impact and on the through motion, be sure to extend the club, feeling as
if you are swinging the club straight down the target line toward the middle of the fairway.
Even with these adjustments, most golfers won’t lose much, if any, yardage because they’ll
make solid contact and hit straighter shots. The ball’s trajectory also will be a little lower, resulting in more roll, especially on firm, fast fairways.
Co-author Eric Alpenfels has been teaching golf at Pinehurst Resort for nearly 30 years. Co-author
James A. Frank is a writer from New York, N.Y., and a regular contributor to Virginia Golfer. He is
the former editor of Golf and Golf Connoisseur magazines, and co-wrote the short game and putting
“Bibles” with Dave Pelz.
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tap-in for bogey––his only one of the day––and
a on K\