Breaking 80

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Breaking 80

THE ONE DRILL: If a tour player has time for only one drill, this is the one. If you can clip both tees (and the ball), you're coming through impact on a flat, straight path.

: Clip both tees to extend the impact zone; By Bill Moretti with Matthew Rudy
Photos By Darren Carroll August 2008; Hitting a 40- or 50-yard pitch shot is tricky business even for tour players. The only way to do it consistently is to have a long, shallow impact zone. Even good players have a tendency to come into these shots too steeply. To groove that shallower path, break a tee in half and stick the pointy end in the ground an inch behind the ball, angled at the target. Take another tee and stick it in the ground an inch in front, also angled at the target. Hit practice shots clipping both tees from the grass. If you're too steep, you'll catch only the one after the ball. If you scoop, you'll hit just the one before it. Hit both, and you're hitting it pure.

LOW VS. HIGH: To hit wedge shots lower or higher, keep your hands in the same place but adjust your grip and ball position.

: Change shot height with your setup; To hit pitch shots low or high, you can make simple setup adjustments instead of changing the way you swing. For both shots, your hands stay in the same position relative to your body -- inside your left thigh. For a low shot, strengthen your grip (turn your hands away from the target), move your ball position back and close your shoulders. Be sure to keep the clubface aimed at the target. For a high shot, weaken your grip (turn your hands toward the target), move the ball forward of center and open your shoulders. Again, the clubface should be aimed at the target. The club will follow your shoulder line and produce the loft you need.