It takes zero athletic ability to set up to the ball perfectly every time. What it does take is knowing the correct positions and having the discipline to get them right. Let’s start with the driver. Set the clubface square behind the ball, then take your stance so your feet are wider than your shoulders [right]. Play the ball off your front heel, with your weight 50-50. Your head should be behind the ball, and the shaft should be neutral, not leaning forward or back. Now, want a tip for extra power? Flare out your back foot for more turn on the backswing. See the next page to learn how to set up for irons and wedges. – with Peter Morrice
MASTERS THESIS
I was coaching Tiger when he won the 1997 Masters, his first Major as a pro, by 12 shots. It was an amazing display of golf, and it confirmed what I already knew: Tiger was a cold-blooded winner.
But soon afterwards, he started looking at pictures from that week and didn’t like that his clubface was shut at the top. He thought that limited the shots he could hit. He wanted to fix it.
My first reaction was, the change would take serious time. I told him 1998 could be a struggle, but he was focused on doing it.
So we set out to improve the swing that won the Masters in a runaway. Tiger was never satisfied, always wanted to get better. In 1999, after the changes, he won eight times. As my father used to say, patience is overrated.
