Articles by Drew Powell

December 19th, 2024

A New Era: TGL explained

You may have heard brief rumblings and team announcements, but chances are your understanding of TGL – the primetime golf league scheduled to debut on January 7, 2025 – is a little a fuzzy.

December 11th, 2024

Why do some courses close in the winter while others stay open?

One frequent battle between avid golfers and golf course superintendents is whether it is OK to play golf in the winter. Many courses in northern climates close during the colder months, even if there is no snow on the ground. Some supers maintain that playing on cold or frozen turf can damage course conditions, while Read more…

December 10th, 2024

Stats say this 15-minute putting practice is crucial to making more putts

What if you could make lasting improvement with less than an hour of putting practice each week? Sports biomechanist Dr Sasho MacKenzie says it’s possible, as long as you practise the right way.

November 27th, 2024

The real reason you rip your golf gloves isn’t what you think. How to stop it

According to one teacher, consistently ripping gloves in the heel pad is a major warning sign – not that you’re playing too much golf, but that you’re fighting a common swing flaw.

November 22nd, 2024

Does taking more club actually help? What our test reveals

Welcome to MythBusters, a Golf Digest+ series where we explore answers to some of golf’s most common questions through a series of tests with real golfers. While our findings might fall short of definitive, they still aim to shed new light on topics that have consumed golfers for years. Amateur golfers often come up short Read more…

November 14th, 2024

Finding your ideal tee height can fix your golf swing. Which is right for you?

You tee up the ball with a driver 14 (or so) times a round, but are you really paying attention to its height? Whether you tee the ball low or high can have a huge impact on your swing and can either help cure or exacerbate your misses. As part of our MythBusters series, we Read more…

November 14th, 2024

A top course reveals the $30,000-a-year secret to firm-and-fast greens

The greens at top-tier courses are always top-notch, but it’s not just the speed that makes them stand out. Much of the time, elite courses maintain firm putting surfaces throughout the season, even during the wet spring months. These firm greens enhance strategic shot options and provide golfers with consistent playing conditions. So why isn’t Read more…

November 8th, 2024

Is a lack of shoulder mobility causing your slice? How to test and improve it

You can spend hours on the range trying to fix your slice, but your technical issue might actually be caused by a physical limitation in your shoulder. If you don’t have proper mobility in your trail shoulder (right for righties), then you’ll fight a slice no matter how hard you try and swing down into Read more…

October 25th, 2024

This common golf-cart mistake is a ‘superintendent’s worst nightmare’

Replace your divots, fix your pitch marks, rake the sand. Golfers know the basics of course maintenance etiquette yet are still making a common error that one superintendent calls his “worst nightmare”.

October 23rd, 2024

Do layers of clothing slow down swing speed? Our test reveals surprising results

Welcome to MythBusters, a Golf Digest+ series where we explore answers to some of golf’s most common questions through a series of tests with real golfers. While our findings might fall short of definitive, they still aim to shed new light on topics that have consumed golfers for years. For many golfers across the country, Read more…

October 12th, 2024

I want to start speed training this winter, but I don’t want to get hurt. Should I be worried?

We’re nearing the end of the golf season for those in northern climates, which means it’s time to start assessing how the year went. What did you do well and what aspects of your game should you work on this off-season to come back next year a better player? For many golfers, getting longer off Read more…

October 10th, 2024

How to train your body to fix your golf swing

If you’re not happy with your ball-striking, you know you have a golf-swing problem. But what if your swing issue is the result of physical limitations? Simply trying to fix your technique won’t work if you don’t have the strength or mobility to get in the proper positions. The first step to better golf is Read more…

October 7th, 2024

You might be throwing broken tees in the wrong spot. A course superintendent explains why

From a course maintenance and environmental perspective, does it matter where you put your broken tee?

October 2nd, 2024

This simple grip-pressure test will tell you if you’re leaking swing speed

Dr Sasho MacKenzie, one of golf’s leading biomechanists, says grip pressure is crucial to generating clubhead speed, and if you have it wrong, you’re costing yourself distance.

September 27th, 2024

Two matchplay gimme strategies you’ll see at the Presidents Cup – which is right for you?

Here are the two main gimme strategies players use to gain an advantage on the greens, as well as a few light-hearted tips you can try.

September 24th, 2024

Yes, the ‘leaf rule’ is actually a real thing. Here’s what the rules say about it

Each fall, golfers in northern climates invoke the “leaf rule” to lobby for a free drop when they can’t find their ball under a pile of foliage. Some use it as a concession to appease a frustrated opponent. Others claim it as justification for avoiding their own lost-ball penalty, emphatically asserting the Rules of Golf Read more…

September 20th, 2024

Do range balls really perform worse than premium balls? We tested it

Welcome to MythBusters, a Golf Digest series where we explore answers to some of golf’s most common questions through a series of tests with real golfers. While our findings might fall short of definitive, they still aim to shed new light on topics that have consumed golfers for years. You warm up on the range, Read more…

September 18th, 2024

These two common swing moves feel powerful, but they’re actually huge speed killers

Moves in the golf swing that feel powerful and require plenty of effort are actually the ones that drain speed.

September 12th, 2024

Ask A Super: Should I leave bunker rakes inside or outside the sand?

Nearly every golfer understands it’s their responsibility to rake a bunker after they hit from it, but what should they do after that? Should they leave the rake inside or outside the bunker?

September 11th, 2024

A day for thanking golf course superintendents should also be about understanding what they do

International “Thank A Golf Course Superintendent Day” should spark a relationship that is maintained during the other 364 days of the year.

September 6th, 2024

Does a clean clubface really matter? What our test reveals about dirty clubs and spin

We know spin matters, but when it comes to maximising spin, does a clean clubface matter as well?

August 31st, 2024

Putting from the rough? The greenside ‘escape’ shot you’ve never tried, explained

For most golfers, putting from just off the green is a better option than chipping the ball because your margin for error is much greater with a flat stick. While you might chunk or blade your worst chip, a bad putt from off the green will still get you somewhere around the hole. But the Read more…