Golf Digest April 2017

Dan Jenkins, the Ancient Twitterer, will be presiding at his 67th Masters and fourth media center this April. When he showed up for his first, in 1951, the press was housed in a canvas tent with openings at each end and 40-watt light bulbs strung along tent poles above the typewriters. “We wore coats and ties and snap-brim hats and felt pretty lucky to be there,” he says. A Quonset hut replaced the tent in 1953, nestled beside the first fairway, and it was still there in 1978 when I arrived with my first press pass. Despite tight quarters and the rat-tat-tat of rainstorms, it seemed pretty grand to me: free barbecue and all the chocolate milk you could drink as long as you didn’t take any food out of the…

To put it mildly, I had a pretty awesome start to 2017. Winning in back-to-back weeks in Hawaii, shooting a 59 in the first round of the Sony Open, you couldn’t ask for a happier new year. I’m playing well for a lot of reasons. First, it’s confidence. I don’t get riled as much when I bogey a hole. I know I can get the stroke back. Second, I’ve been working hard on my game, particularly from 150 yards and in. Now I’m really taking advantage of hitting my tee shots as far as I do. When I stand over a full short-iron shot, a pitch, a chip, even a longer putt, I feel like I’m either going to get it close or knock it in. It’s a great feeling…

On pitch shots, the No. 1 skill is controlling distance. If you work that back, the key to distance control is making predictable contact with the ball. Hitting it fat or thin—even a little—puts your distance all over the map. A common reason for poor contact in pitching is too much wrist hinge during the backswing (above, right). A big hinge leads to a steep downswing and, often, hitting behind the ball. Even when steep swingers hit it solid, they take deep divots—they’re always on the verge of fatting it. I prefer less wrist hinge going back (above, left) so you can brush the ground through impact. Steve Stricker is the best practitioner of this style: He keeps his wrists firm going back and turns his body in sync with his arms.…

‘A difference of 10 or 15 yards might mean everything.’ Augusta National is the quintessence of a second-shot golf course. Wide fairways prevent you from feeling like you’re in a straightjacket off the tee, but that doesn’t mean you can mindlessly whale away. The perceptive player recognizes that his ability to attack the flag with the approach is largely determined by the drive—much more than on an average course. A difference in position of just 10 or 15 yards in the fairway might mean everything. On a secondshot course, you use the tee shot to truly create your second. This type of design happens to be my favorite. To me, hitting driver is the most fun part of the game. A second-shot course encourages everyone to let it fly all day. Low-handicappers…

It’s been at least ________ since my last shank. A couple of holes: 33% 6 months: 33% 3 weeks: 21% 2 years: 13% SOURCE: GOLF DIGEST READERS Hitting just one shank can put fear in your mind that another’s on its way, and that kills your confidence. They often happen because your hands are farther away from your body at impact than they were at address, causing the club to strike the ball off the hosel. Fear not the shanks. Use these steps to cure them. David Leadbetter operates 34 golf academies worldwide. 1.CHILL OUT Anxiety from shanking leads to a lot of tension in the forearms and hands. So before you swing again, be sure to lighten your grip pressure and relax your arms. If you don’t, you won’t be able to swing the club smoothly. 2.WATCH YOUR TOES • If…

Only a few tour pros have a shot that can make other tour pros stop what they’re doing on the range and have a look. Dustin Johnson has one. Some golfers hide big power in a deceptively compact package. But Johnson is built like an NBA guard, so the 340-yard lightning bolts he hits with his 122-mile-per-hour clubhead speed don’t seem that surprising. His PGA Tour Player of the Year season in 2016 came in big part after moving away from a more volatile draw to a consistent baby fade. “I don’t try to fade it,” Johnson says. “I just set up a hair more open, aim at the left side of the fairway, and I swing. If I’m working to make the ball go left to right, something is off.” Not much…