Golf Digest July 2016

A golf friend passed along a story about the chief executive of Rakuten, Japan’s largest online marketplace, who one day announced to several thousand Japanesespeaking employees that, starting immediately, all business, from board meetings to internal email, would be conducted in English only. “Japanese out, English in,” said one observer. The move was widely criticized, but Hiroshi Mikitani was ruthless in sticking to his decision. “The only way to compete in this interconnected Internet age is to speak the language of the market—and that language is English,” he said. It had the added linguistic benefit of breaking down “the hierarchical, bureaucratic barriers that are entrenched in Japanese society.” Five years later, Mikitani reports that 90 percent of his employees speak English, their work environment is more casual, efficiency has increased and…

As a freshman at Alabama five years ago, I could hit it decent with the driver, but nothing like today. In fact, even since I got on tour last year, I’ve amped up my distance. I don’t think too much about what needs to happen to send one 300 yards— in the air—but I know having an explosive downswing has a lot to do with it. All anyone ever asks me about is why my feet are off the ground when I hit the ball, like you see here. That’s a big part of how I generate speed. Keep in mind, I weigh less than 150 pounds, so I need an extra power boost from somewhere. That upward thrust sends more speed down to my clubhead through impact. But there’s…

What’s the scariest shot from a greenside bunker? ▶ Water over the back: 38% ▶ Buried lie: 34% ▶ Second try to get out: 16% ▶ Over a high lip: 12% SOURCE: GOLF DIGEST READERS Everybody says amateurs can’t get out of greenside bunkers because they’re crushed by fear. Well, that’s part of it, but the bigger thing is, they set up in a way that makes it almost impossible to hit a good shot. They get bad results, so the fear develops, but the root cause is a poor setup. A lot of golfers treat bunker shots like pitch or chip shots. They set up with the ball in the middle of the stance and push their hands ahead so the shaft is leaning toward the target. That’s fine if you want to hit the ball…

“Gotta carry something? Add five yards for a little cushion.” You’ve got a nice fairway lie, comfortable iron to a big green. But the pin’s up front, over a pond or a deep bunker. Using your range finder, you get the exact yardage: 151. Perfect 7-iron. But just when you need a solid strike, you miss it a touch. You watch in agony as your ball splashes in the water or disappears in the sand. First, if you always think 7-iron from 150 yards, you probably carry it 145 and it rolls another five. Those five yards can be huge when you have to fly something. Most golfers fail to factor in bounce and roll when they determine yardages to the pin. Do yourself a favor on allcarry shots: Add five yards…

CordeValle, in Northern California’s wine country, will host the U.S. Women’s Open July 7-10. It’s the kind of place where Annika Sorenstam might have lapped the field. The course will demand accurate driving and solid putting—two trademarks of Sorenstam’s Hall of Fame career, which ended in 2008. Of the players who will tee it up at CordeValle, early favorites include world No. 1 Lydia Ko, 19; Inbee Park, who has six major victories in the past three seasons; and defending champion In Gee Chun. Add to the mix Lexi Thompson, who has improved her short game; relentless contender Stacy Lewis; and 2014 Open champion Michelle Wie. And don’t forget Amy Yang, who has five top-10s in the last six Opens, including two seconds. Back to Sorenstam, who celebrates two anniversaries this year.…

37% 13% 8% 42% How long before your tee time do you show up at the course? ▶ 30 minutes ▶ A good hour ▶ Right to the tee, baby! ▶ In time to hit 10 range balls SOURCE: GOLF DIGEST READERS If you’re not happy with early returns this season, check your shoulder turn. That’s what helped pull me out of a long period of indifferent golf. During one particular range session, I identified a flaw in my downswing: I was dipping my right shoulder coming into impact, which caused me to fall back with my upper body. I realized that when my shoulder plane stayed the same in relation to my spine as I swung back and through, everything else—arms, hands, clubhead—would fall into a foolproof groove. In short, I discovered my secret to better golf. To feel this,…