The book on breaking 100-90-80: get the best tips from the best teachers in golf

Golf Digest, April, 2004

From the start, the aim of Golf Digest's monthly "Breaking 100-90-80" has been to publish the best instruction from the world's best teachers and players so you can take your game to the next level. The eternal desire to improve is one all golfers share, and under the "Breaking" format, Golf Digest Teaching Professionals, Playing Editors and others have helped golfers set goals so they can advance through the 100, 90 and 80 scoring barriers.

This issue marks the fifth year of this popular special section, and the editors have produced a full-color book, "Breaking 100, 90, 80," which debuts in April (Doubleday, $29.95, 288 pages). In the book the instructional material is organized into 10 chapters, ranging from the full swing to short game to fitness, still separated within the helpful 100-90-80 sections.

Here's an excerpt from the book, giving you a few of the best from the best to help you reach your scoring goals.

Technique

Swing the club more around your body than up and down

by Hank Haney

To break 100, you have to avoid the disaster shots, which can be caused by swinging on an extreme downward angle (far right). Know that the basic shape of the swing isn't up and down. It's more around your body (near right). This is true for the irons and even more true for your woods, which have longer shafts that require you to shallow out your swing.

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Bunker

Get set correctly with the sand-box drill

by Rick Smith

The relationship between stance, swing path and clubface is crucial in greenside bunker shots. Try this in a practice bunker: Draw four numbers in the sand and divide them into quadrants. The horizontal line should point at the target and parallel to your shoulders and feet. Place a ball in the center and stand so your feet are in Boxes 3 and 4 and the clubface is open, angled toward Box 1. As you swing through, the club should travel from Box 2 to Box 3, making the ideal outside-to-in path.

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Putting

Frame your putting stroke

by Randy Smith

Too many beginners sideswipe the ball to get it on target instead of starting square and trusting the stroke. Simplify your putting: Picture a framing square as it relates to your putter and your line. Keep the putter on line and the face square, and the ball will go where you aim it.

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Fitness

Get fit to finish strong

by Nick Price

The more physically fit you are, the stronger you'll be, especially late in the round. Elite golfers work out up to five times a week, focusing on cardiovascular exercises, like riding a stationary bike. Most also do strength training and stretching. You're not out to build muscle with a fitness regimen; you want to maintain strength, flexibility and muscle tone.

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Short Game

A flat left wrist at impact is the key to hitting crisp, low chips

by Chuck Cook

Most chipping mis-hits occur because the left wrist breaks down just before impact. Beginners think they have to lift the ball in the air by scooping it, often by flipping the wrists at impact (below left). To hit the ball crisply, try maintaining the correct impact position (below right). Your left wrist should remain flat and should be slightly closer to the target than the cluhead is. The ball will fly low and stay on line, rolling up to the hole like a putt at the end.

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The Setup

Do the skier's squat for better posture

by Gary Player

Weak legs cause you to develop posture problems at address. To keep your legs and lower back strong, do the skier's squat regularly. Lower into a sitting position, your heels flat, your thighs parallel to the ground and your arms in front of you. Hold for 30 seconds. Now feel tension in those same muscles at address.

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Short game

Close the gap

by Jim McLean

For the most flexibility in your short game, you should carry three wedges, with a 4- to 5-degree difference in loft angle between them. Generally, each degree of loft on your wedges translates to two to four yards in carry distance. Shoot for a 10-yard gap between each wedge.

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Putting

Putt with a pendulum-like stroke

by Judy Rankin

All good putters have a sameness of pace to their stroke. This allows them to find the proper length for their stroke for any given putt. The length of swing and the weight of the putterhead create a natural pendulum-like acceleration through the ball. Good putters approach putting as though the ball is merely in the way of a smoothly flowing stroke.

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Driving

Swing freely for better tempo

by Butch Harmon

On the practice range, you probably have a lot of freedom in your swing, because there's nothing on the line. Then you walk to the first tee to play a $2 nassau, and everything changes. Here's some advice: Let yourself play well. Get your emotions out of the way, and let it happen. On the range, look for a tempo that allows you to swing freely and that you're comfortable with, then take that freedom to the course.

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Driving

Use a mirror to make changes