News

By Brian Hwang, Teaching Professional

Autumn is here, and it’s time you learned how to get your ball under control in the wind. You’ve probably noticed some of the pros hitting stingers to keep the ball under Lady Liberty at the Presidents Cup, and of course Tiger Woods made the shot his own when he was in his prime.

This shot allows you to have control over trajectory and spin, something many of us struggle to do in tough conditions. Here’s how it’s done:

Setup

1. Grip your club a half inch lower than normal for added control.

2. Position the ball an inch back from the middle of your stance.

3. Right-handed players should try to put about 60% of their weight on their left side (reverse for lefties).

4. Create a Y in your posture, and maintain your wrist angle and that Y throughout the swing, finishing low with the club pointing at your target.

Drill

Grab a 6-iron and start with 40-yard chip shots, increasing your yardage until you are able to have full control of the trajectory on a full swing. You will notice your follow-through will be a lot shorter than normal due to maintaining the wrist angle throughout impact.