THE BEST OF BREED

The former Golf Channel host shares tips to make 2021 your best golf year ever

- MICHAEL BREED

MICHEAL BREED JOINED Golf Digest as Chief Digital Instructor in January 2018 after earning global acclaim as an ever-bubbly host on the Golf Channel. After 385 episodes of ‘The Golf Fix’, Breed has spent the past two years sharing his experience from more than three decades as an instructor across Golf Digest’s print and digital portfolio. Here the former PGA of America National Teacher-of-the-Year offers tips to help you start 2021 with your game in its best shape ever.

1 “Which of these looks like I’m going to hit a good one?”

Fast Arms, Slow Hands

Do what the pros do for better impact

Let me explain that headline, because last I checked, the hands are attached to the arms. But I want you to separate them in your mind for a minute. Good players swing their arms down at a high rate of speed, which gets the body turning in support (above, right). Poor players often let their hands, mainly the trail hand, take over during the downswing. That instinct to use the hands slows down the arm swing and inhibits body movement (above, left). The result: less power and control.

So let’s get back to fast arms, slow hands. Get it right, and the shaft leans forward at impact for a downward strike that compresses the ball. You also get centre face contact with the face squaring naturally, as opposed to too much trail hand action, which can rotate the face closed too early or flip it upward through impact. In short, when the arms lead, it means better contact, less curve and more distance.