With the shot that won the Hyundai Team Matches, Rich Beem showed that the best way to play is to get a grip -- way down on the club

Courtesy of ABC

By Craig Shankland
One of Golf Magazine's Top 100 Teachers

If you want to improve your ball striking, I suggest you do what Rich Beem did on Sunday at the Hyundai Team Matches. Instead of trying to rip a nine-iron from 136 yards on the par-4 17th, Beem gripped way down on an eight-iron (above) and made a controlled, relaxed swing, knocking his approach to four feet to seal a 2-and-1 victory with teammate Peter Lonard over Mark Calcavecchia and Fred Couples. Choking down on the handle is the easiest way to improve club control for players of all levels.

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PETER THE LATE Beem played great down the stretch, but I was particularly impressed with Lonard. The guy may be a 35-year-old PGA Tour rookie, but I think he's on the verge of stardom, despite his unorthodox setup. Lonard stands practically on top of the ball, with locked-up knees, but he gets away with it because, at 6 feet and 225 pounds, he is so strong. He also dispels the myth that choking down means sacrificing length. Lonard, who grips way down on almost every club, including the driver, averaged 281.4 yards off the tee in 2002, matching Ernie Els. An Aussie who played for 11 years on the European and Australasian tours, Lonard made the cut in 22 straight Tour starts to begin the year, and he deserves to be rookie of the year over Jonathan Byrd, who may have won a tournament but was far less consistent.

DIFFERENT STROKES The Hyundai featured many world-class players, but only one of them, Tom Watson, had what I would consider a classic swing. In fact, many of the best golfers have had something unique in their motion, including Jack Nicklaus's flying elbow and Arnold Palmer's windmill follow-through. Don't feel you need to change an idiosyncrasy, because it may be the best thing in your swing. Instead, learn what you're doing right and refine it.

ANCHORS AWAY? I hear through the grapevine that the USGA is seriously considering making the long and belly putters illegal. Even though these flatsticks have helped many people, I'd be in favor of this ruling because I think golf should be played with your hands. Anchoring the putter changes the fundamental nature of the game.

HIGH TIMES Since the introduction of large-headed drivers I've seen more and more amateurs make the mistake of teeing the ball too low. When using a deep-faced driver, such as the 400cc models that have flooded the market, use three-inch tees so that at least half of the ball is above the top of the driver's face at address.

Craig Shankland is an instructor at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, and one of Golf Magazine's Top 100 teachers.

Issue date: November 25, 2002