Davis Love III has always been a wonderful free swinger. Ever since his college days at North Carolina, during which I competed against him as a student at Duke, Love has consistently been one of the longest hitters in the game. But between 2000 and '02 his address position with the driver was out of whack, and he began driving the ball wildly, ranking no better than 132nd in accuracy. The key to his rejuvenated game this season has been his improved play from the tee. He now ranks 60th in accuracy and fifth in total driving. What did he change? The most obvious fix has been a shortened swing, which he accomplished partly by keeping his left heel down on his backswing. He also became a little steadier over the ball by narrowing his stance. Love now has a more compact swing, which gives him greater accuracy without losing much distance. The adjustments he's made with his irons are along the same lines. During the International, in which a premium is placed on birdies and eagles, Love led the field with 20 birdies, and in the second round he made a Tour-record-tying three eagles. Outstanding drives -- like the one he hit on the 440-yard 12th hole on Sunday (above) -- gave him easy approaches and birdie opportunities all week.
The Tip Set Up for Success
Andrew Combert; Jim Gund (background)
Many instructors teach golfers to always position the ball in the same spot in the stance and to maintain the same distance between the body and the hands on every shot. They are wrong. You should move the ball forward in your stance and increase the distance between your hands and your torso as you progress from the short irons to the driver. For a short iron, position the ball in the center of your stance and keep your hands very close to your body (right). With the driver, position the ball just inside your left heel and extend your arms so that there's a sizeable gap between your hands and your stomach (far right). The setup adjustments will create a more upright swing with the short irons, so you can hit down and take a divot, and a flatter swing with the driver, so you can sweep the ball off the tee.
Mike Lopuszynski teaches at Hudson National Golf Club in Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y., and is one of Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher.
Courtesy of CBS
