First Issue Tips -- With a Modern Twist

Golf is the same game your grandfather played, but it'staught differently today. Top 100 Teacher Eden Fosterputs a modern twist on the tips from our first issue andshows you the new fundamentals.

The teachers featured in the firstissue of GOLF Magazine had one thing in common:they were fantastic players. In 1959, you didn'thave "playing" pros and "teaching" pros. EvenBen Hogan, Gene Sarazen and Walter Hagen woreseveral hats; they played, taught and even foundtime to repair clubs. Just imagine getting a bunkerlesson from Phil Mickelson and then asking him tore-grip your driver.

Back them, teachers tended to teach the game the waythey played it. Today's teachers use video to analyze themechanics of their students, frame by frame. This allowsthem to fix their students' problems while taking theirown games out of it. Heck, many great teachers todayaren't even good players!

Equipment has also changed how the game istaught. I attended the Masters this year and couldn'tbelieve the huge cuts that nearly every player tookwith his driver. Nobody swings the club smoothlyanymore, because the forgiving technology in today'sclubs allows players to whack away without having toworry about spraying it too far offline.

Still, there's a lot of timeless stuff in these old tips,and the overall principles still hold true. The aim of golfinstruction then was the same as it is today: to help youplay better. So let's get started...

Tip #1: The Long & Short of Irons

The Long & Short of Irons

Make a more aggressive swing with longer irons

1959

Swing your 3-iron like your 9-iron