Staying in play

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Onscreen text: Charles Schwab Presents Improving Your Game with Michael Block

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Onscreen text: Driving: Staying in Play Michael Block PGA Professional

Michael Block: All right, so one of the most important keys, if you are not a bomber of the golf ball off the tee, you better get it in play. Now here is what I do with my personal students. I get their driver, I have them set up, and I have them hit three shots. The first drive, I say, “Give me a cut or a slice. Make it work left or right,” and then they do that. Then the next one, I go, “Hit it dead straight.” And on the third one, I have them try to hit a draw or a hook.

And then I bring them back, and I go, “Okay, so which one did you have to try really hard to do?” And they’re like, “Wow. When I tried to hit that hook, I had to close my stance a lot. I had to flip at impact, and I still blocked at 80 yards right.” And I’m like, “Okay, never try to hit a hook again in your life. Which one was very easy to do?” “Wow, man, that cut was automatic.” I’m like, “Yeah, no kidding. It’s really hard to hit a round object straight.” So the cut, it is what it is.

So same as me. I can hit a cut on demand, especially under pressure. My caddy knows, never ever tell me to try to hit a draw or a hook with the driver, because I’m either going to block it right or I’m going to hook it. Not good. So, when I set up on the drive, every single time when you watch me, that ball is going to be moving left to right, just like this.

[Michael demonstrates a drive.]

Michael Block: So, next time you go out, commit to the shot that you do not have to try to do.

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