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Golf Digest 2002
The World's Top Golf Instruction Magazine
Spot the Putting Tips

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Jan 2002

Inside the January 2002 Issue

How to

  • Swing of the future, By David Leadbetter, Golf Digest Teaching Professional
    Eliminate problems that occur early in the golf swing by getting rid of the address and takeaway portions and starting your swing motion near the top
  • Charles Howell III: Tomorrow's swing: Swing analysis by David Leadbetter
    At 22, this newcomer hits it big off the tee and is turning heads on the PGA Tour. His instructor explains the source of his power

Tips

  • Tiger Woods: The best way to hit a low shot is to position the ball back in your stance. This gets your hands a little ahead of the ball, delofting the club
  • Butch Harmon: Start your set-up position behind the ball for a powerful coil
  • Hank Smith: Striped balls can cure slices and pulls
  • Tom Watson: Between rounds, practice your short game more than your long game. Short-game practice will save you the most strokes in the long run.
Breaking 100-90-80
  • A guide to scoring basics: by Scott Davenport
  • Breaking 100: Some of the most common trouble spots include grip and choices made around the greens
  • Breaking 90: As your play improves, understanding how shaft flex and club design affect your shots is critical
  • Breaking 80: Selecting the right 14 clubs for your game can take you to the next level
  • My first time: Mark Calcavecchia's first college victory; Peter Jacobsen wins his first golf trophy

Features

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Feb 2002

Inside the February 2002 Issue

How to

  • 3 ways to stop coming over the top: How to hit it straight and solid: Todd Anderson eliminates the three causes of an over-the-top move. The result? No more slices or pulls. By Todd Anderson, Golf Digest Teaching Professional, with Cliff Schrock
  • Hot shot: Brett Hull: The hockey superstar is as adept with a club as he is with a stick. You can learn something from that powerful slap shot! By Randy Smith, Golf Digest Teaching Professional, with Matthew Rudy
  • Image is everything: These six mental pictures help our readers play better. Our ace instructor believes they can help you too. By David Leadbetter, Golf Digest Teaching Professional

Tips

  • Tiger Woods: How I attack shots from the deep rough. Exclusive photographs
  • Tom Watson: Our Playing Editor suggests playing the ball farther back in your stance for better contact
  • The Golf Digest School: A steeper backswing will improve your bunker play, by Steve Dahlby
  • Butch Harmon: How to fix the chicken wing and avoid the wounded flamingo
Breaking 100-90-80
  • A guide to scoring basics: By Chuck Cook
  • Breaking 100: Focus on your short game. Improving your putting can save you more strokes
  • Breaking 90: The flop shot might look fancy, but for best results hit your pitches and chips on a low trajectory
  • Breaking 80: Learn how to hit low drives that run down the fairway and iron shots that pierce the air
  • My first time: David Duval's first college tournament; Stewart Cink remembers his first big paycheck

Features

  • Sergio Garcia: Fast & Loose
    The star from Spain barrels through life with the same energy he displays on the course, by John Hawkins
  • In Arnold we trust: The King has a new girlfriend and a never-ending thirst for the game, by Bob Verdi
  • Let's play two: The twin passions of baseball and golf are a hit at spring training in Florida and Arizona, by Ron Kaspriske
  • The Golf Digest Interview: Peter Kessler
    The Golf Channel host has interviewed some of the biggest names in golf. Now we turn the tables on him (and you should hear his answers), by Peter McCleery
  • Best in show: We salute PGA and LPGA tour award winners, topped by Annika Sorenstam as our World Player of the Year

The Digest

Columnists

Travel Digest

Equipment Digest


Mar 2002

Inside the March 2002 Issue

How to

  • 5 keys to consistency: Good fundamentals will make your mis-hits more like your good shots, which is the secret to lower score. By Peter Kostis, Golf Digest Teaching Professional
  • Swing sequence: Ty Tryon: In a Golf Digest exclusive, the teacher and his pupil reveal how a 17-year-old can qualify for the PGA Tour. By David Leadbetter, Golf Digest Teaching Professional and Ty Tryon, with Ed Weathers

Tips

  • Tiger Woods: Our Playing Editor says stick to a good routine to putt well under pressure.
  • Tom Watson: How to test the new balls to find what works best for you
  • David Leadbetter: To increase your "aiming area" and help avoid trouble off the tee, use the whole tee box
  • The Golf Digest School: Improve your alignment to help you get "unstuck," by Ed Bowe
  • Butch Harmon: Stay solid over your back foot and push off it for a powerful forward swing
Breaking 100-90-80
  • A guide to scoring basics: By Jane Crafter
  • Breaking 100: Focus on your fundamentals first, so you can make solid contact with every club
  • Breaking 90: Increase the number of great shots you hit with proper ball positioning
  • Breaking 80: Eliminate the wasted strokes with precise practice routines that refine your entire game
  • My first time: The turning point that made Padraig Harrington switch from soccer to golf

Tour Talk

  • Passions of the pros: What do those intense tour players do for fun? We visit their lives off the course, from Mark Calcavecchia's bowling exploits to Davis Love III's rides on a Harley.

Features

The Digest

Columnists

Travel Digest

  • Track of the month: Take a Final Four trip and head to the Oconee Course at Reynolds Plantation
  • Everybody loves Ray: Floyd shows a softer side in designing Raptor Bay Golf Club in southwest Florida
  • Castle in the air: The German palace that was the backdrop in a movie classic is targeted for a new course

Equipment Digest


Apr 2002

Inside the April 2002 Issue

2002 Masters

  • The Slam revisited: A look back at Tiger's odyssey in the 2001 Masters
  • New & improved: A massive makeover has turned the Masters into the ultimate test of championship golf, by Jaime Diaz
  • First look: A guided tour of the new Augusta National, by Ron Whitten
  • Confessions of a 4-handicapper: "I thought I might break 80 on the new Augusta National, and I really played well. Two doubles and 11 bogeys later..."
  • Gettin' in: It's the toughest ticket in sports, but a son was determined to come through for Dad by getting him a ticket to Augusta National, by Craig Bestrom
  • Viewers' guide: Front-nine coverage at last, but we still want more
  • Terrific twosome: More than a century later, Bobby Jones and Gene Sarazen endure
  • Marking special memories: Masters moments are made of these: A look at the key anniversaries, edited by Cliff Schrock
  • My shot, with Sam Snead: Clean fingernails, sirloin steaks, ice cream and the Lord's Prayer: A three-time Masters champion on the things that really matter
  • What you'll do for love: Readers respond to our Masters survey
  • The Roc: He has had his share of misadventures, but Rocco Mediate keeps coming back for more, by Nick Seitz
  • The Golf Digest Interview: Greg Norman: Getting down to business with Norman as he reflects on life's successes, heartbreak and another Masters, by Bob Verdi

How to

  • Cover Story: Drive it 20 yards longer: By modifying your lower-body action, you can explode through the ball with greater speed and control, by Phil Mickelson, Golf Digest Playing Editor, with Guy Yocom
  • Tiger Woods: My swing: In a Golf Digest exclusive, Tiger reveals in a 72-frame photo sequence just how much his swing has evolved in five years
  • Shovel it out: An image to improve your play from the bunker, by Tim Mahoney, Golf Digest Schools Instructor
  • The longest yard: One of the PGA Tour's best young players offers advice on how to handle the scary three-footer, by David Gossett, Golf Digest Playing Editor, with Guy Yocom

Tips

  • The Golf Digest School: A well-placed ball can teach you how to roll better putts, by Kevin Weeks
  • Tom Watson: On the range, practice the toughest shots you will face on the course
  • David Leadbetter: Phil Mickelson's flop shot failed year ago on the 14th hole at Augusta National, but his technique is masterful
Breaking 100-90-80
  • A guide to scoring basics: By Hank Johnson
  • Breaking 100: Eliminating the double and triple bogeys (or worse) that plague your game begins with conservative play off the tee
  • Breaking 90: Learn to play three-quarter shots with your short irons for more control on approaches
  • Breaking 80: On 10-foot putts, precision in direction is more important than precision in distance
  • My first time: International professional tour player Michael Campbell recalls his first swings with a cut-down, hickory-shafted 6-iron

Features

The Digest

Columnists

Travel Digest

  • If you go... Disney-area course Mystic Dunes G.C. at The Palms Resort offers visitors a thrill-like ride
  • The D.I.'S demise: A piece of old Las Vegas will be gone in June when The Desert Inn G.C. closes its doors
  • Travel file: Bermuda, by Scott Smith

Equipment Digest


May 2002

Inside the May 2002 Issue

How to

  • Cover Story: How to hit the trouble shots: From the dicey 60-yard bunker shot to the stuck-in-the-trees special, Tiger shows how to make the most out of a bad situation with proper technique and a little bit of luck, by Tiger Woods, Golf Digest Playing Editor, with Pete McDaniel
  • Lessons from the PGA: How to get free, personalized instruction from the game's best teachers through "Play Golf America." Plus swing tips from the PGA of America's new Manual of Golf, featuring renowned instructors Rick Martino, Linda Mulherin, Rob Akins and more

Tips

Breaking 100-90-80
  • A guide to scoring basics, by Ed Bowe
  • Breaking 100: To promote a full, smooth swing, try Gary Player's classic walk-through drill
  • Breaking 90: To master fairway woods, maintain your posture and allow the club to bottom out at impact
  • Breaking 80: Find a club you can hit 100 yards without having to choke down or abbreviate your swing
  • My first time: A serious knee injury transformed Paul McGinley from a Gaelic footballer to a world-class golfer

Features

  • Equipment stalemate: How the game's governing bodies, the U.S. Golf Association and the Royal and Ancient Golf Club, are butting heads over regulating technology, by Jaime Diaz
  • All-star favorites: Places to Play reveals your choices for the best public golf, by Mike Stachura, with research by Sue Sawyer
  • Oh, Canada: Where the Rocky Mountains lift golf to another level, photographs by Dom Furore
  • My shot, with Lee Trevino: Pass the hot sauce: Lee Buck on ghosts, drooling, bulldozers -- and how to win a fistfight, by Guy Yocom
  • Our green ghetto: Despite the hardships I faced growing up in Oklahoma, I managed not to become a habitual felon, by Mark Singer
  • Carry on: The latest carry bags and pushcarts can lighten your load as you walk the course, by Kathryn Maloney
  • The Golf Digest Interview: Brad Faxon: After almost two decades on tour, Fax is as straight with his answers as he is with his putts, by John Hawkins

The Digest

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Jun 2002

Inside the June 2002 Issue

U.S. Open preview

  • The fire within: New York's bravest share a special bond: with golf, with each other and with this year's U.S. Open venue, by Dave Kindred

  • Open to all: The debut of a truly public venue only enhances the game's most demanding and democratic event, by Dave Anderson
  • Viewers' guide: When architect Rees Jones needed to fix a famously weak finishing hole, he borrowed a trick from Dad's old playbook, by Ron Whitten
  • Be nice to Monty: Golf Digest initiates a campaign to halt the heckling of Colin Montgomerie, by Jaime Diaz
  • The New Yorker's view of golf: As the Open comes to New York, another institution gives its take on the game's lighter side, by David Owen
  • Sergio's super sequence: A 72-frame look at the Spaniard's Hoganesque swing. Analysis by Jim McLean, Golf Digest Teaching Professional

  • The real man behind the Black: Why the celebrated Tillinghast course isn't a Tillie design after all. Introducing Joseph H. Burbeck, by Ron Whitten
  • The beasts of Bethpage: The grass mounds within the giant bunker on the seventh hole make it seem larger. It's like that everywhere at the Black Course, by Mike Stachura; photographs by Dom Furore
  • Waiting game: The way to get a tee time at Bethpage is to spend a night in the parking lot. Just don't expect to sleep, by Chang-rae Lee
  • All's well that ends well: The reigning U.S. Open champion gives a blow-by-blow account of last year's misadventures on the 72nd hole, by Retief Goosen, with Scott Smith
  • Bethpage and me: Playing golf and embracing life: a family affair on Long Island, by Ed Weathers
  • The Golf Digest interview: David B. Fay: The buttoned-up man behind the scenes of the USGA shows he's no stuffed shirt, with Peter McCleery

How to

  • Cover story: Drive, chip & putt: The PGA Tour's leader in driving distance and a top instructor show you how to play and how to practice the three key shots, by John Daly and Rick Smith, Golf Digest Teaching Professional, with Ron Kaspriske
  • Free up your swing: The three-finger drill is a good step toward power and accuracy. Adapted from the new book, David Leadbetter's 100% Golf, by David Leadbetter, Golf Digest Teaching Professional

Tips

  • Tom Watson: For straighter, more consistent shots, flex your knees and let your arms hang at address
  • Butch Harmon: To avoid a slice, practice keeping your shoulders square and hips open at impact
  • Tips from the tour: On approach shots, focus on where, not how, by Laura Diaz
  • Tiger Woods: Our Playing Editor explains how to keep your balance on downhill lies. Exclusive photographs
  • The Golf Digest School: Anchor your left foot during the backswing, by Barry Clayton
Breaking 100-90-80
  • A guide to scoring basics, by Dean Reinmuth
  • Breaking 100: To score in the 90s, focus on advancing the ball, and stop throwing away strokes

  • Breaking 90: Knowing how to hit productive shots from less-than-perfect lies will help you lower your scores
  • Breaking 80: Scoring in the 70s is all about learning when to go for the flag and when to play it safe
  • My first time: The stories of two amateurs and European Ryder Cupper Niclas Fasth

Features

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Columnists

Travel Digest

Equipment Digest


Jul 2002

Inside the July 2002 Issue

How to

  • Major Fit: The British Open champion explains how retooling his body and his equipment led to a first major title, by David Duval, with Tim Rosaforte

  • Clap for power: A simple drill to help you achieve longer, straighter shots, by Rob Akins, with Ed Weathers
  • Close the gap: These modern wedges can fill a hole in your game, by Jim McLean, Golf Digest Teaching Professional

Tips

  • Tiger Woods: Identify the trouble off the tee, and determine what ball flight will take it out of play
  • Tom Watson: Accelerate through your putts
  • Butch Harmon: Take full-length swings outside the sand to get the feel for the long greenside bunker shot
  • Teacher tip: To cure your slice and hit it solid, practice with a four-knuckle grip, by Scott Davenport
  • David Leadbetter: A firm left hand is the key to extricating your ball from the deep rough
  • The Golf Digest School: To control distance on chip shots, maintain a smooth swing tempo
Breaking 100-90-80

British Open Preview

  • Mighty Muirfield: The Open Championship returns to these classic links for the 15th time, photographs by Stephen Szurlej
  • All new Nick? Faldo polishes his personality as he returns to the scene of two of his three Open titles, by John Huggan

Features

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Aug 2002

Inside the August 2002 Issue

How to

  • David Toms: Don't hold back: Defending PGA Champion David Toms doesn't have to dwell on his golf swing as long as Rob Akins is around. By Ron Kaspriske

  • How to use the long putters: Longer-than-standard putters are a hot trend on tour. Here's how the pros are stroking them. By Tom Ness, with Matthew Rudy

Tips

Breaking 100-90-80

Sam Snead Tribute

  • Searching for Sam: The Snead we thought we knew and the unadorned Slammer were two different people, by Guy Yocom
  • The sweetest swing: A never-before-seen 1950 photo sequence
    analysis by Jim McLean, Golf Digest Teaching Professional
  • Sam's best swing keys: Snead's swing tips and homespun wisdom have graced the pages of Golf Digest for half a century, by the editors

Features

  • PGA Preview: Vintage Hazeltine: The PGA Championship goes to a place that has matured into a major test for the game's best, by Ron Whitten
  • Chi Chi and me: What it was like to caddie for a tour star in the U.S. Open at Hazeltine when I was 16, by Thomas L. Friedman
  • My shot, with Bob Toski: A legendary teacher on firm handshakes, road rage and the real cause of your slice, with Guy Yocom
  • Ireland forever: A hundred thousand welcomes, and the best links golf in the world, by David Davies; photographs by Stephen Szurlej
  • The Golf Digest Interview: Want a candid opinion? Brace yourself for straight talk from Mark Calcavecchia, with Jaime Diaz

The Digest

Columnists

Travel Digest

Equipment Digest


Sep 2002

Inside the September 2002 Issue

How to

  • I'll fix your slice: By maintaining softness and a slight bend in your left arm, you can literally throw away your slice, by Johnny Miller, Golf Digest Guest Editor, with Guy Yocom
  • Picture the putt: Stuck on mechanics? A little instruction and a flexible setup will improve your stroke, by Peter Kostis, Golf Digest Teaching Professional

Lesson Tee

Breaking 100-90-80

Features

  • News analysis: The membership tussle at Augusta National, by Charles McGrath
  • The waiting list: Think your club is ready to grant you full membership? Think again, by Marcia Chambers
  • My shot, with Tony Jacklin: A four-time Ryder Cup captain on bad dreams, lightning and the truth about porridge, with Guy Yocom

  • Chasing the Slam: From Muirfield in Scotland, Dan Jenkins reports on Tiger Woods' bid to win the British Open, his third consecutive major
  • Taking care of business: America's embattled CEOs seek solace on the golf course, where they call the shots and play to win, by Lisa Furlong
  • America's CEO golfers: Who are the best CEO golfers? Find out in Golf Digest's third biennial ranking
  • The Patron Saint of Corporate Golf: John D. Rockefeller took to the game with the same steely determination that made him the world's first billionaire, by Lewis Lapham

The Digest

Columnists

Travel Digest

Equipment Digest