Show athlete weekend weekend better to golf Tips Great advice from one of the sharpest hands around: Ben Crenshaw's caddie the great shot just pur your ball back into play If it’s on top of the gass wha we call a flier then you can tr to hit it for position Every golfer yew ask agrees tfe Seve Ballesteros is the best at getting oat of hazards Jj more f th ett ire any riiati diligent sniderm of the of veteran professional caddies golf sport we’d Like to meet them Yet nobody bat the pros ever asks their opinion aboor how the game shoe Id be played That’s not smart So USA WEEKEND went to Cad Jackson caddie of 33 years and Ben Crenshaw’s caddie on the pro tour for his advice on how weekend duffers can straighten oat those drives smooth those putts and shave a few strokes off those mflamd scores It doesn’t hurt that Jackson of Lit-t-li Rock also is a golfer who shoots in the respectable low 80s Jackson will be in action with Crenshaw this weekend during The Masters tournament at the Angina National Golf Coarse in Angina Ga (CBS April 7 3:30-- 6 pm EST April 8 4--7 pan EST) Try Jackson’s tips to smart golf: DON’T BE INTIMIDATED If you have to hit one over water just relax it’s OK yoa know you’re capable of going that distance hit tb shot forget about the water If the hazard is just at end of your range it’s best to play it safe to set younc up for die next shot If you do drop one in the pond yo just mark off a penalty stroke ana go on from there i DON’T GET GREEDY STEADY THOSE EYES i You have more success on the green if you two-pu- n other words don’t try to sink a long one Your firs pu should get die ball into position You get into troubl eying to make it on the first shot When you putt get comfortable and concentrate Then when you kit the hall don’t move your head In fact don’t even move your eyes The biggest mistake week- PLAY AVAY FROM TROUBLE I end players make is their eyes move with the patter head If you want to watch a good porter in the Masters watch Ben Crenshaw On flatter courses always play away from the hazard Sometimes that even means playing away from the pL You have to be strategic about it A great golfer is a sma golfer You have to realize it when the odds of nuking shot aren’t in your favor even though it’s tempting 2 PICK YOUR SPOT Decide where you want the ball to ga That sounds easy but a lot of weekend golfers want to go for the glory You have to be patient Aim for a spot you know you can reach that will pat your ball in good position for your next shot Don’t get impatient Watch now the pros play the 10th hole at Aagnsta Most of them will aim for the entrance of an old cart path near the 15th tea That sets them np for a 6-- or to the green Jack Nkklaus and Tom Kite usually play the 10th very welL The 10th hole can be the toughen in the Masters especially if the wind is against yoa The drive there is difficult and you’re liable to end op with an awkward lie where you’re standing either above or below the ball on your next shoe And if you hit your next shot more than a few feet off the green you’re in real trouble on 3 STAY CALM IN THE ROUGH All weekend golfers end up in the rough or in a sand trap at some point darting a game Thar’s just the way it goes The trick to getting out of trouble is to say calm The most important thing to remember about getting out of The sand is loose and you’ll move ifyou don’t dig your feet in Also pick your club up a little quicker on the backswing when you’re hitting out of a sand trap That helps you get under the balL If you’re deep in the rough and you’re deep in the grass use a nice lofty club (a high number iron) Don’t try to hit sand traps is digging in USA WEIXTND Afrit 6-- S 1990 Straighten your drives “There are a lot of reasons why drives don’t go straight If it’s hooking (the ball curves off to the side where your hackswing finish- es) you’re making contact with the ball too TAKE AN EASY BACKSVING One of the most common mistakes you see is the wee end player whose backswing on the drive is too quit and too hard The pros have good tempo It’s smooi and easy to the top of their backswing that they hit t: ball hard It’s about tempo Come lack with the clt head at the same speed to what I call the trigger poir Thar’s the top of your backswing Then come dov hard Jay Haas is someone to watch who has a vc smooth backswing soon If it’s fading (the ball curves in the direction that your body is facing) then you're hitting it late The first thing to check is your hand position yonr left hand (for right-hande- should be facing yonr The back of golfers) d target Your hand should be exactly opposite” right IRON IT OUT A lot of peoplejust don’t know what kind of club to us Ifyou’re on the fairway on a slight downhill you a afford a less lofty club to hit a longer lower shot you’re headed uphill use a more lofty dub to get son height Choosing the right dub is really a mater of pra rice A lot of courses have yardage marks Try out difie ent dubs and see how far you can hit with each Th will help you pick the right dub depending on whe you want to put the balL If the course where you pL doesn’t have marks and you’re serious about the gain set up some markers yourself By Jonathan Waite m nn |