The Ryo Show

July 21, 2014

Shop This Look

When a golfer's approach shot misses the green on the side closest to the flag, it's known in English as being "short-sided." The Japanese don't have an exact translation for this phrase, and as far as Japan's Ryo Ishikawa is concerned, that's just fine. "When I hit iron shots to the green, I'm aiming for the safety space rather than a narrow space," says Ishikawa, 22, through a translator. "Because I do not take a risk, I get very calm and make a good swing." It's hard to argue with his results. Ishikawa ranked No. 1 on the PGA Tour last year in greens in regulation from 125 to 150 yards and ranks in the top 20 this season in greens hit from the fairway (at almost 80 percent). Here's how he does it.—Ron Kaspriske

TRAIN YOUR TEMPO

"The rhythm of my swing tends to get too fast, and not just going back. I try not to be in a hurry to hit the ball."Tip: Start the club back slowly, and make sure you finish the backswing before starting down. Let your speed build gradually.

KEEP THE HANDS QUIET

"My father, who is also my coach, keeps reminding me to maintain the angle of my right wrist when I swing. This helps me hit a straight ball with my irons for better control."Tip: Golfers who have active hands rely on timing to square the face. With quiet hands, you'll increase your chances of hitting it solid.

CLEAR THE LOWER BODY

"My waist and hips have to lead my downswing. I want there to be a gap between the rotation of my lower body and upper body. My chest is facing the ball at impact, but my hips are opening up to the target."Tip: Delaying the rotation of the upper body on the downswing helps prevent an out-to-in swing path through the impact zone, which is a major cause of slicing.

KNOW YOUR NUMBERS

"I'm very detailed about the distances I hit my irons. I know exactly how far I can hit my 5-iron, 7-iron, and so on. If you don't know your distances, you're not going to hit the greens regularly."Tip: You might have hit your 7-iron 165 yards—once. But how far do you typically hit it? If you're realistic about your distance capabilities, you'll get more birdie putts.

Tour Championship

HOW SCOTTIE GOT SO GOOD

READ MORE

HOW SCOTTIE GOT SO GOOD

READ MORE

The Ryo Show

Shop This Look

TRAIN YOUR TEMPO

KEEP THE HANDS QUIET

CLEAR THE LOWER BODY

KNOW YOUR NUMBERS

Next Up

The Greatest Show On Turf 20 Photos

Demo Day At The PGA Show 20 Photos

PHOTOS: At the PGA Merchandise Show 38 Photos

The Best Of The PGA Show 11 Photos

The 1964 International Golf Show In Photos 18 Photos

12 Coolest Items At The PGA Show 12 Photos

11 Coolest Items At The PGA Show 11 Photos

The Best of the 2017 PGA Merchandise Show 13 Photos

Cool Stuff At The 2016 PGA Merchandise Show 30 Photos

Cool stuff at the 2017 PGA Merchandise show 22 Photos

We Recommend

Impact: Remembering how low Ryo can go

Trending: Rory shows Caroline how to beat Maria Sharapova

Anna Nordqvist shows you how to fine-tune your swing

Reaction to LeBron and Ovechkin shows how we're ruining team sports

Dancing machine Helen Alfredsson shows how to properly celebrate winning a major

The LPGA's Belen Mozo Shows You How To Warm Up Before Playing

Sections

Support

Services

Magazine

Newsletter

Social

Sections

Support

Services

Social

Magazine