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When the fairway gets narrow, it's natural to tighten up and try to steer a tee shot out there.
But the act of "steering it" -- making less of a body turn and swinging less aggressively -- actually makes it more difficult to hit a straight shot.
To split that must-hit fairway, focus instead on getting two basic mechanics right, says top Georgia teacher Mike Granato. "First, you need to get the pressure to your lead foot very early in the downswing," Granato says. "It's actually going to feel like you're doing it before the backswing is over. And you need to feel like your arms are swinging down a lot earlier than you're probably used to."
By getting the pressure in the right place and getting your arm swing going, you're doing something active and positive, instead of playing defensively. It also produces more speed and more accuracy -- something you can use on even the widest holes.
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