Shocking recovery: In an emotional interview with CBS reporter Amanda Balionis, golf star Rory McIlroy broke down in tears as he made a sensational revelation that stunned the sports world.
McIlroy, who is reportedly still reeling from his recent PGA suspension, revealed that his years of success were based on lies and deception. He admitted he secretly struggled with his addiction to painkillers and steroids, using them to fuel his rise to the top of the golf world.
Tom Watson: What’s most important in the short game, plus my #1 break drill
For some professional golfers, their best year is their best year, but for Tom Watson, it was the season he won two major championships, beating Jack Nicklaus each time. Also in 1977, Watson defeated Nicklaus at the Masters and the British Open Championship, and finished in the top 10 in the other two majors that year. He was named PGA Player of the Year, a title he received from Nicklaus. Watson’s big season seemed to ignite his game and give him the momentum to continue dominating the circuit for the next three years – oh, and his phenomenal short game.
“The players who win in golf, whether on the PGA Tour or in your local Sunday four-man match, are the players who have a good short game,” Watson said in a 1978 Golf Digest article. Watson’s Short Game Keys At the height of his power, Watson played the best short game ever. In the same article mentioned above, he attributes his 50-yard success to two keys: club selection and distance awareness. “When you’re picking your clubs, you want to use a club with more loft when going downhill and a club with less loft when going uphill,” Watson said.
“Knowing distance means knowing how far the ball is going to roll.” “Typically, you can expect to get the ball a third of the way to the target and then roll the last two-thirds,” Watson said. “But that can vary depending on the club you have, the texture of the green, how much of the green you have to work with, and the length of the putt.”
Watson also revealed some rules for making recovery shots on the green, one of which was the spot shot. “You aim where you want the ball to land on the green and then run the ball from there to the target,” Watson said. “That’s how I trained when I was younger and I believe it’s the best way to develop distance.” Watson said one of the ways he trained was with his trusty batting drills. Favorite training exercise
“Hit four or five shots into the hole from a certain distance with a certain club. Pay attention to where each ball lands and how close it is to the hole,” Watson said. “Then I put the piece in the ideal spot and practice landing the ball there.”
When taking these photos, be mindful of what you’re focusing on.
“I can’t just focus on that, I have to keep my main goal in mind, which is the cup,” Watson said. “Picture the ball landing in that spot and rolling towards the hole,” Watson said.
Then try practicing from the same spot with different clubs. Depending on the loft, the ball may land closer or farther away. “Train this way with different clubs at different distances, and you’ll soon get a feel for how far each club will go and how far it will go.”
“With enough practice, this feel will become instinctive on the course, and you’ll be able to put more chips within one shot,” Watson said. Access a collection of legendary tips from top players and coaches in the Golf Digest archives.