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HOWTOSURVIVE'NOMAN'SLAND'.By:Broadie,Mark.Golf
Magazine.May2015,Vol.57Issue5,p4040.1p.2Color
Photographs,1Chart.Abstract:Thearticleofferstheauthor's
insightsonhowtosurvivefromthetrickydistanceof60to100
yardgolfshotcalledthe"noman'sland."Topicsmentioned
includethefewaveragehitofprofessionalgolfplayerwhichgave
themhardgroundtogainandmakeshots,thebestshotofgolf
playerSteveStrickeronthedistancerange,andthedrillto
measurethegamestackupfromtherange.(AN:101963703)
Database: AcademicSearchComplete
Section: FRONT9:THEMOSTIMPORTANTTHINGSINGOLFTHIS
MONTH
MARKBROADIE:EVERYSHOTCOUNTS

HOWTOSURVIVE'NOMAN'SLAND'
Keywords:TimClarkCARLOSM.SAAVEDRAStrokesGainedBenCraneTerryRowlesSteve
StrickerMarkBroadieJasonDayPGATourSports
Here'swhyshotsfrom60to100yardsoutaretwiceasimportanttoyouastheyaretoTourpros
andhowyoucansavestrokesfromthistrickydistance
AquestionI'llbetyou'veneverbeenasked:Onaverage,howmanyshotsperrounddoesaTourprotake
from60to100yardsfromthehole?Four?Six?Ten?
Theanswermightsurpriseyou.It'sjust1.5!Whysofew?Onpar3s,prosrarelyleavethemselvesa
secondshotfrom60100yards.It'salsounlikelytohappenonpar4s,unlesstheholeisquiteshortor
quitelongandtheplayerhitsapoorteeshot.Andonpar5s,prosonlyoccasionallylayuptothe60to
100yardrange.Thisaddsuptoanaverageof1.5shotsperroundfromthislength.
Withtheproshittingsofew60to100yardshots,it'shardforthemtogaingroundonthefield.It'salso
hardtobesharpontheseshotswhentheydooccur.Thebestinthebusinessfromthatdistancebya
widemarginisSteveStricker,whohasgainednearlyaquarterofashotperroundonthefieldinthe
pasttenyears.In2014,StrickerledthePGATour,gaining0.34strokesperroundonthefield:
PERROUNDFROM60100YARDSIN2014
[Thisarticlecontainsatable.PleaseseehardcopyofmagazineorPDF.]
Rank Player

StrokesGained

SteveStricker

0.34

TimClark

0.18

CharlSchwartzel 0.17

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ZachJohnson

0.16

JasonDay

0.15

Stricker'sgaindoesn'tseemlikemuch,butcompareittoJasonDay,whoranksfifthandpicksupa
measly0.15strokesonthefield.
These60to100yarders(whichareoftenlessthanfullwedgeshots)mattermuchmoretorecreational
players.Guyslikeyouandmeaverage3.2oftheseshotsperround,aboutdoublethepros'number.Yes,
thisdistancerangeislessimportantforscoringthanshotsclosertothegreen,becauseprosand
everydayplayerstakethreetofourtimesasmanyshotsfromjustoffthegreenthantheydofrom60to
100yards.Still,thatdoesn'tmeanyoushouldn'tpracticefromNoMan'sLand.Thiscolumniscalled
"EveryShotCounts"forareason.
Notsurprisingly,weekendwarriorsaren'tveryaccurateorconsistentwithshotsfromthisdistance
comparedtoTourpros.Consider:Onan80yardshotfromthefairway,SteveStrickerleaveshalfofhis
effortswithin11feetofthehole,andatypicalTourproknocksitto13feet.For80shooters,halfoftheir
shotsfinishwithin23feetofthehole,while90shootersleavehalfwithin31feet.Whydoesthismatter?
Well,90shooterscouldsaveahalfstrokeperroundiftheyimprovedtothelevelof80shootersfromthis
range.(Iadmit,ahalfstrokedoesn'tsoundlikemuch,buttheseswingsareworthyofattention.Bonus:
Youlooklikearealstickwhenyouknockathreequarterwedgetotapinrange!)
Ratherthantryingtoknockdowntheflagwiththeseshots,though,I'dsuggestyoufocusonasimpler
goal:Justgettheballonthegreen.Prosfindthedancefloorabout90percentofthetimeonfairway
shotsfrom60to100yardsout.For80shooters,it's78percent.Ninetyshootersonlyholdthegreen65
percentofthetime.
Tomeasurehowyourgamestacksupfromthisrange,here'sadrill:Hitfiveshotsfromthefairway,one
eachfrom60,70,80,90and100yards(inthatorder).Yourobjectiveistoendupwithatleastfourofthe
fiveballsonthegreen.Next,measurethedistanceofyourmiddleshot,ignoringthetwoclosestandtwo
farthestfromthehole.Remember,SteveStricker'saveragedistanceis11feet,butagoodgoalfor
recreationalplayersis25feetorless.
Tosharpenyourswingfromthisdistance,herearesometipsfromveteraninstructorTerryRowles,who
hastaughtseveralPGATourpros,includingMikeWeirandBenCrane.
HOWTOHITYOURSHORTWEDGESCLOSE
"Recreationalplayerstendtomakeinconsistentcontactusingtheirwedges,whichleadstodistance
errors.Qualityimpactisthekeytosuccessontheseshortshots.Thefirststepistotakeasolidsetup,
withyourweightslightlyforward,yourhandsalittleaheadoftheball,andaslightlyopenstance.Atooflat
swingplaneleadstomishits.Yourflatswingfix?Imaginethatyourshaftisfilledwithwater,andthatyou
wanttolettheliquidtrickleoutthebuttendofthetheshaftassoonaspossibleinyourbackswing.Todo
so,feelasthoughtheclubisalmoststandingonendasyoutakeitback.Agoodsetupandamore
verticalswingplanewillhaveyouflaghuntinginnotime."
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TerryRowleswasnamedoneofGolfMagazine's"InnovatorsoftheYear"in2013.
ASKMARK!
GotastatsquestionforMarkBroadie,bestsellingauthorofEveryShotCounts?AskhimviaTwitter:
@MarkBroadie
PHOTO(COLOR):StrickeristheTour'sbestonshotsfrom60to100yards.
PHOTO(COLOR)
~~~~~~~~
ByMarkBroadie
EditedbyJessicaMarksbury

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