Seve had a few simple keys that helped him hit hard shots on the court.
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Golf instruction is always evolving, but the best tips stand the test of time. In GOLF.com’s new series, Lifetime Tips, we’re highlighting some of the greatest advice that teachers and players have shared in the pages of GOLF Magazine. This week, we review Seve Ballestero’s simple keys to hitting hard shots from our March 1983 issue. For unlimited access to GOLF Magazine’s complete digital archive, join Inside GOLF tODAY; you’ll enjoy $140 worth of value for just $39.99 per year.
Having a solid short game is a huge asset. When you’re able to get up and down from tight spots, you’re never really out of a hole.
Perhaps no one in the professional game has illustrated this fact better than Seve Ballesteros. During his career, the five-time major champion got out of many tight jams with his magical short game. Even now decades later, his magic around the greens is the stuff of legend.
If you’re looking to improve your short game, there’s no better person to model your technique than Ballesteros. In 1983, he joined GOLF magazine to share some of his secrets for hard hitting in the field, which you can view below.
The basics of Seve
Getting your pitching game back to early season shape is easier than you think, as long as you stay organized and keep your approach simple. The motion you use for pitches should be the same as you use for full shots, except for minor technical changes in body alignment and ball position.
This helps you divide your voices into two categories – long and short. I generally use a pitching wedge for shots from 80 to 110 yards and a sand wedge for shots from 80 yards or less. Your numbers may differ from mine, but know your comfortable maximum with each club so you can make the right club choice.
Long space
On long range shots, use a slightly open stance, with the ball slightly to the right of center, but keep your shoulders square to the target line. The open stance helps reduce the amount of body roll in the backbend. You come back to about three-quarters length, a definite aid to control. Staying slightly open also helps you clear your hips to the left on the forward swing, even though the swing is shorter than normal.
Short step
On short pitches of about 30 yards, set with open shoulders, hips and legs. Put a little more weight on your left leg. This setup reduces body action even more, so essentially your body stays still and you play the shot mostly with your hands and arms.
Learn Seve Ballestero’s 3 clutch shots to make magic around the greens
After you’ve practiced these “standard” shots from different distances, you’re ready to try some simple variations. The pin position on the green often requires a higher or lower shot than usual, and you need to have these shots in your bag.
Coiled pin
Say the pin is behind a bunker on the front of the green, you’ll need to play a higher than normal shot, one that will land lightly and not go too far from the hole. I suggest you increase effective club loft by playing the ball a little further in your stance. Place it with the weight that favors your right leg. In the swing stay more behind the ball. This way, you keep your weight on the right side and then move up into a high finish.
It is worth noting that you must have at least one good lie to play the high court. Don’t play the ball forward from a bad lie because you’ll tend to thin it out or even go over it. Play the ball backwards just like on the “standard” court to make sure you hit the ball hard and then allow the ball to finish behind the post.
Green to work
Another common pin position is one in which the pin is on the back of the green. This placement requires a lower putt that will travel farther than usual and ensure that you get the ball back into the hole. To play the low court, position the ball in the center. This low shot is also useful when playing into the wind or trying to keep the ball under control in a headwind.
