Summer 2025

TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT B Y L A I RD SMA L L The 100-Yard Secret: A Smarter Path to Better Scores t’s a scene we all know too well.You step up, take a rip at your tee shot and just barely miss it—yet it’s enough to find yourself nestled deep in the rough or tucked behind a cluster of trees. As you sur- vey your options, you spot a small window through the branches and start channeling your inner Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy or maybe even Annika Sörenstam—the legends who made magic from the trees look routine. But here’s the reality:You’re not Tiger.You’re not Rory. And you’re not Annika, either. They could pull off those heroic escape shots because they’ve prac- ticed them to perfection. For most of us though, the smarter move is the safer one—put the ball back in play and give yourself a real chance to save par. That often means playing to a yardage you trust…and that yardage should be 100. Why 100 Yards Matters This distance is your scoring zone, your lifeline when things go side- ways. Instead of taking unnecessary risks and compounding mistakes, your goal is to get the ball back in play and leave yourself a shot you’ve rehearsed—a shot you own. Want to get better fast? Learn to hit it close from 100 yards. Look at the stats: the average PGA and LPGA Tour pro hits around 12 greens per round. That means even they have to scramble for par a third of the time. For amateurs, the short game matters even more—you’re likely try- ing to get up and down on half the holes you play. Annika Sörenstam, who dominated the LPGA Tour with surgical precision, famously spent hours dialing in wedge distances and practicing her scoring shots. Lydia Ko and Nelly Korda follow a similar playbook. They’ve shown that elite golf isn’t just about power—it’s about control, consistency and knowing your yardages. Build Your Scoring Swing Your 100-yard shot is likely a full swing with a pitching wedge or a 52° wedge. The key is making it smooth and repeatable—no over- swinging, no forcing it. Here’s a simple technique used by top players to control wedge distances: the clock system. • Picture a clock face where the ball is at 6:00 and your head is at 12:00. • Your lead arm (left arm for righties) is the hour hand.This is impor- tant—it’s not where your club is, but where your arm is pointing that determines consistency. • Swing your lead arm back to 9:00 and through to 3:00? That’s rough- ly a 70-yard shot. • 10:00 to 2:00? Now you’re in the 90-yard range. • 10:00 to 1:00 with a confident pivot? That’s your full 100-yard shot. This structure helps remove guesswork and adds real control to your game. Set Up Like a Pro Take a slightly narrower stance than usual—heels under the hips. This stabilizes your body and limits unnecessary movement. Place the ball just under your lead ear. Because your stance is narrower, it’ll look like the ball is in the middle of your stance, but in reality, it’s slightly forward—perfect for solid contact. Have slightly more weight on your lead leg.This kind of setup encourages your body and arms to move in unison, a fundamental trait in the swings of players like Jin Young Ko and Lexi Thompson when they dial in their wedges. Why It Works The best players in the world don’t just hit spectacular shots—they hit smart ones.They know when to go for the green…but also, when they are out of position off the fairway or can’t reach a par five in two, they know to trust their wedge game.The best players hit their wedges appropriately 15 feet from the hole, giving them a good look at a birdie or par save. By prac- ticing your 100-yard shot until it becomes second nature, you’re giving yourself a go-to weapon, whether you’re laying up on a par five, playing safe off the tee on a short par four, or escaping trouble with a purpose. In the End… Golf isn’t about playing perfect—it’s about playing smart. Saving one shot here and one there adds up faster than you think. If you want to get better quickly, spend your time on the shots that matter the most— The best players in the world don’t just hit spectacular shots—they hit smar t ones. I 98 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S U M M E R 2 0 2 5