The Match is always a good time for golf fans. With contestants mic’d up, viewers get a chance to hear conversations inside the ropes and get to know the golfers in a different manner than during a typical tournament broadcast.
As a bonus, sometimes fans even get an insight into how to improve their own games. And on the 2nd hole of this iteration of The Match, we got just that, courtesy of Jordan Spieth.
After hitting his approach shot into a green-side bunker, Spieth found himself with a tricky short-sided shot. To have any chance of getting it close, he needed to get the ball in the air quickly and have it stop on a dime.
This is the key to hitting a high, soft bunker shot, according to a Top 100 Teacher
“It’s very challenging,” Spieth said. “But you’ve got to have speed.”
Spieth then walked viewers through his thought process on the shot, and broke down what he needed to do to get the ball close.
“You’re trying to get your weight with the slope on the bunker,” he said. “I’m on a downslope here, so I’ve probably got about 65 percent of my weight on my front foot. You’re really trying to create loft under the ball, with a lot of speed, to get that high, soft maneuver.”
After the prompt explanation, Spieth stepped into the shot and hit it to gimme range. But not without leaving viewers with one last piece of advice.
“You’ve got to practice that shot,” he said. “It’s a really hard one to do.”