My nephew is trying to break 80. So I requested Nelly Korda for 1 tip

NAPLES, Fla. — Sorry, Mason. I used to be simply making an attempt to assist. 

If I embarrassed you in entrance of Nelly Korda, I apologize. 

Wait, what? Wild, proper? I’ll attempt to clarify. Mason is my 16-year-old nephew, and, in his uncle’s estimation, has true golf corridor of fame potential. However first he has to interrupt 80 persistently. 

Korda, after all, you already know. Seven-time winner this 12 months on the LPGA. Fifteen-time winner total. By all measures, she’s nice at golf. She’s additionally at this week’s CME Group Tour Championship, the LPGA’s season-ending occasion. 

And so am I. 

So I believed: Why not? I requested Korda and different LPGA execs this:

My 16-year-old is trying to break 80. He shoots within the mid-to-high 80s now. What’s one tip you’d give him?

It was a bit frivolous. However the profit, I believe, was three-fold. The gamers speak store. Mason will get a tip. Possibly you do, too. 

Besides now Mason is nervous that Korda thinks he isn’t that nice. No matter. The child will stay. 

Possibly break 80 persistently, too. 

The complete exchanges are beneath. 

What’s one tip you’d give my nephew on his journey to interrupt 80?

Nelly Korda 

Nelly, type of a lighthearted query. My 16-year-old nephew is making an attempt to interrupt 80 for the primary time. He shoots within the mid-80s, excessive 80s. What’s one tip you’d give him?

“One tip I’d give him? Nicely, two,” Korda mentioned. “Lots of the those that I see who’re ams by no means have a stick down on the vary. Should you don’t know the place you’re aiming, there’s a excessive probability you don’t know the place you’re aiming on the golf course.

“Tip two, I see lots of people stand on the vary and simply drilling golf balls or simply training so much as an alternative of going out and visualizing.

“On the finish of the day, golf is a sport of creativity and also you’re by no means going to have your A-game. Someday the wind might be off the left and at some point off the precise. The opening will play fully completely different. It’s all about creativity.

“So going out and enjoying so much.”

Lexi Thompson 

My 16-year-old nephew is making an attempt to interrupt 80 for the primary time and shoots within the mid-80s proper now. What’s one fast tip you’d give him?

“That I’d give him to interrupt 80?” Lexi Thompson requested. “How lengthy has he been enjoying?”

Been enjoying about 4 years.

“Oh, that’s fairly good then,” she mentioned. “He’s entering into the precise course. I at all times say the largest tip that helped out probably the most once I went out and practiced was at all times have a aim in thoughts. All the time have one thing you wish to enhance on. It may very well be the smallest or greatest of issues, the psychological aspect. As we all know, golf is such a psychological sport. Might be engaged on the psychological aspect and visualizing photographs.

“So going on the market with a goal. Don’t simply exit to the golf course and be like I’m simply going to hit some balls immediately or play. Have a aim, one thing you wish to enhance on. That method, you’re not losing any time and it’s at all times productive apply.

“Even if you happen to wrestle just a little bit, you had a aim, you dedicated, and also you’re striving to be higher.”

Lydia Ko 

That is a straightforward one. It’s instruction-based. My nephew is making an attempt to interrupt 80 for the primary time. He shoots like mid-80s, excessive 80s. What’s one tip you’d give him?

“One tip. I’d say try to nail down what’s the constant cause — I believe while you shoot within the 80s or excessive 70s, it’s at all times not since you persistently make a bogey, but it surely’s extra like one gap the place you made a double,” Lydia Ko mentioned. “And more often than not, these errors are very repetitive. And even for me, I play and have — it’s type of the identical cause why I make these errors. Attempt to nail down what that key dominator is and that method you’ll be capable of work on that and I believe that slowly fixes itself with out you making an attempt to interrupt every little thing down and try to make every little thing higher.” 

Ally Ewing 

My 16-year-old nephew is making an attempt to interrupt 80 for the primary time. What’s one tip you’d give him?

“My tip can be go to a tee field that makes that real looking,” Ally Ewing mentioned, “after which while you break 80 on that tee field, transfer again a field. So I’d transfer as much as a tee — like most likely some individuals would say that’s not good. I believe scoring is scoring and you must be taught to attain.

“, taking pictures 61 from the ahead tees remains to be actually exhausting. You continue to need to golf your ball. I’d encourage him to go to a tee field the place he appears like he can attain that and steadily transfer again and preserve difficult your self that method.”

Ruoning Yin 

My 16-year-old nephew is making an attempt to interrupt 80 for the primary time. What’s one tip you’d give him?

“Break 80? Follow your brief sport and placing,” Ruoning Yin mentioned, “as a result of that’s what you spend more often than not on the golf course. Let’s say 62-stroke course. You’re most likely going to spend half on placing.

“If you wish to break 80, I’d say spend time in your placing.”

Angel Yin 

One golf instruction query I had. So my 16-year-old nephew is making an attempt to interrupt 80 and get onto his highschool varsity group subsequent 12 months. What’s one tip you’d give him?

“Hit by way of the ball and never on the ball. It’s easy,” Angel Yin mentioned. “I believe lots of people attempt to hit on the ball as a result of it’s the one ballgame you play that the ball is actually stationary and you must go after it. In soccer, they’re throwing it at you; tennis, the ball is coming at you — you’re reacting. The place this one, you must, I don’t know, go after the ball. It’s just a little bit completely different. It’s a must to make the ball transfer.” 

Jenno Thitikul 

(Editor’s observe: Jeeno Thitikul was this 12 months’s winner of the Aon Danger-Reward Problem — so I requested her a risk-reward query.) 

Should you had been speaking to a better handicap participant, how would you advise them about going for a threat or enjoying it secure?

“Nicely, for me it’s exhausting,” Thitikul mentioned. “I do know golf is so exhausting. It’s like a very — there’s the ball and the membership is like this large. I believe typically it wants confidence. You want confidence and never afraid to make a mistake if you happen to’re going to go to a threat. I believe that’s the massive key, when you might have a very difficult gap, a very threat gap, water or one thing that you must carry. I believe confidence is an important.”