Articles by Mark Blackburn with Drew Powell

December 6th, 2025

An upright backswing only works if you have this transition ‘magic move’

Many golfers have swing tendencies that, no matter how hard they try, they can’t get rid of. That’s why in this Golf Digest+ series, Matchmakers, Golf Digest No. 1 Teacher in America Mark Blackburn is teaching you how to play with what you’ve got. No matter your tendency, you can play well with it as Read more…

November 29th, 2025

Many great ball-strikers have used a strong grip. Here’s how you can make it work, too

Lots of different grips – strong, weak and neutral – can be effective, as long as you match them up with the proper release patterns.

October 14th, 2025

Pros use this simple approach strategy to miss in the right spots

Make your target bigger by aiming at the safe side of the green.

October 7th, 2025

Your rough swing is not your fairway swing. Pros make 3 changes to hit better approach shots

Many average players make no changes and wonder why the rough grabs the clubhead and kills the shot.

October 1st, 2025

Want spinnier chip shots? Use this swing thought to copy the pros

Mark Blackburn was voted No. 1 by his peers on Golf Digest’s 2026-’27 ranking of The 50 Best Teachers in America. In this series, “What the Pros Do That You Don’t,” Blackburn highlights the key adjustments that tour players make to play the right shot at the right time. When you’re in the fairway, just Read more…

September 24th, 2025

Tour players have two backswings for wedge shots. Copy both to dial in your scoring clubs

Mark Blackburn was voted No. 1 by his peers on Golf Digest’s 2026-’27 ranking of The 50 Best Teachers in America. In this series, “What the Pros Do That You Don’t,” Blackburn highlights the key adjustments that tour players make to play the right shot at the right time. The best wedge players typically flight Read more…

September 17th, 2025

Forget ‘shallow.’ Pros make these steep moves to chip it close from long rough

Mark Blackburn was voted No. 1 by his peers on Golf Digest’s 2026-’27 ranking of The 50 Best Teachers in America. In this series, “What the Pros Do That You Don’t,” Blackburn highlights the key adjustments that tour players make to play the right shot at the right time. The first question pros ask themselves Read more…

August 21st, 2025

5 Things The Pros Do That You Rarely Do

Tour players I work with score by playing the right shot at the right time. Use their strategies to transform your game.

March 25th, 2025

9 Tour Moves That Will Level Up Your Game

Discover what to steal from the pros to improve your swing, strategy, and overall performance on the course.

March 19th, 2025

You can play great golf while swinging over the top. Three keys to make it work

Many golfers have swing tendencies that, no matter how hard they try, they can’t get rid of. In this Golf Digest+ series, Matchmakers, I’m teaching you how to play with what you’ve got. No matter what your tendency, you can play well with it as long as you match it up with the right moves. Read more…

March 5th, 2025

Hitting shots off the heel? These quick adjustments will get you back to the centre

You can still play good golf with a slide if you add these three moves.

February 26th, 2025

Pros lift their heads on chip shots. It’s the anti-chunk secret you need to copy

The best chippers move their head down and towards the target as they swing back, and then stand up and rotate through the shot.

February 19th, 2025

Big divots are hurting your wedge game. Pros use this shallow technique to get pin-high

You don’t need to spend hours on the range to be pin-high more often – you just might need to adjust your technique.

February 12th, 2025

Early extension is a swing killer. Pros prevent it with these two key moves

From the top of the swing, the best players create space to swing the club down to the ball. Watch the first downswing move from elite ball-strikers—their butt stays back and their chest is down. It’s the opposite of early extension, where the pelvis moves toward the ball and the chest rises, a fault that Read more…

February 5th, 2025

The secret to a bigger turn isn’t in your shoulders. Pros focus on this body part instead

Let’s get you making a bigger turn for power—something the best players do so well by turning their ribcage to the top. The torso, or center of the chest, is the engine that drives the second half of the backswing, with the whole upper body moving away from the target (above). Blackburn’s Moves You Can Read more…

January 29th, 2025

‘One-piece takeaway’ is wrong. Pros start the swing with this move instead

Some players might feel like they have a one-piece move off the ball, but feel and real aren’t always the same thing.

January 22nd, 2025

Pros nail this trail-arm position. How to copy it for a better backswing

On tour, nearly every player starts with a soft trail arm. A softer trail arm also promotes an on-plane backswing, where the club moves on the plane established by the shaft to the ground at address.