In today's professional game, proficiency with both forehand and backhand shots has become the standard. Photo: Alyssa Van Lanen

When I was at my competitive peak, my biggest advantage on the course was that I was one of the only players on tour that threw the sidearm interchangeably with the backhand. This allowed me to throw the highest-percentage shot on every single hole. In today's game, most players can throw well from both wings, so owning a proficient sidearm has become a necessity.

There are many components to developing a sound sidearm technique, but these are the top three things that I teach that lead to the most radical improvement for my students.