Flight School

Watch Series

Overview

It’s often said that professional golfers play “a different game” than the rest of us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t learn from the tactics they use and incorporate them into our own game. In honor of the new Apple TV+ World War II drama series “Masters of the Air”— from the executive producers of "Band of Brothers" and "The Pacific"—Golf Digest enlisted Kyle Westmoreland, a former Air Force captain and the PGA Tour’s resident long-ball hitter, to give us some tips on how to achieve his impressive ball flight. In this series, Kyle reveals all the checkpoints he uses to employ a full arsenal of shots off the tee, along with the actual workout he uses every week to maintain his elite strength and power.

2:23

Episode 1: Finding the Runway

Every golfer needs a fairway finder, for when the short grass looks as narrow as a runway, as touching down safely is the best chance at going low. Kyle shows us how he approaches his tee shot on tight holes, and what he looks for in his “off-speed” ball.

1:59

Episode 2: Cruising Speed

Kyle talks about his most common type of tee shot: a medium-trajectory ball flight with a steady speed. He runs us through his checkpoints before taking off, and we slow his swing way down to better understand his move.

2:39

Episode 3: Aim High

Here we see one of the longest hitters on Tour go for broke, a strategy Kyle uses when the landing zone is wide and he’s trying to cover as much distance in the air as he can. We’ll take an in-depth look at the changes Kyle makes when going for glory.

2:25

Episode 4: Lock On to the Target

Kyle moves on to a par 3 and shares his most important swing thought: when standing over the ball, focus on your target. He also reveals his own takeaway system, based on the movements of flaps on an airplane wing.

4:13

Episode 5: Basic Training

Just like the Air Force has basic training to make sure physical ability is never a question, Kyle knows that he can gain an edge by outworking the competition in the gym. In our final episode, Kyle shows off his own workout routine that has helped him become one of the strongest athletes to ever earn a Tour card.