Here are some photos from
Steve Stricker's shoot. The same Golf Digest team does the job each year, and they work for about four hours in the afternoon. I saw them shoot
Ryan Moore, Stewart Cink, Steve Stricker, Jerry Kelly and
Zach Johnson. I know they did
Lucas Glover, but my schedule prevented me from being there. My guess is that they did about a dozen guys.
After the player shows up -- they're coordinating schedules after his round on the nearby Plantation Course -- there's a brief discussion about what the magazine wants to see. A lightweight plastic ball is used for many of the shots, particularly those directed at the cameraman! They always advise the player to be aware that impact has much less resistance, and they should take care to avoid injury. Even with that warning, a couple of the players were really surprised at the different feel.
The crew also asks the player to describe his views on how he plays the shots they're looking to see. Then, a mini-interview is recorded that will later be transcribed and edited for the article. There are also many still photos where the player demonstrates certain key positions. Along the way, the cameraman keeps the player advised as to shirttail tucked in and bill of cap up (so their face can be seen). The hand-held camera, the flash lights and reflectors are all coordinated to produce the desired effects.
From time to time, I performed an able assist, from holding the reflectors to scampering after a few more of the light balls. And, when you see the yellow and orange alignment rods in Zach's upcoming article, guess where they got'em?
After that last assist, the Golf Digest coordinator said, "We owe you one."
I'll remember that!
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