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30 April 2012
April 29th will here-to-fore be known as Jason Dufner Day on the PGA Tour. On that date, 35 year old Jason finally caught lightning in a bottle. This well experienced journeyman at long last, via tremendous personal fortitude and self belief, captured his first tour title. A BIG CONGRATS to the very likable Jason Dufner on his first trip to THE WINNERS CIRCLE.
Dufner’s “waggle until it feels right” trademark sets his swing apart on tour. Yes, most all the other players use a waggle to: a) relax the tension that tends to creep into their hands and forearms; b) feel the motion they intend to deliver (path and face in rhythm); and c) feel the footwork that will deliver that swing motion. But Dufner’s waggle is different. I’d love to have the conversation with Jason regarding the feels his particular waggle produces that provide his confidence to simply GO THERE!
It has been fun to watch Jason grow as a player these past two years. Three runner up finishes in 2011. Two of them by play-off losses. Contending in the Majors, where he lost a heartbreaker to Keegan Bradley in the 2011 PGA Championship. Leading the Masters this year going into the weekend. Two more recent weekend leads only to stumble down the stretch. And finally bringing home the bacon in a playoff victory over the winner of 62 titles worldwide, the Big Easy, none other than the highly popular Ernie Els – the guy who is bringing Autism awareness to us all.
Our CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR AWARD this week goes to Hall of Famer Ernie Els. Its been heartbreaking these past three years to watch Ernie struggle on the greens only to lose opportunity after opportunity to jump back into the Winners Circle. Winless for way too long, Ernie is still one of the best ball strikers on tour. His timeless swing is sound. His rhythm is seldom rushed; though he is now missing more greens from scoring position than in his heydays.
Els resisted going to the belly putter for a long time. As a traditionalist, he, like Tiger, would like to see “anchoring a club” outlawed. But for the time being Ernie is taking advantage of the “fixed fulcrum connection” he is now feeling in his putting stroke.
The interesting thing about belly putting is that the belly is the wrong the FIXED FULCRUM for the best of consistency in putting. Anchoring the putter to the belly requires the player to use an “arc” rather than an on-line stroke. Learning to swing from a fixed fulcrum with an on-line stroke is the true art of putting, and what I have as yet, found, no other putting coach teaches.
Golfstruck – Better Golf – Right Now!
23 April 2012
This admittedly tough Greg Norman designed course in San Antonio won again. In “normal Texas winds” the players had difficulty shaping their shots. The average score this week was 74+.
While there is always a tendency to compare generations of players, which is tough because of the advancement in the technology of both equipment and the golf ball, I truly believe the art of “Shot Shaping” is nowhere as good as it was 25 years ago when virtually all of our great players hailed from the windswept plains of Texas. Virginia born, hillbilly, Sam Snead was the exception!
One of the reasons is today’s technology goal to produce ever straighter ball flights. So there is far less need for players to learn the art of shot shaping, particularly in windy conditions.
The other major reason players are weak in this category is a tendency to ignore, in the development of their respective swing mechanics, the importance of left side control of: path, face and angle of attack. Sam Snead, while teaching me, always stressed the importance of footwork and left side control.
As we look at the swings of the old timers, they all worked far more on left side shaping of their shots than the current generation. For the most part, they learned to hit against a braced left side and kept their left hand in front of their right hand through impact and all the way to the delivered position – to waist high through the ball. Today’s players would do well to emulate these tried and true fundamentals that lead to the predictability and consistency of producing intended ball flights.
Having said all that, hats off to Ben Curtis on his 4th PGA tour victory to go with his One Major – the 2003 British Open. Ben, stayed well within his detailed routine all week, patiently getting into his proper set-up to FEEL the motion he WOULD deliver, predictably every time. Ben, while he did nothing spectacular, produced fewer errant shots than anyone else this week. It is great to see this nice guy and good family man with the homemade swing in THE WINNERS CIRCLE once again.
The two-year exemption and Masters invite he earned from this victory are perhaps more important than the 1+ million smackaroos he pocketed for the victory. Why? Because Ben had drifted so far down the eligibility list that this is only the 4th event he has been able to enter all season. Now that’s pressure!
Matt Every played a good, not great tournament. His opening course record 63 put him in good position to take this event, but sorry, his swing just isn’t good enough right now. While I applaud his efforts to simplify what he is doing on the course, i.e. ditching his instructor who was giving him too many swing thoughts, he is making one very critical error in his swing motion.
If you watch his footwork, he is getting up onto his right toe way too early in his downswing, thus causing a spin out with his right side firing in a circular motion to well left of his target. This is a dangerous move and one ill advised to try to time. Matt needs to work on the feel of firing his right side from in behind his left side – directly and linearly toward his target so that he finishes balanced on the inside of his left foot and the inside of his right big toe.
For those of you having the same problem – i.e. missing left, which Matt did on the critical 72nd hole, the easiest way to achieve this feel is to roll across the right ankle to drive the right thigh toward the target from well inside the left post axis, thereby being able to “push off” from well behind the ball of the right foot – rather than allowing the right heel to rise and spin away from the target – which causes a hugh power leak as well as the fear of going left.
When Matt and Jonny Vegas get this better directional weight transfer, they will be able to consistently attack from the inside corner of the golf ball, thus taking the left side of the course out of play. When we only miss one-way, the course gets wider and the game far easier to play.
Our CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR AWARD this week goes to the young, 22 year old John Huh who came all the way back from an opening round of 77 (that’s 14 strokes behind Matt Every’s 63) and the pressure of not making the cut, to tie Matt for 2nd place at 7 under.
I really like John HUh’s swing, his poise, demeanor, focus, short game and putting. If you have a youngster working his way up through the junior ranks, this is a player for him to emulate. Sang Moon Bae is the other best PGA Tour rookie to copy. Though this is his first year on the PGA Tour, Sang Moon has won all over the world already. He is a polished player with a great swing and plenty of distance. Jason Day better sharpen his connections through the “region of impact” or these two may well surpass him as the next players to watch.
Golfstruck – Better Golf Right Now!
16 April 2012
This extremely narrow and favorite course of the players, always seems to crown the player who is most accurate with all the shots in his bag – this week. Certainly that was the case for the Big Swede, Carl Pettersson this week. A BIG CONGRATS TO CARL PETTERSSON on his 5th PGA tour victory, which makes him the winningest Swede in PGA tour history.
This week, the accuracy of Pettersson’s iron game was the best we have seen on tour this season. It was reminiscent of the way Johnny Miller played in his prime. But Johnny seemingly, knocked down pins every week!
If Petterssson is to maintain this accuracy week to week he will need to work on a better, more consistent, balanced finish.
Speaking of balance, Colt Knost, who contended up until midway through the final round, needs a major focus on his footwork if he is to contend with any amount of consistency or predictability. Talent alone doesn’t get the job done at this level.
Happy-go-lucky though Colt is, to continue to play relaxed and in the moment, he will need a more reliable/accurate game. He has a good feel and touch on and around the greens. So all he needs is to get that overweight body spinning better in place. Some added self-discipline both in his swing motion and his diet would go a long way toward producing at the level of his talent.
Our CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR AWARD this week goes to Zach Johnson. It is nice to see Zach better focused this year after virtually taking last year off – mentally! But, just when his birdie at 15 on Sunday put him in the hunt at 3 back, his errant tee shot on 16 produced a charge ending bogey that doomed his bid for a come from behind win.
It looks like we will be seeing more of Zach in the coming weeks, contending down the stretch. Why? Because he appears to be in a good place mentally, as well as with his swing and his putter.
Golfstruck – Better Golf – Right Now!
9 Apr 2012
Well my top 10 picks for this year’s Masters, fizzled. While I was right on about Tiger and Phil, the injury to Jason Day was unfortunate. Kuchar did contend until an errant tee shot on 16 on Sunday, following his eagle on 15.
Luke Donald is struggling. Last season the fix for his errant ball flights was a simple spine angle/shaft angle fix. Since he didn’t get there in his analysis of what was wrong, his attempted fix is now, additionally, causing a timing problem. He is now so lost out there that the pressure he is putting on his short game is finally taking its toll.
Watney, Woodland, Dustin Johnson and Bill Haas simply need better footwork to consistently feel their delivery of motion. Sam Snead, when working with me, always stressed the importance of good footwork – which is why, when he got off his game, he quickly got it back by practicing barefoot.
Barefooted, we can far better feel balance, the direction the right side is firing, and bracing up on a firm left post axis – so we can spin in place, thus delivering with most consistent timing.
The big surprise at this week’s Masters was that both Bubba Watson and Louis Oosthuizen did indeed putt well enough to contend. Bubba’s (4) consecutive birdies on 13, 14, 15, and 16 were every bit as remarkable as Schwartzel’s (4) birdie finish last year.
What a wonderful win for Bubba and his homemade approach to the game. His win was good for golf. But before you go out and try to copy his swing, let’s remember, Bubba has perhaps the most talented hands ever to play this game. His feel of both clubface and distance control is nothing short of amazing! A BIG CONGRATS TO BUBBA WATSON on his spectacular win on the second playoff hole over South African Louis Oosthuizen. THAT RECOVERY SHOT FROM THE PINES WAS UNBELIEVABLE!
And let’s remember, Louis hit putts on both playoff holes that he thought he’d made. It just wasn’t meant to be for Oosty this year. The Golf Gods, who always seem to make their presence known at the Masters, smiled on Bubba this year.
Golfstruck – Better Golf – Right Now!
2Apr12
This shot demanding, fast greens layout is a great warm-up for next week’s Masters. And we got to see who is hot and who is struggling.
Phil Mickelson says everything feels good. He has such marvelous feel for distance with all the clubs in the bag. He was pin high all week. But he still hits too many loose shots and tries a greater variety shots (unnecessarily) than anybody but Bubba Watson. So I think Phil will come up short of the winners circle once again.
Former British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen is pretty much on top of his ball striking. He has plenty of distance for Augusta, and his wedge and short iron game is absolutely knocking down pins. His weakness is putting. And for that reason alone, I can’t pick him to win at Augusta.
Hunter Mahan credits Canadian Sports Psychologist Jim Murphy with giving him a mental approach that better matches his physical skills. It’s working! A BIG CONGRATS TO HUNTER MAHAN for his victory in Houston.
I like Hunter’s swing. He more naturally releases the club through the ‘region of impact’ than most players on tour. And he’s a confident putter. His wedge and chipping game is still suspect. So I can’t pick him to win at Augusta, either.
Our CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR AWARD this week goes to Swede, Carl Petterson. He won the putting stats for the week and still came up shy of a victory. Carl needs to knock down more pins. While he has flared his left foot out at address for a better hip turn, he needs more work on his connections, i.e. timing.
Golfstruck – Better Golf – Right Now!
26 Mar 2012
Once again Arnie hosted a great tournament. Rushed to the hospital on Sunday as the final groups finished for a sudden spike in his blood pressure, let’s all hope The King is okay.
This time the greens at Bay Hill were nearly Masters speed. And with tough pin settings, the course again found the best golfer. Tiger Woods cruised to a five shot victory. His first win in some 2+ years.
A BIG CONGRATS TO TIGER. Its been a long road back. And in his victory speech we found the key to his victory. He thanked all of the people who have helped him along the way. It seems Tiger has indeed learned that life has relatively little meaning or purpose when you live it alone. Its been said that man is measured by the quality and extent of his friendships.
In my most recent “Tiger Watch” published here Jan 30, 2012, I stated that Freddie Couples gave Tiger the huge boost he needed to bounce back from spiritual bankruptcy. His Presidents Cup teammates responded in kind. Tiger suddenly understood how important and great it was to have friends. For his sake, let’s all hope that Tiger doesn’t once again misconstrue popularity or fame for friendship – which by the way, is a two way street.
The British bookmakers and the media are once again fully jumping on Tiger’s bandwagon. They are making him the favorite to win the Masters. And to overtake Jack’s record of 18 Majors. Hold on a minute! Let’s remember recent history. Tiger walked off the course just two weeks ago, hobbled. He was having to play a 20 yard slice in his first few tournaments of 2012 just to keep the ball in play. He was putting and chipping miserably. And we were crowning Rory McIlroy as the best in the game – the next Tiger Woods! And then Luke Donald said, not so fast!
Yet, he is Tiger – the man who can turn his game around faster than any player in history. Is he on a new run to the top? He may well be. But as I watch his swing I have to ask myself, “why would a player of his ability try to learn to play with such an unnatural, manufactured release from ball to target?” The only answer I can come up with is – neither he nor his teacher, Sean Foley, know any better. But then, I’ve always said you can take the most talented of players, stand them on their ear and swing, and they will find a way to repeat it.
I believe Augusta National will be a good test of where Tiger’s game is. But with his continued down/up head movement combined with the manufactured fade swing release he is currently using, playing a controlled draw is a tough assignment, at best – which you need on the back nine at Augusta. His recently found confidence on and around the greens is just that – recently found! Augusta will test it, severely. So for this Masters, my bet, given the choice between Tiger and the Field, I would have to take the Field.
Our CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR AWARD this week goes to Graeme McDowell who had his chances on Sunday. The eagle he poured in on 6 on Sunday, stealing that hole from Tiger, brought him within one stroke of Tiger. He then missed short putts on 9 and 10 when he could have putt a little pressure on Tiger’s yet tender swing changes. But it was McDowell who faltered down the stretch. You can bet Graeme will have his short putting in hand come the Masters.
Ernie Els came up but one stroke shy of a tie for third and two shots shy of earning an invite to the Masters. And once again we can find those shots from inside six feet from the pin. On June 20, 2011, I posted on this site, a video tip drill for Ernie that would at least get him started in the right direction. It would only take a couple of days with Ernie to get him to understand and feel the motion required to solve the problem. There a few things, fundamentally, he needs to do differently in his putting.
Ernie is a great guy and one dedicated to making a difference through is foundation, which is seeking ways to improve the lives of those with Autism. Let’s all wish him the best.
Golfstruck – Better Golf – Right Now!
19 Mar 2012
Innisbrook’s Copperhead course continues to be a favorite stop among tour players. It always seems to sort out the players who can hit it where they’re looking, whether from the tee, into the greens or on the greens. And this year was no exception.
We had a race to the wire among a whole host of players capped off by their ability to negotiate the “Snake Pit” – holes 16 – 18. As it turned out only the swash buckling Robert Garrigus was able to birdie his way home into the 4-man playoff. The other three – Jim Furyk, rookie sensation Sang Moon Bae and recently deposed Luke Donald managed merely to limp through the snake pit, while both Ken Duke and poor ole Ernie Els were bitten by Copperhead.
A BIG CONGRATS TO Luke Donald who won the one-hole playoff with a miraculous 7 iron from the rough to 8 feet below the hole. With his victory Luke replaces Rory McIlroy after only two weeks in the hot seat as the world’s # 1 player. Seems Luke isn’t quite ready to crown the young lad from Northern Ireland as the best in the game.
As I watched Luke swing this week, he appeared to stay in his angles better, but for the first time, to my eye, he appeared somewhat disconnected. His right elbow was trailing his right hip as he approached impact, causing him to lose the feel of acceleration from ball to target, which resulted in a great many of his approach irons coming up well short of pin high and/or to the right of target. Let’s hope he gets this fixed by Masters week. He needs to start adding Majors to his portfolio.
Robert Garrigus is long and confidently straight off the tee. He is stuffing his irons right at pins. But that sternum length putter he’s using (having switched from the shortest putter on tour) I fear is not the answer. He is simply not feeling distance control very well with those short breaking putts as evidenced by his badly missed attempt from just outside Donald in the playoff. His putting is all that’s keeping him out of the winners circle.
Jim Furyk is another guy suffering from speed control with his putting. This week, every makeable putt Jim stroked came up short. He appears to have way too much tension in his hands, forearms and shoulders – likely because he is trying to say still below the waist.
Rookie sensation Sang Moon Bae – who by the way has won all over the world, has made every cut so far in his first season on the PGA Tour. This young man,with all the shots and a routine that exudes confidence is knocking on the door of victory. What he still needs, however,is to be able to go after more pins. When he does, his excellent putting will drop him off quite nicely in the winners circle. If I were in his shoes, I’d be working night and day on learning to ‘flight’ my wedges and short irons. He comes out of way too many of these shots.
Our CLOSE BUT NO CIGER AWARD this week goes to Ernie Els. Coming into the Snake Pit on Sunday with a one stroke lead, Ernie knocked it stiff on 16 – by far the best shot of the day. Left with a 4+ footer to take a two stroke lead with two to go, Ernie’s baggage of the past three years crept into his head – the fear of missing yet another short putt.
With all that was on the line for Ernie, his first victory in over three years and an invite to the Masters, we can scarcely blame him for getting out of the present – but he does blame himself! His confidence was badly shaken when he missed on 16, then again on 17 to drop into a tie for the lead, and then again on 18 when he missed a third consecutive short putt to drop out of the playoff.
Ernie shouldn’t blame himself! Yes, he did allow himself to get out of his routine and lose proper focus over those putts. But it is his technique/routine itself that is at fault. You see Ernie, though he has tried every trick in the book these past three years with his putting, is simply not yet working on the proper fundamentals of excellent putting. He desperately needs a better way of putting.
Golfstruck – Better Golf – Right Now!
12 Mar 12
Justin Rose: Last week Rose hit every iron shot left of target. This week he fixed his alignment and his footwork so that his right side fired down the target line. With his sterling short game still working and his putter zeroed in, Justin stepped into the Winners Circle with his first /world Golf Championship. A BIG CONGRATS TO JUSTIN ROSE!
This win should provide a big boost of confidence for Justin as everyone ranked in the top 50 Worldwide – was in the field!!!! It has been a mystery to me why Justin doesn’t win more often. This is only the 5th victory for this 31 year old since turning pro as a teenager! Rose has one of the best swings on tour and he has a good short game. So it has to be what’s going on between his ears that’s getting in the way of consistently performing at the level of his talent.
Bubba Watson: Speaking of what goes on between the ears – Bubba Watson is part genius! Strapped with a difficulty of staying focused and in the moment, tournament golf is a HUGE CHALLENGE for this unbelievably gifted player. The things Bubba makes the ball do are not in and of themselves that unusual, but to shape shots with the accuracy and predictability that he does is nothing short of remarkable. Bubba treated us to a spectacular week of shotmaking. Struggling on the front nine on Sunday with a big slice of the tee, he righted the ship on the back nine and nearly pull even with Rose.
Bubba, it’s really good to see you back in the hunt.
I’m glad to see that Bubba is working on developing his PROCESS OF SHOTMAKING ROUTINES. A players’s routines are his best friend in competition. They keep you in the moment, serve to focus your attention on the shot at hand and provide the means of delivering the motion required to get your ball form here to there.
Our CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR AWARD this week goes to Keegan Bradley. Keegan played the most steady golf all week right up until the back nine on Sunday. Keegan needs to keep putting himself in position to win and he will find his way to the winners circle.
As I watch Bradley play, he uses up more energy than anyone else on the course. As he learns to play with a more relaxed focus and trust his routines to produce shots down the stretch, he will become a better player. This highly likeable young man from St. Johns College is well on his way to having a great year.
Golfstruck – Better Golf – Right Now!
5 Mar 2012
We have a new, young # 1 in the world – 22 year old Rory McIlroy. A BIG CONGRATS TO RORY on achieving a lifetime goal!
As Rory continues to learn to manage his emotional nature in a positive way, he will become a better and better player. Those of us who tend to be more emotional than analytical often have a harder time with self mastery. But the good news is that we get a far greater depth of experience along the journey! During his competitions as he has grown, Rory has always worn his heart on his sleeve. All too often he has allowed his frustrations with bad shots to bubble up to the surface – causing an adrenaline rush into his system – which in turn cost him FEEL and FOCUS for the next couple of holes.
Learning to turn OFF our emotions by turning ON our PROCESS OF SHOTMAKING and POST SHOT ROUTINE is a significant step toward entering the WINNERS CIRCLE. Rory is on the verge of conquering those fears and negative thoughts that creep into our psyche and get in the way of our ability to perform.
Coming down the stretch on Sunday, Rory heard the unmistakeable TIGER ROAR! And following a big gulp – virtually swallowing those bubbling up emotions, Rory responded with an 8 foot birdie of his own. Though this was followed by three consecutive errant irons shots as he navigated the Bear Trap, that birdie gave him the confidence he needed to make three great up and downs coming home. Well done Mr. McIlroy!
In my opinion, since Rory’s natural ball flight is a slight draw, he needs to use it as his “go to” shot, rather than that fade that he all too often pushes too far right. To do so, he merely needs to keep his left hand in front of his right hand through his entire release and into his full finish, ala, Nicklaus, Watson, Hogan, and my teacher and record PGA victories holder (82) Sam Snead!
Tiger Woods all of a sudden this week had a good swing! He was no longer dropping his head some 6 – 8 inches during his downswing. He was maintaining his spine angle all the way through to his finish. He was releasing the club head with forearm rotation and full extension down the target line, rather than the immediate left of target cut-off release that was making him hit big slices just to keep the ball in play.
Suddenly TIGER lead a tournament in total driving – something he has not done in years – and maybe NEVER! How, we ask, did this happen, almost overnight? Answer: He is Tiger Woods!
Throughout the history of the game, no great player has ever even attempted the nature of drastic swing changes that Tiger has. It is no secret that I never was a fan of his time with Hank Haney – when he couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn off the tee. I haven’t been a fan of the swing motion and release patterns that I saw coming from Sean Foley, though I did see a lot of improvement in a number of areas. But suddenly on Sunday, coming home, Tiger pulled off the Tigeresque birdie, eagle finish that suddenly spurred him into contention – causing Rory to sweat out the Bear Trap!
Like him or not, you have to respect Tiger’s ability to accomplish not only the unexpected, but even the unthinkable! With his lowest Sunday round ever (62) is anyone writing Tiger off, anymore? The Masters is coming! With that swing he had this week, Tiger will be able to produce those controlled draws demanded by Augusta on the back nine. With the swing he had last week, he didn’t have a chance! Welcome to Tiger’s world!
The heart warming stories this week belonged to journeymen Tom Gillis and Dickie Pride. This is the second consecutive top 10 finish for Dickie Pride, earning this non-exempt struggling survivor yet another birth in next week’s WGC Cadillac Championship. Way to go Dickie. You are the PRIDE of American golf right now! Here’s hoping you can relax, rest and focus even a little bit better this week.
Our CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR AWARD, this week goes to fellow Michigan born and bred, 43 year old, Tom Gillis, who enjoyed his highest finish ever in a PGA event. His final birdie on the 18th on Sunday tied him with Tiger for second! Tom had a week of putting that he will never forget! Would that he could keep that Genie in the bottle! But what was perhaps most impressive about Tom’s game this week was his composure and how ready it seemed he was, to play with the big boys! It sure would be nice for this week’s experience to endure for Tom so he could have his best year ever on tour and perhaps even that long sought trip to the Winners Circle. In his 22nd second year on tour, playing in equally as many different countries, I can think of no one more deserving of success that Mr. Tom Gillis! A heartfelt well done, Tom!
What I see in Tom’s swing that he needs to improve is a collapsing of his left elbow through impact and into his full finish. Tom would do well to click on my “elbows together” video tip on this very web site! When Tom learns to rotate his left forearm as a better way of releasing from ball to target, he will not only improve his accuracy and consistency, but his distance off the tee as well.
Justin Rose has one of the best natural swings on tour. It’s a mystery why Rose doesn’t win more often. I’d sure like to climb inside his head and get things straightened out in there. As I watched Justin hit every iron left of target this week, it is a true testament to the value of a great short game that kept Justin in the hunt all the way to that fatal splash on Sunday on the water guarded par three 15th – the first hole of the now famous Nicklaus designed “Bear Trap.”
The fix for Justin is really quite simple. It’s in his alignment and footwork AND in the type of shot he is trying to play. Justin’s natural swing produces the same natural slight draw that Rory McIlroy’s swing produces. Justin has to get away from trying to “cut” his way around the course. Once he begins to play to his natural talents, the game will become much simpler for him. And I really believe that will remove all the clouds of confusion that are keeping Justin out of the Winners Circle!
Golfstruck – Better Golf – Right Now!
27 Feb 2012
A BIG CONGRATS TO JOHN HUH on his first PGA Tour victory in only his 5th PGA Tour event! This promising and highly talented rookie is an anomaly in today’s world of golf. He didn’t come up through the junior golf rankings or play collegiate golf. He didn’t even have an extensive amateur career prior to successfully making it through Q- School.
But he does have a beautifully connected and simple swing motion, much like that of another rookie off to a great start this year, Sang Moon Bae, who made quite a splash this week in the Accenture Match Play World Golf Championship.
John survived a grueling 8 hole playoff against a far more experienced opponent in Robert Allenby. When he failed to close the deal with a four foot birdie putt on the sixth hole of the playoff, he gave Allenby new hope. But surprisingly, Allenby’s nerves were more shattered than those of John Huh! Two holes later John canned the same putt he had missed earlier – this time for par and his first, well earned victory! I think we will be hearing a lot more from John Huh, particularly if he is smart enough to get a most needed week’s rest as soon as possible!
Other Q -School prospects who played well this week are: Matt Every and Colt Knost who finished top 5. Also Daniel Summerhays who lead going into the final round only to lose his rhythm to quickness – otherwise known as “nerves.” Daniel has a good solid swing motion, but like a young Freddie Couples had to learn, rhythm is the glue that produces the essential flowing sequence of motion. Michael Allen and Will Claxton also took advantage of an event where a lot of the top names were absent.
The most heart warming story this week, perhaps, belonged to journeyman Dickie Pride, whose top 10 finish earned him a spot in the Honda Classic. Life on tour has been tough for Dickie Pride who has been on and off tour more times than he can count. Good luck this week to Dickie as he negotiates his way through the Bear Trap!
Robert Allenby, coming home on Sunday, made a mental error that cost him an important victory. Bolstered by the confidence that Greg Norman placed in him as a selection to his President’s Cup team, Robert is back on his game. This week he putted well through 71 holes! The final 9 – not so well! His putting will hold up better down the stretch when he learns to putt with a true one-lever motion rather than just his hands/arms/shoulders.
Standing on the 72nd and what should have been the final hole with a two shot lead, Allenby thought he should hit a 3-wood. His caddie told him the right play was the driver and that he was hitting it well so just get up their and let it go! But, taking his caddie’s advice regarding club selection, he never got mentally committed to the shot. Instead of backing away to either confirm his choice or change it, he played a shot he was scared of! Result – well right into trouble which lead to his double bogey and a birth in the playoff.
Why was Allenby suddenly scared to hit his driver? His mind had wandered to the last time he was in a similar situation – a two shot lead on the final hole at the McGladrey Classic – where he pushed his drive right into the drink and lost the tournament. The mind is a very powerful tool! To be successful under the gun, we must get it focused properly.
Our CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR AWARD this week goes to Chris Stroud. Chris has a sound swing motion, but with a little too much tension in his hands and forearms, which causes him to swing less than freely when the pressure is on. Result – steering shots! Not good! Missed opportunities! Chris lost this tournament with a stroke lost to par on 16. And needing only a birdie on either 17 or 18 to make it into the playoff, Chris steered his shots right out of play! When Chris develops a routine and mind set that allow him to trust his swing motion, he will make that cherished trip into the winners circle.
Golfstruck – Better Golf – Right Now!
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