Golf Digest Middle East

The Quiet Skills

3 ways tour players program good results

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Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the game’s best players. They’re all physically gifted, so it’s often something else—a mental or emotional strength—that sets them apart. Here are a few of those qualities.

1. a short memory

Great golfers are like great defensive backs in football: When they get burned, they’re immediatel­y ready to go again. Whatever the mistake—a bad drive, a missed putt—the best players quickly put it in the past. When Dustin Johnson three-putted the last green at the 2015 U.S. Open and failed to force a playoff with Jordan Spieth, people asked me if DJ would be OK. He was fine. He’s a great example of a player who looks forward, not back. Imagine how much better you’d play if you did that.

2. a consistent approach

It takes no athletic ability to set up to the ball perfectly every time. This is where amateurs should shine, but most have no plan for getting into a shot. Greg Norman, who I worked with in the 1990s, has my favorite preshot routine. He steps in with the club in his right hand, aims the clubface, then completes his grip before setting his left foot and widening out his right foot to take his stance. Most golfers set their stance first, then just plop the club down behind the ball. Develop a process like Greg’s, and you’ll hit more shots where you want them to go.

3. decisive, upbeat putting

Watch Rickie Fowler putt, and one thing stands out: He doesn’t waste any time. Brandt Snedeker, who I coached for a few years, also has a brisk routine. They get set over the ball quickly, take a look or two at the hole and go. Most golfers grind over putts, as if taking more time makes you more precise. The opposite is usually true. Pick your line, set the putterface carefully where you want the ball to start, then make your stroke before you can think of ways to miss the putt. butch harmon is a Golf Digest Teaching Profession­al.

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