Less time over ball is key to more money

European Tour players who spend too much time over the ball as they prepare to hit a shot are hitting themselves in the pocket, according to a comprehensive study.

A “Player Performance” study conducted by RSM in collaboration with the European Tour collected data on 47 pros over five tournaments, 304 rounds of golf and 22,579 shots.

Its three key findings were that spending less time over the ball could earn a player an extra £168,000 per season, quicker shots improve performance and consistency of time spent over the ball leads to a greater chance of making the cut.

“It’s crucial that we look at how even tiny changes can help improve our performance,” said Andy Sullivan, who took part in the study. “The findings have given me a lot to think about, but I think they’ll also be of interest to amateurs looking for ways to get their handicaps down.”