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Turf Talk by Tom Fitzpatrick

Get the Most Out Of The Green

The inner confidence of putting

 BY TOM FITZPATRICK

One crisp Pebble Beach morning, icons of the tech industry assembled on a putting green to learn something new pu tting! My goal was to show how putting can be simple, yet entertaining. I gave them a critical variable so their n@yds had something specific to latch onto. We chose the angle in the back of the right wrist. Did it stay the same, or did it change? Through their own self-discovery (which they appreciated, especially the guy who invented the personal computer), they determined that by keeping the wrist an e unchanged in the stroke, the ball rolled better with no side spin. Great putters in golf know that the ball is going in the hole before even looking at the break! They tell themselves they can make any putt. It's based upon an inner confidence. That's the beauty of watching top athletes in general. They exude a can do' self-talk that is so fun to watch and be around. Positive thinking is contagious and plays a big role in those that excel at putting. Let's face it: every moment is a choice. What do we choose No, I can't? Or Yes, I can?

Become a powerful putter by combining a winning attitude with these popular feel drills:

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Equal Back & Thru Distance Drill

When faced with a 30-footer, we find ourselves trying to hit it too hard. This often results in a short backstroke and too fast of a pop on the downstroke. That's a recipe for poor contact where the ball ends up short, instead of the preferred 18 inches past the hole. Your number of three-putt greens can skyrocket. 

For a more efficient use of energy to propel the ball, focus on a longer backstroke. In fact, the backstroke should be the same distance as follow thru. Try this: make a stroke that matches the width of your feet. Make a backstroke that stops opposite your right toe, then a forward stroke that stops opposite your left toe. For longer putts, adjust the length of the stroke by going twelve inches past your right foot, then twelve inches past your left foot.

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Tiger's Right Arm Only Drill

This simple drill opens up a world of feel. At address, keep your right elbw close to your side. Take the putter back by increasing the right wrist angle. Then flatten the wrist slightly as you hit the It illustrates how to build rhythm and putt. momentum with little effort. Allow the right shoulder and hand to move in unison. Tiger said this helps him feel the toe release thru the putt.

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Tee Gate Direction Drill

This very popular practice drill works wonders for contacting the ball in the center of the face. Place a tee just outside each end of the putter. When the putter passes thru the tee gate watch how much straigber the ball travels.

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Be Reactive

Learn to be more reactive by standing over the putt for just a short amount of time. See if you can step up to putt, aim the putter and stroke it all in the matter of 3-4 seconds. Instead of thinking, your body is calculating how hard to hit the putt and in what direction. Less thinking leads to greater enjoyment from being in that moment. It's been said that being in the moment offers freedom from fear 
of outcomes or anxiety over technique.

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Tom Fitzpatrick is a David Leadbetter certified instructor. He is an active real estate agent with Scenic Sotheby's Int Realty. Reach him at 850.225.4674 or visit www.tom.scenicsir.com 

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TOM FITZPATRICK

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