I attended your talk on putting at the Ryder Cup. It was interesting to listen and exciting to see you speak live for the first time, very well done. I was wondering if you could post up what you said about Mickelson practicing putting? The part about why he makes his practice stroke away from the ball and the drill that led him to do this. Thanks.
For Brian: Mickelson's Putting Drill
- Thread starter edming05
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don't know if this is correct, but the story i heard was that he would drop balls around the hole in a circle from short range. that would ensure that he practiced uphill, downhill, left breaking, right breaking, etc.
the reason he did his preshot that way was to reenact his practice routine. as if he had just made the one and was stepping into another.
interested to see brian's take on it.
*oops* "for b man" ... sorry!
the reason he did his preshot that way was to reenact his practice routine. as if he had just made the one and was stepping into another.
interested to see brian's take on it.
*oops* "for b man" ... sorry!
Brian Manzella
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rcw
New
Yes that is great putting drill! Phil originally learned that drill from Jackie Burke when he visited him at Champions. Now it is called Phils Drill... Check it out in Jackies book "It's just a game" He tells a funny story about it. I went to see Jackie for help with my putting once. He showed me the drill and challenged me to do it everytime before I left the golf course. He said" You don't get to eat until you finish" Very intense man.
Notorious B.E.N.
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In Jackie Burkes book he actually told Phil to make 100 three footers in a row while he was in the clubhouse.
Phil replied
"Oh you don't have to go. I can do that right now."
Burke said
"For how much you can do it right now?"
"I bet you the best dinner in Houston."
Then Phil missed the fourth putt. And he took Burke to some steak restaurant.
Classic Phil.
Took him a couple of months before he could make 100 in a row. Surprising.
Phil replied
"Oh you don't have to go. I can do that right now."
Burke said
"For how much you can do it right now?"
"I bet you the best dinner in Houston."
Then Phil missed the fourth putt. And he took Burke to some steak restaurant.
Classic Phil.
Took him a couple of months before he could make 100 in a row. Surprising.
Chris Sturgess
New member
Balls in a circle around the hole......how creative.
rcw
New
"In Jackie Burkes book he actually told Phil "
Really?
" When we walked onto our big putting green together, the first thing I did was find a hole on a gentle sideslope. I placed ten balls in a circle around the hole, each ball about three feet away."
" I'd like to see you make a hundred of those in a row," I said. "The rules are, you can't line up putts, and if you miss one, you start over."
--Jackie Burke
It's Just a Game
Go get the book before you talk...
How creative? Well it helped Phil win a major. It helped Jackie win his as well.
Jackie told me when he was an assistant he played in a few tournaments and missed some crucial 3 footers... He decided that would never happen again. So he came up with this drill. He did it after work, he said if he did not make them, he did not allow himself to eat. Sounds like it worked for him..
Really?
" When we walked onto our big putting green together, the first thing I did was find a hole on a gentle sideslope. I placed ten balls in a circle around the hole, each ball about three feet away."
" I'd like to see you make a hundred of those in a row," I said. "The rules are, you can't line up putts, and if you miss one, you start over."
--Jackie Burke
It's Just a Game
Go get the book before you talk...
How creative? Well it helped Phil win a major. It helped Jackie win his as well.
Jackie told me when he was an assistant he played in a few tournaments and missed some crucial 3 footers... He decided that would never happen again. So he came up with this drill. He did it after work, he said if he did not make them, he did not allow himself to eat. Sounds like it worked for him..
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Chris Sturgess
New member
Practicing without lining up is totally dumb. This drill is a gimmick. Jack Nicklaus nor Tiger ever does that. What a joke.
...
Agreed, whats the point in practicing something you are not going to do?.....
After all, would a swing guru recommend hitting balls without your normal pre-shot routine, and then using it when you play....
Agreed, whats the point in practicing something you are not going to do?.....
After all, would a swing guru recommend hitting balls without your normal pre-shot routine, and then using it when you play....
Burner
New
You and Puttmad are missing the point here, I think.
Walk up to the ball and see the line to the hole as you do so. Settle yourself by the ball and stroke it. Simple as that! No fussing over strength of putt, break or any of that stuff. Trust yourself and what you saw.
See it and putt it as if autopilot is in control. You may be surprised at your results once you factor yourself out of the equation.
thefuture37
Banned
johnny miller has been critical of phil's routine also. he said that phil misses putts with break because of exactly what chris was saying. as a drill is one thing. three feet is close enough where you can pretty much steer them in most of the time without aiming. but if there is even a little bit of break, then you would have to significantly alter your stroke to steer them in, or you would have to "autopilot aim"(or whatever type of aiming you think he is doing in that drill) for the break, which is something that is never done in the drill setting(thereby negating the repeptition quality of taking the drill to the course).
rcw
New
Johnny
Are we really giving Johnny Miller a serious level of credibility? According to him EVERYBODY is always CHOKING or should be, or is about to. Just because Johnny lost his nerve. What a joke, and a bad example for every junior golfer out there listening to that crap. I gurantee you the majority of those players are not thinking any of that weak minded babble. They are thinking about making the put, or the process, or just competing...
Are we really giving Johnny Miller a serious level of credibility? According to him EVERYBODY is always CHOKING or should be, or is about to. Just because Johnny lost his nerve. What a joke, and a bad example for every junior golfer out there listening to that crap. I gurantee you the majority of those players are not thinking any of that weak minded babble. They are thinking about making the put, or the process, or just competing...
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Notorious B.E.N.
New
Chris Sturgess
New member
Haha, ok. You are really in love with Jackie Burke apparently. Here is what I know for sure. Jack Nicklaus never once in his entire career just walked up to a three footer or any putt without reading it first. I can prove this to you by pointing out that he squated down behind every putt that wasn't a tap in. He would actually squat down behind two footers sometimes even. What do you think he was doing back there if he wasn't reading it? Taking a dump? He never did anything close to that stupid drill. Certainly not on the golf course. Neither has Tiger. Do you disagree with that? If you do you might as well deny that gravity exists while you're at it.
I agree with everything you said about Johnny Miller.
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Chris Sturgess
New member
If the only way someone can "factor themself out of the equation" is by doing this dimwitted drill, then they are very weak mentally.
tourdeep
New
People, this jackie burke thing is a drill.
No, they are not mentally weak, they are on the PGA tour! But, if it means improving to make 543 out 544, then it's an improvement on some weakness, i guess. Do that enuf times with or without lining up, u still can miss the putt. How many of you wish you could make 542 out 544 from 3 feet and in? Weak, I think not. Rather, darned impressive.
and don't think for a moment they don't work on drills to line up putts as well...
No, they are not mentally weak, they are on the PGA tour! But, if it means improving to make 543 out 544, then it's an improvement on some weakness, i guess. Do that enuf times with or without lining up, u still can miss the putt. How many of you wish you could make 542 out 544 from 3 feet and in? Weak, I think not. Rather, darned impressive.
and don't think for a moment they don't work on drills to line up putts as well...
Burner
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