Make More Birdies. One man's approach.

[w.g.canon]

Reading an article authored by Mr. Zack Johnson from July 2007 I was curious regarding the following remarks:

"I prefer to hit the ball right to left, but my goal is to always leave the ball right of the hole. To practice this, I divide each side of the green into thirds (with the flag in the middle). If I leave the ball inside the outer third on the right, I give myself one point. For the middle third on the right I give myself three, and for the third closest to the hole it's five points. If I miss to the left of the hole, I deduct one point for the inner third, and three and five for the middle and outer third. I play to 20, but you can set your own score."

Can anyone shed some light on this technique? Is he simply attempting to have a higher percentage of right to left putts? Is he trying to limit the curvature of his draw? The title of the piece was "Make more Birdies". Thank you in advance for any illuminating replies. Cheers

 

[Jay845]

I think that he is always trying to have the ball moving towards the flag as opposed to away. If he aims right of the hole and hit a small draw, the ball is always getting closer to the hole as it flies through the air. If he over cooks his draw or aims to far left, in theory the ball moves away from the flag. I would relate it to leaving a breaking putt on the amateur/low side of the hole.

Not sure if I agree with this approach, but who am I to argue.

 

[flyers66]

logical approach-but what does he do with a tucked right pin-Does he aim at the pin and if it goes straight or right it is a gd shot or does he aim right of the green over trouble hoping it draws into the flag. Assuming he is uncomfortable hitting a fade? What would Kenny Perry do?

 

[softconsult]

Maybe he agreed to the article and had to come up with something. I highly doubt he is always aiming to the right of the hole.

 

[Kevin Shields]

I think thats just what he does when he's working on his draw. Ive played plenty with him and he kinda hold blocks it to pins on the right.

 

[lookingtolearn]

logical approach-but what does he do with a tucked right pin-Does he aim at the pin and if it goes straight or right it is a gd shot or does he aim right of the green over trouble hoping it draws into the flag. Assuming he is uncomfortable hitting a fade? What would Kenny Perry do?

One of my favorite Kenny Perry quotes (paraphrased):

"When it's tucked right ... I aim at the middle. When it's tucked left ... I make birdie."

 

[Richie3Jack]

Can anyone shed some light on this technique? Is he simply attempting to have a higher percentage of right to left putts? Is he trying to limit the curvature of his draw? The title of the piece was "Make more Birdies". Thank you in advance for any illuminating replies. Cheers

Studies have shown that right handed putters make more right to left putts, particularly the uphill right-to-left putt. The only other thing he could be doing is that if he misses a shot, it may over-hook and go far left which may or may not be a problem for him.




3JACK

 

[dannyc]

One of my favorite Kenny Perry quotes (paraphrased):

"When it's tucked right ... I am at the middle. When it's tucked left ... I make birdie."

love that.

 

[fronesis]

Can anyone shed some light on this technique? Is he simply attempting to have a higher percentage of right to left putts? Is he trying to limit the curvature of his draw?

A. I don't think this has anything to do with what putts he leaves himself.

B. I agree with Kevin, I think the whole approach assumes he's playing a draw on this particular thought.

C. When he's playing a draw he visualizes starting the ball right of the pin and moving toward it but with the idea that he'll never let it get left of the pin (and be moving away from it).

I'm guessing that this is much more about visualization and approach to shot making than anything else. He may well play this point game with himself and therefore "deduct points" when he hits it just left of the pin. But I'm sure he gladly rolls in the 4 foot birdie putt anyway!

 

[ggsjpc]

We play a game very similar to this with the college team I coach. Same point system when trying to draw into left pins but then we do the opposite when trying to fade into right pins. It works very well with not starting the ball to close to the flag when you're trying to curve it. When pins are in the middle we do the points in terms of short and long. They get to pick the flight.