Phil Mickelson starts his 2010 season next week at Torrey Pines Golf Club and will play five straight weeks, with Tigers well documented troubles, this could be a huge season for lefty. Phil also has a new guy on his coaching staff, in addition to Butch Harmon and Dave Pelz, Phil has been working with Dave Stockton to help improve hs putting stroke. Stockton is a previous winner of the USPGA Championship, Ryder Cup winning captain( he was captain in 1991, the infamous war on the shore!) he has won 10 times on the PGA tour and 14 times on the seniors tour, and now is starting to make a name as a putting guru, Stockton gave Michelle Wie a putting lesson the week before last years Solheim Cup in which Wie putted just great, Mickelson and Stockton started working together back end of last year, after which lefty won twice, and now has said he is putting great.
In a recent golf magazine feature, Stockton talked about 5 secrets to holing more putts, I have put them below, read them, give them try and you might start putting as well as Phil Mickelson.
1.Get a Better Read
Stockton says that green reading is tricky, but remember there is more to it than judging slope,speed determines the line as much as anything, but if you dont have a clue about how to read greens, use the ultimate basic, where would the water drain off if it had accumulated on the green. The first third of the putt has next to nothing to do with break, since the ball is moving so fast, whats important is the last third, as this is where the ball is slowing down and turning the most.
2 Get a Routine
Treat your putts like drives, use your usual preshot routine on the green as well as on the tee, if you practice swing, do same on the green, and be sure to visualize the ball dropping.
3 See the Line.
Think onlyabout speed and line when setting up to the putt, lose the technical thoughts! and try to picture a four inch wide strip from your ball to the hole, then pick a spot one inch in front of the ball, and focus on that during the stroke and try to get your ball rolling over that spot.
4 Stroke Dont Hit
Well hit putts start to roll end over end as soon as you make contact, you just cant get that kind of roll if you are jabbing or hitting at the ball, think stroke, think smooth.
5 Dont try to make it.
The more you try to make a putt, the less likely you are to sink it, get your mind into autopilot, go through your routine, feel good about your read, and go ahead and pull the trigger, there really shouldnt be any need to try, just putt and see what happens.
Hope you enjoy this piece, I think you are going to see more tour players pay Dave Stockton a visit this season.
