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How He Hit That: Kuchar's 5-iron bunker shot

Monday, May 14, 2012 Comments

Editor's Note: Every Monday Kevin Hinton, Director of Instruction at Piping Rock Club in Locust Valley, N.Y. and one of Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers, tells you how a tour player hits a key shot. This week, Kevin examines Matt Kuchar's fairway-bunker 5-iron over a tree onto the green on the 14th hole at the Players Championship on Sunday. Of course, Kuchar went on to win by two strokes for the most significant victory in his career. For Kevin's analysis of Kuchar's full swing, click here, then read below to see what you can learn from Kuchar and Hinton on fairway bunker play . . .

Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter: @RogerSchiffman

By Kevin Hinton
Twitter: @KevinHintonGolf

Kuchar's extremely flat swing is custom-made for hitting fairway bunker shots. Matt's 5-iron on the 14th hole during the final round may have been the most clutch of his career. Although greenside bunker shots benefit from elevating the club quickly in the backswing, allowing for a steeper angle of attack into the sand, fairway bunker shots require the opposite. These shots call for taking much less sand, and it is essential that any sand taken comes after the club first contacts the ball. You will not see tour players making excessively upright backswings that lead to deep, gouging cuts of sand. Matt's swing will produce a shallow approach in the impact area, nearly picking the ball clean. His "rounded" backswing is a great image for any player who gets too much sand and often comes up well short of the green. Here are a few more ideas that can help your fairway bunker play . . .

1. Take more club
It is always a good idea to take one extra club from a fairway bunker. This will encourage a more controlled swing and also compensate for the distance loss that comes from gripping down slightly on the club. This will also help to get your ball closer to pin high if your contact is less than perfect.

2. Keep legs stable
Excessive leg action, especially in the backswing, makes pure contact very difficult. I encourage my students to set a little extra weight on the front leg at address, and try to keep it there during the backswing. The more players move the lower half and transfer weight into the back leg, the more they tend to struggle with contact. Try to feel an extremely braced lower body in the backswing, and avoid any feel of aggressive leg action in the downswing. While it is important to get your weight off of your back foot in the downswing, shoot for a very smooth transition. This will also encourage a more controlled swing.

3. Know when to take your medicine
Course management is a big part of golf, and many errors often come from fairway bunkers. If you find yourself about to hit a shot, you must be 100 percent certain that a well-executed shot will come out at a trajectory that clears the lip of the bunker. If you have any doubt, you just can't use that club. At this point, you must swallow your pride and select a club that easily gets you out of the bunker. Don't be a hero . . . get the ball out and rely on your short game. Avoiding big numbers is the most important key to shooting low scores.
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How He Hit That: Louis Oosthuizen's technically-sound swing

Monday, April 16, 2012 Comments

Editor's Note: Every Monday Kevin Hinton, Director of Instruction at Piping Rock Club in Locust Valley, N.Y. and one of Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers, tells you how a tour player hits a key shot. This week, Kevin analyzes how Masters runner-up Louis Oosthuizen used his superb ball striking to bounce back from his close call at Augusta National and win the Malaysian Open.

Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter: @RogerSchiffman

By Kevin Hinton

It didn't take long for Louis Oosthuizen to rebound from his playoff loss at the Masters -- actually, it only took seven days. With his final-round 68 at the the Malaysian Open, Oosthuizen secured the victory and his 5th European Tour title. The win moved Louis to 12th place in the Official World Golf Rankings. Once again, Louis' ball striking proved valuable as he continued to drive the ball well, while hitting more than 81% of his greens in regulation for the week. Take a look at these videos of his driver and iron swings, and keep reading to see what you can learn from them.

Driver: Louis does many things exceptionally well in his swing, but here are two simple tips you can learn from his driver swing.

1) Shaft Position at Address: In this video, notice that Louis sets up to his driver with the shaft leaning slightly back. Many great drivers have done this throughout history. I encourage my students to have the shaft set in a neutral position, but if they were to err one way or the other, I'd much rather they have the shaft leaning slightly back like Louis. Leaning the shaft forward de-lofts the driver and encourages hitting down on the golf ball. Both those things make it difficult for the average player to drive the ball. You can't go wrong by copying Louis' driver setup.

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How He Hooked That: Bubba's gap-wedge slinger

Monday, April 9, 2012 Comments
Editor's Note: Every Monday Kevin Hinton, Director of Instruction at Piping Rock Club in Locust Valley, N.Y. and one of Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers, tells you how a tour player hits a key shot. This week Kevin analyzes how Masters Champion Bubba Watson dramatically hooked a gap wedge from the right trees onto the 10th green in the second playoff hole. Of course, he two-putted for par to defeat Louis Oosthuizen and win his first major. Check out the two photos below, just for the sheer pleasure, then take note of Kevin's instructional points. 

Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman

bubba_shot1.gifBubbashot2.gif(Photos by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

By Kevin Hinton

Bubba's mind-bending hook on the second playoff hole of the Masters will go down as one of the most memorable shots in the tournament's history. If you somehow missed it, Bubba had 155 yards to the hole and was completely blocked out by trees. He simply stood up in nonchalant Bubba fashion, saw his shot shape as defined by the gallery positioned on both sides back to the fairway, then slung-hooked a gap wedge with 40 yards of curve to within 15 feet, solidifying the green jacket and his first major championship. Here are a few thoughts from Bubba when he really needs to hook the ball.
  
1.Swing in to out and really focus on forearm rotation. Bubba wants his hands and forearms fast through impact, and as a lefty, he really focuses on whipping his left forearm over his right.

2. Try to start the ball well left (again, he's a lefty) of the target. He knows the farther he can get the ball started away from his target, the easier it is to bend it back.

Here are four more ideas to consider when trying to hit a big draw...

1. Analyze your lie.
What made Bubba's shot even more impressive is that his ball was lying on pine straw. The more interference you have between the ball and the clubface, the more difficult it is to predict the amount the ball will curve. This "buffer," be it pine straw, rough, or anything else, prevents the grooves of the club from making flush contact with the ball, thus making the flight more difficult to control. If you find yourself needing to hit a big curve and your ball is sitting in this situation, the sound advice would be to simply punch out back to the fairway. That is, of course, unless you can bend it like Bubba.

2. Your hands and arms must "win the race."
A passive body is essential to hit a big hook. Focusing on slowing your hip and torso rotation through impact will cause your hands and arms to "pass" your body, allowing the clubface to close. When Bubba is hooking it the most, you'll notice his body is quiet and has not fully rotated.

3. " Speed equals curve."
You can't get a golf ball to curve significantly by swinging slowly. The ball simply will not react enough to the impact conditions, especially with today's balls


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How She Missed That, and How You Can Make Short Putts

Monday, April 2, 2012 Comments
Editor's Note: Every Monday Kevin Hinton, Director of Instruction at Piping Rock Club in Locust Valley, N.Y. and one of Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers, tells you how a tour player hits a key shot. This week Kevin laments how I.K. Kim inexplicably missed a one-foot par putt on the 18th hole that would have won the Kraft Nabisco Championship on Sunday at Mission Hills (see video below). It would have been her first major victory. She lost in a playoff to Sun Young Yoo, who sank an 18-footer for birdie on the first extra hole. Every golfer can relate to the pressure of having to make a short putt, even one that's only 12 inches long. We've all been there. The important thing for Kim is to figure out a way to put it behind her. Clearly, she has immense talent, and because of her attitude and the way she handled herself (see second video at the end of this post), I predict she'll win tournaments in the future. Here, Kevin gives you five keys to making the short ones under pressure.

Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman



By Kevin Hinton
1. Routine...Routine...Routine
Tour players spend a lot of time practicing their pre-shot routines for exact situations like this. Some even time their routines with a stopwatch and practice maintaining that timing. While the time they spend analyzing a particular shot may vary, when they actually "walk" into the ball, it takes about the same amount of time for them to execute the shot. Average golfers tend to (1) not have a routine at all, or (2) change the timing of it depending on the importance of the situation. People often speed up or slow down considerably when encountering a crucial shot...most slow down. Having said this...I.K. Kim seemed to do everything right, she just missed.

2. The "Anti-Routine" Method
While sticking with your routine is certainly the first course of action, I'd suggest on short putts in crucial situations, some people just get too nervous and can't execute. If you're one of those golfers, try the "Anti-Routine" method. Next time you have a tap-in or short putt that matters, try stepping right up to the putt and casually knocking it in before you have time to think. Think of all the times you've made putts that didn't matter by quickly using one hand, scraping it back to the hole, or taking an odd stance trying to avoid someone's line. It often seems like we never miss this way. Maybe even try something extreme like using a different grip or talking out loud as you tap it in....these are all mental fixes to trick your brain. If you are taking a lackadaisical approach, maybe you'll relax and forget about the putt's importance. The more you struggle with these short putts, the more extreme your solution will likely have to be. For example, Johnny Miller often said he looked at the hole while he putted; others claim to shut their eyes just before taking the putter back; others advocate looking at the grip of the putter as you make your stroke. Experiment to see what works for you.

3. Pure Repetition
Golfers rarely practice putts under three feet because by nature they are easy...that is of course until the brain kicks in. Do the "100 ball drill" at least a few times a season. Randomly place balls of varying distances under three feet, ranging from tap-ins to three-footers. Do the drills in groups of 10. You'll notice by the end of the drill, you likely have barely missed. Then, actually count out 100 balls and subtract the few that you might have missed. Put them in two piles and let that sink in for a while. The mental image should register that the chances of missing one of these putts is statistically quite low. Next time you have a short putt that matters, picture this image, Remind yourself how silly it is to get nervous over a putt that you can make in your sleep, Then step up and knock it in.

4. "Aim Small Miss Small"
This is a quote from the movie "The Patriot" in reference to shooting a gun accurately. I love it for golf. The idea is, big targets lead to big misses, while
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How He Made That: Tiger squares his shoulders and sinks more putts

Monday, March 26, 2012 Comments
Editor's Note: Every Monday Kevin Hinton, Director of Instruction at Piping Rock Club in Locust Valley, N.Y. and one of Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers, tells you how a tour player hits a key shot. This week Kevin notes that Tiger Woods made six important putts of four feet and longer in the final round on his way to winning his seventh Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill. Hinton examines the putting setup changes Woods made last week with his teacher Sean Foley, and explains the importance of starting with your shoulders aligned correctly.

Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman

Here's Kevin: Tiger can thank his improved putting as a key to his win at Bay Hill, and potentially a springboard to more victories in 2012. In the final round alone, he made putts of 14 feet on No. 4, four feet on 8, seven feet on 11, eight feet on 14, 12 feet on 15 and four feet, seven inches on 17. As simple as Sean's tweak to Tiger's setup was, having your shoulder's square at address can be quite important. If we watch golf on TV for one afternoon, it isn't difficult to see how many different putting styles can get the job done. (Take a look here at the winning putting styles of 2011.) Most good putters on tour try to set up with their shoulders square at address. Here are few thoughts on putting alignment:

Everything square isn't a must
There are many great putters who set up up with their feet open at address. Brad Faxon is a prime example. There are fewer players who set up closed to their target line (pointed to the right for a right-handed golfer). South African Bobby Locke is the first player most instructors think of. Locke would aim to the right, and pull-hook his putts back on line. While it certainly worked for Locke, being closed at address is typically a tougher way to putt. Check the video below from 2010. While Tiger practices his one-handed drill with the putterhead between two tees, note his shoulders seem slightly open at address. Also, the putts he misses miss to the left. Also note that, until this past week, he hasn't putted consistently well since he won the BMW in 2009.

 
Shoulders trump feet
The shoulders have a far greater effect on your putting stroke than your feet do. Even on Tiger's drill in the video, some of the putts he hits are with his feet aligned well left. Shoulder alignment, however, affects the forearms, and forearm alignment greatly influences the path your putter will take. Open shoulders will lead to more of a "slice" stroke, while closed shoulders typically cause the putter to track too far to the inside in the backstroke, leading to pushes and a "hook" stroke. For a quick check-up, simply set up to a ball in front of a mirror, as if you're putting directly toward the mirror. Without changing your posture, swivel your head toward the mirror to check your shoulder alignment. If your shoulders are square and your forearms aligned, you'll only see one arm (your lead arm).

Use your full swing as a clue to fix your putting
There are few absolutes in golf, but I often see the same patterns throughout a player's game. If you tend to set up open at address to your driver, slice your fairway woods and take the club too far to the outside on your pitch shots, it's unlikely you'd have a "hook" putting stroke. In watching Tiger's pre-shot routine on full swings, he makes many rehearsals that exaggerate a cut. He and Foley have worked hard on avoiding hooking the ball, and the outside-in practice swings Tiger makes are evidence of that. Maybe all the "anti-left" practice Tiger has been doing crept it's way into his putting setup. But it sure seems that Foley has Tiger "squared" up for now.
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How He Hit That: Nail your irons the Luke Donald way

Tuesday, March 20, 2012 Comments
Editor's Note: Every Monday Kevin Hinton, Director of Instruction at Piping Rock Club in Locust Valley, N.Y. and one of Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers, tells you how a tour player hits a key shot. This week Kevin examines the pinpoint iron play of new World No. 1 Luke Donald, who flushed a 7-iron from the rough to six feet to win a four-man playoff at the Transitions Championship at Innisbrook. Here, Kevin explains how Donald hits those great iron shots, and how you can, too.

Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman

Here's Kevin: Perfect balance, effortless power, consistently rhythmic tempo. . . . Luke Donald makes the golf swing look far easier than it really is.
   Besides being the best putter in the world in 2011, Luke can thank his remarkable iron play as one of the many reasons he has recaptured the world's No. 1 ranking. He continued the trend this weekend with a sharply played 7-iron that secured the victory.
   Here are a few things we can all learn from Luke Donald:

1. Have one swing thought and make it a simple one. For Luke, it's often "Hold your finish on every swing...all day"

2. Maintain your spine tilt. For more details, and a look at Donald's iron swing in sequence photos, click on the link here. 

3. "Seal the Deal." Luke has always been a closer. While Luke was at Northwestern, I saw him up close many times while I was playing for Michigan. His rhythm never changed, and I never saw him give away a tournament....some guys just know to finish.


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How He Hit That: Imitate Rory in the bunkers

Monday, March 5, 2012 Comments
Editor's Note: Every Monday Kevin Hinton, Director of Instruction at Piping Rock Club in Locust Valley, N.Y. and one of Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers, tells you how a tour player hits a key shot. This week Kevin focuses on the immaculate bunker play of Rory McIlroy, who won the Honda Classic while withstanding a tremendous final-round 62 by Tiger Woods. Rory got up and down from greenside bunkers 77 percent of the time for the tournament to win by two strokes. It helps to have your own backyard bunkers (click on the video link at the end to see Rory's free-flowing bunker swing). 

Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman

Here's Kevin: When you think of Rory's game, most people's first image is his fearless, free-flowing swing. While as beautiful and technically sound as it is, Rory has his short game to thank this week for his win at the Honda Classic and his new No. 1 ranking. Rory's ball-striking was actually quite mortal this week, hitting only 11 of 18 greens in regulation in the final round, and nine of 14 fairways. The often-maligned ball-striking of Tiger Woods out-matched Rory for the week, as Tiger hit more fairways and greens, as well as an impressive 14 greens in the final round. Tiger even led the field in total driving, something he's done only once (the 2009 BMW) since 2000. However, as often is the case in golf, the player who masters the wedge and putter normally comes out on top. Rory led the entire field in Scrambling Percentage and was an impressive 7 for 9 in bunker saves. This week we will look at Rory's bunker basics. I have a pretty good feeling it won't be the last time this season we get to analyze an aspect of Rory's short game that was a key to victory . . . and here's a hint: Think Georgia in April!

Rory's naturally long, rhythmic backswing is one key to his excellent bunker play. This is a great thing for the amateur player to copy. While the size of your swing varies based on the distance of the shot (especially your finish), nothing good comes from a short backswing in the bunker. One absolute in golf is that small backswings produce low shots. You simple can't produce the speed required to get the ball high into the air with a short backswing. With golf courses being designed and renovated with deeper and more penal bunkering, being able to hit a lofted bunker shot is crucial. The only way to produce height in golf is speed. Short, timid backswings don't cut it in the bunker. That's lesson No. 1 we can learn from Rory, and he demonstrates it in the video at the end of this post.
  
Here are the other keys to being a good bunker player:

1. Ball Position: Somewhere in front of middle is the basic rule. The higher you want to hit it, the farther forward you should play the ball

2. Stance Width: Here is another solid statement: Narrow stances produce low shots. At address, place your feet at least at shoulder width. If you really need to hit it high, stand farther from the ball, get even wider and lower yourself. Tom Gillis took this exact stance from the greenside bunker on No. 12 Sunday. He hit a beautiful high-spinning shot to tap-in distance that helped secure a tie-for-second finish. I hope you saw it!

3. Set the clubface open at address. The degree to which you do this should vary on the length of the shot and the sand conditions. Open the face on shorter shots when height is essential. Keep it more square on longer shots. Open the face in softer sand conditions to use more of the bounce of the club. Keep the face fairly square in firmer sand conditions, or when there isn't much sand in the bunker. Remember, opening the face adds bounce, turning the club into more of a skimmer and less of a digger.

4. A normal swing is preferred. If you're enrolled in Bunkers 101, simply make your normal swing, aim two to four inches behind the ball and be sure to get the Read more
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How He Hit That: How Mahan recovered from a s_ _ _ _

Monday, February 27, 2012 Comments
Editor's Note: Every Monday Kevin Hinton, Director of Instruction at Piping Rock Club in Locust Valley, N.Y. and one of Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers, tells you how a tour player hits a key shot. This week's entry is not what you'd expect. Hinton looks at the shanked wedge shot Hunter Mahan hit in his semifinal match versus Mark Wilson in the Accenture World Match Play Championship, at Dove Mountain, near Tucson. Yes, like average golfers, even tour players hit the dreaded ho-zell when they least expect it. But unlike with average golfers, Mahan's shank (dare we say the word?) did not lead to more shanks. He recovered with a superb pitch to three feet on his next shot, went on to defeat Wilson, and then tamed Rory McIlroy, 2&1, in that afternoon's final. Kevin gives you some quick advice for the next time you get the shanks. And if these tips don't work, click on the second video. 

Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman

Here's Kevin: Definition of a shank: A mentally debilitating shot in golf in which a player makes contact on the hosel of the club, causing the ball to shoot viciously sideways and potentially bring oneself to the brink of tears. Blame is typically cast upon a wide range of sources . . . normally including the caddie, swing coach, boss, or often a higher power.

Here's a case where you need to watch the video before reading my comments. Pay special attention to the slow-motion replay of Hunter's downswing on this approach shot:



Now, here are my five keys to stop the shanks:
I typically see only a handful of reasons a golfer is shanking. If you do tend to hit the occasional "hosel rocket," check these common causes and fixes.

1. Not enough distance from the ball. Many golfers simply stand too close to the ball at address. If you start shanking, the first thing you should do is try backing up and playing the ball more toward the toe of the club.

2. Severely inside-to-out swing path. An excessive inside-out path can definitely lead to shanks. This is typically how a better player would shank it (though in Hunter's case in the video, see No. 3 below). If your normal ball flight is a draw, and it often turns into a push-hook, then this applies to you. A simple fix is to go to the range and practice fading the ball. By doing this, you'll greatly reduce your chances of shanking. You'll also make your swing more neutral, allowing for straighter shots.

3. Severely outside-to-in swing path. This is how a "slicer" would shank the ball, and it's actually why Hunter shanked in the World Match Play--strangely, his path was too severely outside in. He clearly corrected his path on the very next pitch shot, and played brilliantly the rest of the day. He knew enough to trust his swing, and made sure he kept his arms and shoulders relaxed on his downswing, promoting a more inside path into the ball. While many slicers typically hit their shots off the toe, if your arms get disconnected enough in the downswing, it can definitely lead to heel contact. Your fix is to learn to draw the ball. If you learn to hook it, you'll likely shank far less often.

4. Too much weight on your toes. If you set up up with too much weight on your toes at address, or move in toward the ball in your backswing, you can definitely shank the ball. Try to feel your weight more in the center of your feet, and err with your weight toward your heels.

5. Excessively open clubface at impact. Finally, if you've tried all of the above and you are still shanking, the cause can be as simple as leaving the clubface severely open through impact. Think of a race to impact between the toe of the club and the heel. Try to get the toe to win. Worse case, you hit a few hooks, but that's far better than shanking. If all else fails . . . it's much harder to shank a tennis ball!

And if you don't like tennis, take a tip from Tin Cup's caddie, Romeo (Cheech Marin):

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How She Hit That: Yani Tseng's controlled-spin wedge

Monday, February 20, 2012 Comments

blog_tseng_0220.jpgEditor's Note: Every Monday Kevin Hinton, Director of Instruction at Piping Rock Club in Locust Valley, N.Y. and one of Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers, tells you how a tour player hits a great shot.

This week, Hinton looks at Yani Tseng's terrific wedge shot from 104 yards on the final hole to clinch victory at the LPGA Thailand Open for her first win of the season. Hinton tells how you can improve your wedge play as well. 

Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman

Here's Kevin: Yani Tseng's wedge to tap-in distance secured a one-shot victory and her first win of the season. Tseng won 11 times in 2011 and securely holds the No. 1 ranking in the world. Her wedge play and how she controls the spin is one reason why.

Tseng said she attempted to limit how much spin she put on the wedge shot. She controlled her distance beautifully, something Kyle Stanley could have used a few weeks ago at Torrey Pines (video) after spinning the ball back into the water on the 18th hole, leading to a triple-bogey 8 and eventually a playoff loss to Brandt Snedeker. Stanley won the following week, crediting his better wedge control as one of his keys to victory.

There are few things the average player enjoys more than watching the ball dance with backspin . . . it has always been quite the love affair.

As you improve and the novelty quickly wears off, however, you soon realize there can definitely be too much of a good thing. Excessive spin becomes a bit of nuisance, and often hinders the ability to control your distance on wedge shots. Here are a few tips to 

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How He Hit That: Phil's monster putts

Sunday, February 12, 2012 Comments
Editor's Note: Every Monday Kevin Hinton, Director of Instruction at Piping Rock Club in Locust Valley, N.Y. and one of Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers, tells you how a tour player hits a great shot. This week, Hinton examines the monster par putts--and general putting brilliance--of Phil Mickelson at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, which he won in impressive fashion, taming a frustrated Tiger in the process. Hinton tells how you can improve your putting as well. 

Roger Schiffman
Managing Editor
Golf Digest
Twitter @RogerSchiffman

Here's Kevin: The story on Sunday at Pebble Beach was all about putting. Phil Mickelson had 10 one-putts enroute to a bogey-free final-round 64, claiming a two-shot victory over Charlie Wi and his fourth title at Pebble. This is the fifth-straight time Mickelson has bested Woods when they were paired together in the final round, beating Tiger by 11 shots on Sunday after starting two strokes behind him. Tiger missed five putts inside five feet on Sunday. Mickelson made two clutch back-nine par saves of more than 30 feet, as well as capitalizing for six birdies and an eagle after a round of stellar iron play. The putter also did-in third round leader Charlie Wi, who four-putted the first hole and missed a three-footer for par on the 14th. Let's take a closer look at the video of Mickelson's masterful stroke.



Mickelson has always been known as a short-game wizard, but his putting hasn't always been reliable under pressure. Last year on tour, Phil finished a woeful 134th in the statistical putting category of strokes gained. This stat is considered the most accurate measurement of a player's putting abilities. Phil also three-putted at an alarming rate for a player of his ability, finishing 147th in the stat of three-putt avoidance. So what has changed? Not necessarily a ton, but it often doesn't take much to turn things around on the greens. Small technique changes...better mental focus and belief in yourself. No doubt he wanted to beat Tiger Sunday on a huge stage and even said Tiger now brings out the best in his game.
   
The big news of 2011 for Phil was his experimentation with the belly putter. It didn't stay in his bag for long. There are many players, however, who practice with one, but never use it in competition. It's a great practice tool and I highly recommend getting one, even if it never makes it's way onto the golf course. The belly putter teaches a player the proper pendulum motion, ensuring a slight arcing stroke and an unrestricted release of the putterhead through impact. 

Phil also visited putting guru Dave Stockton, who wants you to keep the back of the lead hand moving toward the target (see Mickelson video above). Stockton's main philosophy, however, focuses on routine and encouraging a very non-technical approach. Phil worked with the belly putter because it made
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