In our last lesson, we talked about the importance of positioning our shots. Today, we’ll look at Faldo’s secret weapon when it comes to putting.
In 1989, Faldo won his first green jacket at Augusta. In 1990, he believed he could perform a miracle which—at that time—only Jack Nicklaus had done: win back-to-back Masters.
Faldo started the final round 3 strokes behind Raymond Floyd. Then he three-putted the first hole for a double-bogey.
Now he was 5 down.
But Faldo understood everything about his putting game. With that deep knowledge came confidence. Instead of doubting his putter, he trusted it—even after three-putting the first hole.
He fought his way into a sudden-death playoff… and won his second green jacket.
You might think only professionals have the talent to develop that kind of knowledge and confidence. Faldo disagrees. Thanks to modern technology, most of us can gain pro-level insights into how we putt and how we can improve.
“If you’re serious about playing better golf,” Faldo writes, “I urge you to go to a putting lab and have your technique analyzed.”
Putting labs are widely available, often at your local golf store. Faldo makes regular visits to keep himself in tune.
“I hit a few putts,” he says, “and an analysis of each of my strokes pops up on the computer.”
He gets immediate feedback on which stroke is the most effective—and where any problems might be hiding. For Faldo, many of his faults have to do with alignment. The technology shows him, with black and white clarity, what he has to do to make a better stroke.
Faldo says, “It may be as simple as adding half an inch to the shaft or adjusting the lie by a degree. These slight adjustments are worth the price of admission.”
Think about that. Every detail of your putting technique can be quickly analyzed and fine-tuned. Talk about putting the power of information at your fingertips.
The Chinese philosopher Confucius said, “The person who asks a question is a fool for a minute. The person who does not ask is a fool for life.”
Sounds like Confucius would have made a great golfer.
So take Faldo’s advice. Find a golf store where you can analyze your putting stroke. Get the knowledge you need to improve.
“And then,” Faldo says, “when you head out to the putting green, you’ll know with absolute certainty that you are aiming the putter correctly, starting the ball on your chosen line, and producing a pure roll.”
Knowledge is your secret weapon.
Thanks for listening. If you like what you hear, tell a friend. Imagine Golf is designed to help you improve your mental game in less than 5 minutes a day. Think better, play better.
That’s all for today. Until next time, keep imagining what’s possible.
