Matsuyama's Mind-Boggling Putting Drill Divides Opinion Among Golf Fans

Golf fans could not take their eyes off the putting green at the WGC-Match Play as Hideki Matsuyama showcased the most elaborate putting drill we’ve seen in a long time.

In what looked more like a science experiment than a putting drill, Matsuyama had tee pegs everywhere, an aiming device and then the cherry on top – balancing a coin on top of his putter blade.

PGA Tour pros will go to extraordinary lengths to hone their craft, but even among the extremes this one looked a little over the top.

Most things are done with technology, electronic devices and computers these days, such as trackman, but this was a little more old school with the coin being used.

It paid off for the 2021 Masters champion as he went on to beat Match Play specialist Kevin Kisner 1up in his opening match of the tournament.

Nevertheless, his putting warm-up naturally enough drew plenty of reaction among golf fans watching in – both good and bad.

“This is absurd,” wrote one fan on Twitter, with another adding “this looks incredibly frustrating” and a third brand it as a “ridiculous waste of time” with many calling it overkill.

Plenty of fans sarcastically tagged in Will Zalatoris and said he should try out some of Matsuyama’s drills – given how the American took plenty of criticism for yet more short putting woes in Austin.

It’s the attention to detail, to those small margins that can often be the difference between success and failure in these big golf tournaments, that some people admire so much.

Some, though, believe that going into detail too much causes more harm than good – especially with the putter.

One Twitter user wrote: “Does it ever occur to them that going into that much analysis of it causes more problems?? Keep it simple, ‘back and through’”.

There’s obviously method in Matsuyama’s warm-up and even if it’s just to give him confidence in his putting stroke, every little advantage golfers can gain is worthwhile – and we know that they’ll try anything to get that advantage.