Jordan Spieth Putting Drill
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In this exclusive video tip, Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Rick Shiels offers a Jordan Spieth Putting Drill to help you become more reactive over short putts
Jordan Spieth Putting Drill
It is hardly a secret that Jordan Spieth looks at the hole when putting from close range, but why does he take this unusual approach? The simple answer is to ensure he reverts to feel when under pressure. Spieth works tireless on his putting technique in practice. He diligently goes through his routine ingraining the keys to a rock solid game on the greens. But when competing for real, he doesn’t want to be distracted, thinking about technique. Spieth looks at the hole to become more reactive to the situation, relying on feel to make the putt.
This is a clever approach and has worked incredibly well for him. In practice, set up four balls in a line going progressively further away from the hole. Start at the nearest and hit each ball while looking at the hole. Crucially, I want you to do this quickly. Don’t think between putts, be as reactive as possible. Not only will this Jordan Spieth putting drill start to hone your feel for short putts but you’ll also get a much better appreciation of where on the face you are striking the ball.
Watch more putting tips videos
1 Think feel not technique
If you get bogged down thinking about technique at address, tension is likely to creep in and kill the flow of your stroke.
How Tour Players Practise Putting
2 The Drill
Pick a relatively straight putt, place the first ball 3ft from the cup and each of the other balls a further 3ft away. As the line of each putt is the same, you’ll develop a great feel for speed.
Watch more short putting drills
3 Flowing Stroke
By becoming more reactive, your stroke is likely to develop a better flow with the putter, releasing after impact and delivering a stronger roll.
In his current role, Neil is responsible for testing drivers and golf balls. Having been a part of the Golf Monthly team for over 15 years and playing off a handicap of 3, he has the experience to compare performance between models, brands and generations. For 2022 he thinks the main trend in drivers is: "In a word, consistency. Whilst all the brands are talking about ball speed (and the new drivers are certainly long), my biggest finding has been how much more consistent the ball flights are. Mishits don't seem to be causing the same level of drop-off or increase in the spin numbers. This means that more shots seem to be flying the way you want them to!" As far as golf balls are concerned the biggest development is in the, "three piece, non-Tour, urethane-covered section. For regular golfers, these models offer superb performance at both ends of the bag without denting your wallet quite as much as the premium Tour-played options."
Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he is now the brand's Digital Editor and covers everything from Tour player interviews to gear reviews. In his time at Golf Monthly, he has covered equipment launches that date back well over a decade. He clearly remembers the launch of the Callaway and Nike square drivers as well as the white TaylorMade driver families, such as the RocketBallz! If you take a look at the Golf Monthly YouTube channel, you'll see his equipment videos dating back over a decade! He has also conducted 'What's In The Bag' interviews with many of the game's best players like Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm. Over the years, Neil has tested a vast array of products in each category and at drastically different price-points.
Neil is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus Fairway Wood: Titleist TSR2 Hybrid: Titleist TS3 Irons (4-9): Mizuno JPX 919 Forged Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 46˚, 50˚, 54˚, 60˚ Putter: Odyssey Triple Track Ten Ball: Titleist Pro V1X
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