(Russ Glasson/Flickr)
See the guy above practicing his putting? That’s Mathias Gronberg, European and PGA Tour professional.
After the season’s final official money tournament on the PGA Tour, Gronberg slipped into the No. 125 spot on the money list with $785,180. Which means he keeps his PGA Tour card. Which means he can enter PGA Tour events next season.
Yesterday Gronberg finished in a tie for 37th at the Children’s Miracle Network Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. “I did not play very well, but I managed to grind it out,” Gronberg said on his Web site.
All Gronberg’s time on the practice putting green evidently paid off.
Now, go practice your putting. I’ll practice mine, too. (As soon as I find a new putter I like.)
The Armchair Golfer
The problem that most amateurs run into is that the practice greens and the actual greens are nothing alike. You can practice putt until you’re blue in the face but if it doesn’t help you on the course, you’re wasting your time. Pro’s seldom run into this problem, but amateurs certainly do.
lancer:
I agree with you that it’s frustrating to have the practice greens at different speeds than the course. I’m reminded of a story about Gary Player. I think this came out of Golf is not a game of perfect:
Gary Player said once during a tournament on slow greens how he just loved slow, Bermuda grass greens. The next week the tournament was on incredibly fast greens and he once again said how he just loved fast Bent Grass greens. When another player confronted him about the apparent contradictory statements, Gary Player responded he loved whatever greens he had to play on in any given week.
The moral of that story for me is that’s something out of our control, so I focus on grip, alignment, technique and for me specifically, a forward press (that is a personal putting technique that helps me a lot).
I then try to putt a lot of 40 footers just to work on touch. The greens won’t be that much different for putts of that distance. It helps me take my mind off the difference and helps keep me positive.
@lancer,
I don’t know where you play, but on most courses I’ve played, the practice / actual greens are usually fairly similar.
A bigger problem, that you’ve alluded to, is that most golfers never practice their putting other than a few minutes just before their round.
Mike
greenposse.com
I hear you, Lancer. But we still need to practice to get better. Even on erratic greens. I’m not one to talk, though. I’ve played very little in the last two months.
TIGER vs. ROGER – Imagine Tiger wining 4 U.S. Opens in a row. Also imagine in the same year he wins the British Open for the 5th year in a row. AWESOME RIGHT? Now imagine he done this at age 26. UNBELEIVABLE? In 2007 Roger won the U.S. Open for the 4th year in a row. Also, in 2007 he won WIMBLEDON for the 5the consecutive year in a row. And Golfers thought Tiger was dominant on grass? Moreover Roger is only 26. In 2007 Tiger won 1 major. Roger won 3 out of 4 majors and made it to the finals of the 4th. Any questions on who is more domininat in their sport RIGHT NOW? and he is only 26.
Oh, goodie. The Roger vs. Tiger idiot is spam commenting here now.
dear Roger vs Tiger, 3 things… 1) who cares? 2) that is something that a professional couch sitter would say, and 3) what has that got to do with putting anyway?