Gary Player may have recently turned 90, but he seemingly remains as determined as ever to ensure that as many amateurs as possible realise their potential on the golf course.
Those of us who are little more than a third of Gary Player’s age are regularly put to shame when it comes to how the South African lives his life.
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The nine-time major champion is almost certainly going to still be a ceremonial starter at The Masters when the likes of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy assume that responsibility in the distant future.
And Player clearly gets a huge amount from sharing his wisdom after arguably the greatest global career of all-time.
Gary Player suggests what would lead to a remarkable improvement in amateur golfers’ scores
Player has now taken to social media to discuss the importance of understanding green speeds.
Most amateur golfers will desperately study the break on a green, whether they are preparing to hit a putt or a chip.
But as Player said on Instagram, many are missing a trick not spending longer understanding just how quick the greens they are playing on are.
“Recognising green speeds isn’t just a technical detail, it’s the difference between saving par and surrendering strokes,” he wrote.
“It teaches discipline, touch and imagination, all of which are essential to scoring. If golfers spent as much time studying pace as they do line, they would see remarkable improvement in their short game.”
Brad Faxon’s advice on how to improve putting from distance
Distance control is obviously incredibly important, particularly on longer putts and those chip shots where there are no obstacles to clear.
Brad Faxon is widely considered to be arguably the better putter of his generation. He has certainly helped Rory McIlroy now become one of the best on the PGA Tour.
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And in a video on his own YouTube channel, he once explained how amateurs can become much more successful when putting from further away from the hole.
“Here’s a putt from 50 feet. I think a couple of good things you can do when you set-up besides the ball, when you’re taking your practice strokes, look at the hole and then make an exaggerated practice stroke,” he said.
“Looking at the hole and the practice stroke is long. I know you have to make a longer stroke on these long putts, but let it swing freely. Get some distance in that stroke, look at the hole while you do it. So when you get up to the ball, put your putter down, you look once, set up, you look twice, and then you go.”
It is interesting that Faxon did not mention the line in his advice. Obviously, it is important to have some ability to read the green and understand how the ball is likely to move once it gets going.
But clearly, both Player and Faxon recognise how crucial it is to gauge green speeds if those scores are going to come down.
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