19th Hole

Putting guru Brad Faxon shares the secret that every great putter has in common

Published

3 years ago

Nov 16, 2021

If there is one thing that annoys us golf watchers, it’s the time taken by many of the new brigade over their putts.

From this hand, setting the other, a check to see where the top hand is, placing and re-placing the ball, a shuffle of feet, another look, lock your legs, don’t move, a set and finally, a putt! It’s all very annoying to watch, and it must be infuriating for players that think so much about what is a fairly simple ‘feel’ part of the game.

Related: Brad Faxon reveals his top 10 putters of all time (with one staggering inclusion)

Brad Faxon, renowned as a legend of the short stick, recently posted on Instagram and followed up by chatting freely about the ‘secret’ that led to eight PGA tour wins.

In the video which you can watch below, the 60-year-old putting advisor to many of the top stars says very simply, “every great putter always says they were comfortable at address”. Indeed, “what I don’t like is a rigid back, everything engaged, arms tight, bent over,” he says. “That doesn’t look like you can practice for very long.”

For the golf pundit, it certainly appears that many of the top tee-to-green players have an issue where it counts, and as they progress, the “process” gets longer and a lot stiffer.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Brad Faxon (@bfaxon)

Going back to May 2019, Faxon told Golfweek that, “I sat down with Rory going through his Players Championship win. A year ago when we met he told me that he’s never thought about a thing when he’s hitting his driver. He just gets up and swings. I said, ‘Would you be OK if that’s how you feel with your putter?’ He said, ‘Yes!’ He had been filled with technical thoughts. At the Players he made that putt on 15 to take the lead. I asked him what he was thinking about, and he looked at me as though that was a dumb question. He goes, ‘Nothing.’ I go, ‘OK, we are where we wanted to be.'”

He very well could have concluded his recent Instagram with, “That’s good posture. Being relaxed.”

A lesson for golf. And perhaps life. Who’s going to argue with the Fax?

Butch Harmon reveals what he worked on with Rory McIlroy during visit earlier this year

Published

2 days ago

May 16, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

While speaking on the “Son of a Butch” Podcast, legendary swing coach Butch Harmon revealed what he worked on with Rory McIlroy when the four-time major champion went to visit him after the Players Championship this season.

Butch Harmon on what he worked on with Rory:

“The work I did with him wasn’t a tremendous amount of changing what he did, it was his attitude and the way he played certain shots. From 150 yards and in he made a full swing like he was hitting a driver and I wanted him to make…

— Matt Vincenzi (@MattVincenziPGA) May 15, 2024

“The work I did with him wasn’t a tremendous amount of changing what he did, it was his attitude and the way he played certain shots. From 150 yards and in he made a full swing like he was hitting a driver and I wanted him to make more 3 quarter swings and chop the follow through off a little. He’s a very high ball hitter, but with short irons high balls aren’t good, it’s hard to control, we wanted to bring the ball flight down.”

The work certainly seemed to help McIlroy, as he went on to win the Zurich Classic alongside Shane Lowry and the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow in back-to-back starts.

Rory will now tee it up at Valhalla for the PGA Championship, which is the site of his most recent major victory in 2014.

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19th Hole

Brandel Chamblee says this technological development was key to Phil Mickelson winning major championships

Published

2 days ago

May 16, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

While speaking with GolfWRX, Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee shared that he believes the solid core golf ball helped Phil Mickelson win major championships.

“One of the consequences of the solid core golf ball coming around was it put the straightest of hitters in the rough.

“Phil started winning majors in 2004, I don’t think that’s any coincidence. I think he started winning majors after the solid core golf ball came along and put everybody in the rough.

“And so [Phil] is like ‘I got you in the rough, I’m going to kick your a**. This is my game. I’ve been in the rough my whole career. I can go over trees, through trees, around trees.’

“Because he’s got that amazing creativity and Phil is an underrated iron player, phenomenal iron player. Great, great great out of the trouble. If you put the top-40 players on a list and ranked them in terms of accuracy, he would be 40th.

“So, I think that was one of the consequences of the solid core golf balls was it allowed Phil to win major championships.”

Mickelson went on to win the Masters in 2004 as well as five additional majors from 2004-2021 including three total Masters, two PGA Championships, and an Open Championship.

Check out the full interview with Chamblee below:

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19th Hole

Former Augusta National employee pleads guilty to transporting stolen Masters memorabilia; Arnold Palmer’s green jacket among stolen items

Published

2 days ago

May 16, 2024

Matt Vincenzi

According to a report from the Chicago Tribune, a man was charged in Chicago with stealing millions of dollars’ worth of memorabilia from Augusta National last month.

The man, Robert Globensky, was charged with transporting the memorabilia across state lines.

The report states that between 2009 and 2022, Globensky allegedly transported “millions of dollars’ worth of Masters golf tournament merchandise and historical memorabilia” from Augusta National “and transported to Tampa, Florida, knowing the same had been stolen, converted and taken by fraud.”

The document was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

Since then, more details have emerged about the case.

According to Darren Rovell of Cllct, one of the items that was stolen was Arnold Palmer’s green jacket.

The Chicago Tribune also reported that Globensky was able to steal the merchandise due to his role as a former warehouse coordinator at Augusta National who oversaw the Masters merchandise that was sold.

Rovell states that “A source with intimate knowledge of the case said an Augusta National member, who knew the jacket was missing, contacted a well-known collector who had gained a reputation for tracking down rare items. The member’s goal was to return the jacket to Augusta under the guise of purchasing it in a private sale.”

The plan worked, and the man agreed to sell the jacket for an agreed upon price of $3.6 million. After the sale was complete, the FBI swarmed the house of the thief.

Cllct also reported that Globensky pled guilty in a federal court in Chicago on Wednesday and now faces up to 10 years in prison.

The Chicago Tribune adds that Globensky’s plea deal includes an agreement to provide the government a cashier’s check for $1.5 million in the next few days.