Matt Fitzpatrick’s coach Mark Blackburn has warned amateur golfers against trying to chip from tight lies, insisting that they would often be better off using the putter.
Nearly every amateur golfer knows the feeling of hitting a shot that an elite professional would be content with. It is those fleeting moments of sheer brilliance which hook all of us.
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The problem is that those shots can sometimes create false expectations. It always seems to be the way that the rounds where amateurs strike the ball the best are the ones immediately followed by the same player spending four hours desperately trying to find the middle of the club face.
Mark Blackburn says what amateurs should never try and copy from PGA Tour players
Every amateur knows that playing within their limits should lead to lower scores. But that is often easier said than done, particularly when the best on the PGA Tour make everything look so simple.
And speaking in a video for Golf Digest, Blackburn was asked what amateurs will see during events at the highest level that they should never try and copy.
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“You see tour players playing from hazards a lot. They’ll probably play a ball from the water or slightly submerged. They’re super talented. Not sure I would do that,” he said.
Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images
“I’d also be very wary of trying to chip off of some really, really tight lies. High, floaty shots that you see elite tour players hit those shots. I’d be deferring to some type of bump shots where you can hit it. You can putt it, Texas wedge. I think those things, the best players make very complicated shots look very easy.
“Good golf is all about mitigating risk. Don’t try those shots. Try and take a simple strategy, give yourself a chance to maybe putt for par or bogey, eliminate those big numbers.”
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Blackburn was also asked what the worst piece of advice amateurs generally believe is.
“It’s probably one of two: keep your head down or swing slowly,” he said.
The Mount Rushmore of golf swings
There have always been quirky golf swings on the PGA Tour. However, it is probably fair to say that the advancement in technology has opened the door for a wider array of actions.
Scottie Scheffler is never going to be included in a textbook describing the most aesthetically pleasing golf swings, but he is definitely on course to be remembered as one of the greatest golfers of all time.
So it is interesting to hear Blackburn’s perspective on the golf swings that would be included on his Mount Rushmore.
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“Tiger Woods 2000, Ben Hogan, those two for sure would be on there. Then I think there’s a lot of golf swings, like Lee Trevino would probably be on there, because it’s a unique pattern but it was really, really effective,” he said.
“That’s the hard part for me. I’d put those three on there. There’s a lot of golf swings these days that are really good. I’d probably put those three on there. Bobby Jones’ was good, based on the tech he had as well. So I think it’s understanding and appreciating golf swings that produced a lot of success. Probably Jack Nicklaus too, because he was such a good player, very powerful, more upright golf swing. I think Scottie Scheffler’s now has a great looking golf swing.
“I’d probably go, my three for sure would be Hogan, Woods, Trevino.”
It is fascinating to hear Scheffler’s swing receive that sort of praise. That just shows how important club face control is in the eyes of most coaches.
And right now, there is no one who can rival the world number one in that area of the game.
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