What I Personally Learned From Dave Stockton

Ever wonder what the world's #1 golfer, Rory McIlroy, thinks about when he's making clutch putts to win majors? MY CHICAGO GOLF was fortunate to learn first hand from his putting coach Dave Stockton at the 2015 PGA Demo Day in Orlando, FL.

Dave Stockton's Putting Tips:

1) Learn How to Fix Your Miss Pattern: If you tend to miss every putt to the left of the hole simply lift your hands at address to start the ball on line. This will help keep your lead hand solid through impact without having it break down which causes the pull. If you miss to the right of the hole, make sure the heel of the putter moves back first which prevents the putter from fanning open. It's that simple!

2) Listen For The Ball: On Short putts inside of 5 Feet, make a committed putting stroke and stay down through the shot until you hear the ball rattle in the hole. Most amateurs miss short putts because they want to look at the hole too soon and move their bodies prematurely which causes the ball to go off line.

3) Process and Spot: When Rory McIlroy is playing in pressure tournaments he is not focused on the outcome of his shots, but rather the process necessary for execution. He's developed a pre-putt routine that gets his mind so immersed on rolling the ball over a small target 1-inch in front of him, that all the pressure disappears. It's a productive way to distract the mind not only for putting but for full swings.

4) Swing The Putter: Many amateurs jab at the ball and have poor rhythm when putting. Instead Dave Stockton wants you to make a smooth stroke through the ball, almost has if the ball isn't even there. When using this strategy you must adjust the length of stroke for the length of putt. Make sure to swing the putter far enough back for longer putts to keep smooth rhythm.

PGA Tour Lesson: Jordan Speith's Tempo

There's no doubt the best golfer in the world the last two weeks (Dec. 2014) has been 21-year-old Jordan Speith with two blow out victories in a row. He won the Australian Open over Adam Scott with a final round 63 that Rory McIlroy claims he couldn't do in 100 tries, then wins Tiger Woods' tournament by 10! Click here for an article by Golf Digest describing Jordan's domination. 

So how does this seemingly average length player with a homemade swing get such amazing results? It's a combination of:

1. Being mentally focused for every shot
2. Having a consistent and repeatable swing
3. Having a quality short game that includes clutch putting

The one attribute that helps Jordan with each of these skills is his repeatable tempo. Here's video of him as a junior golfer:

Here's another video from Jordan's golf coach, Cameron McCormick, explaining other benefits of focusing on tempo.

Benefits of Focusing on Tempo

1. Helps you deal with pressure situations by distracting your mind with productive focus
2. Provides consistency with swing-speed for better distance control (this includes short game and putting)
3. Can also distract your mind from too many mechanical thoughts

If you're interested in improving your tempo check out Tempo In Motion. Practicing your tempo should be done routinely and is one of the best ways to have a quiet mind on the course.