Trust Your Line – Don’t Lose Conviction On The Greens

At the RBC Heritage Classic, Matthew Fitzpatrick walked away with the patented plaid jacket after outlasting runner-up Jordan Spieth in a playoff that could’ve gone either way.

Before Fitzpatrick stuffed his approach to within eight inches of the cup on the last playoff hole, Spieth had two birdie chances to get the better of Fitzpatrick on the previous two playoff holes that both went awry.

On both birdie putts, Jordan’s ball barely missed the cup after sliding past the hole on the low side. The first putt looked good nearly the entire way until it took a late left-to-right break and caught a lot of the hole before finishing on the opposite side of the cup.

BRUTAL.@JordanSpieth had this putt to win.

Spieth and Fitzpatrick will play on @RBC_Heritage. pic.twitter.com/tAD8FVQhNk

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 16, 2023

The next putt, which was also hit at a dying-speed pace, also missed on the right side after taking a late left-to-right break. Spieth’s reaction of pure agony to both putts made it appear as if he believed, or wanted us to believe, that he hit perfect putts. Had Spieth hit the first of his pair of relatively straight putts with more pace or firmer, the tournament would’ve been over.

In failing to learn from his mistake after the first miss, the tournament was once again up for grabs when Spieth wasn’t aggressive enough on the very next playoff hole’s putting surface. Hitting putts with dying speed can be a beautiful thing when your line is perfect.

When your line isn’t as spot-on as your dying pace is, however, your moving ball makes its way towards the hole in a fashion where its final destination falls to the mercy of the green’s natural contours. In other words, Spieth should’ve hit both putts on the same line with more pace.

Andy Vermaut shares:Jordan Spieth’s putter betrays him as Matt Fitzpatrick wins RBC Heritage in playoff: Jordan Spieth had two chances to win the RBC Heritage on Sunday, but the… https://t.co/fFwMS7RR2F Thank you. #ThankYouJournalistsForTheNewsWeGetFromYou #AndyVermautThanksYou pic.twitter.com/z1AT8w6fAy

— Andy Vermaut (@AndyVermaut) April 17, 2023

The second in the pair of misses would’ve never happened had he hit the first with more conviction.

Knocking mid-range putts to a safe distance past the hole is often an indication that a player is putting well and/or confident in his stroke. In knocking the ball past the cup, you’re showing confidence in your ability to make the first putt as well as the comebacker.

Especially at the playoff stage of a tournament, those 2, 3, and 4 footers to save par are often referred to as “testers” or “character builders.” Over the years, Jordan has always been an exceptional mid-to-longer range putter.

Inside five-six feet, on the other hand, he’s had his fair share of struggles. Although the TV commentary crew failed to mention Spieth’s inability to hit both birdie putts in the playoff hard enough during this week’s RBC Heritage at Harbour Town, it was clear and obvious to all viewers that both putts could’ve and should’ve been hit at least a foot or two harder.

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Truly great short-distance putters don’t sweat over the two-and-a-half-foot comebackers they’re faced with when they do miss their initial putts. While golfers don’t want to leave themselves too many short comebackers, do yourself a favor by hitting those make-able mid-range putts with a firmer pace than Spieth did in his efforts which ultimately culminated in a gut-wrenching defeat to the defending US Open champ.

I’m not saying that you should hit every single makeable 10-20 footer with a convincing pace that often leaves stressful 5-6 footers coming back in order to save par. I am saying, however, that you should strike the ball with enough pace so that it will settle within two feet past the cup if you feel confident in your intended line on a relatively straight, flat (make-able) mid-range putt.

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In other words, strike your putt with authority and trust your line. Intending on a firmer pace promotes a more confident stroke and a truer roll. If you’re standing over a big must-make putt under pressure, sometimes it’s best to favor a slightly more committed, firmer stroke/roll while also being sure to play less break (or the same break) than you typically would.

When your putt hits the back of the cup, you’ll be thankful that you didn’t overthink the break and you trusted your stroke by remaining aggressive during the stroke itself. In essence, opting to play less break or roll your putt on a start-line that’s more inside-the-hole is another tactic golfers should employ in order to simplify each’s pre-shot routine/process.

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While Tiger Woods is a different animal than us mere mortals, he certainly wasn’t going to allow his ball to fall victim to the break when he made an enormously clutch 12-footer and 7-footer on the 72nd hole in order to force playoffs at both the 2008 US Open and the 2000 PGA Championship, respectively.

When there’s no tomorrow, you might as well let it rip. At the end of the day, even the best-manicured putting surfaces on the greatest, best-conditioned golf courses in the entire world are imperfect. In order to ensure a truer roll, lighten your grip pressure and allow the weight of the putter head to swing down thru the golf ball in order to strike a firmer putt with more trust and commitment.

Unlike Tour players, your average amateur isn’t faced with near-perfect putting surfaces. In order to mitigate the impact of these bumps/imperfections inherent to many green’s surfaces, golfers should wisely play for the back of the cup (as opposed to the front of the cup) when it’s appropriate.

Cover Image Via Twitter