Are there playing secrets on tour?

[Thrillhouse]

There are some secrets, though. Padraig figured out a loophole utilizing different grooves for different shots. It wasn't illegal, but it did give him an advantage that he did not want advertised to other players.

 

That the new groove rule doesn't apply to clubs with less than 25 degrees of loft? He wasn't even the only guy doing that, then again that was probably because most of them just liked their old long irons. I know he thought it was an advantage but I dunno who is zipping back 4 irons from the rough because they have deep grooves.

[larrybud]

I found this article that I was trying to remember. When Phil went to Butch, Butch supposedly gave him some inside tips on gamesmanship Tiger used to pull. Would love to know what these were!

 

http://www.travelgol..._allows_phil_mi

 

"In the past I haven't really played that well with Tiger," Mickelson told reporters in Boston in the middle of the tournament. "But Butch told me a couple things that (Tiger) likes to do and I kind of was watching for it and I chuckled throughout the round when I'd pick up on it.

 

A couple were to try to show up to the first tee after Tiger (Tiger was always the last of his pairing to show up) and to always try to putt out before Tiger (so fans aren't running around to the next tee while Phil was trying to putt).

 

What does a player trying to putt out first have to do with something *Tiger* did throughout the round?

[mjen43]

Nothing? What is it you are looking for exactly? Someone to tell you Tiger jiggles change in people's backswing? Butch's tips to Phil were just general pointers about the added stress factors one might encounter playing a round with Tiger.

 

http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2010/9/12/golf-digest-scooped-butchs-guide-to-tigers-gamesmanship-tech.html

 

Here's Butch himself telling the world what Tiger would do. It's not some big secret.

[bnb9433]

I once overheard a PGA Tour multiple major champion share a secret about driving the ball farther to his pro-am partners (I was caddying). It's a secret that I have used with great success over the years and it has never let me down- not once. I am now a single digit handicapper and while I won't say the secret is the reason I will say that I hit it farther.

 

The amateurs were bugging the Tour player for the inside scoop on how to hit the ball farther. The Tour player leaned in and said I only have one secret to hitting the ball farther but you can't share it with anyone. (You could tell by his voice he was dead serious and up until now I haven't shared this story).

 

His secret was a simple one but is guaranteed to work you can take that to the bank. He said the first thing you need to do is buy the longest golf tees that are legal. Then when you tee the ball up you lean the tee towards the target as far as you can without the ball falling off. He demonstrated. The players in the group and I were astonished with the simplicity of the secret and finally one of them broke the silence and asked, how much farther will we hit the ball. John Daly looked at them and said, about an inch.

 

I dare you to beat that true story. I just gave you the best secret in the golfing world---you are welcome!!!

 

lol... good one

[williamsnrb]

There are some secrets, though. Padraig figured out a loophole utilizing different grooves for different shots. It wasn't illegal, but it did give him an advantage that he did not want advertised to other players.

 

That the new groove rule doesn't apply to clubs with less than 25 degrees of loft? He wasn't even the only guy doing that, then again that was probably because most of them just liked their old long irons. I know he thought it was an advantage but I dunno who is zipping back 4 irons from the rough because they have deep grooves.

 

No, he had different grooves between irons throughout the set - like box grooves on a 7 iron and v-grooves on the 8 iron, etc. That way if he was in the rough, he hit the box grooves and from the fairway, he'd use an iron with v-grooves (depending on what the shoot called for). This gave him an advantage controlling spin where he could maximize his approach shots no matter the lie.

 

http://www.golfchannel.com/video/feherty-how-padraig-exploited-grooves/

[Mark_888]

Nothing? What is it you are looking for exactly? Someone to tell you Tiger jiggles change in people's backswing? Butch's tips to Phil were just general pointers about the added stress factors one might encounter playing a round with Tiger.

 

http://www.geoffshac...nship-tech.html

 

Here's Butch himself telling the world what Tiger would do. It's not some big secret.

 

That is all BS. Any player who hits a put and gets close to the hole is allowed to put out. It speeds up the game.

 

Another ridiculous claim is that Tiger disrupted his opponents by hitting a 3-wood on a driver hole. WTF? Tiger hit 3-wood because his driver was often out of control, and he could hit it as long as most others could hit their driver.

 

The other two claims by Butch Harmon are equally absurd.

[mjen43]

Nothing? What is it you are looking for exactly? Someone to tell you Tiger jiggles change in people's backswing? Butch's tips to Phil were just general pointers about the added stress factors one might encounter playing a round with Tiger.

 

http://www.geoffshac...nship-tech.html

 

Here's Butch himself telling the world what Tiger would do. It's not some big secret.

 

That is all BS. Any player who hits a put and gets close to the hole is allowed to put out. It speeds up the game.

 

Another ridiculous claim is that Tiger disrupted his opponents by hitting a 3-wood on a driver hole. WTF? Tiger hit 3-wood because his driver was often out of control, and he could hit it as long as most others could hit their driver.

 

The other two claims by Butch Harmon are equally absurd.

 

Yea I don't buy the 3 wood comment either but it seems reasonable to try putt out before Tiger so you can avoid all the extra commotion in the crowds. I recall someone (maybe Phil with Feherty?) verifying that they had a last to the first tee box showdown with Tiger and that Tiger pulled some kind of trick to win. Maybe someone else saw that and can verify?

[Andrew Bond of Glencoe]

I found this article that I was trying to remember. When Phil went to Butch, Butch supposedly gave him some inside tips on gamesmanship Tiger used to pull. Would love to know what these were!

 

http://www.travelgolf.com/blogs/chris.baldwin/2007/09/03/butch_harmon_s_tiger_tips_allows_phil_mi

 

“In the past I haven’t really played that well with Tiger,” Mickelson told reporters in Boston in the middle of the tournament. “But Butch told me a couple things that (Tiger) likes to do and I kind of was watching for it and I chuckled throughout the round when I’d pick up on it.

 

A couple were to try to show up to the first tee after Tiger (Tiger was always the last of his pairing to show up) and to always try to putt out before Tiger (so fans aren't running around to the next tee while Phil was trying to putt).

 

I think Phil putted first because Tiger was constantly hitting it inside his ball.

[djmohab2]

There are some secrets, though. Padraig figured out a loophole utilizing different grooves for different shots. It wasn't illegal, but it did give him an advantage that he did not want advertised to other players.

 

That the new groove rule doesn't apply to clubs with less than 25 degrees of loft? He wasn't even the only guy doing that, then again that was probably because most of them just liked their old long irons. I know he thought it was an advantage but I dunno who is zipping back 4 irons from the rough because they have deep grooves.

 

No, he had different grooves between irons throughout the set - like box grooves on a 7 iron and v-grooves on the 8 iron, etc. That way if he was in the rough, he hit the box grooves and from the fairway, he'd use an iron with v-grooves (depending on what the shoot called for). This gave him an advantage controlling spin where he could maximize his approach shots no matter the lie.

 

http://www.golfchann...loited-grooves/

 

That's not a loophole. It was completely legal, no questions asked, at the time.

[williamsnrb]

There are some secrets, though. Padraig figured out a loophole utilizing different grooves for different shots. It wasn't illegal, but it did give him an advantage that he did not want advertised to other players.

 

That the new groove rule doesn't apply to clubs with less than 25 degrees of loft? He wasn't even the only guy doing that, then again that was probably because most of them just liked their old long irons. I know he thought it was an advantage but I dunno who is zipping back 4 irons from the rough because they have deep grooves.

 

No, he had different grooves between irons throughout the set - like box grooves on a 7 iron and v-grooves on the 8 iron, etc. That way if he was in the rough, he hit the box grooves and from the fairway, he'd use an iron with v-grooves (depending on what the shoot called for). This gave him an advantage controlling spin where he could maximize his approach shots no matter the lie.

 

http://www.golfchann...loited-grooves/

 

That's not a loophole. It was completely legal, no questions asked, at the time.

 

Of course it was completely legal. It was genius. Loopholes are, by definition, legal. If it wasn't legal, it wouldn't be a loophole - it would be cheating. I'm not sure what point you are trying to make.

[EKELLY]

A little tweak to increase consistency. I've had em, lost em, got em back, lost em......Isn't that what everyone is looking for?.....

[playa]

In my opinion, secrets change from week to week. The golf swing is a very complex move with so many things that can go wrong, so depending on what is wrong there are many different 'secrets'. One week they might be having trouble coming ott so they might concentrate on starting the swing with the lower body or sending the left shoulder out towards the target, but the next week they are missing putts left so the secret is making sure the hands lead the putterhead through impact. Nobody can maintain all the parts of their game week to week, the good players can identify what's wrong going into a tourney and give themself a swing thought or key to fix it.

[Whit1969]

Ben Hogan had a putting secret on how to make more putts. He said that you needed to hit your approach shots closer to the hole!!!

[Forged4ever]

There are only a few guys on the board who can speak from actual first hand experience in answering this question, one who's already dropped in and one Lady(No, it's not Madison), possibly two, if ya count Matthew's Mother, Aggs(God, I love that screen names?).

 

Ask em, lol

 

My Best?

RP

[bobfoster]

There are no secrets in any sport.

[SadTrombone]

If I told you, it wouldn't be a secret.

[Valtiel]

The very best secret I have found is to hit your mulligan first. Works every time, especially on short putts.

[MaddMaxx]

The more I practice the luckier I get. Cant remember who said it....Gary Player

 

 

I was practicing in a bunker down in Texas and this good old boy with a big hat stopped to watch. The first shot he saw me hit went in the hole. He said, “You got 50 bucks if you knock the next one in.” I holed the next one. Then he says, “You got $100 if you hole the next one.” In it went for three in a row. As he peeled off the bills he said, “Boy, I’ve never seen anyone so lucky in my life.” And I shot back, “Well, the harder I practice, the luckier I get.” That’s where the quote originated.

[roho]

Have your caddy carry a compass!

[roho]

Jason Dufner revealed his breathing secret when putting after he won.

[hurricanes7]

do u have a secret