Fulton: Three factors that make Donald's game so strong

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Donald holds his putter more toward his palms than his fingers.

For a moment on Sunday I thought this week's blog was going to be how much bounce is needed to play out of the snow, as the wacky winter weather continued for much of the U.S. I almost felt bad calling home as I sat on the beach here in Florida, catching rays to the temperature of 82 degrees while my family and friends back home in Northern Idaho watched it snow sideways. Nevertheless, the tournament went on Sunday and Luke Donald took the crown at the first of three World Golf Championship events this year.

Donald is becoming one of the more popular players on the PGA TOUR and it seems every week at the TOUR Academies, amateurs reference the smooth swing and solid short game of the up-and-coming star. There is a lot to like about the Englishman's game, so I thought I would take the morning here at our corporate office at PGA TOUR Experiences and ask my fellow colleagues what their thoughts are regarding Donald's game.

Chris in the TOUR Club Department -- "Effortless"

In some ways, Donald is like a miniature Ernie Els. Like the Big Easy, Donald never really appears to be exerting much energy when he swings a golf club, yet he still hits it a competitive distance with all clubs. His swing always seems in balance and when you watch how he blends his arm swing with his body, it comes together in a very rhythmic way that is certainly easy on the eyes.

Players who display this effortless look have the ability to recruit power from different places in the golf swing. How far you take it back and through doesn't necessarily equate to how far you are going to hit it. The harder you swing doesn't always lead to more distance either because your ability to achieve a good impact could be flawed. Learning to get into the proper impact condition where you return the club shaft forward with a square club face is pivotal to take the appropriate steps toward becoming a more effortless ball striker. These components at impact will result in solid contact resulting in more power and consistency and allow you to swing more within yourself.

Mark in the Junior Department -- "Quiet Confidence"

I always enjoy watching Donald manage his way around the golf course. He's the type of player who always looks under control because he understands his game, which allows him to put together a plan on what's the best way for him to play the golf course. Like so many other professionals, Donald seems to have the ability to focus on playing the golf course rather than worrying about what his playing partners are doing. This week was match play and you are going to play your opponent more than you normally would in stroke play, however, you could still see that Donald had a plan on the best way for him to attack the golf course.

Understanding your game as it applies to your strengths and weaknesses is a big step to eventually outlining a game plan on how you plan to play a golf course. The more you understand your game and how you apply it to the golf course, the more confident you will be because it's you that controls this rather than your fellow competition.

Pat in Accounting -- "Great Putter"

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Bingo! If you look at Donald's stats every year he is always one of the best putters on the PGA TOUR. Perhaps, Donald's effortless movements and his quiet and confident demeanor pays him the biggest dividends on the putting green. If you are currently struggling with your putting, I strongly encourage you to find some footage of Donald's putting. From his approach, to his set-up, stroke mechanics, distance control and green's reading, there is something to learn from one of the best putters in the game today.

What I like the most about Donald's putting is his grip. You may have noticed how he grips the putter more towards the palms and not the fingers. This positioning of the grip along with the softening of his elbows towards the rib cage allows the putter shaft to align with his forearms. Creating this in-line relationship can really help take the hands out of the stroke and give the putter head a great chance to move along its natural arc.

Lots to learn from this week's winner. The guy was so dominant, he never made it to the 18th hole all week. I have a funny feeling this might not be the last time we will be talking about Donald this year.

Just Because

This week after re-reading some of my past blogs , I got to thinking about the perception and impact when a player switches coaches on the PGA TOUR. Although my blog each week is designed to look at the winner and discuss what he is doing perhaps differently to help his game, it often times doesn't define the depth and meaning of these past player/instructor relationships.

I think it's important to understand that when a player leaves a coach and/or methodology for another on the PGA TOUR, the perception shouldn't be that coach and/or methodology didn't help the player in some way; nor does it mean the new coach and/or methodology has all the answers either. For example, last week although I raised the obvious question regarding Baddeley's switch from Stack and Tilt back to his former coach Daly Lynch, I think it's important to not only recognize the job that Lynch is doing but also acknowledge the positive impact that his former coaches - Andy Plummer and Michael Bennett have had on his game and other players as well.

Tiger Woods is a great example and someone we have discussed over the years through his journey of various coaches - from Butch Harmon to Hank Haney and now Sean Foley. Like so many other players, Tiger benefited from his time with Harmon and Haney and I am sure it's just a matter of time before we are talking about what he is currently working on with Foley. Charles Howell III is another that comes to my mind. Although Howell seems to be progressing nicely with Todd Anderson, this shouldn't take away from what he learned and the success he and others have had with David Leadbetter.

I point this out because the purpose of the blog is never an attempt to discredit any instructor or methodology when these situations occur. There are certainly a lot of factors that go into these instructor/student relationships but it's always interesting when you begin to analyze what is different and why when new ones' begin.

The reality is that like the professionals -- the amateur player has lots of options as well when looking to improve their game. Although I would like to think all of you should be under the tutelage of the TOUR Academies this year, I understand this is probably not realistic. However, we are in the business of golf instruction so I encourage you to get into the game and educate yourself on how you too can improve your game. Do your research and find an instructor and/or methodology that make sense for you and get on a plan towards better golf.