Woods made 19 of 28 putts from between 7 feet and 20 feet last week. (Greenwood/Getty Images)

By Travis Fulton, Director of Instruction, PGA TOUR Academy

I have been trying to get a hold of Steve Stricker so I can personally get a putting lesson, too. I mean… WOW! What a difference in Tiger Woods’ putting since he received those helpful pointers from one of the game’s best putters.

It is amazing  just how many long putts these professionals make when they get it going with the flat stick. Over the last two weeks, Tiger’s putting has been ridiculously good –  the man appears to be putting to the ocean right now.

Here are some of the changes I see with Tiger’s putting that has led to this tremendous run on the greens:

Grip weaker – With a slightly weaker left hand grip, Tiger is able to manage the rotation of the club face more efficiently. It appears that Tiger got the left hand too strong which was leading to overrating the club face through impact resulting in the ball starting off-line. A weaker grip has decreased the amount of the club face rotation and helped align the putter face at impact. 

Shaft slightly more upright – With a weaker left hand grip, the left wrist appears to be a bit more un-cocked as well leading to a slightly more upright shaft angle. The significance of this is it allows Tiger’s trail forearm to soften so the angle of his right forearm is more consistent with the angle of the putter shaft. In the past, Tiger’s right forearm was much more vertical then the angle of the putter shaft. Although this was clearly effective too, I like this look for Tiger and what it means for the path of the putter head. 

Shaft more forward – This adjustment allowed Tiger to utilize the true-loft of the putter face once again. It appears Tiger got the putter shaft leaning a bit too far back at address. As a result, this added loft at impact affecting his distance control and had a closing effect on the face leading to once again a ball starting off-line. With the shaft more forward the ball is rolling much truer again and on the intended line.

These three set-up adjustments have once again created an environment at address where Tiger can be more instinctive. This instinctive environment is what we should all strive for because it promotes the proper path and face relationship through impact. Good set-up adjustments can mean the world to not only professional golfers but also amateurs. Putting, more than any shot in golf, needs to be instinctive and what you do at address will determine your long term outcome on the greens.

Travis Fulton is the Director of Instruction at the TOUR Academies at TPC Sawgrass and the World Golf Village. For more information on the TOUR Academy, click here.

By Sean Cochran, Golf Fitness

The body is the foundation to the execution of a proficient golf swing. Certain levels of joint mobility, flexibility, segmental stability, muscular strength, endurance and power are required of the body in order to execute the athletic actions within the swing.

If the body is lacking in any of the aforementioned physical components, the ability to execute an efficient golf swing will most likely be limited. These physical limitations will typically lead to the development of compensations and swing faults.

That being said, it is imperative the amateur player address addresses the body as one aspect to game improvement. Looking at the process of game improvement via golf fitness training the “Kings and Queens” are two areas of the body which must be addressed.

The “Kings and Queens” are simply a reference to the musculature structures of the glutes and abdominals; the glutes being the “kings” and the abdominals the “queens”. The reason why these two muscle groups are classified with these titles is due to the importance they play in the execution of the golf swing.

The glutes are involved from the beginning to the end of the golf swing from postural positioning at address through rotary movements in the backswing, and onto speed generation in the downswing. The abdominals on the other hand play in an integral role in maintaining a fixed spine angle, stabilizing the torso, and allowing the hips to operate properly in the swing.

If these muscles groups are weak or inhibited the execution of the swing with maximum speed generation will be limited. Golf fitness exercises can be very valuable in the development of strength and removing inhibition from these muscles groups.

Two exercises I utilize in the strengthening and activation of both the glutes and abdominals with my Tour players are Lateral Tubing Walks and the TRX Suspension Trainer Pike. Tubing Walks focus on activating and strengthening the glutes whereas Pikes focus on core activation and strengthening.

As you can see from viewing the two videos above developing both the “Kings” and “Queens” of the golf swing are key components of the physical foundation comprising the golf swing.

To learn more about Sean Cochran and his golf fitness training exercises and golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com

Kevin Streelman jump-started his final round with this 85-foot chip on the third hole at Copperhead.

By Travis Fulton, Director of Instruction, PGA TOUR Academy

One of the biggest shots of Kevin Streelman’s life was his short pitch shot on the third hole Sunday at the Tampa Bay Championship. After a perfectly executed golf shot, Streelman got some much-needed fortune when the ball found the bottom of the cup. This short game shot from the greenside rough is a shot we see a lot on the PGA TOUR, and over the last couple of years, has adopted the name "Hinge and Hold."

However, what’s interesting is this particular "Hinge and Hold" technique has got some mixed press on what it may (or may not) be suggesting. Therefore, let’s see if we can clean it up a bit and explain exactly how Streelman hit the shot in Tampa.

“Hinge” defines the key movements of the backswing. A good hinge allows the clubhead to work up the line of the lead forearm, creating a needed angle between the forearm and clubshaft. Streelman did a great job of hinging the lead wrist this way. Even though the clubhead was moving up the plane, the lead forearm and clubshaft still remained in its inline relationship. As a result, the clubface can rotate slightly open, so when the clubshaft reaches halfway back, the toe of the club is pointing to the sky.

One of the most common errors in the backswing is this: A player will hinge the lead wrist where the lead hand becomes bowed. This movement sends the clubshaft quickly out of line with the lead forearm, allowing the clubhead to move behind the hands. This technique doesn’t promote the clubface to rotate open, but rather. stay closed and off plane, leading to needed compensation on the downswing.

“Hold” suggests the movements of the downswing thru impact. What’s critical here is that as you turn through impact with the body to maintain the bend in the trail wrist. When done properly, the inline relationship between the lead forearm and club shaft will stay inline well after impact. Even though the lead wrist is un-hinging, the clubshaft alignment to the lead forearm stays intact, allowing the clubface to square up thru impact.

The term “Hold” can be misinterpreted sometimes because it suggests that you don’t unhinge the lead wrist and/or allow the clubface to square up. Rather, “Hold” originated from the fact that most amateurs release the trail wrist too soon, sending the clubhead well past the lead wrist thru impact.

Therefore, “hold” is a term to help decrease this from happening, and keep the hands more passive so the alignment of the lead forearm and clubshaft can be met and sustained through impact just like Kevin Streelman demonstrated on Sunday.

Travis Fulton is the Director of Instruction at the TOUR Academies at TPC Sawgrass and the World Golf Village. For more information on the TOUR Academy, click here.

By Mark Immelman, Special to PGATOUR.COM

TPC Blue Monster last week, the Copperhead Course this week. The past two events of the “Florida Swing” on the PGA TOUR have had the competitors testing their skills on golf courses with reptilian leanings. Both venues certainly have a fair amount of bite but the Copperhead Course at the Innisbrook Resort is perennially more vicious thanks to a stretch of the three homeward holes known as the “Snake Pit.”

At 460 yards, No. 16 (The Moccasin) is a bruiser of a dogleg-right par 4.  It is flanked by trees on the left and a water hazard on the right that stretches all the way to the green. Sneak past No. 16 unscathed and an uphill 215-yard par 3 (The Rattler) with a narrow green surrounded by deep bunkers awaits golfers. After navigating The Rattler safely, competitors are faced with the tough par-4 18th (The Copperhead).  A tight, uphill hole with an unforgiving green, No. 18 measures 445 yards and is as daunting a closing hole as any on TOUR.

So to win the Tampa Bay Championship presented by EverBank, the contenders not only have to outwit and outplay their competitors, they have to survive the gauntlet that the Snake Pit presents. Its challenge is best qualified by 2011 champion, Gary Woodland: “If you’re two back and have signed your scorecard and the leaders are still out there, you’re definitely hanging around to see what happens.”

After posting a 63 and an 8 under total for the championship, Boo Weekley had to hang around to see how the leaders would navigate the Snake Pit and I am sure that he liked his chances.  All manner of challengers came up short but in the end Kevin Streelman played the Snake Pit in 1 under and in doing so he doubled his one-stroke lead and recorded his first win on the PGA TOUR.

So what can we learn from Streelman’s trip to the winner’s circle at Innisbrook? In my opinion, there are a few things and once again, proficient putting is one of them -- Streelman ranked third in the all-important strokes gained-putting statistic. So go and work on your putting.

Secondly, you must keep a positive attitude and never give up no matter the circumstances.  In 2007, Streelman was battling the odds at the first stage of q-school. For all intents and purposes, with about six holes to play, it looked as if he was going to miss advancing to the second stage. Well, we all know that in golf things can change in an instant -- such is the nature of our great game. All of a sudden the momentum swung and Streelman birdied four of his last five holes to qualify. Now, six short years later he is a PGA TOUR champion. Oftentimes, it appears as if the odds are stacked against you and failure is imminent. At that time, remind yourself to stick to your guns, stay positive and keep swinging with conviction and self-belief as you never know when the tide can turn. As the great Jim Valvano once said: “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.”

Thirdly, it is crucial to trust yourself and your game when the chips are down.  Streelman hit one of the shots of the tournament when he “held” a faded 5-iron up against the right-to-left breeze on the par-3 13th hole. The super-gutsy (the hole was cut close to the water on the right of the green) and impressive shot was one that Streelman had been working on and by his own admission his trust and belief in the things he and his coach were working on were key to him attempting and pulling off the shot.  For the record, the iron shot translated into a birdie 2, which served as a platform to him closing out the win.

So learn from the likeable Duke graduate. … Always stay positive, never give up and trust your technique. After all, what good is it to work hard at something and then not trust it and attempt it under pressure?  As Streelman’s coach, Darren, said to him: “When you pull it off on Sunday it will be a good shot.”

Good luck,

/mi

Mark Immelman, the brother of PGA TOUR professional Trevor Immelman, is a well-respected golf instructor and head coach of the Columbus State University (Ga.) golf team. For more information about Mark and his instruction, visit his web site, markimmelman.com or follow him on Twitter @mark_immelman or “Like” Mark Immelman Golf Instruction on Facebook. He also has a golf instruction e-book called “Consistently Straight Shots – The Simple Solution” available on iTunes/iBooks.

Kevin Streelman focused on the process of winning, not winning itself. (Greenwood/Getty Images)

By Dr. Gregg Steinberg, Special to PGATOUR.COM

Kevin Streelman stated that his mental strategy for this past week was to not think about winning and let go of results. This ironic approach worked as Streelman won the Tampa Bay Championship presented by EverBank by not worrying about winning.
   
Thinking about outcome, such as your score or winning a tournament, creates higher levels of anxiety in our games. Take the analogy of a construction worker who works 1,000 feet in the air and must walk across a plank to get from one site to the next.  If the construction worker looked down and thought about how high he was (the outcome), he would get extremely nervous and be more inclined to fall. However by focusing on placing one foot in front of the other (the process), the worker wouldn’t get nervous and could easily walk the beam.
   
Streelman stated that his focus on the process and not the outcome gave him a sense of peace on the course. His mental approach allowed him to navigate the Copperhead course and the “Snake Pit” with a calm state of mind. A sense of peace and a calm demeanor are essential ingredients to performing your best under pressure.
   
While you may never be in the hunt in a PGA TOUR event, this “letting go of results” strategy can apply to your golf game. How many times has your score affected your emotions on the course? When your score was terrible did you get upset or frustrated? Or, on the contrary, when you were playing amazingly, did you begin to get nervous because you were thinking about your best round ever?
   
Like Streelman, you will find peace on the course and gain greater control over your emotions when you let go of results. Here is my mental game recommendation in this regard:

Play a round of golf without keeping your score. Your task is to think only about the shot at hand, not to be concerned with how many over or under par you are at the time during the round. At the completion of the round, you would then recall your score on each hole. Or better yet, play with a friend who keeps your score.

You will find that this approach helped you to keep your emotions and your game under better control.  Once you have tried it once, begin to incorporate this approach as a regular strategy.

Yes, it is very difficult to not think about your score. Yes, it is fun to play for a score. But if results-oriented thinking is giving you too much anxiety and frustration, then this is the approach to implement into your game. When this happens, you will begin to find your peace on the course as well as your best game.

Dr. Gregg Steinberg is the author of the best selling golf psychology book, MentalRules for Golf. He is a regular guest every Tuesday on “Talk of the Tour” heard on the Sirius/XM PGA TOUR radio. Dr. Gregg is a tenured professor of sports psychology and has been the mental game coach for many PGA TOUR players.  You can see more about him at www.drgreggsteinberg.com, and you can e-mail him at mentalrules24@msn.com for any comments or questions about your mental game.

Little/Getty Images

By Travis Fulton, Director of Instruction, PGA TOUR Academy

At the TOUR Academies, we get a lot of questions why Tiger Woods' practice swings are so far to the left -- or in many eyes -- over the top. Every time I watch Woods take a practice swing, I cringe a little, because although Tiger needs to swing more left during his swing, most amateurs need to do just the opposite.  

When Tiger started under the tutelage of Sean Foley a couple years ago, one of the things they've done is get Tiger's swing direction more to the left in relation to the target line. Historically, Tiger has struggled on the downswing getting the club “stuck” behind him, which affected his swing direction. His swing moved to the right, resulting in pushes and hooks. Foley has done a terrific job rebuilding Tiger’s backswing so he can now swing more left through impact, creating a more reliable ball flight.

What’s interesting about the golf swing is that swing direction is different than the actual clubhead path. Swing direction is simply the direction you are swinging in relationship to the target line. You would think that if I swing left of the target line, then my path would be left. However, this is not always true because you must factor in the attack angle of the clubhead as well.

Attack angle simply indentifies whether you are hitting down or up on the ball relative to the ground. To keep it simple: The more you hit down on it, the more it affects the path of the club head to the right (from the inside). For example, if you hit down on the ball 3 degrees, then this affects your path 3 degrees to the right. Now, say you hit down on the ball 3 degrees with a swing direction to the right 3 degrees. Your path will now be six degrees to the right. This combination of hitting down and to the right is what’s needed for most amateurs -- who are swinging across their body to the left -- because it gets the path of the clubhead working from the inside, creating the opportunity to hit a draw. However, in Tiger’s scenario too much of this became detrimental and needed to be changed to get his full swing back on track.

This swing change to the left has gotten Tiger’s clubhead path closer to zero (target line). For simple math, take the above example again with an attack angle of 3 degrees down. Again, this affects the path of the club head 3 degrees to the right; therefore, Tiger is now swinging to the left. Call it 3 degrees to achieve a clubhead path that is close to zero.

A bit confusing, I know, but it's one of the reasons why you have seen the rebuilding of Tiger’s swing for the third time. After watching him this week in Miami, he's back for good.

Travis Fulton is the Director of Instruction at the TOUR Academies at TPC Sawgrass and the World Golf Village. For more information on the TOUR Academy, click here.

Michael Thompson showed how a cupped left wrist can help from tight lies. (Ehrmann/Getty Images)

By Travis Fulton, Director of Instruction, PGA TOUR Academy

ARCHIVE: Travis Fulton's tips from every 2013 winner on the PGA TOUR | Mental game: Thompon's attitude

On a tough Sunday afternoon at The Honda Classic, Michael Thompson used his stellar short game to win his first PGA TOUR event. Thompson is starting to make a name for himself as someone who knows how to play the most difficult courses. 

To have a great short game, you must be able to manage those tight lies around the greens. One of the things that worked to Thompson’s advantage on those tight Bermuda lies this week is that he naturally cups his left wrist at address. 

With a slightly cupped left wrist, the clubshaft has minimal forward lean, which promotes some bounce on the clubhead and moves the swings low point closer to the ball, allowing for a shallower divot.

One of the most common errors with greenside shots from the fairway is the leading edge gets stuck in the ground. At the TOUR Academies, so many times we see the club shaft excessively forward with the ball too far back in the stance when faced with these same tight scary lies. 

This setup will flatten or slightly bow the lead wrist, which exposes the leading edge and moves the swing's low point more past the ball. This combination at slower speeds inevitably leads to some sticky impact positions. Furthermore, this dynamic will often result in the ball coming off very hot, leading to eventual deceleration with the body.

With Thompson’s setup the clubface has more loft and bounce in play. This setup leads to a much shallower divot, promoting a more favorable launch angle and acceleration through the ball.

Travis Fulton is the Director of Instruction at the TOUR Academies at TPC Sawgrass and the World Golf Village. For more information on the TOUR Academy, click here.

Matt Kuchar swings his arm in a flat angle, but his shoulders are steep. (Franklin/Getty Images)

By Travis Fulton, Director of Instruction, PGA TOUR Academy

Kuuuuuuch! Even with a little snow and cold weather in the desert, Matt Kuchar continued his great play with yet another win on the PGA TOUR. Kucher is a player that, at first glance, doesn’t do a whole lot the conventional way, from his putting style with the belly putter to his very flat backswing.

At the TOUR Academies, we get a lot of questions about the shape and appearance of Kuchar’s backswing. Matt and his swing coach Chris O’Connell have done some great things with Kuchar’s game over the years. The most apparent was Kuchar’s dramatic change in his backswing, that saw his lead arm swing much more in (and around) his body.

These movements resulted in the lead arm -- to the eye -- appearing very flat because the lead arm at the top of the swing was under the right shoulder. Most TOUR players will see their lead arm cover the right shoulder at the top, where again Kuchar's is well under it. Counter these movements with Kuchar’s tall frame and extreme forward bend at address, and you have yourself what many call the flattest backswing on the PGA TOUR.

The reality is that Kuchar is still able to maintain efficient clubhead path and clubface numbers at impact from this position at the top. One would think because he looks so flat, that he would swing extremely from the inside on the downswing. However, Kuchar doesn’t, because he is still able to hit down on it through impact with a swing direction that is square, or even maybe a bit to the left.

The counter to Kuchar’s flat left arm movements is how he uses his shoulders and hips during the backswing:

1. Kuchar's shoulder turn is what we refer to as a steep shoulder turn. Again, he is very bowed forward at address, and then turns around this angle so his shoulders are tilted well towards the ground, rather than the horizon. A good rule of thumb is if you swing flat with the arms, then the shoulders need to turn steeper so you can maintain an orientation to the ground that allows you to hit down on it. Conversely, if your shoulders turn flat to the horizon, then the lead arm needs to work more up and down to gain the similar leverage and angles back to impact.

2. In addition to the change of the lead arm and shoulder plane, Kuchar also had to learn how to use his hips differently. You may have noticed how Kuchar really stays in his spine angle as a result of keeping his hips back during the swing. If you were to slide a chair under Matt’s rear end at address, he would push that chair slightly up off its legs as a result of his right hip moving up and back during the backswing, and then again through impact because of the left hip clearing and staying back on the chair. These movements really allow for Kuchar to stay in his spine angle through impact and still get the clubhead to exit relatively left through impact.

So even though Kuchar’s lead arm is flat at the top of the swing, his shoulders and hips are steep, resulting in a combination that still achieves efficient alignments through impact.

Travis Fulton is the Director of Instruction at the TOUR Academies at TPC Sawgrass and the World Golf Village. For more information on the TOUR Academy, click here.

John Merrick got his first career victory Sunday at Riviera. (Chris Condon/PGA TOUR)

By Dr. Gregg Steinberg, Special to PGATOUR.COM

For 2013 Northern Trust Open Champion John Merrick, it was was all about "trust."

When Merrick was at UCLA, he had the opportunity to play Riviera twice a month on a regular basis. Given the numerous times he walked those hallow grounds, Merrick had a home course advantage over most of the field.

How many strokes does home field advantage give you?

Sports psychology researchers have discovered that there is a home field advantage in every sport, with the NBA being the highest at a slight edge of a 5 to 10 percent increase in wins when teams play at home. This is followed by the NFL, which has a 3 to 6 percent better chance at winning on home turf. 

While it is more difficult to statistically discern a home course advantage in golf, there is one.

Reasons abound for playing better on your home course: You know where to miss it. You know the exact yardage every hole plays. You know which green surfaces are softer and which ones are harder.

The biggest home course advantage in golf however is trust in the greens. You know exactly how the greens will break, and as a consequence, you trust your stroke.

For Merrick, he could trust his read and stroke at a much higher level than most of the other players in the field. From years of experience, Merrick knew how those tricky greens break.

Trust is essential for your mental game. When you have a high level of trust, you will feel much more confortable and relaxed. This will increase your chances of making a smooth, aggressive stroke and you'll hole more putts.

When you don’t have trust, doubt creeps into your mind. Being unsure will greatly increase your anxiety and decrease your chance of making a committed stroke.

How many times did you miss a putt because you were uncommitted to the line?

Here is my mental game recommendation: Increase your trust factor. Think about your home course and how you trust your reads on those greens. Your goal is to take that feeling to every course you play. Make the read and trust it like one on your home course.

Dr. Gregg Steinberg is regular guest every Tuesday on “Talk of the Tour” heard on the Sirius/XM PGA TOUR radio.  He is a tenured professor of sports psychology and has worked with many PGA tour players.  You can see more about him at www.drgreggsteinberg.com, and you can e-mail him at mentalrules24@msn.com.

By Mark Immelman, Special to PGATOUR.COM

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. -- There were many storylines and certainly many lessons we could learn from John Merrick's win at the Northern Trust Open. Among those I considered was playing with a lead as the defending champion, which Bill Haas had to do, and playing a short, dangerous par 4, which Riviera's devlish 315-yard 10th is. Finally, I settled on the concept of swing rhythm and timing, something Merrick clearly exhibits.

Bob Jones once stated that “rhythm and timing are the two things which we all must have, yet no one knows how to teach either.” There are a few factors one can consider to promote improvement in this delicate area of the swing.

Merrick swings the golf club with a languid and timed grace. His swing has a wide arc and its tempo is smooth and unhurried.  It is enviable to say the least. Realistically, it is impossible for everyone to swing the club as smoothly and slowly as Merrick -- your swing needs to mirror your personality and manner. Hence if you are upbeat I would venture that your swing should carry and upbeat tempo -- Nick Price and Web Simpson are good examples of this. If your personality is easy-going and relaxed, you should make every effort to swing the club in a similar fashion. 

Swing tempo is one thing. Timing is entirely another. By timing, I mean the coordination and sequencing of the moving parts in the swing. Good timing of the swing is considerably more important than tempo. I have seen many slower swings that are mis-timed and I have seen many brisk swings that are perfectly timed. So in your swing maintenance, remember that slower is not always better, well-timed is.

If you are looking to work on your swing’s timing you should begin is with a firm understanding that the swing’s purpose is to present the clubface in the correct fashion so as to deliver the desired shot. Too many golfers embark on swing adjustments without the requisite understanding of how the adjustment will influence the clubface’s attitude at impact.

From there, remember that the movement of the legs, the torso, the arms, and the wrists should all work at a speed which allows them to arrive at impact in the correct manner.

The two most typical timing errors I often encounter are: 1) A shoulder-rotation that spins out of the downswing, leaving the arms and the club behind and 2) A late release of the wrists and a late rotation of the forearms approaching impact.

Both of these timing issues can be easily remedied with a simple exercise.

Grab an outdoor broomstick, the kind with the corn bristles, and grip it like a club with the bristles in an upright fashion. Make a swing back and through into a balanced finish -- note that the swing may feel flatter than your regular action. Strive as you do so to sweep the bristles along the turf in the area where impact would be. Do this a few times and you will sense how the bristles of the broomstick create resistance through the air and how your body has to wait for the arms and the broom in the transition and into the downswing. You may also feel how the muscles in your core and your legs engage to provide a stable hub for the swing. Pay attention to all of these feelings as they are indicative of a well-timed, properly sequenced swing.

Once you have a sense for the speed and time at which elements of your swing move, grab your golf club and strive for the same action as you hit shots. Initially the club may feel lighter, but you will get used to it fairly quickly. This is also a great drill to promote and develop the muscle groups that are used in the golf swing.

Remember, tempo is important but timing is where it’s at.