Xander Schauffele with pitching coach Derek Uyeda
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When it comes to shaving strokes off your score, one of the best skills you can improve is setting delays. By developing your feel and distance control, you’ll leave your first shots within reach, eliminate costly three-putts, and even increase your chances of making those long birdie putts.
There are many great ways to develop your feel for the greens, but Chris Como, a GOLF Top 100 Teachersrecently posted a drill from Xander Schauffele’s pitching coach Derek Uyeda that I thought was worth sharing.
Below is an abbreviated version of the Eyes Closed Time Drill by Uyeda from Como’s GolfPass “Swing Expedition” series.
How Uyeda’s Intermittent Training Works
So let’s break it down. As Uyeda explains in the video, his workout is simple. Start by setting up a 30-foot putt and hitting it with your eyes open to confirm you’re making consistent contact in the center of the face. According to Uyeda, this is a vital part of establishing delays.
“You have to hit the ball clean,” Uyeda says.
This is because consistent center face contact is necessary to produce the same velocity on every putt.
After making steady contact, close your eyes and hit the same 30-footer. After hitting the target, try to predict when and where the ball will come to rest. You can check how close you are by having a playing partner watch your shots or by recording yourself with your phone.
Why does this workout work?
The blindfold technique works, Como explains, because it helps you understand how long your ball will be in motion depending on the length of your shot.
“This is important to feel because a large part of the speed of a putt is essentially represented by how long it is moving on the green,” says Como.
Putting guru says that you should read shot by shot from this angle
Zephyr Melton
The better you know when your shots are going to stop, the better your chances of leaving it within a few feet of the hole.
Como says this exercise is also good for procrastination because it calibrates your perception.
“(This exercise) is a great example of the feeling of the exercise, or our perception of things, versus the actual reality of what’s going on,” Como says.
Calibrating your perception before a round will help you trust your gut and stop second-guessing long shots, resulting in a more confident and strong putt every time.
Next time you’re on the course, try this tournament-trusted drill to become a better late putter and make more two-putts — and maybe even a putt.
