“Aim for the middle of the green” is the advice from Stephen Gallacher, leader of the Greens in Regulation category of the Genworth Financial Statistics, in our latest tips from the pros feature.
Throughout the season, europeantour.com will be bringing you advice from the players who know best, namely those who are outperforming the rest in the seven Genworth Financial Statistics categories.
Whether is it advice on driving accuracy or distance, how to hit greens in regulation, how to improve those putts per green in regulation or average putts per round, or how save from sand or scramble, European Tour players will be on hand to hand out a few tips.
Gallacher, winner of the 2005 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, currently tops the Greens in Regulation Category with an impressive strike rate of hitting 84.7% of greens, equating to 15.2 per round.
The Scots advice to anyone looking to improve their game by hitting more greens in regulation is to aim for the middle of the green when the pin is tucked away.
He said: “When the pin is tucked tight left or tight right, aim for the middle of the green and accept two putts. If you play with a fade, and the pin is on the left then play for the middle of the green and make sure of two putts. When the pin is on the right, they are the ones you can attack. I draw the ball so the left pin is the one I can attack and the pin on the right I just play for the middle of the green. Play to your strengths.”
His tip to amateurs follows the same advice he was given many years ago, and a philosophy he follows to this day.
“I remember going to a talk with Craig Parry when I was a kid. He always said there were only about eight flags a round he would go for and the rest he would play away from. When you hear a guy like that saying it, you know it means something.
“Jack Nicklaus was the same. He would say that if he hit it stiff it was a fluke as he hit all his best shots to ten to 12 feet left or right of the flag. You don’t need to go for every flag, just the ones which suit your game. The importance is hitting the green and two putting.
“I am a pretty good iron player and I have also driven the ball well which has left me with a lot of mid irons which has helped me. I have always been high up the stats and my strength has always been my iron play. I play that way, attacking a pin on the left and playing for the middle of the green to a right pin. That way I don’t miss many greens.”
For Padraig Harrington's tip on improving your scrambles, clickhere
For a more detailed analysis of the Genworth Financial Statistics, clickhere.
