Everyone wants to know what the biggest difference is between pros and amateurs. And to some, that answer might be simple. “They hit the ball farther,” or “their short game is better,” are some common refrains, but the truth is much more nuanced.
Pros are better at everything than amateurs (except maybe topping a ball into the water). They’re more consistent, they’re longer off the tee, and pressure affects them less. But hat explanation doesn’t help much if you are a budding golfer looking to improve and close that gap between yourself and a pro.
So, what’s the most important part of your game to practice to narrow that gap? Ryder Cupper Matthew Fitzpatrick shared his thoughts at this week’s Bermuda Championship.
“Practicing inside eight [feet],” he said. “Even the best players in the world, from eight feet they only hole it 50 percent of the time, so it’s literally a toss of the coin.”
If you really want to shave some strokes off your score, you need to become an assassin inside eight feet. Those mid-range putts are some of the most important for separating yourself from your competitors and making them at a high clip will improve your scores in a hurry.
“Only the best players in the world are going to hole it from eight feet,” Fitzpatrick continued. “I think that would be my biggest advice because I think holing more putts inside eight feet, you’re going to save a lot of shots.”
If you want to play like a pro, focus on improving inside eight feet — then focus on the rest of it.
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