GWD_MAY_16

‘PITCHER’ PERFECT
The four keys to Rickie Fowler’s sizzling short game.
“One of the most underrated parts of
Rickie’s game is how well he pitches
and chips the ball,” states Golf Channel
analyst Brandel Chamblee. PGA Tour
statistics back this up. Last season, the
Californian was the best scrambler from
20 yards and under and for the last two
seasons he’s been one of the top 10
players in the crucial 75-100 yard
category. We asked PGA professional
and leading instructor Michael Breed to
assess why Rickie excels in this area.
Picture the shot and the trajectory
“Rickie possesses a tremendous understanding of how to
control the trajectory of his ball. Whether he’s hitting a bump
and run or a flop shot, he goes through the same extremely
thought out process. He sees the shot, he sees the trajectory
that shot is calling for and then he hits into that trajectory.”
Fowler’s victory in Abu Dhabi
was his fourth in eight months,
a success rate matched only by
Jordan Spieth and Jason Day.
5th in 2014 and 12th in 2015 and he feels
comfortable on the course’s famously
difficult putting surfaces. “I love the greens
and understand what they’re all about,” he
says. “I seem to see the lines well and have
a great imagination that allows me to see
what the ball is going to do before I hit it.”
If Fowler does taste success at Augusta
he will be the first player to match the
Green Jacket with jogging bottoms and
‘high top’ shoes.
“I like pushing the limits, having fun
and enjoying myself and that’s what I’m
doing,” admitted Fowler, when asked
about his latest on-course look. “Some
people are hating them, but the younger
side have been more positive.”
Fowler’s last point is crucial. Falling
participation levels means golf needs to
attract teenagers into the game and,
judging by the number of young fans
who copy his clothing and battle for his
autograph, this is where the Motocrossriding,
snapback cap-wearing World No.4
could make a far bigger impression than
Spieth, Day and McIlroy.
“There’s no-one out there who would
have anything remotely negative to say
about Rickie,” says Golf Channel
commentator David Feherty. “He’s an
incredibly smart young man with his own
sense of style, who appeals to everyone.
Your grandmother loves him and your
granddaughter loves him. He is just a
wonderful kid and it’s been great to watch
him grow up in the game.”
Set shoulders
square to target
“Rickie’s lead foot might
be slightly behind his
back foot, but his
shoulders are always
parallel to the target.
This is an important
element of good wedge
play. People who open
up their shoulders often
move their hands and
arms away from them
and end up shoving the
ball out to the right.”
‘Rickie has a tremendous
understanding of how to control
the trajectory of his ball’
Hands stay
close to body
“People who struggle
with their short game
tend to decelerate as
their hands begin to
go down the line.
Rickie ensures he’s
always accelerating
by making sure his
hands stay close and
move around his
body rather than
down the line.”
Control the face
through impact
“Rickie is brilliant at
keeping the clubface
square through impact.
A lot of amateurs allow the
toe and heel to move at
different speeds, which
reduces consistency in the
contact zone, consistency
in trajectory, consistency
in the start line and
consistency of spin. This
adds up to less control
over the golf ball.”
May 2016 Golf World 11