Westwood's views on his putting ?

[sev112]

2 caveats : firstly he is No3 in the world, came 3rd in the masters and i'm not/didn't; secondly he was very focussed so you cant really take anything said in an interview as gospel

But

Lee said "the putts just didnt drop; when i got birdies it was because i hit them close. Other guys' putts dropped but mine didn't"

Now that to me seemed very odd. Does he think there is a conspiracy against him ? Does he think golf is about who is lucky ? Does he really think he has an inordinate right for putts to drop for him but not someone else.

I was disappointed with that statement (although note the 2 caveats above)

I hinted earlier on another thread about ben HOgan, who was another brilliant tee to green guyy who thought putting shouldn't have been part of golf, that it was a bit of a lottery, and that it didn't reward the "best" players.
Well Hogan never won what he thought his brilliant tee to green game deserved.
Then he had his turnaround and became the best player in the world and won numerous majors, including 3 in one year. Also in his "later" years
Maybe he woudl be a good player for Lee to look at as inspiration to go even further. I don't know what Hogan did (other than play a fade to eliminate his hooks) about his green play - i think he just made himself even better tee to green. But lee has already had one of teh best comebacks in golf (ever ?) when he brought himself back from 243 in the world to Number 1 - i am sure he can do it again

 

[Tiger]

I'm not sure he was thinking like Hogan. What I took from the interview was a very despondent man who has worked really hard on his putting but just doesn't seem to be able to get the job done in competition. He's tried belly putters, mallets, Bob Rotella etc but he just can't get it to work for him. I really thought he had. Sniff this year after the first round and am truly gutted for the guy. I think it's a mental problem and if he managed to limo over the line in a Major it would flood him with confidence on the greens.

I feel he doesn't know what else he can do to get it working

 

[birdieman]

He's in denial about his putting and chipping imo and is beginning to give media soundbites like Tiger does which come across as delusional.

 

[drawboy]

I love the guy, superb golfer but as I've said before if he wins a major I'll show my *rse in woolies window.

 

[kid2]

Westwood should get Mickelson to teach him for 6 months on the short game....Forget all the short game coaches and shrinks......

Westwoods problem is that he doesnt know how to play the game around missed greens.....He is one of the best if not "The" best player tee to green but until he becomes very proficient in the short game he will never win a major in my eyes....

Just take Harrington as an example....When he won his 3 majors he had a flaky enough long game...Certainly he wouldn't come close to lacing Westwoods shoes for long game accuracy but his short game was flawless.....

Cue his present day game and because he has worked so hard on trying to be longer and more accurate off the tee he has openly admitted that he neglected his short game and everyone can see what that has done to him.....

 

[drawboy]

Not really an option there Kid, when has mickleson got the time to teach Westy for 6 months? He's out chasing titles himself.

 

[kid2]

Not really an option there Kid, when has mickleson got the time to teach Westy for 6 months? He's out chasing titles himself.

Well i can understand that DB....It was more of a loose statement than one i was serious about...But you get what i mean anyway.....
But im sure if he burnt leftie's ear for a few hours every now and again something might rub off on him.

 

[MegaSteve]

as I've said before if he wins a major I'll show my *rse in woolies window.

I'll have to remember not to visit Leeds when Lee takes his inevitable Major win ...

 

[PIng]

Lee said "the putts just didnt drop; when i got birdies it was because i hit them close. Other guys' putts dropped but mine didn't"

Now that to me seemed very odd. Does he think there is a conspiracy against him ? Does he think golf is about who is lucky ? Does he really think he has an inordinate right for putts to drop for him but not someone else.

I don't think he was bemoaning his luck - it seemed to me that he recognises the weakness in his game and was just emphasizing that he practices as hard as the other guys but it still doesn't work out for him. I think he's at a total loss about what to do about it.

 

[chrisd]

He said last night in an interview with Tim Barter that he didn't putt well but when he did, he won a couple of events by a mile. He can putt, you don't get where is is by not being able to putt, but like Sergio, he has to be "hot" with the putter during a major to win whereas the likes of Luke Donald can drain putts all day long. It does bug me to read such critism of such a wonderful player

 

[kid2]

He said last night in an interview with Tim Barter that he didn't putt well but when he did, he won a couple of events by a mile. He can putt, you don't get where is is by not being able to putt, but like Sergio, he has to be "hot" with the putter during a major to win whereas the likes of Luke Donald can drain putts all day long. It does bug me to read such critism of such a wonderful player

No ones saying that he isn't a wonderful players Chris....I think he is a great player but you have to admit he has a flaky short game......
He is nowhere even close to the short game ability of Donald, Mickelson, Harrington when he's on form ,Tiger....

But he is better off the tee by a country mile than the 4 i have mentioned above.....Of course he is going to be criticised for his short game...Its there for all to see.....It just does not hold up under pressure....

 

[bluetoon]

Absolutely golf is about luck and you need lots of it to win.

You need luck with
bounces,
Lies in the rough
Lies in the Bunkers
Mud balls,
Getting a line out from the trees
Spinning off the green
tight lies
Lip in/out
etc

All players in contention during a tournament will be enjoying good FIR & GIR stats, but you can guarantee that the person left standing on Sunday will have a healthy dose of Luck and a HOT PUTTER,

Lee has plenty of low scores under his belt and his Major will come when his putter is Hot and it's his turn for some LUCK.

 

[Hobbit]

I thought his assessment was very honest, and he was obviously gutted to play so well tee to green but not win. I hope he finds the answer and gets the rewards for his fantastic long game...

If he fancies a bounce game with me I could show him all his faults, and then a few more...

 

[drs1878]

Sure i heard a stat last night that Lee had taken 20+ more putts than Phil over the week...... now thats a lot of shots to give away...... great player tee to green and if he starts to hole some longer putts then he will be unbeatable !!!!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I saw the Barter interview and he looked visibly upset. I think he realised how easily he could have won that and I'm not sure whether he was trying convince himself of the viewers when he said about once he gets the putts to drop he'll win by miles. Personally I think he needs Pelz ot Stockton to look at his technique but I also thin his mate Clarke can help by getting him to use Rotella. Westwoods language on the greens last night was shocking and he looked resigned to miss some of the putts before he hit them and I'm convinced a lot of the short game and putting issues are mental now

 

[Richuk123]

I love the guy, superb golfer but as I've said before if he wins a major I'll show my *rse in woolies window.

As a westy fan it is frustrating to watch , and I think he will come up trumps in the next couple of years or so. He knows what to do and I think his interview was open and honest, I don't think it was a "why is it always me" but more of a "I couldn't buy a putt, will try harder", Unlike Sergio's interview on Sunday, where he clearly listened to radiohead before his interview

As for woollies windows -- a clever choice of shop!! Why not Zavvi, Peacocks or maybe even Game lol :thup:

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I love the guy, superb golfer but as I've said before if he wins a major I'll show my *rse in woolies window.

Woolies don't have any windows left do they?

 

[USER1999]

May be that is what did for them. Having people mooning in their windows. It doesn't draw in the punters like it did in the 80s.

 

[stevelev]

I just thought he said it as it was, he said he wasn't putting well and if he had who knows, he also said when he had putt well he won.

We all use similar excuses. We say our short game was off, our drives weren't on. These golfers are human, and its good to see them say they didn't play as well as they could and that they need to work on certain areas, I know more ametuers who complain about lack of luck than skill in areas.

Give Westy and other pro's a break, the pressure they are under is immense and to be as honest as he was on camera straight after the round is humbling.

 

[JustOne]

He is nowhere even close to the short game ability of Donald, Mickelson, Harrington when he's on form ,Tiger....

Which of the players above finished above Westy? Feck the short game... golf is ALL OF THE SHOTS put together.. you can't just be good at putting or chipping or even driving.. you need it all and you need to do it for 4 days... the right days.... to win a major.

The 'Westy putting' threads are on the verge of being very boring and repetitive.... I made him about 3 shots off winning The Masters outright... that's 0.75 putts per round..... or 1 albatross......