Weekly PGA TOUR events are not always the best place to get peer-to-peer support because everyone is competing for their own success. The biennial Presidents Cup is a great place for young PGA TOUR players, as everyone in the uniform has a common goal. Example: Si Woo Kim changed to a new style of putting thanks to Adam Scott’s advice leading up to the 2022 Presidents Cup in Quail Hollow. It has paid off big. Kim’s putting style was fairly standard prior to the Presidents Cup. Kim used a standard Odyssey putter with his hands in an overlap grip. He would sometimes extend his right index finger slightly further down the shaft than others, but it is a very common grip variation (see photo below). Kim, 27 years old, won the 2017 PLAYERS Champion, but had struggled with putting. His best ranking in Strokes Gained was 111th during his seven seasons on the PGA TOUR. He was 177th in SG. Putting in the 2021-2022 seasons, he lost 0.404 strokes on the greens on average. Kim, a 42-year-old International teammate, introduced a new style of putting and putter at the 2022 Presidents Cup. Scott’s advice was invaluable. Scott, a 14-time winner of the TOUR, has had his fair share of struggles on the greens and has changed his putting style several time. Scott has used a “broomstick”-style putter for the past ten years, and a claw grip with right hand. He keeps his left hand close to his chest. Scott does not hold his left hand against the chest. This is in accordance with USGA Rule 14-1b, which was adopted in 2016 to prohibit anchoring the club against the body. Kim shared his first experience with Scott’s L.A.B. with PGATOUR.com during the 2022 Shriners Children’s Open. Scott showed Kim how to use the L.A.B. prototype putter Mezz.1 on the last hole in a practice round leading up to the 2022 Presidents Cup. Kim reached out Joe Toulon, an Odyssey Tour representative, to order a broomstick-style putting stick. Toulon told GolfWRX.com that Kim’s putter is an Odyssey 2-Ball Ten model with a 5.5 inch split grip. Kim explained to PGATOUR.com that instead of holding it this way (conventionally), she placed her thumb on top of it. I hold my left hand tightly, as it’s all about putting with the shoulders. I prefer to hold my putter the way Adam Scott taught me. A claw grip with my right handed on top. Move the shoulder in one motion after holding your left hand steady. It makes it easier to make putts.” Kim demonstrated the new putting style with a broomstick putter at 2022 Presidents Cup. She finished 3-1, including a victory in Singles over Justin Thomas. This helped to spark the International Team. Kim stated that his putting stroke is more consistent and he doesn’t worry about movement as much. Kim was T8 at last week’s 2022 Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas. He was 38th in Strokes Gained – putting for the event, scoring 0.583 strokes. This is a significant improvement on last season, even though there’s still much to be done. This week, he will be testing at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP at Narashino Country Club, Japan.
By: GolfWRX
Title: Equipment advice from Adam Scott leads to big gear switch for Si Woo Kim
Sourced From: www.pgatour.com/equipmentreport/2022/10/11/equipment-advice-from-adam-scott-leads-to-big-gear-switch-for-si-woo-kim-odyssey-broomstick-putter.html
Published Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2022 08:15:00 -0400
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