Todd Anderson is the head of teaching at the PGA Tour Testing Center at TPC Sawgrass, where the Players Tournament is held. The 2010 PGA Teacher of the Year saw his students win more than 50 victories on the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour, including two FedEx Cup titles. He is currently named one of the top 20 coaches in the United States by Golf Digest.
Anderson professionally explains the secret of Australian Cameron Smith winning the Players' Championship and how to play a good game in the island green like him.
(A time of great anticipation)
In the Final Round of the Players Tournament, when Cameron Smith tee off on the 17th hole of the TPC sawgrass, time seemed to stand still and all eyes were on the famous island green.
It is not surprising that such a high-profile moment has occurred. After all, in the four rounds of this year's Players Championship, continuous rain and windy weather after the rain made 64 balls finally fly to the surface. Facing the same flagpole position as On Sunday, when Smith's ball fell, many fans present held their breath to witness the birth of a new champion.
"It's true that my heart was 'lifted' to the eye of my throat for a second," Smith said, "but I knew I was using the right club." ”
Smith was right. He hit a beautiful no. 9 on the par 3 hole from 135 yards — about 4 feet from the opening. It was the second closest shot to the hole of all the kick-offs on the 17th of the day, followed by a birdie – exactly what he needed to beat Aniban Rashiri by one stroke to win the PGA Tour's flagship event.
(Smith catches bird on the 17th hole in the final round)
"I played a very good shot," he said, "and the wind didn't affect the course as much as I expected." I waited a while before the fight, judged a bit, and it helped me in the end. If I said I was aiming at the landing point, I would be lying. I was probably aiming 10 feet to the left of the actual landing point. But the original plan was to take the initiative and catch the birds. ”
That's the key to this shot in Todd Anderson's eyes. Despite the tricky situation at the time, Smith took an aggressive swing under a relatively conservative strategy — the key to grasping the island green.
"He's not thinking, 'This is for the players' championship, for winning more than $3 million.'" "He listed all the conditions needed to play this shot well: it was a three-quarters swing of No. 9 iron, the goal was 15 feet to the left of the hole, to play a small right curve against the wind, try to use the slope and let it fall into the hole," Anderson said. ”
"He was preoccupied with a moment when he was about to hit the ball instead of thinking, 'Oh my goodness, there's water everywhere.' How I should swing, I don't know how to do it', and then hit a shot that I'm not sure about. ”
So, how do you play the 17th hole?
That's one of the most common questions Anderson gets from newcomers to TPC's sawtooth pitch for the first time, and his answer is always the same — no matter which club you use, make sure you swing aggressively at the target landing point.
(Todd Anderson)
"It's kind of like going into a boxing match. You have to make sure you can hit the heart of your opponent's heart in the game," he said. "When mentally prepared, because you've seen the shape of that green and the water barriers around it, you have to take active action, choose a specific target point, a distance you want to hit, and make a decisive swing."
"You definitely don't want to stand there, and when you swing, all you have in mind is to get the ball not to fall into the water. You have to be decisive and think about how to get the ball to land on the green. ”
And that's exactly what Smith did, taking a shorter upper shot while maintaining an active swing. "In the face of this stressful situation, the adrenaline has disappeared and people will instinctively wave harder," Anderson noted.
While most of the players were too far to the left in the final round of kick-off, Smith and the immediately following Rahiri still took an aggressive swing. That confidence is crucial when attacking a daunting par 3 like an island green. Because here, the player's psychological defense line is often broken.
(An aggressive swing is crucial when attacking an island green)
Anderson pointed out: "I think the average golfer gets to that hole, first of all, they are not sure how far they can play; secondly, they are not sure if they will play very steadily. So, all they did was get on the pitch and play an unplanned swing to try to get the ball to land on the green instead of aiming at a specific point on the green. ”
"Think of the ball as a bow and arrow that shoots out. If your target is a bullseye, it's fairly easy to hit. And if you just look at the direction of the target, you will lose every centimeter, a thousand miles. ”
It is crucial to have your own plan in the game. Players need to determine a specific position they want to play, a specific distance, and have a good mindset. "Instead of standing there thinking, 'Oh, I just want to hit the green.'" ”
These are the key elements of the secret to attacking island greens: when you're well prepared, you'll be more at ease. In terms of swing, the club should be shorter on this hole, but remember to swing aggressively. That way, you'll be able to control the ball and hit it steadily. ”
Anderson added: "Remember to have a positive swing idea. Maybe it's not a very good shot, or the ball speed is too fast. But, either way, a positive thought helps you execute the shot you envision. ”
Then, go and score a birdie. Just like Cameron Smith.