CHAPTER ONE 第一章

HOW TO PUTT (3) 推杆(3)

  Swing Path （挥杆路径）

Once I align the face of the putter square to the target line, the most important thing is to return the club-face to that position at impact. The best way to do that is to swing the putter straight back and straight through along the same path. Speaking from personal experience that’s easier said than done. On the practice green one day, Butch told me I was swinging the putter back on an inside path. I had been putting poorly and this was the reason. Butch explained that when the putter goes back on the inside, you are forced to “release” the putter-head aggressively through impact in order to get it back to square. That causes a lot of pulls to the left and pushes to the right, not to mention inconsistent speed control.

杆头正对准瞄准线，上杆，我们所期待的是下杆的杆面仍然方正。保持触球方正的最好办法当然是沿着同一路径直上直下。就我个人而言，这个说容易，做起来却难。有一天在果岭上，布奇告诉我，我的推杆上杆路径有点inside，这个就是我推杆失误的原因所在。布奇说，如果上杆的路径是inside，那么下杆时，为了让杆面方正，就会在击球时用双手去调整杆头，而这往往会导致拉杆和开杆，更破坏了下杆的匀速。

Butch cured me fast with a little drill. Standing to my right, down the target line, he reached forward with his own putter and placed the club-head to the inside of the line. “Now hit the putt”, he said. I did, and my putter-head collided with his on the backswing. I tried it again—same thing. It took some effort, but I finally got the putter moving straight away from the ball. I started putting better almost instantly.

The straight-back-and-through path is especially important on putts of five feet or less, where I’m not hitting the ball very hard. On longer putts, where I’m forced to turn my shoulders more in order to take the putter back farther, the putter-head tends to move to the inside a little. That’s fine; I’d have to separate my arms from my body too much to keep the putter moving along the straight-back path.

布奇一个小小的练习很快纠正了我的毛病，他站在我的右边，对着目标线，也拿着一根推杆，并把推杆杆头放在瞄准线的内侧（也就是靠近我身体的一侧）。“击球，”他说。我上杆，杆头撞到了他的杆头，我再试，还是如此。克服上杆inside 并不是太容易，但当我终于能够直线上杆时，我的推杆表现立即有了改观。

=== Same Length, Back and Through. （上杆下杆同样的长度）

An important key to pace and rhythm is to make my backstroke and forward stroke the same length. If I take the putter back only a few inches on a 20-footer, I’ll have to accelerate suddenly to get the ball to the hole, and I’ll have to lengthen my follow-through as a result.

为了保证速度和节奏，上杆的高度和送杆的长度须要保持一致。面对一个20英尺的长推，如果上杆高度不够，那么下杆时就会不由自主地加速，送杆的长度也因此增加。

=== Shoulders and Arms Do Most of the Work （推杆是肩膀和手臂的工作）

The main source of movement is in the shoulders and arms. They act together; I don’t want my arms running away from my shoulders at any time, in the backstroke especially. I want to keep my hands quiet during the entire stroke.

推杆杆头的驱动在于肩膀和手臂的共同作用，肩带动双臂移动，尤其在上杆过程中，双臂不能主动。在整个上杆下杆过程中，手的作用是握住杆不变形。

=== Let Your Wrists Hinge—a Little （手腕是轴）

Nothing is worse than a putting stroke that is all hands. There is too much play in the putter-head that way, and a handsy stroke doesn’t hold up well under pressure. I like to keep my hands and wrists subdued during the stroke.

I don’t want to freeze my hands and wrists entirely, however. If my grip pressure is right (as it should be), there is bound to be a tiny amount of hinging in my wrists. That’s especially true on lag putts, where I need a longer stroke and more club-head speed to get the ball to the hole. But keep in mind, I want to use my hands only as much as is absolutely necessary.

用手来控制的推杆是最不可取的，因为手控下的杆头有了最大的旋转可能，在压力之下，杆面的旋转就不可避免。我总是让手和手腕在击球过程中处于被控地位。

但是不能让手和手腕固化，如果我握杆的手是轻的，那么，手腕还是有一定的活动余地的，尤其在长推时，需要较大的上杆下杆幅度来保证球滚动的速度。但是我只是在绝对必要的时候，才让我的手腕有活动的余地。

=== Arms and Putter Act as One （杆头是手臂的延伸）

    I want the club-shaft and my left forearm to form a straight, continuous line. To do that, I simply arch my wrists downward a little at address. By eliminating an angle between my forearms and the club-shaft, the putter will do exactly what my arms do during the stroke. The idea is to eliminate unwanted angles and levers, so the stroke is more of a one-piece action.

      杆几乎是我左手的直线延伸，所以在瞄准时，我的腕骨有点拱起。通过减少小臂和杆身之间的角度，手臂的动作就能在击球时完整准确地传导到杆头。减少臂和杆身之间的角度和由此产生的杠杆效应，让他们成为一体，这是最理想的状态。

=== Keep a Steady Head （头保持不动）

Every good putter keeps the head absolutely still from start to finish. Every bad putter I know moves the head to some degree. It’s as simple as that. If I move my head even a fraction, it’s almost impossible to keep my putting path stable and true. It’s hard to hit the ball solidly, too. More than likely I’ll open my shoulders on the forward stroke, causing me to putt the putter across the ball from out to in. I practice keeping my head dead still until well after the ball is gone.

好推手总是保持头不动，相反，头乱晃的球手总是对他们的推杆很失望。如果我的头动了即使一点点，那么肯定会影响我推杆路径的稳定和准确，击球也不可能充分。而且很有可能，在送杆时，我的肩膀会打开，导致击球是outside-in。在球开始动之前，我的头保持绝对不动。

=== No Peeking! （不要看球）

If you are like me, you can’t wait to see if the ball is tracking toward the hole right after the ball leaves the putter-face. But the urge to glance up too soon has some nasty consequence. The tendency to peek too soon causes my head to move and leads to sloppy contact. Not only that, if I’m distracted by thoughts of where the ball is going, I won’t focus on my main job, which is to keep the putter moving directly down the target line.

I found an effective way to fight the problem: I practice putting with my left eye closed, so I can’t see the target line at all with my peripheral vision. That makes it easier to keep my eyes looking straight down.

我们大多数人总是等不及球离开杆头，就去看球。这种急切是无益，会导致头的移动和击球的不扎实。而且如果我的脑子想着球路，我就不会专注于杆头的直线移动，而这个才是我的主要任务。

我的解决方法是这样的：推杆时，我让左眼闭着，这样我就瞥不到瞄准线，因而我的眼睛只能注视正下方的球。

*** Never Force the Issue（草率要不得）

Putting is largely about touch. To really get a feel for speed, the stroke should be as easy, smooth and natural as I can make it. If I putt like a robot stiff, locked up and too mechanical, I won’t judge distance very well, especially on longer putts.

推杆是很艺术的，简单，流畅，自然，这样才能感受速度。如果像机器人一样，生硬固化而机械，就会失去对距离的判断，尤其是在长推中。

=== Let the Toe Pass the Heel（送杆后，杆趾在杆跟的前面）

If I keep my left arm fairly close to my side on the forward stroke, the putter-head will tend to rotate to the left after impact, the toe of the club passing the heel. I don’t fight that natural tendency, the important thing is for the putter-face to be square to the target line at impact, and that will happen as long as my release is smooth and unhurried.

上杆时，我的左臂靠紧胸，当击球送杆后，杆面就会向左转，于是杆趾在杆跟的前面。我认为这个是很自然的身体动作，我不加以理会。重要的是让杆面在击球时与瞄准线垂直，这就需要我的送杆是流畅而不是急促的。

=== Don’t “Block It” Down the Line （撞球不可取）

Some players are so desperate to avoid pushes and pulls that they shove the putter head down the target line, keeping the clubface dead square from start to finish. It’s a very unnatural action. It doesn’t do much to provide square contact, and it’s almost impossible to impart the right speed consistently.

有些球手为了避免杆面的拉和开，刻意在上杆和送杆时保持杆头绝对地垂直于瞄准线，在击球时几乎是沿着瞄准线撞向球。这样的动作很不自然，不能保持持续匀速送杆，也就不能保证方正击球。

*** Handling Breaking Putts （有“线”的推杆）

=== The Light-to-Left Putt（右向左）

Most right-handed players prefer a putt that breaks from right to left. That’s because the arms and hands are moving outward, away from the body, through impact. It’s bit more natural to stroke the ball this way, rather than drawing your hands and arms inward toward your body through impact.

    惯用右手的球手觉得推右向左的“线”比较容易，这是因为击球时双手离开身体朝外移动，这比让双手向身体靠近更符合身体的本能动作。

=== The Left-to-Right Putt（左向右）

The key to this putt is to allow the putter to “release”, or rotate freely, through impact. That’s harder than it sounds. The tendency is to let the putter-head drift to the right (toward the hole) through impact. The result: A miss on the low side. Keep your head down, trust your line, and let the putter release naturally.

这个“线”向的推杆，关键是在击球时不要刻意控制杆头释放或者说旋转。这个有点难。容易出现的情况是杆头向右也就是洞口方向晃，这会导致球错失在洞杯低侧。头不动，相信自己的瞄准线，让送出的杆头自如释放。

*** Lagging the Long Ones Close（避免三推）

The only time I welcome a long putt is when I’ve reached a long par 5 in two. Nevertheless, I face putt of 40 feet or longer a lot more often than that, once per round on average at least. The goal, of course, is to avoid three-putting. Three-putts are killers, and that doesn’t say anything about four-putting, which I’ve do a few times since I was a kid. (But I’m glad to say I’ve never five-putted!)

My goal is to lag my first putt dead to the hole, so I have nothing more than a tap-in left. That’s setting the bar pretty high, but it’s rare that I face a long putt so difficult that I can’t lag it up there close. There are exceptions, of curse. On the 17^th hole at Augusta National during the Masters, they often cut the hole on the left side of the green on Sunday. That part of the green slopes severely form left to right. If I stop my approach shot on the left side of the green, forget it. I can’t hit my first putt within eight feet-unless I hole it.

五杆洞二上后，往往会是一个长推，我乐意接受这样的长推。然而，我还是经常碰到除此以外的40英尺以上的长推，至少每轮一次。避免三推“杀手”，杜绝四推。在我还是孩子的时候我有过四推，但我从来没有过五推。

第一推，必须让球接近洞口，接下来就只剩下轻轻一送了。这个要求有点高，但我总是能做到。也有例外，大师赛期间的十七洞，周日的洞杯往往是在果岭的左侧，这部分果岭左向右倾斜很严重，如果我上果岭的一杆在果岭左侧，那么长推不可避免，除非我进洞，否者，我面临的第一推都会大于8英尺。

=== I make my backswing and forward stroke the same distance.（上杆与送杆同样的距离）

That’s the best way to assure a smooth, rhythmic stroke with plenty of feel. If my follow-through is a bit longer than my backswing, fine. But if it’s shorter, I’ve more than likely decelerated the putter through impact, a sure killer.

上杆与送杆同样的距离，这是保证流畅、节奏和控制力的击球方式。如果送杆长一点，挺好；但是，如果短了一点，那在击球时杆头肯定减速了，减速是推杆杀手。

=== I make practice strokes while looking at the hole.（看着洞，试推）

Concentration! I see in my mind’s eye the length of stroke necessary to impart the right amount of speed.

专注！我的“脑眼”会告诉我确保速度而需要的上杆高度

=== I swing the putter at the same pace, back and through.（上杆下杆同样的节奏）

It’s important that the putter be gaining speed as it strikes the ball. But if I can feel that my putter-head is traveling at the same speed from start to finish, I’ll accelerate through impact without thinking about it.

以匀加速度通过击球区，这一点非常重要。如果杆头从上杆击球到送杆保持匀速，就会加速通过击球区，这是一个不用思考的自然而然的过程。

=== A long putt is rarely perfectly flat.（坡度）

Am I putting uphill or downhill? As I approach the green, I look closely to determine which side is higher.

当我走近果岭的时候，我已经开始查看果岭的坡度了。

=== I hit the putt solidly at all costs. （甜点击球）

    If I miss the sweet spot of the putter-face by half an inch—which is easy to do when I’m making an extra long stroke—I can lose 10 feet of roll or more.

    长距离推杆时，如果我的触球点不是在甜点，那么即使相差半英寸，而这是常有的事，我损失的距离会在10英尺左右。

=== Am I putting into the grain or down-grain? （草纹）

If I’m putting down the grain, I can often factor in a few extra feet of roll.

顺草推杆时我通常考虑到球会多滚几英尺。

=== I study the last six feet of the putt closely.（滚动路径的最后六英尺不可忽视）

Knowing the way the ball behaves when it’s dying at the hole is crucial.

清楚球在洞口附近的走向是非常重要的。

=== I don’t forget the break! （“线”）

I can judge the speed perfectly, but if I push or pull the putt five feet, I haven’t done myself any favors.

速度是非常重要的，但是如果“线”错了，那就是南辕北辙。

===When putting up or down a tier, I divide the putt into two sections. （双层果岭）

    It’s important that the ball arrive at the beginning of a downhill tier with just the right speed and conversely, that is arrive at the top of an uphill tier with enough speed to get the ball to the hole.

    如果第二层果岭是下坡，那么到达下坡前的球速就要非常谨慎；如果第二层果岭是上坡，那就要保证足够的后续速度来爬坡入洞。

*** What You See Is What You Get（所见即所得）

The most memorable putt of my career remains the 30-footer I buried at Pumpkin Ridge on my way to winning my third straight U.S. Amateur Championship in 1995. In the 36-hole final against Steve Scott, I stood 1 down with two holes to play. My approach shot to the 17^th hole was just so-so and left a birdie putt of about 30 feet. I read the putt carefully and was certain it would break five inches to the right. Rarely have I felt so self-assured that a putt would behave exactly as I saw it. The moment I struck the putt, I knew I had started on line. And when it dove in the hole, I was excited but not really surprised. I’m not sure there’s a strong moral to that story, except that it pays to learn how to read greens.

我职业生涯中最难忘的一击推杆，是我连续第三年争取美国业余锦标赛冠军的1995年，Pumpkin Ridge 球场，推进的一个30英尺长推。我与斯提夫斯科特同组，36洞的决赛，还剩2洞时，我输一洞。17洞on果岭一杆实在不能说好，留下30英尺的小鸟推。我非常仔细地研读果岭，肯定“线”是洞右边5英寸，我从来没有如此确信过，我相信球会沿着我所“看”到的轨迹滚动。击出的球沿着瞄准线开始滚，然后，入洞，我兴奋，但是我知道这是必然的结果。我不能肯定意志力是否在其中起到了作用，但是我知道，正确阅读果岭是关键。

Reading greens is a science in that you must take into account physical factors such as the slope of the green and the type of grass you’re putting on. But it’s an art, too. Having competed on courses all over the world, I’ve experienced tremendous variations in terrain, weather, agronomy and course conditioning. They all influence how the ball rolls. Here are some rules of thumb.

果岭阅读是科学，必须考虑坡度，果岭草；但又是艺术。在世界各地比赛，我见识过各种各样的地形，气候，土壤植被，球场情况，这些都会影响到球的滚动，以下是我的体会。

=== Fast Early, Slow Late （早上快，下午慢）

Grass grows quickly—enough that the same putt you hit at 8 A.M. can be considerably slower at 5P.M. As with all rules, however, there are exceptions. When I won the 2000 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, the greens got quicker as the day wore on. In the morning the greens were damp and therefore slow but when the wind came up, the greens dried out and got al lot faster.

果岭草长的很快，以至于同样情况的推杆，下午5点的比早上8点要慢很多。但也有例外，2000年，我在圆石滩赢得比赛那一次，果岭却是下午快。早上有露水，下午的风把果岭吹干了，速度反而快了。

=== Learn to Read Grain.（草纹）

Grass doesn’t grow straight up, it tends to grow toward one side or the other. Grain isn’t as big a factor as it used to be because greens are cut so short nowadays, still, it’s a factor, especially on Bermuda grass. Study the hole. One side will be shaggier than the other; a ball moving in the direction of the shaggy side will travel faster than one rolling against it. Another general rule: Grass grows toward the setting sun.

草不是直着朝上长的，总是倒向一边。现在的果岭草都剪得很短，所以，草纹的影响要小很多，但依然是一个必须考虑到的因素，尤其是百慕大草。仔细看看洞杯沿的草，你会发现有一边比较粗糙，而另一边相对整齐。顺着草纹，球速就快，逆着草纹，速度就慢。还有一条，草总是迎着落日长。

=== Wind Can Matter. （风）

When it’s blowing more than 15 m.p.h. pay attention. A golf ball weights only a little more than an ounce and a half, so you can bet it can be influenced by the wind.

如果风力超过了15 m.p.h.，就要注意了。一颗高尔夫球一盎司半多一点，风对球的影响是不可忽视的。

=== Balls Roll Where Water Grains. （水源）

If there’s a pond near the green, I can be sure the ball will favor moving in  

that direction.

如果附近有池塘，球是愿意光顾那个方向的。

=== Mountains Are Mystifying.（让人困惑的山）

If I’m playing a mountain course, strange things can happen. Putts that appear straight will break for no apparent reason. The rule: Find the highest mountain peak in the vicinity; the green will tend to slope away from it.

山地球场，总让人差很光火，球会莫名其妙地拐“线”。寻找周围的最高峰，果岭总是朝最高峰的相反方向倾斜。

*** Narrow Your World（专注）

A few years ago, I started cupping my hands around my eyes while I read putts. The reason I do it is not because I see more, it’s because I see less. The PGA Tour can get some pretty big galleries, and there’s always a lot of movement I sometimes find distracting. By forming a little tunnel with your hands, I can focus totally on reading my line.

You probably don’t have too big a crowd watching you play, but still there are distractions—carts zooming around, fellow walking around the greens and so forth. If you have trouble concentrating, try my “tunnel vision” technique. It will sharpen your focus and help you hole more putts

几年前，我开始用双手在眉骨上搭起一个凉棚，这样，能让进入我视野的事物少些。PGA 巡回赛的球场总是很美，吸引眼球的事免不了。用手在眼前搭一个凉棚，这样，我的目力就只在球“线”的阅读上了。

虽然不是每组都有很多观众，但是外界的干扰还是挺多的，穿梭的球车，果岭周围走动的人。如果觉得自己注意力被分散了，那么试试我的“凉棚”，这能让自己专注，提高入洞率。