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How Nelly Korda’s new technique — and putter! — won her a gold medal
Left-hand low putting has been a game-changer for Nelly Korda.
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Welcome to Teachable Moments, GOLF’s weekly instruction column that will help you improve your game through the excellence and expertise of the Tour stars of the week. Class is now in session.
Nelly’s new technique
It was a golden week in Tokyo for Nelly Korda.
The World No. 1 continued her dominant 2021 campaign with an emphatic win at the Women’s Olympic Golf Competition, outlasting Lydia Ko and Mone Inami by a shot. The win was her fourth of the season — and her third since she switched to a left-hand low putting technique earlier this summer.
“I always putted more with my left shoulder up and I wanted to see how it would be if I would have my shoulder square at setup,” Korda said. “The only way to do it is if I gripped it left hand low. My shoulders just rock so much better and I’m just connected more with my chest when I’m putting when I grip it left hand low.”
Since the switch, the 23-year-old has transformed into the best player on the planet. She started her heater with a win at the Meijer Classic and came back the next week with a breakthrough victory at the KPMG Women’s PGA. She’s also got more rounds of 63 or better (three) than rounds over par (one).
But a simple putting technique change is not the only reason for Korda’s summer hot streak. GOLF.com learned last week that she also put a new putter in the bag to better compliment her left-hand low technique.
With a left-hand low technique, Korda’s stroke path is more square to the target. Because of this, she opted to put a putter in the bag with less toe hang to match her release when she strikes the ball. The switch has taken her game to all new heights.
“I feel way more confident over it,” she said. “I know that my chest and my arms move more together, and I just feel like there’s less room for mistakes for me with left hand low.”
JT’s secret to recovery
Professional golf is an international sport, and sometimes that means some demanding travel days. Last week, Justin Thomas shared an Instagram post detailing his month-long galivant around the globe. He flew over 23,000 miles over four weeks, as he played everywhere from Tokyo to Memphis.
A frequent flyer program will help ease a demanding travel schedule like, but even more crucial is a quality recovery and fitness routine. First class seats might make for comfort in the skies, but recovery and fitness put Thomas on the path toward lifting trophies on Sundays.
“What makes me get back to normal is just get a good sweat in,” Thomas said in a recent video from the PGA Tour. “We work hard in the gym in off weeks and when we’re away from the course to have our bodies feeling as good as possible to handle those three-, four-, five-week stretches.”
Check out the entire video below to hear from Thomas on he keeps his body fresh even after some demanding travel.
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