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Hideki Matsuyama's Unique Putting Drill Will Both Confuse and Amaze You

Even the broadcasters were fascinated as Matsuyama dialed in his putting ahead of the Dell Match Play.

Gabrielle Herzig

Hideki Matsuyama's Unique Putting Drill Will Both Confuse and Amaze You
Hideki Matsuyama's Unique Putting Drill Will Both Confuse and Amaze You /

Professional golfers will do almost anything to fine-tune their swings and putting strokes, even if it involves outlandish gadgets and complex drills. Strings, ramps, alignment sticks, mirrors—you name it. All kinds of devices are fair play. 

On Wednesday before teeing off at the World Golf Championships-Dell Match Play, Hideki Matsuyama gave a perfect demonstration of how complicated PGA Tour training regimens can get with a one-of-a-kind putting drill. 

On ESPN’s PGA Tour Live broadcast, cameras zoomed in on Matsuyama as he worked on his stroke. First, Matsuyama had a putting plate set up on the green, a device used by many elite players. Matsuyama’s in particular is called the Dave Pelz Putting Tutor, and it uses an alignment aid and marbles to help golfers straighten out both their start line and putter face with repetition. Matsuyama also had tees stuck in the ground on either side of his putter head, likely to enforce a straight path. Another tee was inserted deep into the putting surface behind the golf ball to force Matsuyama to slightly raise his putter head during the arc of the back stroke. 

The most intriguing part about the drill, however, was the quarter that Matsuyama’s coach or caddie appeared to be placing on the toe of his putter. It seemed that the former Masters champion was trying to keep the coin on top of the club throughout the entire stroke—a nearly impossible feat when the quarter is placed so far towards to toe of the putter. 

Even the PGA Tour Live commentators were fascinated by the drill, and stopped to watch Matsuyama take a couple practice strokes. 

Matsuyama’s putting will be put to the test on Wednesday afternoon as he faces off against Kevin Kisner, the ultimate match play competitor. 

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Gabrielle Herzig
GABRIELLE HERZIG

Gabrielle Herzig is a Breaking and Trending News writer for Sports Illustrated Golf. Previously, she worked as a Golf Digest Contributing Editor, an NBC Sports Digital Editorial Intern, and a Production Runner for FOX Sports at the site of the 2018 U.S. Open. Gabrielle graduated as a Politics Major from Pomona College in Claremont, California, where she was a four-year member and senior-year captain of the Pomona-Pitzer women’s golf team. In her junior year, Gabrielle studied abroad in Scotland for three months, where she explored the Home of Golf by joining the Edinburgh University Golf Club.

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