Golf legend Gary Player tips how to improve “one of the hardest things to master in golf”
Gary Player is considered one of the many legends in the game of golf. The South Africa-born golfer recorded 159 professional victories in his career, out of which 24 came on the PGA Tour. He has also registered nine major title wins.
In a recent X (formerly known as Twitter) post, the Golf Legend shared an important learning lesson for young aspiring golfers. He advised them to keep their head still while making a putt. He wrote,
"One of the hardest things to master in golf is to keep your head still when you putt. This is one of my go-to lessons I give to players on the green. The tendency is to try to watch your ball drop in the cup. No need, just listen for the sound! GP"
Gary Player played a lot of golf in his life. Everywhere he played, the Golf Legend registered multiple victories. His portfolio is one of the biggest reasons why he is one of the most admired golfers of all time in the entire golfing fraternity.
"I don't find anything tough" - When Gary Player described golf getting easier over time
In late April 2023, the South African golfer was in Palm Beach Kennel Club at the Sports Business Club of the Palm Beaches events. There, he spoke on various golf topics that included him saying that he beat his age over 3,000 times at Augusta National, which is the home of the prestigious Masters Tournament.
Gary Player said that he does not find golf as tough as his prime years. He said that the technology has advanced to the extent that the ball travels "50 yards" farther.
As quoted by The Palm Beach Post, he said,
"I don't find anything tough (about golf) — in my prime I found it very tough — because now you've got a ball that goes 50 yards farther. You got metal heads. I don't miss the fairway. I didn't miss a fairway (Sunday) with one hand."
The 88-year-old golfer revealed that he was averaging par and had beat his age by "15 shots". He described golf as a "completely, utterly different game".
"I’m averaging par at my age. I beat my age usually by 15 shots. I average 73. It’s a completely, utterly different game. Nowhere near the same game."
During the same event, Gary Player also gave a piece of advice to the LIV Golfers. He said that his father taught him to respect others' opinions. He added that all the players who joined the Saudi-backed golf league should acknowledge the fact that they joined it "because of the money".
"My father taught me - and he was a very poor man, but a very brilliant man - always respect the other man's opinion. And that's terribly important. Whatever it may be, whether it's politics, whatever the subject may be, respect the other man's opinion. But just come out and say I'm joining it because of the money. Just be honest in life. Everybody's entitled," Player said.
Gary Player is in an ambassadorial role with Golf Saudi which aims to represent women's golf and junior golf and build a lot of golf courses.