Why are the players so worried about Pinehurst’s greens? It’s a combination of severe slopes and the USGA’s willingness to place hole locations on the edges of those slopes.
The main benefit of the Fitz Grip is that it locks the putter into your left palm, which means your left arm and putter move as one. It can also improve the alignment of your forearms.
In an article from 2005, Mickelson explains that most bunker technique is taught with fluffy sand as the standard, but when that’s applied to firm or wet conditions it doesn’t always work.
Poor shoulder alignment is a problem because golfers tend to swing their arms – and by extension, the club – in the direction their shoulders are pointing.
You can’t eliminate margin for error in golf, but you can learn to play it. That’s what playing smart is. And that’s what Matt Fitzpatrick does so well.