Harvey’s Ridiculous Putting Advice
Day 5 Rereading “Harvey Penick's Little Red Book"
The Golf Book Club: Every day, we share a mental game lesson inspired by great golf books—stories and strategies to help you think better so you can play better.
Every putt felt dangerous.
At the 1975 U.S. Women’s Open, Sandra Palmer received ridiculous advice.
The Open was played at the Atlantic City Country Club. The USGA always grew the rough deep. But after a full week of rain, the rough was so high that lawnmowers broke on the tangled grass. Fairways looked like bowling alleys with thick green gutters.
But approach shots were even worse. The summer sun and gusty wind baked the greens. Approach shots bounced like marbles off those tabletop surfaces.
But putting was even worse. The greens were so fast, every putt felt dangerous.
After three rounds, Sandra struggled to seven over par. Everyone got stuck in the rough, bounced off the greens, and ran putts miles past the hole. So at seven over, Sandra found herself with a share of the lead.
That night, she made a long distance call to Texas.
The 200 mile drive.
When Sandra was a kid, she rode the bus to school. Every day, they passed a golf course. The golfers strolled around as if in paradise. One day, Sandra asked the bus driver to stop. She ran to the golf course and fell in love with the game.
She was a good college player but she wasn’t ready to turn pro. So she got a job as a high school teacher. Every Friday night, she drove 200 miles to take lessons with Harvey. She worked on her game all weekend. Every Sunday night, she drove 200 miles home.
After turning pro, she often checked in with Harvey. Now, with the U.S. Women’s Open on the line, she picked up the phone.
Reassuring the student.
Harvey says, “Sandra was worried about the speed of the greens. She said they were the slickest, fastest greens she had ever seen. I said, well, Sandra, if the greens are that fast, you should probably hit your putts a little easier.”
Sandra thought he was joking. What ridiculous advice! But then, she had to laugh.
Because Harvey was doing what great teachers do: reassuring the student. Reminding her that putting isn’t complicated. Don’t try to adjust your swing or calculate the speed. Just relax and hit the ball a little easier. After a few holes, you’ll have a feel for the speed. Don’t overcomplicate it.
Sandra took that ridiculous advice to the golf course and won the U.S. Women’s Open.
Mark Black said, “Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax.”
Harvey made Sandra laugh with his simple answer. The greens are fast? So hit the ball a little easier until you get a feel for the speed. You’re missing more putts? So is everyone else. Stop overthinking.
It sounds too good to be true. But the next time you’re playing on fast greens, repeat Harvey’s ridiculously obvious advice. It will make you smile, relax, and get back to the simple game of rolling a ball toward a hole.
That’s all for now. Until next time, keep imagining what’s possible.
GOLF PHOTO OF THE DAY
Golf-de-Chantilly, France (Hole #12)
