How to Be the Comeback Kid in Golf

In Wiktionary.org, the comeback kid is "a person who repeatedly demonstrates the propensity to overcome downturns or periods of bad publicity and rebound to victory or popularity." In golf, the comeback kid has been related to Tommy Fleetwood, Patrick Cantlay, and Rory McIlroy for rebounding after trying circumstances during a tournament.

After nearly five years on the European Tour without a win, Paul Casey finally broke through and has now earned the title! Rolling in two clutch birdies on the 16th and 17th holes on Sunday at the Porsche European Open secured Casey's win.

Overcoming adversity on the golf course or coming from a stroke (or more) back may be easier for the tour pros but not so simple for the average golfer.

Although not everyone has the longest drive or can make all of their GIR's (greens in regulation), golfers can learn to master the art of putting. Almost any golfer can learn to putt well to save the hole. (How many times have you breathed a huge sigh of relief after sinking a long bogey putt?)

Here are a few tips to help you assess your round, stop the slippage and use your putter to be the comeback kid on the golf course.

1. Visit the practice green before every round and roll a few putts to get down the speed and see the line.

2. While practicing, try to get within the "circle of trust" near the hole.

3. "Think Roll, Not Hit" - according to Dave Stockton, this mental golf tip is the key to distance control while putting. The two main thoughts surrounding putting are speed and line - you get the idea behind distance control and you are halfway to being a better putter.

Let's end this golf blog with a few statistics. Short game guru Dave Pelz states that "putting accounts for approximately 43 percent of your total strokes." Both putting and chipping account for "fifty percent of shots are hit within forty yards of the hole," according to GolfStateofMind.com.

I will leave you with this great putting demonstration by way of Phil Mickelson on Twitter. Enjoy!

A little taste of Augusta. Spending all week putting on my green with speed at 15.6-16😎⛳️ #Lefty pic.twitter.com/GprpRJCXTB

— Phil Mickelson (@PhilMickelson) April 5, 2019

3 Tips for Golf Beginners to Speed Up Slow Play

Slow play has long been an issue for golfers - although it rarely affects the offender, setting up a shot or taking too much time viewing a putt can really put a damper on your game.

In the news recently, tour players have taken it upon themselves to personally address the situation, being more vocal in their opinions on the matter.

After Bryson DeChambeau recently took two minutes and twenty seconds to find his line and putt, Brooks Koepka had a word (or two) with Bryson which resulted in an agreement and supposed compliance.

The Rules of Golf encourage "ready golf" and state that a player must play a shot "with undue delay".

READ: What rules of golf do you always follow?

Since slow play is rarely addressed by PGA Tour officials, professional golfers have taken to their podiums to drive the message home to their playing partners. While the PGA Tour deliberates,, the European Tour is taking definitive action, introducing a four-point plan to curb slow play on tour.

Golf for Beginners believes that education is the key to helping players speed up golf on the course. Here are three tips to help beginners (and all amateurs) move through a course while continuing to enjoy the experience.

1. PRE-SHOT ROUTINE: Do you have one? If not, now is the time to start - it shouldn't take you very long from the time you step up to the tee box with ball in hand until the time you fire off your shot. Confidence will be the key to your success.

2.  THINK BOX: The VISION54 Team (Lynn Marriott & Pia Nilsson) believe that you start using your instincts more - how much essential data do you really need before stepping up into the "Go" zone?

3. HOW MANY SHOTS DO YOU TAKE? For beginners, if you find you are whiffing almost every shot, why not pick up your ball and drop it closer to the hole - chip and putt instead? For shorter hitters who can move the ball forward...but not far...why not tee up from the next forward tee box? You will probably have more fun getting green-in-regulation too!

Do you have a few golf tips on how to speed up play? Post them in the comments section of this golf blog and on Twitter, tagging @Golf4Beginners.