Matt Fitzpatrick's unusual swing change, which has driven his recent success, appeared to backfire during the opening round of the Masters on Thursday. The Sheffield native, ranked sixth in the world, made a rough start, sitting at one-over-par through seven holes after struggling with accuracy off the tee.
Fitzpatrick, who won the DP World Tour Championship and the Valspar Championship in recent months, has been using a drill called 'step left' during tournaments. The technique, developed with coach Mark Blackburn, involves taking a big step to the left on impact with the driver, improving rotation and accuracy.
Golf Channel pundit Mark Rolfing explained the benefits after Fitzpatrick's Valspar victory. 'Matt is naturally a player that has to be concerned about his accuracy,' Rolfing said. 'He decided to come up with a drill ... to figure out how he could get that rotation in the lower part of his body starting sooner.'
The change helped Fitzpatrick jump from 81st to the top five in driving accuracy on the PGA Tour. However, at Augusta National, he pulled his drive left on the first hole before saving par, then sprayed his ball wide right on the third, leading to a bogey.
Despite the shaky start, Fitzpatrick's recent form—including a win at the Valspar and a runner-up finish at The Players—has earned him backing to contend at the Masters. The 31-year-old will look to recover in the remaining rounds.
