Thursday 7 April 2016 13:00, UK
Adam Scott is happy using a short putter again and says he goes into this week's Masters at Augusta National full of confidence.
Since the long putter was banned at the start of 2016, the world No 7 has enjoyed a resurgence in form.
The 35-year-old has made six starts this year and, during a three-week run in February and March, followed a runner-up finish at Riviera with back-to-back titles at PGA National and Doral.
As he prepares to participate in his first major tournament using a short putter, Scott says he is feeling relaxed with his game.
"I guess it's been a little bit of a process but I would say I'm fully through that transition period.
"The way I feel is no different than when I was with the longer putter. The routines and the practice and everything, the drills, they are all the same. Just with a shorter shaft.
"It might sound simple but that's how I'm trying to keep it. I think everyone forgot I putted with a short putter for the first 10 years of my career.
"But as I look back on that time, I know what I did wrong and why I got myself in frustrating streaks with the putter where I putted poorly.
"But obviously I putted well, too, because in that 10‑year period, I enjoyed some success with it. So try and learn from that, learn from all the good stuff I did using the longer putter, and put it all together.
"Hopefully, I'll be a much better, more consistent putter with this short putter than any putter I've ever used before. That's my goal."
The 2013 Masters champion is currently leading the FedEx Cup standings but, despite playing at Augusta National for a 16th time, he admits it always takes time to get used to its famed putting surfaces and sloping fairways.
"I think just generally, the amount of slope on this golf course is the thing that you forget from year‑to‑year as a player coming here," he added.
"It's the thing that you most need to familiarise yourself with in your practice rounds. When there's that much slope on a green running at 13 on the Stimpmeter, if it catches the wrong slope you're in trouble.
The routines and the practice and everything, the drills, they are all the same. Just has a shorter shaft.
"You could hit quite a good shot 10 feet right of the hole. But if it catches the slope, it's 45 feet away. And now you've gone from a 10‑foot up the hill birdie putt, which is made by a good putter 60 per-cent of the time, to 45 feet away, which is probably more of a three‑putt possibility.
"These are the challenges that you face the whole day around here. Of course, some greens are more severe than others but you do have to be very precise because, if you're a little bit off with your iron play from the fairway or if you're off with your tee shots, then you're going to have a really long day.
"If you're off with your iron play from the fairway and putting from 40 feet away, you are not giving yourself a lot of chances.
"Also, if you miss on the short side, then you'll be chipping back down to 40 feet, which is even worse because then you can three‑putt for double.
"There's a disaster waiting to happen on every shot. That's the balance that you have to find when you're playing out here, and that's why this is so exciting, this golf tournament, because a three‑shot swing is very, very possible."
