Fulton Blog: From the practice facility to the green

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The Travelers Championship is yet another tournament that yields a first-time winner on the PGA TOUR as Fredrik Jacobson officially becomes the eighth TOUR trophy recipient this year. Jacobson put together four very solid rounds at TPC River Highlands consisting of a 65, 66, 63 and 66 to capture the title and continue his great play in the month of June.

Fredrik Jacobson is one of those guys on the PGA TOUR who is not yet talked about a lot, but when you watch him play, always seems to make an impression. Jacobson is a great example of a player who really gets a lot out of his game and a real grinder who simply knows how to get the golf ball in the hole.

When you look at Jacobson's ball striking stats, there isn't anything that particularly jumps out at you. He is always around the middle of the pack when it comes to distance off the tee, fairways hit and greens in regulation; however, when it comes to the flat stick and the always important scoring statistic, he is usually right up there.

When I watch Jacobson play golf, he appears to be very much in the moment from shot to shot and really working hard to make the best score possible on that hole. Now I know that seems very basic and is something we all try to do, but the reality is that some are simply better at embracing and understanding the art of scoring than others.

The flipside to this is sometimes a player gets caught up on making a perfect swing or trying to be too perfect with the scoring clubs, which can take away from your instincts and ability to score on the course. After all, the game of golf is one of the only sports in which where you practice is very different than where you play, and learning to bridge this gap from the driving range to the first tee can be a big task mentally for so many of us.

Over the years, Jacobson has worked on his game, particularly trying to gain more distance with his driver. I've seen him do a number of drills at the practice facility with swing devices to train the components that would lead to more distance and accuracy; however, this mechanical approach at the practice facility is left behind when Jacobson makes the walk to the first tee.

It has always appeared to me that Jacobson is really good at balancing his approach of "working" on his swing or short game at the practice facility and "playing" the golf course and making a score. This is not an easy task, as these mechanical thoughts can overwhelm the idea of playing the golf course and making a score. Here are a few ideas to help you with this balance.

1) Swing Change - When making a swing change it's important to fully understand what it is you and your instructor are changing in your golf swing. Using video can be a great way to educate the player on the development of an old move to a new one. At the practice facility, these mechanics can be broken down into positions so you can fully understand what it looks like and how it will change your ball flight.

However, when taking this to the golf course, it's imperative that you narrow your focus and try to develop the change into a feel or even a shape that you can play golf with. What's interesting is that the quicker you can take the understanding of the swing change and relate it to a feeling as well as how this will affect your ball flight, the faster you will be able to then reverse that psychology on the golf course, envisioning the ball flight and having the new mechanics to respond to it.

2) Short Game Development -- Over the years, the short game has become a more popular area of the game for amateurs to take lessons in. With technology, even the short game has become more scientific, offering a better education on techniques and how they can improve your chances around the greens. With that said, this area of the game is still very much a "feel" part of the game and too much mechanics can simply wear you down mentally on the course.

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Like the full swing, it's good to understand what it is you are trying to do when it comes to hitting a low shot, medium trajectory, or even a high lob. This development can be fun, but needs to be conducted, understood and practiced at the practice facility first. When doing this, I think it's very helpful to give your short game shots an identity. For example, at the TOUR Academies we teach six short game shots: Chipping, Hinge & Hold, Toss Shot, Pitching, Lob Shot & Bunkers. By giving each shot its own name, the mind can quickly package and deliver it when you are faced with one of those six shots on the golf course.

3) Putting -- Like the short game, putting has also become more scientific over the years. Although we see so many different styles on the PGA TOUR, there are things that you can do to help your mechanics when it comes to improving your direction and distance. At the TOUR Academies, we like to educate our players on what they need to do at address and potentially with the stroke to be successful. By creating a setup where the student understands its effect on the path of the putter head and alignment of the putter face, a player can work to create a platform that will allow for better instincts on the course.

Not only does Jacobson seem to balance these approaches when it comes to his full swing and short game, he is also very instinctive when putting; not about making the "perfect stroke," rather simply getting the golf ball in the hole.

Just Because

Alright, so I am getting a little nervous about the NFL and its upcoming season. What's crazy is that everyone I talk to is so optimistic - "Oh yeah, they will be playing Week 1 guaranteed, too much to lose" - yet every time I turn the TV on, things just seem to be getting worse.

Recently, I have begun to let my mind wander on what the Fall and Winter would be like without the NFL. Can you imagine Thanksgiving without football? What would you watch all day? Now don't get me wrong, I love my family and am very thankful, but I need some pigskin on Turkey Day.

And what about Sunday nights? Monday nights? A guy can only watch "Dateline" and "So You Think You Can Dance" so much with their wives. I need to hear Al, Jaws, and Coach Gruden breaking down the X's and O's each week getting ready for the big game.

Lots to think about these days -- economy, gas prices, goofy weather and now you threaten to take football from us. I am worried.

Travis Fulton is PGA TOUR Academy's Director of Instruction and one of Golf Digest's Best Young Teachers for 2010-11. His views do not necessarily reflect the views of the PGA TOUR. To learn more about the TOUR Academy, click here.