LIV Golf Adelaide: Matt Jones’ tips on how to speed up play, and lower your scores

[Photo: LIV Golf]

Matt Jones is regarded as one of the fastest players in world golf. But that’s not a compromise on how world-class his golf is. He is just a fast golfer who happens to have won two PGA Tour titles, two Australian Open crowns and who helped Ripper GC to a teams victory on LIV Golf last year.

We caught up with Australian Golf Digest’s Brad Clifton for a Q and A about his fast golf and low scores.

AGD: Jonesy, you would have to be the quickest player in world golf or at least right up there, wouldn’t you say?

Jones: “I think I would be up there. That’s what people say, but never had a competition to see [laughs].”

AGD: Well, I know slow play drives a lot of people mad. What thoughts on how slow people are playing these days?

“Yeah, there are some slow players, but I mean there’s a lot of quick players as well, so it is a hot topic right now, but hopefully some of our fast play can offset slow play.”

AGD: Do you think LIV Golf, by and large has actually helped speed the game up and make it more enjoyable for the fans?

Jones: “For sure. I mean, we played last week in Riyadh, I think four and a half hours [the field’s average pace]. You’ve got five hours of TV coverage instead of 10 hours of TV coverage. So it’s very entertaining and it’s fast and it’s good.”

AGD: How did you start, I want to get you to run us through your pre-shot routine in a moment, but how did that all come about for you?

Jones: “It’s something I’ve always done. I have not tried to be fast, it’s just I am fast. We do all our work before I hit the shot, get the wind, get the [distance] number, and once I’ve got my club, my number, I see the ball flight and I just swing.”

AGD: I mean it’s pretty impressive to watch. I got to say, you step over it once you locked and dialled in, you don’t have time to blink.

Jones: “Yeah, no, I like to be reactionary. I like to always be moving and then have that be my thing. I’m a little slower on the putting green, but I’m still fast. Yep. Same as chipping. I’m fast [around the greens] too.”

AGD: So, how do you do it?

Jones: “[With my caddie], we would’ve known the wind direction, how far I’m hitting it, where I’m trying to land it, so it’s more of a landing number. Let’s just say I’ve got 110 yards [100 metres] to land the ball. I would’ve spoken to my caddie and I’d have a couple of swings, and then I walk in and you’ll see my feet move a little and then I’m on my way.”

Watching Jonesy’s pre-shot routine below: