NAPLES, Fla. – A few weeks ahead of the CME Group Tour Championship, Lexi Thompson got some new ink on her right forearm. The black tattoo, which consists of an arrow with the word “Faith” scripted through it, points to the spiritual side of the American star. On a scale of 1 to 10, Thompson said the process ranked about a four on the pain scale.
“The arrow is just to keep on going forward,” said Thompson. “God will have me on the right path.”
There’s a lot of searching in this game. For the right technique, the right team, the right frame of mind. What works one week might not work the next. The tattoo points to a part of Thompson’s life that provides stability.
At the CME Group Tour Championship, where Thompson is defending her title, the 24-year-old continues to look for answers. On Friday, she switched back to the claw putting grip hoping to find something that’s comfortable.
“Putting poorly yesterday prompted that change,” she said.
Exceptional ball-striking – and a holed-out bunker shot for eagle – led to a second-round 67 that puts her five strokes back of leader Sei Young Kim at Tiburon Golf Club.
After reaching a standstill earlier this fall, Thompson and her father, Scott, reached out to Joe Hallett for a second opinion.
Scott serves as Lexi’s primary instructor, but he wanted a pro’s opinion to help get her ball-striking back in order. Hallett has long been a steady presence on the LPGA, working with a number of players, most notably Stacy Lewis. He’s also been a sounding board for the Thompsons for years. Now it’s more official.
“I’m in charge of bad jokes, happiness and a tiny bit of instruction,” said Hallett, who likes to keep things light. For a player who has spent years carrying the hope of American golf on her strong frame, light is good.
During a lengthy break from the tour, Thompson worked on delaying the jump in her swing that led to erratic shots.
“I started it just for about the last month, month and a half,” said Thompson. “Everybody knows I jump off the ground, but it’s really because my right foot picks up too early and then I get stuck behind me. So I’m just trying to keep it on the ground a little bit longer, which kind of helps with my overall jump not being as much.”
Scott said she hit balls flatfooted for 10 straight days.
“I’m not talking 50 balls,” he said, “I’m talking hundreds of balls.”
Lexi said it was to the point that her hands nearly bled.
On the putting green, Hallett said they’re working on developing a routine that’s as confident and decisive as it is on the tee.
“Take one long, good look at the hole,” said Hallett, “make a practice stroke, look back at the ball and go.”
Around the greens, the emphasis was on staying in address posture.
“If you look different after a chip shot,” said Hallett, “you have probably added too much to the equation.”
It’s still early stages, but the Thompsons are feeling good about where this is going. Thompson won once this season at the ShopRite LPGA Classic in June and is ranked ninth in the world. Nelly Korda currently holds the title of top-ranked American at No. 3. She’s three back of Kim in Naples.
“(Joe) knows a lot about golf,” said Scott, “and he knows a lot about the way golfers should think too, and I think that’s going to help us even more.”
