Dylan Menante even talks with good pace.
On a recently released video, he squeezed in about 250 words in just under a minute. Some of that is editing, of course. But Menante is a bit of an expert on the subject, and there was no reason to pause.
He’d been approached to talk about his fast play.
This season on the Korn Ferry Tour, players’ times from the tee through the green have been posted on the tour’s website, and, entering this week’s play, Menante is first in every category but one: approach the green — where he’s second. The numbers are certainly interesting, given that slow play has been such a focus in golf. So how does Menante do it? What’s he thinking? Below is the video, and below that are some thoughts.
Menante’s basic thought
“I try to keep it as simple as possible. Like what side of the green am I trying to hit, what shot am I trying to hit, what number.”
Simple enough.
Menante’s thought on routines
“Yeah, your routine is really important, but how many times are you actually going to hit the exact shot you desire? Like, [Ben] Hogan said, I think, two or three a round. And, I mean, I’m nowhere near as good as him ball-striking-wise, so maybe I’m hitting one or two, so why get so uncomfortable standing over a shot waiting when you’re only going to hit two or three perfect shots a round?”
Menante isn’t saying you shouldn’t prepare yourself. But the thought, as he said, is to find your target and go — and be OK that it likely won’t fall in the hole.
Menante’s thought on fast play being detrimental
“The dilemma between trying to play fast yet trying to play good, because sometimes you play too fast, you don’t look at the stuff, you make careless mistakes. But then if you play too slow, it’s anxious and you only think about the bad things that can happen. So it’s trying to find a balance between playing good and playing fast.”
There’s fast play — and reckless play. A proper routine here is important. Build one to account for any potential oversights.
Menante’s thought on pace of play — and play overall
“I mean, there’s almost no one this fast in the pace of play. Like maybe guys 10 to 20. But not 1 through 10 on the speed of average stroke time on Korn Ferry. But I think it’s cool to be there because it’s pretty unique for me to be in this position, obviously playing well. Last year, I didn’t have much, so this year it’s obviously awesome to play well and to play quick. I think it’s just nice to play quick. Whether you play good or bad, play quick.”
Does fast play work? Menante is first in four of the five speed of play rankings on the Korn Ferry Tour — overall, off the tee, around the green, and on the green, and he’s second in approach the green. But where does he rank in those categories in strokes gained?
Off the tee, Menante is tied for 16th. Around the green, he’s ranked 24th In putting, he’s ranked 50th. In approach the green, he’s ranked 49th. In strokes gained total, he’s ranked eighth.
As for the points standings, Menante is seventh. At the end of the season, the top 20 will earn PGA Tour cards.
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