Las Vegas, Nevada (September 2, 2011)–Charley Hoffman has a wobble up his sleeve this week on the PGA Tour. Hoffman, a resident of the Las Vegas Golf Region, has developed his own personal "wobble" tool that has helped him with his putting. Hoffman is the defending champion of the Deutsche Bank Championship. –By Brian Hurlburt
"I've had this wobble board for a while," Hoffman told the media in Boston after they spotted him on the putting green standing on a peculiar looking board. "That one I have is one I actually made. I hurt my ankle probably like three or four years ago, and I did some exercises on the wobble board just to gain balance back in the ankle … I putted great right after I was doing that, and then last year I used it when I was hurt with my wrist, and then this year I sort of got away from it. I just never used it. I don't usually travel with it. I usually when I go home jump on it or something."
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Hoffman continued about his wobble board: "This year I happened to never get back on it, and I sort of got off my groove. I actually brought it on the road. I rarely bring it on the road because I usually feel pretty good on the weeks off that I practice at home with it. I'm in good position. But I felt this was a good time to bring it on the road and make sure I was in the right spot for the Playoffs, and I think we're definitely back on the right track. But it is something I just came up with and developed myself. It wasn't some putting instructor that told me what to do or whatever. I just felt like it put me in the spot I wanted to be, in athletic position, really, nothing more than that. It's pretty simple."
Hoffman also talked about how 2011 has been a difficult year with the flat stick: "Usually putting is one of my stronger stats. I'm sure everybody saw the putter that went in two at THE PLAYERS Championship. But it's been a weird year. I've been working on a lot of things, been practicing and just nothing has clicked, and then last week I went home and sort of went back to basics, just tried to work on setup and getting in athletic position. I went and saw my college coach, Dwaine Knight, and we just sort of went back to not thinking about it — as easy as it sounds, don't really think about anything; think about making the putt, get in athletic setup, make the stroke and then make the putt. Last week I obviously made some putts. Obviously I wish I would have made a few more. But this week I'm back to the basics. I've been working with a wobble board I made at my house, just stay in athletic position, don't think about anything dealing with the stroke, just be, I guess, stable in your setup and stroke it. It's been working." Quotes from ASAPSports.com; file photo from Steve Spatafore.