Will Zalatoris' back surgery helped fix his putting woes

Will Zalatoris has gained strokes on the greens in three straight events, which isn't a normal occurrence for the notoriously poor putter. It's only the third time in his career he's gained strokes with the putter three starts in a row. 

This trend is even more surprising when you consider Zalatoris is only five starts removed from a microdiscectomy on two herniated discs in his back. It's not easy for professional golfers to return from injury and pick up where they left off, especially after a major back surgery. Just ask Tiger Woods. 

But for Zalatoris, his back surgery actually helped him repair his biggest weakness. 

After undergoing surgery in April, the 27-year-old had to wait five months before he could swing a golf club again. So, he got to work on his short game. According to ESPN, Zalatoris started trying out new putters and putter strokes in his downtime. One of the flatsticks he experimented with was an L.A.B Golf broomstick, which has become increasingly popular on the PGA Tour.

Lucas Glover added an L.A.B. Golf broomstick to his bag last season and won back-to-back events. Adam Scott, Byeong Hun An, and Grayson Murray also recently successfully switched to L.A.B. models. Zalatoris was intrigued, but switching from an armlock putter to a broomstick requires ample time and heavy repetitions.

Thanks to his recent back procedure, all he had was time.