PUTTING
By and large putting is a relatively straight forward discipline. The reality though, is far different, with many golfers suffering from its mystical charm.
Virtually every golfer at some point in their golfing life will fall foul to the putting curse. For some it simply fuels their desire to improve, but for others it can be the demise of their golf forever.
As far as putting is concerned Bernhard Langer is the greatest example of pure defiance and willpower. He overcame the dreaded ‘yips' three times in his illustrious career. Just think what he might have won without them. The ‘yips' by the way is someone who can't putt the ball into the hole from very close distances. There are many books written about the so called ‘yips' but I haven't heard of a cure as yet. Its basically all between the ears.
The sad thing with putting is that golfers practice it the least. They spend more time and money on trying to hit the ball further and showing off their latest driver to their friends. Don't get me wrong, I've done it. But the truth is "you drive for show and putt for dough". Remember you use your putter more in a round of golf than any other club in the bag.
Putting, as with any golf shot, is all about understanding some basic rules. If we look at it logically we end up with two distinct elements. The first being direction and the second being distance. In simplistic terms direction is the path the ball must take to go into the hole. Working out the line or path required is not easy, but at the same time is not too difficult.
Once on the putting green the first thing to look for is any obvious signs of slopes, humps or hollows between the ball and the hole. If the ground is higher on one side of your putt then you must allow for this when choosing your line. Sometimes there might be slopes on both sides of your intended putt. If this is the case then you need to decide how each slope will affect the ball as its rolling, if indeed at all. One of the best tips I can give you for working out the direction for your putts is to work back from the hole to the ball. Imagine the hole as a clock with twelve points of entry, each one representing an hour on the clock. Then decide which hour around the hole is the entry point for the ball to drop. Once you've made a decision on the balls entry point you can then start working the line backwards to the ball, this will give you a much greater perception of the path the ball must roll along in order to either finish close to, or to roll into the hole.
If you've decided the entry point is six o'clock then this means you believe it's a straight putt. So, using a straight putt as an example you must now aim your putter correctly to coincide with your directional choice. Most putters have a directional line on them to help you line your putts up more accurately. If you now place the putter behind the ball with the directional line pointing dead in the middle of the hole, you will be lined up properly. If your putter doesn't have any directional aides on it then you must use the clubface as your visual reference point and make sure the putter face is ninety degrees to your intended target line. By using these techniques your alignment and direction will be greatly improved and much more consistent.
Once you've aimed correctly you need to know how hard to hit the ball. Distance is derived from two ingredients. One is practice and the other is the consistency of your stroke. Many students ask me "how hard should I hit my putts?" it's a very hard question to answer but my reply is always the same; most golfers have erratic and inconsistent putting actions with several permutations to them, so if your putting stroke is inconsistent then your brain never knows how much power you should apply because it doesn't know which stroke your going to deploy. If your stroke is smooth and consistent then after a little practice your brain automatically knows how hard you should strike the ball.
APPLICATION
To obtain a smooth and consistent stroke you need an action that is very reliable and repetitive. My recommended system is the '50/50 stop' system. Basically, your putting stroke will be 50% in backswing length and 50% in through swing length. This movement is controlled completely with your hands, arms and shoulders. There is no leg or hip movement and your head should remain still during the stroke.
After you have completed the '50/50 stop' action, you need to hold your finish like a statue and do not look for the ball. Keep holding this statue like position for a couple of seconds, then look up to see the ball rolling in the direction of the hole. But never come out of your static position when your looking for the ball. Simply turn your head and nothing else.
I promise you that if you follow this system correctly, then your putting will improve unbelievably. However, it is much easier to say than do. But with a little practice and persiverence, you'll benefit enormously.
CHECK LIST
TIP - You can leave some feedback below.
Virtually every golfer at some point in their golfing life will fall foul to the putting curse. For some it simply fuels their desire to improve, but for others it can be the demise of their golf forever.
As far as putting is concerned Bernhard Langer is the greatest example of pure defiance and willpower. He overcame the dreaded ‘yips' three times in his illustrious career. Just think what he might have won without them. The ‘yips' by the way is someone who can't putt the ball into the hole from very close distances. There are many books written about the so called ‘yips' but I haven't heard of a cure as yet. Its basically all between the ears.
The sad thing with putting is that golfers practice it the least. They spend more time and money on trying to hit the ball further and showing off their latest driver to their friends. Don't get me wrong, I've done it. But the truth is "you drive for show and putt for dough". Remember you use your putter more in a round of golf than any other club in the bag.
Putting, as with any golf shot, is all about understanding some basic rules. If we look at it logically we end up with two distinct elements. The first being direction and the second being distance. In simplistic terms direction is the path the ball must take to go into the hole. Working out the line or path required is not easy, but at the same time is not too difficult.
Once on the putting green the first thing to look for is any obvious signs of slopes, humps or hollows between the ball and the hole. If the ground is higher on one side of your putt then you must allow for this when choosing your line. Sometimes there might be slopes on both sides of your intended putt. If this is the case then you need to decide how each slope will affect the ball as its rolling, if indeed at all. One of the best tips I can give you for working out the direction for your putts is to work back from the hole to the ball. Imagine the hole as a clock with twelve points of entry, each one representing an hour on the clock. Then decide which hour around the hole is the entry point for the ball to drop. Once you've made a decision on the balls entry point you can then start working the line backwards to the ball, this will give you a much greater perception of the path the ball must roll along in order to either finish close to, or to roll into the hole.
If you've decided the entry point is six o'clock then this means you believe it's a straight putt. So, using a straight putt as an example you must now aim your putter correctly to coincide with your directional choice. Most putters have a directional line on them to help you line your putts up more accurately. If you now place the putter behind the ball with the directional line pointing dead in the middle of the hole, you will be lined up properly. If your putter doesn't have any directional aides on it then you must use the clubface as your visual reference point and make sure the putter face is ninety degrees to your intended target line. By using these techniques your alignment and direction will be greatly improved and much more consistent.
Once you've aimed correctly you need to know how hard to hit the ball. Distance is derived from two ingredients. One is practice and the other is the consistency of your stroke. Many students ask me "how hard should I hit my putts?" it's a very hard question to answer but my reply is always the same; most golfers have erratic and inconsistent putting actions with several permutations to them, so if your putting stroke is inconsistent then your brain never knows how much power you should apply because it doesn't know which stroke your going to deploy. If your stroke is smooth and consistent then after a little practice your brain automatically knows how hard you should strike the ball.
APPLICATION
To obtain a smooth and consistent stroke you need an action that is very reliable and repetitive. My recommended system is the '50/50 stop' system. Basically, your putting stroke will be 50% in backswing length and 50% in through swing length. This movement is controlled completely with your hands, arms and shoulders. There is no leg or hip movement and your head should remain still during the stroke.
After you have completed the '50/50 stop' action, you need to hold your finish like a statue and do not look for the ball. Keep holding this statue like position for a couple of seconds, then look up to see the ball rolling in the direction of the hole. But never come out of your static position when your looking for the ball. Simply turn your head and nothing else.
I promise you that if you follow this system correctly, then your putting will improve unbelievably. However, it is much easier to say than do. But with a little practice and persiverence, you'll benefit enormously.
CHECK LIST
- TAKE AIM
- 50% BACK-SWING
- 50% THROUGH-SWING
- STOP & HOLD YOUR FINISHING POSITION
- AFTER 2 SECONDS TURN YOUR HEAD TO VIEW THE SHOT
- MAINTAIN YOUR STATIC FINISHING POSITION UNTIL THE BALL STOPS
TIP - You can leave some feedback below.