Golf Instruction - Putting
FAULT NO.41
Golf Instruction - Putting: faulty set-up
By its very nature, putting is a hugely personal matter. But whatever style you choose to trust on the greens, I believe it's important that you develop the ability to repeat a stroke which produces overspin; one which guarantees a consistent roll on the ball. Naturally, the quality of your address position has a direct bearing on your ability to achieve this. The way you set up dictates how easily your arms and upper body are able to work together, which in turn determines the path of your stroke and the position of the putter-face at impact.
There are two common faults that I see. First, there's the example of the player who stands very tall at address, with his legs stiff, his arms straight and his eyes outside the ball-to-taarget line (1). Then there's the player who does just the opposite; he tends to sit down too much, his elbows are usually very bent, and his eyes too far inside the ball-to-target line (2). Neither of these positions does much to encourage a uniform stroke. The arms and hands tend to work independently, rather than as a single unit in tandem with the chest and shoulders. - Golf Instruction - Putting
FIX NO.41
Golf Instruction - Putting: Get set for a rock-steady stroke
I believe that the shoulder-controlled, pendulum-type stroke is the most effective for consistent putting. But for this method to work, your posture must allow your arms complete freedom of movement.
Let's build it from the ground up. In front of a mirror, take a comfortably wide stance, and flex your knees a little, as if you were just about to sit down. Feel that your weight favours your left sie a touch, and keep your elbows relaxed and spread to the point where your upper arms rest lightly on your rib cage (1). Your eyes should be directly over - or very slightly inside - the ball-to-target line; the ball itself should be opposite your left eye. (Quick check: test yourself by dropping a ball from your left eye, and noting where it lands.)
Next, your alignment. Following the example that we set in the full swing, aim the putter-face squarely to your target line, and then try to align your body parts - ie. your feet, knees, hips, forearms, shoulders and eyes - parallel to it (2). As long as you stay relaxed, your hands comfortably positioned either in line with, or slightly ahead of the ball (and directly beneath your shoulders), you are now in the perfect position to make a smooth stroke in which your bands, arms and shoulders work together. - Golf Instruction - Putting
FAULT NO.42
Golf Instruction Putting - excessive body motion
Holing putts on a regular basis is all about having the putter-face square to the intended line at the moment it contacts the ball. To do this, most good putters predominantly use a pendulum-like, arm-and-shoulder action, in which the triangle that is formed between the arms and shoulders at address can be seen to remain intact as it moves past a steady head. In other words, there is little wasted motion.
Putting problems aris when you try to 'help' the ball into the hole. WHen that happens, your head and upper body tend to move out of position through impact, which inevitably disrupts the alignment of the putter-face. The result is an inconsistent strike on the ball, and little or no control over the direction or the pace of the putt. - Golf Instruction - Putting
FIX NO.42
Rock your shoulders to control your stroke
In putting, the fewer moving parts there are , the simpler and more consistent your method will probably be. To that end, I encourage you to work on building a stroke that is controlled by the shoulders.
To promote this pendulum-type action, try the following exercise. Take your address position, and place your palms together in a downward praying position. Focus on the triangle that is formed between your hands, arms and shoulders, and then, keeping your head and lower body perfectly still, rock your shoulders so that you move the triangle smoothly back and through (1). Create an under-and-up pendulum motion with your shoulders, where your chest stays square to the target line, as opposed to opening your body to the hole. Feel that your left shoulder works down on the backswing, then up on the throughswing. This will control the path of the putter-head and keep the putter on line through impact (2).
On the follow-through - particularly on the longer putts - allow your head to rotate down the line towards the target after you have completed your stroke. That enables your triangle to work correctly, and thus allows you to follow the progress of the ball all the way to the hole without lifting your body out of position. - Golf Instruction - Putting
FAULT NO.43
Golf Instruction Putting - breakdown of the left wrist
Nothing ruins the consistency of a putting stroke like unwanted wrist action through impact. This breakdown can often be seen to occur in conjunction with a shoulder motion that has either stopped or is decelerating, and is one of the most common causes of a poorly struck short or medium length putt - and this applies equally to the pros.
With this fault, judging the pace and controlling the direction of your putts can prove to be a real problem. Because of the uncertainty that surrounds this type of wrist action in terms of the strike you impart on the ball, rarely will you release the putter with any confidence. You end up decelerating the putter through impact, which makes it virtually impossible to put a good roll on the ball. - Golf Instruction - Putting
FIX NO.43
Golf Instruction - Putting: 'Pull' and 'Push'
To help protect yourself against any unwanted hinging in the left wrist, hold the putter so that the shaft runs high across the palm of your left hand, resting against the fleshy pad below the thumb. Then close your hand, draping your left index finger over the fingers of your right hand. Doing this forms what's known as the 'reverse-overlap' grip; the left hand is now effectively locked in place on the club.
Now let's put your grip to the test. Remember, in a solid pendulum stroke, the shoulders control the motion from start to finish while the hands remain passive. Try this drill: address a straight three-foot putt, and without a backswing, 'brush' the ball towards the hole. Make the follow-through by 'pulling' with your left arm and left shoulder and 'pushing' with your right arm and right shoulder. Focus on keeping your left hand firm as you accelerate the putter past your left foot, and check to see that the putter-face is looking directly at the hole on the finish. Repeating this drill regularly will give you the correct feel, eliminates the 'wristiness' in your stroke, and should get those putts dropping. - Golf Instruction - Putting
FAULT NO.44
Golf Instruction - Putting: poor distance control
Think back to the last time you three-putted. What let you down? Your accuracy, or your inability to stroke the ball the desired distance? I'm prepared to wager that nine times out of ten, it's the latter.
On any putt over, say, ten feet, getting the distance right is much more important than direction. Even a beginner can hit a putt reasonably close the right line, but the chances of him rolling the ball the right distance are slim. Without the experience of 'fee', he's much more likely to rap the putt miles past, or leace the ball woefully short of the hole.
To a much lesser extent, the same is true of more advanced players. Many golfers have a tendency to hit a putt 'hard' or 'soft' depending on its length. That's asking for trouble. The 'hard' and 'soft' approach is too difficult to judge; you'll never develop a consistent feel for distance. And without that, you'll always be leaving your first putt too far from the hole to be sure of getting the next one in. - Golf Instruction - Putting
FIX NO.44
Golf Instruction - Putting: Longer putt, longer stroke
One of the golden rules in putting is that the length of your stroke should always control the distance you hit the ball. A relatively long putt requires a relatively long stroke, and vice versa. But there's a clause that you must adhere to: no matter what the length of the putt, your tempo - that is, the time it takes to complete your stroke - should remain constant. Thus, the pace of your stroke on a short putt will appear appreciably slower than that on a longer putt.
Good putters who seem to regularly hit their putts the proper distance have great tempo. With this in mind, practice putting to random targets to increase your awareness for the length of your stroke. Place tees in the green at distances of 10, 20 and 30 feet from your ball, and hit putts to all three, varying the length of your backswing for each, and making your follow-through at least as long - if not longer - than your backswing.
Always try to hit a putt firmly enough that, should it miss, the ball will finish about 18 inches past the hole. That's the optimum speed for the ball to hold its line, yet still fall in if catches any part of the cup.
Finally, be aware that you must take into account the condition of the green and the nature of your putt - ie. uphill or downhill - when determining speed. - Golf Instruction - Putting
FAULT NO.45
Golf Instruction - Putting: Poor long putting
Great putters not only hole out regularly from within six feet of the hole - that vital scoring distance - but they also have great touch and feel for distance on long putts. They realize that their goal from say, 30 or 40 feet is simply to 'lag' the ball close enough to the hole to have reasonably simple second putt. If it goes in, that's a bonus. Keeping those three putts off the card is a must. - Golf Instruction - Putting
FIX NO.45
Golf Instruction - Putting: Improve your touch
There are several things youcan do to become a good lag putter mentally and physically. (1) On facing a putt upwards of, say, 40 feet, make the most of positive mental imagery - not only the line of the putt but also by visualizing a bigger final target. Imagine a circle with about a two-foot radius painted around the hole, and simply try to roll your approach putt within that circle. If you do, the longest putt you can have left will be two feet. (2) Be conscious that pure technique here on these lengthy putts is not a prerequisite for feel. Stand a little taller at address and encourage a long, free stroke back and through, and allow a little wrist action to help with acceleration. Your left wrist should, in fact, be a little cupped at the completion of the stroke.
(3) Practice long putts with your right hand only. This will give you the feeling of releasing the putter head. (4) Hit putts from one side of the practice green to the other, aiming to get each ball as close to the fringe as you can without ever going off the edge. (5) When confronted with a long lag putt on the course, take plenty of practice strokes to sense the stroke needed to execute the putt at hand. With these keys, you could surprise your friends with your new found touch on long putts. - Golf Instruction - Putting
FAULT NO.46
Golf Instruction - Putting: The yips
When you see a golfer stand and freeze over short putts, and then make an uncontrollable flinch with the putter - the ball then missing the hole, sometimes by a wide margin - you are watching someone with that nasty golfing disease the 'yips'.
Yips have been known to make people give up the game in pure frustration at not being about to accomplish something so seemingly simple as to roll a ball a short distance into a hole. The problem is basically a mental one, which, in all probability, started off as being physical. The story goes something like this: a faulty stroke results in some missed short putts. After a while, that becomes a habit; a negative image builds up in one's mind; you cannot see yourself holing the putt; you become tense and anxious; your nerves become uncontrollable and little voice inside you says, "you are a lousy putter, you can't putt". Bingo! you have the yips.
The fault manifests itself mentally in the short putts first, because on longer putts your expectation level is lower, but, it has been known to spread. So, what can you do about the yips? - Golf Instruction - Putting
FIX NO.46
Golf Instruction - Putting: Relax, holing short putts is simple
Let's tackle the mental aspect first. All negative, self-depreciating 'inner-chatter' has to stop. Think positively and logically. Every time you stand over a putt, only two possible outcomes exist: you can either knock the putt in, or you can miss it. So, accept the challenge. Make a good stroke, hit the putt solidly - if you have read it right, and the ball doesn't hit a spike mark, then it has a good chance of going in.
Okay. So now that you are in a better frame of mind, what of the physical aspects? First, you obviously need to relax. Choke down a little on the putter and grip lightly. Keep your stroke short, accelerate through impact and listen for ball going into the cup. Many short putts are missed because of peeking. Practice on three-foot putts by placing a small coin under the ball and notice, say, the date. Then strike the ball at the hole, and keep your eyes focused on the coin. Don't look up until you hear the sound of the ball dropping into the cup. Also, knock in some short putts with your eyes closed. This will get you feeling your stroke instead of worrying about the hole.
For your routine, try this: look at the hole, look back at the the ball, then stroke the putt - it's that simple. Don't wait of freeze over the ball. The less time there is to think . . . the better. To build up your confidence, place six balls around the hole - about three feet away. Once you know them all in, move to four feet. If you miss one, start over again. Get accustomed to knocking into the back of the cup. Putting is basically all confidence - get some and the word 'yips' will stand for "Yes, I'm Putting Super"! - Golf Instruction - Putting
FAULT NO.47
Golf Instruction - Putting: Missing breaking putts on the low side
Putting would be a very mundane business if each and every green was flat. Subtle slopes and borrows add spice to the game, and test the skill of the player to read the greens correctly. During the course of a typical round you are probably going to encounter many breaking putts where, in order to make the putt, you have to aim somewhere outside of the hole.
In my experience, the majority of these putts are missed on the low - or 'amateur' - side, as the player fails to make enough provision for the borrow or break. In other words, more curling right-to-left putts are missed on the left side of the hole than the right, and vice versa.
The reason? Golfers often lack the confidence to start the ball outside of the hole. Instinct tells you to aim at the hole, even when you know there's a definite 'break' to negotiate. As a result, from the moment the ball leaves the putter-face, the chances of the putt going in - for many players - are nil. - Golf Instruction - Putting
FIX NO.47
Golf Instruction - Putting: Focus on an intermediate target
Bearing in mind that the line and pace of every putt are inversely related, visualize the ball running towards the hole, and try to pick out the point at which you think it will first start to break toward the cup. Regard that apex point as your intermediate target, and aim at it. (Remember, when you read a putt, the center of the cup may change. If your putt is breaking from left-to-right, for example, the center could move from six o'clock to, say, eight o'clock as you look at the hole.)
Now, having chosen your line, all you have to worry about is the pace to get the ball to the hole. If you hit the ball too hard you will hit the putt right through the break; hit it too softly and even though you may have aimed correctly, it will still miss on the low side.
In the end, it all boils down to trust. You have to trust yourself to read the break correctly, judge the speed, and then hit the putt on the line you have chosen. If you can focus on hitting the putt to the apex of the curve, and your speed is decent, you'll have more chance of making those curly putts. Or at least start missing them on the high - or 'pro' - side. - Golf Instruction - Putting
FAULT NO.48
Golf Instruction - Putting: Lacklustre 'feel' on the greens
There times when putting seems so easy. You're relaxed over the ball, and hole looks as big as a bucket. Your stroke feels perfectly grooved, the ball rolls sweetly off the putter-face, and putts disappear from everywhere. This condition is somewhat rare, I know, but it does happen.
Unfortunately, there other times when just the opposite is true. You are tense and fidgety, and there doesn't seem to be a hole on the green. You feel generally uncomfortable, and your putting stroke is off. The ball seems to clunk off the putter, and it never appears to get up to the hole. Or, if it does, the putt lips out. You've lost your feel; the magic is gone. So what can you do about this lacklustre feel? - Golf Instruction - Putting
FIX NO.48
Golf Instruction - Putting: Thoughts on recapturing 'feel'
If you sense that your feel has deserted you, work on these keys:
• Check your alignment. Lay a club on the ground pointing directly at a hole, and rest your putter-head on top of the shaft. Take aim, making sure the face is square (ie. that it forms a right angle with the shaft).
• Hover the putter-head above the shaft and check the path of your stroke. Many poorly-hit putts are the result of cutting across the line of the putt, thus producing a poor roll. In a good stroke, the putter should move slightly inside the shaft going back, then return straight through 'impact', and on towards the target.
• Work on your rhythm. Grip lightly to reduce any tension in your hands and arms, and learn to swing the putter freely. Count 'one-two' as you make your stroke - 'one' going back, 'two' coming through. That will help to enhance your tempo. If you feel you may be guilty of watching the putter-head as you move it back, hit a few putts whilst actually looking at the hole.
• Check your routine, too. Make, say, two practice strokes, take a couple of looks at the hole, and then stroke the putt. Develop a series of good habits, and stick to them. And remember, whatever your routine, the time you take to prepare to hit each putt should consistent.
• Practice putting to a tee - that immediately takes away the pressure of 'holing it', so you can work on making solid contact. The added bonus is that out on the course, the hole appears enormous. - Golf Instruction - Putting
