5 Keys to Better Putting

photo credit: eMaringolo   Unlike the golf swing itself, putting is an individual thing.  Follow these keys and watch your putting improve:

1)  Keep Eyes Directly Over the Ball > doing so offers the best line of sight to the target.  2)  Play the Ball Forward in Your Stance > doing so assures that the face of the putter meets the ball on a slight upstroke which promotes a smooth roll.  3)  Keep Wrist Action to a Minimum > you should feel that your stroke is being controlled primarily by your arms and shoulders.  4)  Accelerate Smoothly > make your backswing long enough to promote a good follow-through.  5)  Keep Your Head Still > resist the temptation to look up at the ball until well after striking it.

Putting Routine

photo credit: Kevitivity   The perfect putting stroke is one that is easily and consistently repeated.  The three elements to perfect putting are:  1.  Set-up = stance and alignment.  2.  Observation = reading the pace and slope of the green.  3.  Focus = being in the right frame of mind. 

There are three elements that will help you develop a good putting routine:  A.  Practice >  arrive early to spend enough time on the practice green, it almost always replicates what the other greens on the golf course are like.  B.  Observation > carefully watch and learn from other players while they are putting.  C.  Putt-out > making putts is a confidence builder, even if they are  2 footers, don’t accept a “pick-it-up” if offered.

The Putting Stroke

photo credit: nsaplayer   Your primary objective, when putting, is to hit the ball straight.  If the ball isn’t hit perfectly straight it doesn’t matter how well you’ve read the green, you will miss the putt.  The shape of the green is what makes the ball move off line, not your stroke.  Stroke Tips: (a)  always hit the ball in the center (sweet spot) of your putter’s face.  (b)  keep your putter-head flat on the green, don’t elevate the toe or heel.  (c)  the shaft should remain vertical.  (d)  most players move the clubhead one-third on the backstroke and two-thirds on the follow-through (this will vary).  (e)  most players move the putter inside going back, square at contact and then inside going through.  The stroke actually emulate the golf swing itself.

The Game Within a Game

photo credit: sidewalk flying   The “distance” game is less than 40% of what is required of you within the game of golf.  The “other” game is one of great precision and delicacy, putting is that other game.  The thought process used during putting is completely different than the “distance” game.  If you combine the high energy of fairway play and the slow, precise play on the green, you have a pressure-packed environment.  Could that be why the game of golf is so difficult?

To excel on the greens you need to perfect your putting stroke.  Consistent, repetitive motion can develop a reliable putting stroke which is the single most important factor in lowering your handicap.  The old saying “play for show and putt for doe,” means exactly what it says.

Understanding Grain

photo credit: dan taylor   Grain is simply the direction that grass grows.  As with slope, grain can have a big influence on the speed and direction of a putt.  A ball traveling with the grain will travel faster and break more sharply.  A putt that runs against the grain moves slower and will break less.  Check for grain direction as you are checking the slope of the green. 

From behind the ball, look towards the cup.  If the grass seems shiny, you will be putting with the grain.  If the grass is dull, you will be going against the grain.  Grain usually runs with the slope.  It will run towards bodies of water (river’s, lakes).  Late in the day, grain will run towards the sun.  Grain is always more prevalent on Bermuda grass.

Know the Slope

photo credit: rioncm   Every green has slope, whether it is subtle or extreme, it must be read correctly to be successful.  As you are walking towards the green from afar, view the lay of the green and the land surrounding it.  Sometimes the land can be quite contoured with a relatively flat green sitting on it. 

Once on the green, walk completely around the intended path of your putt.  By walking in a circumference you can get a better feel for the slope and the contour.  If need be, move to either side of the putt, sometimes, you may see more (or less) slope from these angles. 

In general, too much “looking,” tends to be confusing.  Usually one look from directly behind the ball will do the job.

Never-up Never-in

photo credit: idovermani   The phrase “never-up, never-in” is more pertinent than you may think.  Ben Crenshaw, one of the game’s truly outstanding putters, said ” there are four ways to miss a putt – left, right, short and long.”

Follow this:  most putts will always be missed left or right, that means you will be long.  You can eliminate one of the four possibilities by making certain that you are never, ever short with your putts.  That’s where the phrase never-up, never-in comes from.  If you do not hit your putt/s hard enough you will be short, therefore, not giving the put an opportunity to go in the cup.  Sooner or later, if you keep going past the cup, your putts will start dropping and so will your scores.

Lag Your Putts

photo credit: Steve & Jemma Copley   According to the USGA regulations, the golf cup should be 4.25 inches in diameter.  Now, lets add approximately 1 more inch in diameter to make it a total of 5.25 inches.  Where did the extra 1 inch arise from?  If your ball is approaching the hole and half of the ball catches the hole, it will drop.  That means you have an extra 1/2 inch, basically, around the edge of the entire hole to use.

The whole idea is to control the speed of your putts.  If the ball is moving too fast, there is no way it can “catch” the cup.  By lagging your putts so that they die in or near the hole,  you will take full advantage of the extra 1 inch of leeway you have.

The Ominous 3 Foot Putt

photo credit: Kevitivity   When faced with a 3-foot putt do you look for imaginary slopes, hit it softly and try to “baby” your putt into the cup?  If you do, you are not alone.  The short putt can intimidate even the best putters.  Doug Sanders, lost the British Open by one shot by missing a 2 footer.  Ben Hogan missed a 3 foot putt to lose the 1946 U.S. National Open.

Unfortunately, there are no magic formulas, every golfer should develop a method to deactivate the nervousness that accompanies short putts.  Practice this exercise:  Place 4 balls, two feet from the cup, on each side of the hole.  If you miss one start all over until you make all 4 putts.  Do the same at 3, 4 and 5 feet.

Don’t be Long or Short

photo credit: TheTruthAbout…   Missing your putts left or right, is far less destructive to your score than missing putts by being too long or too short..  Every golfer, from amateur to professional,  has the same problem,  the majority of putts are missed because the ball is hit too long or it is left too short.  What this tells us is that “touch,” is the key to good putting.

Always work on your “feel” before beginning your round.  What follows is a good exercise:  pick a spot about 30 ft. away, where the green meets the fringe.  Putt the ball and try to get it to stop just as it reaches the fringe.  Don’t aim for a hole because this is not an exercise for accuracy it’s an exercise for feel.

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